Erin Robbins Tech-Sass Blog

Hiring someone to handle social media for business, any kind of business, has been a (in my opinion played out) topic of conversation lately. Until I came across Jeremiah Owyang’s Altimeter report on the “Career Path of the Corporate Social Strategist” - on the cover of which he candidly blurts, “This emerging role must get ahead of business demands – or be relegated to social media help desk.”

I simultaneously rolled my eyes and laughed in agreement and annoyance.

A few years ago, when Twitter started to gain some traction and Facebook pages were bursting onto the scene, I began monitoring the online action for my company as part of my marketing research. As I responded to inquiries about the relatively small startup I worked at, the helpfulness of the responses was noted by consumers and the feedback appreciated by the product development team. Basically, a death sentence for the marketing team (i.e. – me) then relegated to a round-the-clock monitoring nightmare, a CEO that forwarded tweets and posts incessantly asking if I’d responded yet, and a product team that felt pulled in different directions with no clear path to prioritization.

After a bevy of sleepless nights and forgotten weekends, I decided to take the time to make a plan. The plan started with hiring an intern, one that could work for mostly college required credit (hey, we were a startup – free snacks and a fun office is payment enough!), to help with the monitoring and, after his feet were wet, some of the responses. As we went along, we evolved the role into a variety of things, learning from place where we seemed to be spinning our wheels and growing in places that showed real ROI. We hired customer support, whose role became a mixture of monitoring social media and community sites, with tandem response responsibility depending on topic.

This wasn’t without snags of course.

My CEO liked my tone of voice (something my mother would find appalling) and didn’t want multiple voices confusing people. As we grew, we found that it actually benefited the company to show that we had lots of employees online, any and all of whom would pitch in to help a flailing publisher or user.

The product team was buried with startup tech “bugs” many of which were uncovered and then broadcast onto Twitter. So we built a bug reporting system and a way to manage inbound reports and requests from online sources.

We got overzealous and when we grew as a company with more users – we just couldn’t respond as fast. These are growing pains we were happy to have, and had to reeducate existing users who were accustomed to two hour turnarounds.

Now that these practices have been around for a few years, it’s become a popular hire, if often misdirected one. So far, the outline and suggestions from Jeremiah seem to be some of the most sound I’ve seen – and give a good gut check to those of us that continue to tow the line in the social strategy space.

Take a look, it’s worth the read.

Hanging out at the #140 Conference during SES 2010 is always a mix of new ideas, regurgitation and reminders about what’s what on the web. One of my personal faves is the reminder that your delete key works on your device – meaning something is deleted from YOUR world… not the world’s world. Things survive in perpetuity on the Internet and this is a stumbling block for a lot of online/social web newbies – pictures, emails, blog posts, etc. are all out there for the world to see, use and manipulate without your permission (especially if you’re on Facebook, go take a look at the TOS again if you want a good horror story) and typically you won’t know.

This is not a warning about the use of social web tools or the Internet in general, obviously I am an active participant and not afraid to put my opinions, participate and interact via these mediums in spite of the aforementioned issues. It’s more a reminder that everything you put out there, even if only for a moment – that photo of you doing jello shots, the angry tweet at your ex, the post that says you’re getting a pedicure while you’re supposed to be at a conference (oops), that rude email rant to a colleague or service provider – all of it is out there forever long after you recognize it wasn’t the best idea.

Having a personality is important, being an individual is imperative. Respecting yourself and your brand – also pretty important. Be sure to take stock of your brand now and then by setting up a Google Alert for yourself to see what’s being said about you out in the world and to remember what all you’ve said as well. Before you hit send on an email ask yourself if it’s something you’d want read to your family and/or friends a week, a month or a year from now. Let friends know when you go out for a night of fun to keep certain photos off the web or give you first editing rights and to keep the tweets away from people’s personal actions.

Or don’t… then bookmark this blog post and read it again in five years.

I’m one of those crazy people in line for the new iPhone. To be totally fair, I am not doing this for myself, I’m sitting in line for 24 hours outside of the flagship Apple store in San Francisco for my friends who are on their honeymoon and have made a tradition of being in line for the arrival of new gear.

So far I’ve heard rumors of screen display issues, reception quality and other complaints. Another reason I don’t usually purchase the first version of any new product… but onward…

So what are the complaints with the new phone? The two biggest are:

1. Screen discoloration – there seems to be a yellow tint running across the displays of multiple early delivery handsets. It’s unclear if this is a defect of every device shipped or only a single shipment – more on that as devices are distributed tomorrow.

2. Antenna failure – the metal bands on the sides of the phone are meant to act as antennae, and when touched by human skin are affecting call reception, wireless signals and bandwidth. Sounds like something a product team should have figured out pre-launch but hey, I’m not an Apple employee.

You can check out my notes from the line on Twitter @texasgirlerin and I’ll be posting a blog tomorrow once iPhones are in hand to give you my initial thoughts on the inevitable issues as the predicted masses storm the store for phones that may or may not be here and may or may not work.

Image via Wikipedia

Conference season in the tech world is winding down (although there’s always something going on) and I’m reminded of the stark contrast between the technologizers that are teeming with cynicism about new products and the readiness of real estate professionals to believe the latest hype…  or so it used to be. As social media has left tread marks on the backs of many previously trusting Realtors creating a dwindling number of enthusiastic and open minds after suffering the scars of scams, unsuccessful attempts at online greatness and non-starters.

It’s easy to place the blame on a number of things:

• The snake oil salesmen who drive big dreams and promise payoffs only to charge fees for products and services that are free or irrelevant.
• The conferences that promote these people, their services or products that haven’t been road-tested enough to deserve the hype we hand them.
• Our own trusting nature that allows us to get swept up in the sense of excitement and intrigue when a shiny new toy is trotted out for all to admire during NAR, CAR, BarCamps or Inman.

It’s a mixture of all these things but what I’d like to address in this post is the level of responsibility by conference/event organizers to ensure that attendees are presented with the most knowledgeable talent in the field (not just friends and colleagues), the best products and services for the business (not just what’s shiny and new) and the most impartial view of the landscape that we’re operating in – not a false sense of security or an impending sense of dread used to sell more registrations and products.

The damage we do when duping our own colleagues and constituents is far more lasting than an extra 100 attendees – it creates a barrier between the leadership and the industry, a barrier defined by mistrust and apprehension that is easy to build but tough to break down.

So Realtors, when attending conferences, be sure to follow the same rules that your buyers and sellers do: “caveat emptor” – let the buyer beware. Conference/event organizers – remember that at the end of the day these are your colleagues and the future leaders of your industry. Misguidance today means mayhem tomorrow.

Image via CrunchBase

The power of positive (or negative) reviews has always been important to service providers and business owners. Now with the online world taking a hand in it, people’s reach and ability to affect consumer decisions outside of their own sphere of influence is magnified exponentially.

As a real estate professional or other service provider you should care about the experience you deliver to each and every buyer, seller or connection you make and how they perceived that experience as well. Using rating sites such as Yelp proactively puts the power back in your hands to take charge of what’s being said about you and your business. By owning your online brand you can encourage positive reviews from happy clients and monitor negative reviews and work to change those opinions in the future.

It is important to remember not to take these reviews personally all the time – we all have improvements we can make and blind spots in our practice. Just recently I spoke publicly at a convention and a woman came up to me afterward and said she loved my presentation, the information I had to share and my delivery style – except that I say “um” too much and that I should work on it. Now, a few years ago I would have been taken aback at the nerve of someone to come up to the keynote speaker and correct delivery – but what I realized is – whether or not she bothered to tell me what she thought, she still thought it – at least this way I could do something about it.

Yelp’s newest updates will include the ability of Yelp users to get “royalty status” and badges for reviews and interactions. This will further drive participation and engagement in the service – meaning more reviews, more readers and more businesses competing for fame.

So, if you haven’t signed up for a Yelp account or created a page for your business – give that a try today. If you do have a page already started (even if it has negative reviews) start leveraging it by sending it out to family, friends and clients that had a good experience and request reviews. Put the link on your website, in your email signature and on your business cards – and let your fans help you gain some ground with new customers.

And don’t forget – give reviews as well – write about your favorite restaurant, dry cleaner, shoe shine stop or bed and breakfast so others can experience the awesomeness you’ve found in your community!

Image via Wikipedia

Realtor’s have naturally gregarious personalities. They can strike up conversations with strangers in the strangest places at the oddest times. They can shoot the breeze with ease and laugh off most situations without hesitation… so why is so many real estate professionals turn into nervous Nellies online?

Is it the change of medium? The uncertainty of who can see the conversations? The fear of mistyping? Thinking they have nothing to say? All of the above?

Since there are typically some hurdles to overcome in translating your offline personality to the online world, below are some helpful hints to get you situated into the world of the world wide web without the worry.

Hint #1: Go places other than real estate forums and be friends with more than just your colleagues. Find people and pages that talk about your hobbies and interests and start conversations there first – you’ll feel more at ease talking about your favorite non-business subject at first.

Hint #2: Observe what others are saying on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn and comment back in the same way you would if you were face-to-face. Don’t worry that others can see your comment or what they might think – chances are others will be commenting as well and you might meet a new person through mutual commenting.

Hint #3: Own your expertise. You are the expert in real estate in your social sphere. Remind yourself that this is the area that you shine in and be proud of your knowledge. Look for others in the field to learn from and find ways to educate those who may need advice.

Hint #4: Don’t look at social networking as a means to an end. When you turn friendships into work (either on or off line) it shows. Enjoy your time online and only do what feels natural and all right for you. It make take some time to assimilate, but you should be happy with the conversations and interactions you have, not worried, frustrated or hassled. Social networking isn’t for everyone so if you try it out for a few months and still don’t like it, ask for some assistance on what may be troubling you and if that doesn’t work then use what you like, the phone, face-to-face interactions and other means. Online tools should never replace a firm handshake and welcome smile anyway.

Image via Wikipedia

The National Association of Realtor’s 30 Under 30 list of honorees was released today, with an emphasis on marrying traditional and technology trends to create a path to success. The Realtor’s honored represent an array of demographics but all share a similar goal, a passion for homeownership and a strong commitment to reinvigorating the market.

The honorees are also active community members – something that seems to always pay off in business and personal areas of life, truly illustrating that giving a little can mean getting a lot.

The emphasis on the use of new online tools is highlighted as well, “By integrating new media with old-school touches the 2010 “30 Under 30″ honorees have learned to connect with clients on a new level. With 90 percent of buyers today searching online for homes, Realtors^® use technology, including blogs and social media, to expand their business.”

Blogging, social networking sites and other online marketing tools are highlighted by the honorees and provide further proof to the power of these systems. Take a look at the press release and congratulate the honorees for a job well done!

Image via Wikipedia

Most years I try to avoid the roads on holiday weekends in favor of fun in my local neighborhood away from the throngs of tourists and travelers. This year is something different though, this year I’m headed out on a road trip from San Francisco to Southern California with nothing but a backpack full of clothes, a cooler of Diet Coke and my iPhone to survive.

Now for the tricky part, I’m a lead-footed lass, and it’s not even a conscience choice – I just always seem to end up going fast. So this year, I’ve installed the Trapster App on my iPhone, which promises to let me know where the local law has set up speed traps so I can try to keep the cruise control on or at least lay off the fast lane when approaching one of these traps. The app is free so if it doesn’t work then I’m not out any money (unless I get a ticket) and I’m always game to test out a new tech tool.

Another favorite of mine that I’ll be using is Traffic.com. You can use this as an iPhone app or just use your laptop before you leave to take a look at hotspots, planned construction and other highway hassles you might encounter.  I love it because I would rather take a detour that keeps me moving than sit in 10-mile-per-hour mayhem any day.

I feel it only appropriate to remind you that relying on your phone for automotive/legal liability should be a supplement to solid judgment and safety. So don’t text while driving or go 100mph expecting Trapster to save you.

Image by ~C4Chaos via Flickr

Guest post by: Scott LeForce, President & CEO, Realty World NCA

A good friend and business associate recently turned me onto a new source of powerful information I thought was very interesting and fun to use.  It is a computational knowledge engine that is in its early but exciting stages of development.  This application is based upon natural language processing, which simply means you can compute massive mathematical computations by using simple language.  The site is http://www.wolframalpha.com/ .  However, I recommend watching the short presentation before using the application.

What can it do for us in real estate?  Well, it will calculate debt payments; give you the estimated value distribution of properties in an area; display histories of prices and medians with interactive graphs and just about anything you can verbalize into a mathematical sequence including internal rates, etc. Why would you not want cool stuff like that, especially if it’s that easy to use?

I thought it was interesting and certainly a different perspective to learn that I’ve been alive 18,244 hours.  Put your birthday in; your LDL level; find nutrient levels, etc…

I’ll wrap up by asking to watch this presentation. Even if you don’t use the site you should know about it.

And I always thought natural language processing was something humans did since the dawn of time…

I’m shocked when more companies don’t listen to what their constituents want. It doesn’t seem to be brain surgery – people want stuff that works for their lifestyle and business needs – not exactly groundbreaking… or is it?

Static website providers and real estate companies that push one-size-fits-all solutions onto agents and brokers are missing the boat, big time. When meeting with a broker/owner of a Realty World Northern California franchise, he was looking at the various themes that the franchise offers for the agents blogs. Admittedly, the franchise is already ahead of the game by offering WordPress blog websites that agents and brokers customize with content, plugins and data specific to their area, but there needed to be more. He mentioned that he does commercial real estate as well, and that most of the themes had headers or layouts that only reflect homes – often giving prospective clients the wrong idea.

So Realty World NCA listened and today rolled out an updated line of themes with new text options and customizable headers that allow the agents and brokers to upload their own images to the site. Now they can add images that are commercial, residential or specific to their geographic location such as city and town photos that can be update with a couple of clicks.

Catering to the needs of your constituents is not a hassle, it’s a must have in business. If you’re struggling with getting the most out of your website, consider asking your franchise for the support that’s needed to make the most of your major online marketing outlet.

A reminder – your website is often the first interaction that potential customers have with you, where they search for homes in the area and how they know about the community, your specialization and why YOU are the real estate professional they should choose. A static website is harder to propel up search rankings and difficult to use search fields are all turnoffs.