Social Media for Home Builders 2.0: It's Easier Than You Think

Home builders who have embraced social media strategies for marketing their business, have seen extraordinary results. According to the second edition of Social Media for Home Builders 2.0: It’s Easier Than You Think, builders have seen results ranging from a 25-300 percent increase in website traffic, to increased customer referrals through using social media. This popular resource recently released by BuilderBooks, the publishing arm of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) teaches builders and residential construction professionals how to use social media tools such as blogs, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube, to increase their visibility and improve their sales results.

Social Media for Home Builders 2.0: It’s Easier Than You Think, by Carol M. Flammer, MIRM, CAPS, CSP is designed to help readers understand social media and construct a strategic plan for attracting more prospects, following up on leads and closing on more homes. This book speaks specifically to the needs of the real estate industry, and teaches home builders how to build a social media presence from the ground up. The updated edition includes even more examples, details and strategies than the first edition, featuring examples of specific social media campaigns and their sales results by builder type; sample tweets and Twitter campaigns to draw foot traffic to homes and communities; and new research on how people are using social media.

“Social media has become increasingly important to businesses as a marketing and sales tool”, said NAHB Chairman Bob Nielsen, a home builder from Reno, Nev. “With this new resource, builders and remodelers can learn how to use these tools to more effectively market their business, increase visibility, and make more sales.”

Author Carol Flammer outlines in a clear, concise style how to engage consumers through social media. She provides content suggestions for creating and maintaining a blog, and includes real-life examples of successful blogs that have attracted readers. Flammer also provides details on how to:

• Improve search engine optimization (SEO)
• Gain Facebook friends and Twitter followers
• Find the right social media groups
• Run social media campaigns
• Optimize websites, blogs and other social networking sites
• Track, analyze and improve results

Carol Flammer is a public relations and social media marketing expert, strategist and consultant. With 20 years of experience, Carol has established herself as the “go to” person for real estate and construction products public relations and social media. Carol is the founder of the online Atlanta Real Estate Forum, president of Flammer Relations, Inc., and managing partner of mRELEVANCE, LLC, an Internet marketing, social media and public relations firm with offices in Atlanta and Chicago.

Social Media for Home Builders 2.0: It’s Easier Than You Think is available for purchase at www.BuilderBooks.com or by calling 800-223-2665. Soft-cover/264pages, $19.95 retail, $17.95 NAHB member, ISBN 978-0-86718-675-8.

Welcome to New Homes Camp

Welcome to New Homes Camp where social media marketing and the new homes industry meet in an explosion of information. This fun-filled camp will provide you with all the tools you need to effectively blog, use social media and other tech tools to create a competitive advantage for yourself. Everyone's invited, you just need to be attending REtechSouth. Haven't purchased your tickets to the largest real estate conference in the Southeast yet? Go ahead and head over now, we've got a discount code!

REtechSouth is set to take place March 25-26 at the Gwinnett Arena and New Homes Camp is scheduled for March 25 at 9:30 a.m. The camp features social media greats like Carol Flammer, mRELEVANCE, Meredith Oliver, Meredith Communications, Tice Burke, Trulia, Mitch Levinson, mRELEVANCE and Paul Chaney, Author of the Digital Handshake. It's not often you'll have the opportunity to speak with the industry's leading experts in social media marketing as it pertains to the new homes industry, so make sure you purchase your ticket today. Last year the conference sold out and you'll want to reserve your place at the session now.

For more information about REtechSouth head over to Atlanta Real Estate Forum, the leading source for all the information in the Atlanta real estate industry.

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.

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.

Flammer and Levinson Present Basics of Social Media

Are your prospective buyers finding you where they expect to find you? Digg, Delicious, Active Rain, FaceBook, MySpace, Blogger, YouTube, Twitter and more. The Internet is rapidly evolving and on Wednesday, Jan. 28 don't miss out on your chance to learn how to maximize your return on investment (ROI). mRELEVANCE founders, Carol Flammer, MIRM and Mitch Levinson, MIRM, will present the basics of Social Media at The Housing Center on Wednesday, Jan. 28 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The class will focus on Social Media program basics, Social Media's influence on SEO and how to use Social Media to relate to buyers. Attendees will learn how to utilize Social Media for a competitive advantage. Whether you are planning a simple news blog on your website or implementing a full blown Social Media campaign, Flammer and Levinson will demonstrate how Social Media increases key words and enhances search engine optimization.

The cost to attend the class is $75 for Greater Atlanta HBA members and $150 for non-members. Attendees need to bring their laptop because this hands-on workshop will include setting up a social bookmarking account. To register for this class, call 770-939-9900 or visit http://atlantahomebuilders.com/education/classes-events.cfm. If you have any questions, send an email to education@atlantahomebuilders.com or call 678-775-1469.

Two Can't Miss Seminars at the International Builders Show

Carol Flammer and Mitch Levinson, the founders of mRELEVANCE, are both presenting seminars at IBS that will help home builders get the most out of their Internet marketing dollars. For the builders, developers and other new home building industry professionals that have yet to embrace Web 2.0, attending these seminars will help teach you how to take your Internet marketing to the next level.

Mitch is presenting "Internet Tracking-What your Web Site Visitors are Telling You." At this seminar, attendees will learn how to analyze their tracking reports. Tracking reports tell you how visitors find your site, which pages they spend the most time one, how long they are spending on your site and more. By understanding these reports, builders can increase traffic to their site and keep visitors there longer. This is obviously extremely beneficial information for anyone in the new home building industry, so be sure to put this seminar on your IBS calendar. See Mitch on January 22 from 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

While understanding Internet marketing for builders is important, it is just as important to know how to put your Web site in front home shoppers. This is why you need to put Carol's seminar, "Sell More Homes by Becoming a Social (Media) Butterfly," on your IBS calendar as well. She will be discussing different tactics that help increase search engine optimization and also search engine results page. Be sure to mark January 23 from 10:15 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. on your IBS calendar to see Carol's seminar.

IBS Speaker News

mRelevance managing partners Carol Flammer, MIRM and Mitch Levinson, MIRM have been selected to speak at the International Builder Show in Las Vegas. Look for more details on dates and times as we get closer to the show.

Carol is speaking on Social Media. Her program, "How to become a Social Media Butterfly" demonstrates the power of social media and an Internet optimization tool for homebuilders and developers.

Mitch is presenting Internet Tracking. His program is "Internet Tracking: What your Web site visitors are telling you." Learn how to maximize your online exposure, increase your SEO, keep visitors on your site longer and more.

Online registration for the International Builder Show is now open. We will see you in Vegas, Jan 20 – 23, 2009.