in this issue…
Putting a Face on Real Estate since 1995™
• KB Home REALTOR Happy Hour • Keller Williams Realty Round Rock Annual Awards • WCAoR Super Bowl of Builders • JB Goodwin REALTORS Awards • and much, much more!
Associates in Progress
Two Locations
in Lakeway
page 25 TM
page 11
MARCH 2013 • VOLUME 17 • ISSUE 10
Find your social media personality match by Autumn Rhea Carpenter
W
Visit us online 24/7 at www.myRealtyLine.com
P. O. Box 81366, Austin, Texas 78708
TM
austin
RL
Putting a Face on Real Estate since 1995
Printed on recycled paper.
Presorted Standard U.S. Postage PAID Austin, Texas Paid Permit #715
hile cats, food and politics demand a majority of screen time on the various social media websites, these platforms can be an invaluable marketing tool for REALTORS. Social media can be targeted to a specific demographic, with updates that keep interested homebuyers coming back for more. According to Nicole Boynton, Gracy Title MCE trainer and social media manager, (also known as the ‘Go-To-Geek’) social media is constantly evolving. She has been interested in the various platforms for the past six years and
explains how to make the most of these marketing tools.
sharing. Why spend money or time on marketing if it’s not helpful or valuable to others?”
span world, pictures often convey an idea much faster than words.
How It Works Facebook offers business pages (www.Facebook/pages) that allow business owners to keep their personal lives separate. “One of the biggest mistakes agents make is using their personal Facebook page to market their real estate business,” says Boynton. “This is against Facebook’s Terms of Use and can get you banned from the site.” Ask questions—Facebook is a great venue for engaging with customers. “Treat social media like a cocktail party, and make it a two-way conversation. Talk about topical subjects and don’t make it all about you,” says Boynton. “Discuss things you care about, such as dogs, kids, and charities because people will connect with you on common interests. Of course, steer away from politics and religion.” Include photos and video—make your wall entertaining and informative by showing your story rather than telling it. In our short attention
According to eMarketer, the most popular social media site will hit 1.5 billion users by the end of 2013. Currently, the networking goliath has 163,071,460 users (67 percent) in the United States with the highest number of users between 25-34 years old. The average amount of time spent on Facebook is 12 minutes. “I am a Facebook addict,” says Boynton. “With over one billion users, you just can’t ignore that number when you are in a sales business like real estate. Recent stats showed that 50 percent of Facebook’s users log in each day!” Boynton manages the Gracy Title Facebook and Twitter pages, and uses them to share useful information about real estate, events and articles. “I keep a close eye on our analytics to be sure we are offering content that our fans enjoy,” she says. “One of the best tools available on Facebook is the Facebook Insights tool. You can determine what your readers like and are
Upcoming Events
Twitter is one of the 10 most visited websites on the Internet that allows users to post 140-character messages known as ‘tweets.’ According to Pew Research Center, 16 percent of adults use this tool with women, African-Americans and Latinos ranking as its most likely demographic. The average amount of time spent on Twitter is 36 minutes. How It Works Use hashtags—by placing this symbol (#) in front of a topic, the tweet is categorized, making it easy for followers and non-followers to search for it by keyword. Make personalized connections—Twitter is an effective platform for communicating with people that might be otherwise difficult to reach. If followers feel the message is sincere
Front Page: Continued on page 32
More at www.myRealtyLine.com
Tuesday, March 19 ABoR TREPAC Chili Cook Off ABoR Office - 6 to 9 p.m.
Thursday, March 21 WCAoR March Luncheon WCAoR Office - 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Wednesday, March 20 HBA Georgetown Chapter St. Patti's Day Golf Tournament Forest Creek Golf Club - 11:30 a.m.
NAHREP: FHA 203 K Training, Bus Tour and Happy Hour 12574 Research Blvd. - 1 to 7 p.m.
AYREP March Madness Happy Hour Blackfin Ameripub - 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
HBA Annual Crawfish Boil Builder/ REALTOR Mixer - Blanco Vista Community/San Marcos - 6 to 9 p.m.
Thursday, March 21 "Dusty Foot Tour" and REALTOR Breakfast - Tuscan Village Lakeway 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.
Tuesday, April 9 Austin Board of REALTORS: 2013 Texas REALTORS Hill Visits Texas Capitol - 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Wednesday, April 10 HBA Lakeway/Bee Cave Chapter Charity Golf Tournament Flintrock Falls Golf Club - 12 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 10 Lennar: REALTOR Appreciation Happy Hour - The Domain - 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 12 ABoR: Thinkers & Doers ABoR Office - 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Thursday, April 18 WCAoR: East Side Story Bus Tour WCAoR Office - 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.