Dennis O'Neil - Speaker & Author on Internet Sales, Marketing, and Social Media » Home Builders

Effective Communication with Social Media

dennisoneil — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 06:30:29 +0000

On March 9th, I had the pleasure of speaking to over 200 new home sales and real estate professionals at SMC SalesCamp. My assigned topic was “Effective Communication with Social Media.”

The videos below contain my full presentation.

In this presentation, I was able to introduce the concept of Lead Curation – Creating an environment conducive to growing connections into prospects. I’m looking forward to digging deeper into this in the coming days/months.

I’ve also included my presentation, and the handouts made available to the attendees below. Please feel free to share this with anyone you think may benefit.

Part One Video:

Click here if you can’t see the videos, presentation, or handout

Part Two Video:

Effective Communication with Social Media on Prezi

SMC SalesCamp Spring 2010 Handout

Its 2010, Do You Know Where Your Listings Are?

dennisoneil — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 17:39:38 +0000

“I’m not exactly sure how, but I think our listings get there.”

It’s difficult to find a subject that’s less clear to most builders - How exactly do their community listings get distributed to directories on the web, and how do they change or improve their content, accuracy, placement, etc?

New Home Feed is aiming to change all that. By far, it was my best product/service takeaway from the International Builder Show. New Home Feed was put together by a San Francisco based ad agency doing lots of work with builders, Graphic Language. They hear all the complaints about the general mess that is builder listings on the web -

“My listings should be on that site.”
“We’re not paying for that community to be listed there.”
“That community has been closed for a year!”

Thankfully, these guys are talented enough to do something about it.

New Home Feed is a listing distribution service designed to simplify the management and distribution of builder community listings to the largest real estate directories on the web, free and paid sites alike. Its a tool designed for use directly by the builder to manage your presence on the web.

What I like about New Home Feed:

They’re not a listing site. They have no interest in hoarding listings, leads, impressions, or controlling clicks. They work for the builder, and create a marketplace for directories to compete for your business.
Independent data. They’re delivering builders metrics, as a third party, detailing what listing sites are getting you the most activity.
Fresh Listings. That’s their own phrase, but New Home Feed is touting strong commitments from listing sites to prioritze the data from their listings.
Data Control. They provide builders with community-level control of what information goes where. If you want community A, B, and C to go to Trulia.com, and community C, D, and F to go to NewHomesDirectory.com, but communities A-Z to go to NewHomeSource.com and Move.com, its all possible. This kind of control was previously only achievable for the national builder crowd.

While the service will not be released for a few more months yet, I’m excited about the level of control its going to provide builders. I was fortunate enough to get a full demo at IBS, and hope the guys will be dripping out some more news and maybe some screen shots as the launch draws near, including some firm pricing. At first glance, its going to be geared to the mid-sized regional builder, but I’m hopeful for some small builder options, too.

Its one of the few tools I’ve seen recently that genuinely empowers a builder to become more independent, as opposed to requiring them to become more reliant on a particular service.

Full disclosure: I attended a dinner at IBS co-sponsored by New Home Feed, but I’m in no way affiliated. I genuinely like the concept they’re presenting.

A Classic Moment at the International Builder Show

dennisoneil — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 02:49:34 +0000

If you were unable to make it to the Super Sales Rally at the International Builders Show, you missed an instantly classic performance by new home sales trainer Jeff Shore of Shore Forrest Sales Strategies and Jim Suth of D.R. Horton.

I captured all but the first few seconds using my cell phone. The audio/video doesn’t line-up perfect, but this video is well worth the watch nonetheless. Have fun, and thanks to Jeff and Jim for the laughs.

Can’t see the video? Click Here.

Location, Location, Foursquare. How the Game will Jolt Mobile Real Estate Marketing into Prime-time

dennisoneil — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 02:54:04 +0000

I am convinced that the mobile web offers some of real estate’s most exciting opportunities in the next 5-10 years.

Some of the ideas I’m about to share are certainly not the “show me some case studies” type, but most great opportunities are best identified early, no? And as is the case with all impactful technologies, those companies that identify and take advantage of that potential sooner than their competitors, have an advantage. They gain critical “trial-and-error” wisdom that will take their competitors years to learn.

Check out my posts from September and November of 2008 for a primer on my thoughts about Mobile Marketing for New Homes and Home Builder Mobile Marketing with Google. Below I’d like to hash out what I see as the next step (not that, as an industry, we’ve taken the first one yet.)

What we’re just beginning to see is the power of the Internet, combined with location specific relevance, combined with mobility, combined with personal recommendations. Yes, all of this has taken off with a game by the name of Foursquare.

For those of you not familiar with Foursquare, I encourage you to check out their website and even sign-up to play – I was excited when the game was finally made available in my hometown of Baltimore. The short explanation – Foursquare is a game where users who register (for free) use their mobile phones to “check-in” at any location/business to which they travel – gas station, coffee shop, deli, school, etc. Players are rewarded for check-ins based on volume, frequency, and consistency. After regular check-ins at a particular location, a user may be awarded the status of “Mayor.” For example, a Foursquare player may carry the title of “Mayor of Starbucks – East & Main” or “Mayor of BP Gasoline – Downtown.” Players are also connected to their friends, getting to see where their friends have traveled, and even receive notes and recommendations left by their friends.

Why should any business care about Foursquare?

First, Foursquare is building a very reliable local directory. I’m sure more than a handful of people have been frustrated with local business directories online. Foursquare is using its players to build an accurate database of local business and is using the GPS data from their phones to help.

Second, Foursquare players are “early adopters,” meaning they tend to be early users of new technology, and have a lot to do with a product’s evolution into the mainstream. This also means that they have a high likelihood to be influencers within their social circle; i.e. other people go to them for advice.

Third, Businesses can identify loyal customers. Most businesses would like to think they know all their regulars, but for many, it’s not realistic. Businesses can identify those regular patrons and reward them. Many businesses in popular Foursquare cities, like New York, already offer discounts and specials to whomever has been crowned “Mayor” of their establishment – Click here for a sample. What better way to reward customer loyalty, and encourage others to visit more?

Fourth, Research. Where do people go after they leave your business? What competitors are growing/shrinking their popularity? What else do people do around or near your business?

And if those aren’t good enough…

It seamlessly integrates with Twitter and Facebook making it easy for people to tell all their friends where they are, too.

Two great places to learn more about how businesses are using foursqaure:

foursquare.com – Great samples, and the company has made a commitment to provide data to businesses in the future – Like web analytics for real life… Truly, this could develop into the online-to-offline traffic connection we’ve been wishing for since the dawn of the Internet.
Robert Scoble – In a recent blog post he shared quite a few examples of how businesses are using Foursquare. Its more tech and less business, but a great read.

So what does all of this mean for home builders and real estate?

Lets look at the key features of the game/service:
We’ve given consumers a fun tool that encourages them to log the places they’ve visited.
We’ve got a tool that employs geo-location to suggest new places to its users.
We’ve got a tool that encourages its users to leave “tips” (aka reviews at times) for their friends.

Below are just a handful of ideas:

1. A “Parade of Homes” where users would check-in at each model using Foursquare. Reward participants for checking in at all the models on the tour, and encourage them to leave “tips” for future visitors. A little while ago I projected that within 18 months, somebody will do this. I’d love to see it happen sooner.
2. What about organizing a Realtor tour? Encourage agents to visit your models on a tour, or simply encourage them to “check-in” at your models more often (with clients preferably).
3. Reward your regulars. Identify the agents who visit more than one of your communities.
4. Partner with a local business and offering their “check-ins” some type of bonus to stop over for a model tour.

But wait… there’s more

Foursquare recently announced it released an API (Application Programming Interface) – a way for other companies to build on top of its service. This means that almost any company who can think of a creative or useful way to use Foursquare’s service, can now integrate the data into another system. When announcing the release of its API, Foursquare shared that an integration is already under way with the Layar browser for Android powered mobile phones and iPhones. Not familiar with how cool Layar is? You can see an example video here. Mashable.com also has a nice write up on why this API is big news.

Waste of time?

Foursquare has been called a waste of time by some. How many remember when the Internet was called a waste of time? I still hear that from some people today.

Some of the thoughts I shared above use Foursqaure as the basis for the idea, but it may not actually be Foursquare that is eventually used to accomplish them. Like many tech startups, they can be bought in an instant, or their technology duplicated by someone with a better twist. With the release of its API, Foursquare has empowered a new world of possibilities. The eventual tool the home builder and real estate world embraces may not even look like Foursquare.

Who knows, maybe there’ll be a white label Foursquare solution available to Home Builders Associations, Property Management Companies, and Multiple Listing Services?

Most of this is a bit far out (not the concept, but the timeline). I don’t expect to see something like this for a while (maybe 3-6 months in an urban market), but I see amazing possibilities here.

What model home couldn’t use more traffic? What model home doesn’t want more visits from influencers in the community? What home builder isn’t trying to attract and identify active Realtors?

So, what are your thoughts? Waste of time, or real potential? I’d love to hear from you below.

Tweet This: 99 Ways for a Home Builder to Use Twitter

dennisoneil — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:00:54 +0000

Twitter is, by far, the most difficult social tool to explain. It’s not just difficult for builders to see the why of Twitter, but it’s also difficult for most to understand how they could use Twitter. I’ve decided to tackle the how issue in this post with a list of 99 ways for a home builder to use Twitter. Getting straight to it…

50 Things to Twitter

Helping them buy
News:
1. Tax credit news article
2. Local real estate values article
3. News of a local restaurant opening
4. News article about mortgage rates
5. News article about kitchen design trends
6. Share an article on the tax benefits of home ownership
7. Share an article about a nearby vacation destination
8. Share an article on green building
9. Share an article on energy efficiency
10. Share details of the local Home & Garden show

Information:
11. Link to the town/city entry in Wikipedia
12. Link to local public transportation map
13. Share a link to a Google map referencing local points of interest

Local Interest:
14. Share a link to information about the local school fundraiser
15. Report on the local high school football game
16. Share photos of a local fair
17. Link to school performance report
18. Link to news article featuring a local school student or athlete
19. Share news about a traffic detour

Help your prospects/owners:
20. Share when you see a local “help wanted” sign
21. Share a link to a local storage space rental place
22. Link to local coffee house coupon
23. Share a link to a business owned by a community resident
24. Direct people to a contingent buyer’s current house listing to help it sell
25. Remind your followers when it’s time to plant bulbs
26. Remind your followers about little league sign-up deadlines
27. Share tips to help contingent buyers/prospects sell their current home

Fun:
28. Share a photo of the trees as the leaves change colors
29. Share photos of the best snow sledding hill in the community
30. Share a photo of a sunset in the community
31. Share photos from a community cookout
32. Tweet about the neighborhood kids’ lemonade stand
33. Tweet about the local babysitting/pet-sitting service
34. Tweet about your resident’s car for sale
35. Invite followers to a community cookout

Community News:
36. Share a photo of the new community entrance monument
37. Share a photo of the freshly planted flowers in the common area
38. Share photos of the new community center under construction
39. Announce that the community pool has opened
40. Announce HOA Meeting

Gratitude:
41. Congratulate new home buyers
42. Congratulate new home owners (Tag them in the tweet if they’re Twitter users)
43. Thank a local Realtor for visiting a community (Tag them in the Tweet if they’re Twitter users)

Promotion:
44. A new community grand opening
45. A new model grand opening
46. A new floor plan being offered
47. A new option incentive
48. A new lot release
49. A new interest rate special
50. A special price on an inventory home

49 Ways to Listen on Twitter

Listen for names:
1. Listen for your company/brand
2. Listen for your community names
3. Listen for your salespeople’s names
4. Listen for your competitors’ names
5. Listen for your competitors’ community names
6. Listen for people talking to your competitors

Listen for home buying conversations:
7. Listen for people tweeting your city and “new home”
8. Listen for people tweeting your city and “move”
9. Listen for people tweeting your city and “Realtor”
10. Listen for people tweeting your city and “foreclosure”

Listen to public opinion:
11. Listen for people’s opinions on the economy
12. Listen for people’s opinions of the real estate market
13. Listen for people’s opinions on mortgage rates

Listen to Realtor conversation:
14. Listen to local Realtor conversation about the market
15. Listen for Realtor mentions of new homes
16. Listen for Realtor conversation about your brand
17. Listen for Realtor conversation about your competitors
18. Listen to Realtor-to-consumer conversations

Listen for news:
19. Listen for mortgage news
20. Listen for financial news
21. Listen to local politicians
22. Listen to local economists
23. Listen to your local Chamber of Commerce
24. Listen to news from local newspapers
25. Listen to news from local real estate bloggers
26. Listen to Wall Street conversation about your brand

Listen to other industry sources of advice:
27. Listen to conference news (International Builder Show, PCBC, etc)
28. Listen to industry new sources (@builderonline, @bigbuilder)
29. Listen to industry associations (@homebuildrs, @nsmcnahb)
30. Listen to industry sales trainers (@jeffshore & My Twitter List of Trainers)
31. Listen to industry technology consultants (*cough* @dennisoneil *cough*)
32. Listen to green building news (@ecohomemagazine)
33. Listen to real estate brands (@trulia, @zillow)

Local Interest:
34. Listen to a local charity

Listen to consumer conversations about design trends:
35. Search for “whirpool tub”
36. Search for “granite kitchen countertop”
37. Search for “Trex deck”
38. Search for “kitchen remodel”
39. Search for “sustainable” & “home”

Listen for opinions about the city/town of a prospective community:
40. Search for conversation about area businesses
41. Search for conversation about area traffic
42. Search for conversation about area schools
43. Search for conversation about area recreation

Use Twitter to ask for feedback:
44. Ask Twitter for feedback on your new floorplan
45. Ask Twitter what’s important in a new home
46. Ask Twitter what would be a meaningful incentive
47. Ask Twitter what community amenities are important
48. Ask Twitter for feedback on a new website design
49. Ask local Realtors for their opinion on a new community location

I will always believe that I get more out of Twitter than I can ever put into it. Even though I gave only 49 listening examples here, good conversation rules apply. You should be listening a LOT more than talking.

I’d love to keep this list growing – Got any other ideas I could add to the list? Share them below.

What NOT to Say When Being Interviewed for a Sales Job

dennisoneil — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 15:51:23 +0000

Until recently, I had not been a part of a salesperson job interview for some time. I always enjoyed interviewing salespeople, and I jumped at the opportunity when a client asked me to sit in on his meeting with a prospective employee. He was seeking my opinion of the interviewee and even asked me to offer up a few questions of my own.

A favorite question of mine, one a colleague used to ask a lot, was “What books have you read lately?” I always found that knowing what books a person reads can tell you a good bit about that person. Reading takes time, and most people will not spend that time reading a book on a topic they don’t care much about. Knowing what some reads helps me understand, at least a little, about what’s important to them.

So we’re five minutes into the interview, and I’ve heard a lot about the prospective employee’s experience. I’ve heard a lot about where he’s worked, who he has worked for, and how much he has sold in his 30 years in real estate. Feeling I was getting a bit of a history lesson as opposed to a current capabilities report, I asked a slight variation of my favorite question. I asked “What was the last sales book you read?”

“Uh. Well to be honest, I don’t remember.”

I appreciated the honesty, but really? You don’t remember? I asked a few follow-up questions to be sure that the interviewee wasn’t just a little nervous and giving me his answer too hastily. But alas, he really couldn’t name the last sales book he read, or any sales book he read for that matter. I asked him if there was a sales trainer he looked to for guidance, and I got nothing. That indicated to me that there was no other shorter form sources, like a blog, he turned to either. It may sound like I’m beating up on this guy a little bit, but I’m trying to make an important point.

Depending on your location within the country, most people would tell you we’ve been in a tough market for about three years or more. What I was really being told by the applicant was not only could he not remember the last sales book he read, but in the last three years of a challenging market, he wasn’t doing anything to get better. The market, by most standards, had gotten phenomenally worse, but he hadn’t gotten one percent better. I wondered at what point in his career had he decided that he knew enough.

I do believe that if you’re not getting better, you’re getting worse. Professional athletes do not stop improving and practicing after they get the job. Attorneys do not stop keeping up with the law after they graduate. Professionals are students of their craft and recognize the need for continued study to maintain their value and relevance to both their employer and their client.

If you don’t have the attention span or the time for books, get your inspiration where you can – blogs, tweets, e-books, YouTube, wherever. Just. Keep. Getting. Better.

A Nearly Free Mobile Website Option for Home Builders

dennisoneil — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 17:14:35 +0000

If you’ve toyed with the concept of a mobile campaign or a mobile website, but were turned off by the additional cost or the complexities, there is an option that is fast, simple, and maybe free. Yep, it might be free.

NewHomeSource.com is the consumer portal of BHI, and if you’re not part of the database, you probably should be. I’m not going to go into a pitch for BHI, but I will say that they are the hub of new home listings on the Internet.

One of the under-promoted benefits of being in the BHI database is that all of your listings are automatically available in a mobile friendly format – at NO extra cost. To visit the New Home Source mobile site, go to www.nhs2go.com from your phone. Search your area, or search for your listings, to get an idea of what a user will experience on their phone.

So an nhs2go.com user can find your listings if they’re searching, but how does this give you a mobile opportunity?

Step One: Find your listing(s)

You can also visit www.nhs2go.com from your desktop computer. It looks a bit odd on a large screen, but it’s still easy to follow.

I’ve searched my area and located a community in Baltimore named Ashman’s Hope. Below is a direct link to the Ashman’s Hope page on nhs2go:
http://www.nhs2go.com/community.php?cid=41714&adv=0/

Step Two: Create a Redirect

You’ll need to get your IT or web people involved in this step. A “redirect” is when you tell someone to visit to yoursite.com/whatever, but then redirect (or automatically forward) them to a new location.

Obviously http://www.nhs2go.com/community.php?cid=41714&adv=0/ is not an address you’d print on a sign. It’s not memorable or easy to type. However, if you visit www.ashmanshope.com/mobile from your phone, you’ll see that we’ve created a redirect that will forward you to that complicated URL above.

Step Three: Promote it

This new mobile website (ashmanshope.com/mobile) is simple to print and remember. It belongs on onsite signage; at the very least on the closed sign. It’s also well suited for brochure boxes when prospects are likely to pick up information alone in your community. This address could be used anywhere you think a user would be well served by accessing the info on a mobile site, including combining it with a Text Message (SMS) campaign.

It really is that simple.
So what are the advantages and disadvantages of this approach?

Disadvantages:

- The Mobile Site is Unbranded – The “New Home Source” header is at the top of the page, as opposed to your builder logo. However, there are no ads, including no competing builder logos.

- New Searches are Possible – At the bottom of the mobile page, there is a link where a user could start a “new search,” potentially exposing them to other properties. It’s a small option, and very low on the page. It’s not prominent unless someone knows what to look for, but it is there nonetheless.

Advantages:

- Low/No Cost – The cost is absolutely $0 if your community is already a part of the BHI network.

- Rich Content – The site includes community photos, prices, floor plans and elevations; almost everything that is available on newhomesource.com.

- Current Content – Prices, plans, and availability is automatically updated when BHI is updated. There’s no need to maintain something new.

- It’s Mobile & Simple – This is a great tool for brochure boxes and closed signs – When visitors want more information now and no one is onsite. When visitors don’t have a computer, but they do have their have their phone. The website address can be texted to a client or real estate agent as a follow-up. The possibilities are literally limitless.

While the solution is not a perfect one, it certainly makes it nearly free and really simple for a builder to have a fully functional and info rich mobile-web presence.

In 2009, being a homebuilder with a mobile website is cutting edge. So go forth, and be cutting edge for free.

New Home vs. Green Homes

dennisoneil — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 01:47:44 +0000

Yes, I know. I can barely mention the word “green” in many offices without eyes rolling before I get out the “een” part. I understand. Green is the buzz, but is it buzz-worthy? It’s obvious that the media has jumped on the bus, but how does is translate into real business for production builders?

I’m not going to attempt to answer that question, but I do want to make everyone think about how the trend affects consumer behavior. “Green,” albeit an overused term in our industry, is becoming part of the population’s vocabulary. You need to understand your buyers’ behavior if you’re going to get in between them and their search for a new home.

Google has a wonderful tool, although they claim its still in testing mode, called Google Trends. This section of Google allows you to enter a word or phrase and get information about the frequency it’s been Googled. It does not return any specific data, like actual search volume, but it returns a graph in some arbitrary super secret Google-scale.

I’ve overlaid the trend for those searching using the words “new home” and those searching using the words “green home.”

The decrease in “new home” searches is no major surprise, but the increase in searches for “green home” is undoubtedly noteworthy. While I’m not suggesting anyone go and reengineer their entire product line based on this data, it would certainly pay to be aware of the trend. Make it a part of your vocabulary. Talk about your current practices that are environmentally responsible. The public, or at least a large portion of it, obviously cares. At the very least, this should affect your paid search strategy.

Homebuilder Mobile Marketing with Google

dennisoneil — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 02:27:54 +0000

EDIT: This image was added in November 2009. Post originally published November 2008.

Early in September [2008], I wrote an article about the how mobile marketing and the evolution of mobile phones was going to impact new home marketing. If you have not read it, it can be found here:
Mobile Marketing & New Homes – A Perfect Fit

In the article I discussed how Google’s new cell phone software, Android, was going to be a game changer for the mobile industry. It’s free and open source model means it will likely be the fastest spreading mobile system in use for new phones, and its software developer friendly nature will make it easy for millions of Google-loving programmers to enhance it with useful applications.

Why do you care? How does this impact homebuilders?

I recently had the pleasure of speaking with a programmer working at Google, Dmitri Plotnikov. In case you’re not aware, Google allows all of its employees to spend 20% of their paid time at work on whatever project they choose… don’t you wish? We can all thank Dmitri for using his 20% time to create the greatest little real estate application for Android phones. Simply titled “Homes”, this simple download available for free from the “Android Marketplace” enables fully featured searches on homes for sale or rent. It allows users to search within a radius from a specific zip code, or their current location. You can read more about Dmitri’s creation here:
http://homes-android.blogspot.com/

Can you imagine the family that’s relocating using a tool like this?

The husband and wife are driving around in their rental car alone after an agent showed them a few properties they were less than thrilled with. They drive through a random neighborhood that really appeals to them. They take note of a school they just passed. They use their Google phone to quickly search for the school and find it rated highly in the key areas they value. They stop the car and, using the “Homes” application, perform a search for houses for sale under $400k within a 3 mile radius of where they’re parked. They narrow the initial list of five results down to two possibilities based on the photos and descriptions. One of them is a new home community. From within the application, they email the two listings to their agent and request that he schedule an appointment to see them immediately. The new home sales center is already closed for the evening, but the listing within “Homes” contains a link to the builder’s website. The couple is able to view floor plans, virtual tours, and photos of the model homes all from their phone. How powerful is that?

What do you do now?

First – Be aware. Understand how this is going to change consumer behavior. Understand how this is going to change how people shop for homes.

Second – Make sure you’re a part of Google Base. Google Base is Google’s database of pretty much everything on the planet (eventually). This is where applications like “Homes” retrieves its search results. If you’re not a part of Google Base, you’re not a part of the search results. You can submit your listing there for free, but if you’re a homebuilder, the better way is probably through a listing distributor service like Builder Homesite (BHI, http://www.builderhomesite.com/listings).

Third – Try this out for yourself. If you don’t have a TMobile G1 (the first phone running Google Android), borrow someone’s for a few minutes or go to a TMobile store to try one out. Just like you need to drive your weekend directional signs to make sure people can find you, you need to follow the same digital paths consumers do to ensure you can be found that way also.

Self-Prospecting with Social Networks

dennisoneil — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 02:42:33 +0000

In an earlier post, I discussed how social networking web sites could be used to reach out to new leads – self-prospecting with new technology. That post described a specific example using Facebook to find young professionals. If you missed that, you can start by reading it here:

Self Prospecting with Social Networks – Part 1

In this part two, I wanted to use a specific example of how social networking could be used to mingle with an older generation – those over 50. That’s right. I said social networking for those over 50. Did you know that 21% of YouTube visitors are over the age of 55?

Eons (www.eons.com) is self described as “the online community for BOOMers,” directly targeting those over the age of 50. Below is an example of how an active adult builder and/or salesperson could utilize such a tool to connect with new leads.

…….

You’re currently selling an active adult community. The community’s location is well suited to the active adult buyer. It is close to recreation, includes some community amenities, and is also near some other area “points of significance.” You want to find a way to reach out to those age qualified buyers who would enjoy living in your community.

You join the Eons.com community and setup your profile with a description of yourself. You write about your personal interests. It mentions you sell active adult homes, but it doesn’t read like a commercial. Your profile contains an email address and a link back to your community web site or the correct sub-page of your builder web site.

You now think about how to mingle with those in the Eons community. You know that you must give before you receive in the social networking world. Social networking sites are about relationships. You know that it’s hard to form a relationship with someone who attempts to sell you something in the first sentence of a conversation. You’re looking to find an indirect but relevant way to expose Eons members to your product.

You spend some time thinking about homeowners who’ve already bought from you. You think about why they purchased and what interests they have in common. You remember that many of your homeowners are sports fans, and most have a passion for the same team. You search for groups on Eons and sure enough, there’s a group for fans of that sports team. You quickly join that group to be notified of any events sponsored by the group or to take part in their discussions. You search for your current homeowners, but no one is currently a member. While there’s no outreach initiative that immediately comes to mind for this connection, you’ve made yourself accessible to the team’s fans that are in your target age group. You move on to consider additional opportunities.

Another common thread of your current homeowners has been their interest in history. Your community is very close to a historic battlefield and numerous museums. You search Eons and join a group of history buffs and maybe even a group created around your local battlefield. You consider that there’s additional opportunity with this connection because of its especially local relationship to your community.

To explore opportunities further, you ask your marketing manager to contact the battlefield museum office to brainstorm potential partnerships. Your marketing manager learns that the promotion office is putting some finishing touches on a short video documentary collection about the battlefield and the events surrounding its significance.

Currently without a sponsor, your marketing manager negotiates a very modest contribution to the museum in exchange for attaching a short 15 second promotion to the end of each video and the right to distribute the video as you see fit. The 15 second spot is produced to blend well with the documentary. It does not look like a generic commercial has been attached to the end. It plays seamlessly.

You now submit the video to YouTube and tag the content using appropriate terms like ‘civil war’, ‘historic battlefield’, etc so YouTube searchers can find it. These visitors will now find an informative video about their topic of choice and afterwards be exposed to how they can live nearby. You then post those same videos to Eons.com and share them with your fellow battlefield group members. You know they’re interested in watching this new documentary and you’ve indirectly exposed them to a great place to live right near their passion. The Eons and YouTube members begin a discussion around the video and you join the conversation.

…..

This scenario is a generic example of how social media can be leveraged for additional exposure. The only part of the preceding example that costs a penny is the sponsorship of the documentary and the commercial production. There are no recurring distribution costs. It will be shared naturally and its relevance may never expire. While the costs of this hypothetical sponsorship could be debated, it’s the concept of indirect exposure that I’m most trying to communicate.

Social networking is very much like in-person networking. If you’re invited to a social gathering of friends, you will not get very far by pushing your product in the same motion as your introductory handshake. It would clearly be considered too pushy and a bit obnoxious. This same principal holds true for social networking web sites. If you join Eons or any other web site and jump in a group with blatantly commercial messages, you will be swiftly ignored. You need to gain trust in these environments. Give before you expect to get. Give people information about a related subject of interest with no obligation, and then share with them how you can improve their life.