Is Social Media a Good Use of Time

There has been lots of debate and discussion lately as to whether social media marketing is a total waste of time. Like any element of a good marketing program you need a plan for your social media efforts. Once you have identified and set goals, make sure to measure your progress on a monthly basis.

Spending countless hours on social networks posting and Tweeting without a plan can be a huge time suck. To make the most of your time, make sure to create a social media marketing plan and stick to it. Figure out what target audience you want to engage and them determine where to engage them.

Can social media sell real estate? More importantly, can social media sell houses? A really hot post on the topic can be found on Atlanta Real Estate Forum. Titled Social Media Doesn't Sell Houses the post has attracted comments from marketers in the Atlanta Real Estate market as well as around the country.

mRELEVANCE Creates Award-Winning Social Media Programs

mRELEVANCE won seven awards at the 2009 Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association's OBIE Awards Gala in November taking home the lions share of the awards for E-Marketing.

Pictured are mRELEVANCE managing partners with the award for Atlanta Real Estate Forum (front) Carol Flammer and Mitch Levinson with the the mRELEVANCE team (L-R) Michelle Serra, Mike Rieman, Jill Wise and Bo Gilbert of Bo the WebGuy LLC.

mRELEVANCE won the following awards:

• Gold OBIE for Best Print Ad – Magazine
  
• Gold OBIE for Best Interactive Application for www.AtlantaRealEstateForum.com
• Silver OBIE for Best Website Associate for the company’s website www.mrelevance.com
• Gold OBIE for Best Website for Heron Bay Golf & Country Club
• Silver OBIE for Best Social Media for Heron Bay Golf & Country Club
• Silver Awards for Best Marketing Campaign/Promotion – Developer for Heron Bay Golf & Country Club
• Gold OBIE for Best Social Media for Bowen Family Homes
  

For more information about mRELEVANCE and their programs and services, visit www.mrelevance.com or call mRELEVANCE team member, Jill Wise at 770-383-3360 x22. You can also become a fan on Facebook or follow along on Twitter @mRELEVANCE

mRELEVANCE Launches Blog for Circle 75

mRELEVANCE is once again helping home builders and communities reach out to buyers through a corporate blog. In this particular instance, the Atlanta internet marketing, social media and public relations firm partnered with Circle 75. Circle 75 is a luxury Cobb County townhome community with a coveted Atlanta address and desirable live, work, play environment. Since the community is located in one of Atlanta's most vibrant neighborhoods - Smyrna - the blog will be a resource for locals on area events as well as community-specific news.

The Circle 75 blog will be updated frequently, allowing resident to find timely information on happenings in their community and surrounding area, as well as allowing Circle 75 to announce relevant community news and current incentives and promotion for prospective home buyers.

A highly-optimized blog is the cornerstone for any social media campaign, and mRELEVANCE is happy to help Circle 75 improve their traffic, both online and on-site.

mRELEVANCE Managing Partners to Present Social Media Seminars at NAHB's EOC Conference This Week!

Once in a Lifetime Opportunity!!! Okay, it's not really a once in a lifetime opportunity, but it will be a very special treat. mRELEVANCE Managing Partners Carol Flammer and Mitch Levinson will be presenting seminars together on social media at the 2009 National Association of Home Builders Executive Officers Council (EOC) Conference August 12-15 in Louisville, Ky.

These seminars will be jam-packed with helpful information and brought to you by the industry's top experts on how to use social media to sell homes. Carol Flammer is an award-winning public relations and social media marketing expert, strategist and consultant with 20 years of experience. Mitch Levinson is an Internet marketing expert and real estate pro. Together, they will bring two exciting programs to teach executive officers and senior staff from state and local associations how they can use social media in their associations.

The seminars are titled Social Media: Engage in the Online Conversation and Social Media Lab: Building a Social Media Program from the Ground Up. Engaging in the Online Conversation is an introduction to social media and will give attendees a better understanding of this means of communication. The lab will be a hands-on, interactive session that will actually walk participants through setting up some of their own social media tools, including Facebook and Twitter. This session will also present attendees to a new social media tool launched by mRELEVANCE – it's top secret though – attendees will get the sneak peek and first opportunity to experiment with it.

If you are attending the EOC seminar, be sure to attend these two sessions. Get full information on the EOC web site.

mRELEVANCE Partners Present at EOC Conference

mRELEVANCE managing partners Mitch Levinson, MBA, MIRM, CSP and Carol Flammer, MIRM, CSP, CAPS, will be conducting two seminars at the 2009 National Association of Home Builders Executive Officers Council (EOC) Conference August 12-15 in Louisville, Ky. The EOC Seminar provides high-level association management education and motivation specifically related to the home building industry. Levinson and Flammer will be presenting two programs on social media: Social Media: Engage in the Online Conversation and Social Media Lab: Building a Social Media Program from the Ground Up.

Social Media: Engage in the Online Conversation will give participants a better understanding of social media tools and how to utilize them for a competitive advantage. The program will also address social media's influence on search engine optimization and teach participants how to target and interact with buyers. Social Media Lab: Building a Social Media Program from the Ground Up is a hands-on program that will teach the steps to launch an effective social media program and/or ways to improve an existing one, including how to launch a blog, Facebook profiles, Facebook company pages and a Twitter account.

Flammer is an award-winning public relations and social media marketing expert, strategist and consultant. Levinson is an Internet marketing expert with expertise in search engine optimization, Web site development, email marketing, social media and CRM consulting services.

The EOC represents executive officers of local home building associations and strives to enhance the professionalism of its members through innovative services, training, education and networking opportunities. Their 2009 seminar will allow executive officers and senior staff of state and local home building associations to meet and connect to share best practices, successes and plans for the future.

Is Social Media working for Real Estate?

I have been asked a lot lately to comment on the efforts of individuals and companies on the value of social media to real estate sales and marketing programs. The team at mRELEVANCE has posted numerous articles across our social media network on using social media and the effects it has on the overall marketing program for a home builder, a community subdivision, a condominium project or even a master planned community.

Blogging can be done by anyone. Facebook pages are created every day for businesses and new home communities. More and more people have started tweeting on Twitter. Its great they are trying, but I have seen a lot of sites that NEED HELP!

Have you changed your colors on YouTUBE? See the mRELEVANCE channel at YouTube
Have you made the most of facebook? See mRELEVANCE on facebook

The big questions we get the most; "Are we doing it right?" "How do we know if its working?" "How do I make it prettier?"

Most professionals in the industry are new to social media and the power it has in generating exposure. Its not a magic bullet that will instantly solve all your problems. Its not going to completely turn everything around, but when its done right and tracked correctly, it sure does have an impact.

Do you need help? Contact our team at mRELEVANCE

Sell More Homes with Social Media

Social media is not just for teenagers anymore. An effective social media marketing plan can give you a competitive edge in the home building industry. On June 4, 2009, national speakers and mRELEVANCE founders, Carol Flammer and Mitch Levinson will present "Sell More Homes with Social Media" at the 2009 Southern Building Show. The class will touch on a variety of topics from social media to social networking, blogging and social bookmarking. Attendees will see case studies of how builders, developers and new home communities are benefiting from social media optimization as well as find out how to incorporate a blog and sites such as Active Rain, FaceBook, My Space, Blogger and others into an effective Internet marketing program.

The Internet is rapidly evolving. Do not miss this opportunity to learn how to maximize your return on investment (ROI). Social media marketing and optimization, search engine marketing, an effective Web site, email marketing and social networking are all components of a successful Internet marketing program. Learn how to take your traditional public relations online as an integral part of reputation management. "Sell More Homes with Social Media" will last from 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta. Don't miss out on your opportunity to learn more about social media.