Category Archives: blog

blog, digital media, social media

google places for real estate – post 3 of 31

marketing in a social age is devoting 31 posts this month to social and digital media and the real estate industry.

I’m only 3 posts in and I’m getting the feeling that this is going to be harder than I thought.  I want to make sure that what I blog about over the next little while helps you. So if you, as someone who is in the real estate industry, have a question about how you can use digital and social media tools, please comment below.

Google Places:

Make sure you own your piece of real estate on Google.  And this means creating a profile for yourself on Google Places.  (You’ll see by clicking on the link that when you enter my domain name in Google Maps that you see where my office is located.)

A Note About Google Places:

You will need a Gmail account to use Google Places.  So if you do go ahead and create your profile.  If not, what are you waiting for?

Back to Google Places:

Ok. Here’s a couple of really neat videos made by Google on the cool features of Google Places.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6kT6LWEkZk]

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUzMu8GXNUM]

I would love to read your comments on how you will use Google Places for your business. Comment below.

blog, digital media, social media, Toronto, twitter

are you searchable? – post 2 of 31

marketing in a social age is devoting 31 posts this month to social and digital media and the real estate industry.

Are you searchable?

If not you should be.  If I did not personally know a real estate agent there are a few places I would go to search out for one.  I will share with you how I would look for them and where I would be.

Google

Are you searchable on Google (or really any major search engine)?  People might not search for you but they are searching for agents in a neighbourhood or within a specific area.  For example, if you specialize in condos in Toronto’s Scarborough Bluffs area, make sure you can be found if someone types in : “Toronto Scarborough Bluffs real estate agent”.

How do you do this?

There are a number of ways.  Here are two ways.

First, optimize your search.  A good SEO expert will make sure that the keywords you want to be found by are used on your main website.

Second, take advantage of social search.  A proper blogging and using micro blogging strategy is a great way to increase the chances of you being found.

Twitter

Being searchable on Twitter is not hard.  The point here though is twofold.

First, make sure that you tweet enough that your content gets becomes relevant and is then found by the search engines.  Second, create enough good content that people on Twitter find you interesting and useful.

Important Twitter Point:

It’s okay to tweet out your listing.  However, what might not work is ONLY tweeting out your listings.  Be human.  If you were at a party (unrelated to real estate) would you only talk about real estate? Try it and see how fast you’re looking for someone to talk to who’s interested.

Facebook

I will cover Facebook a bit more in a later blog post.  Understand this though: Facebook has become one of the world’s most popular search engines.  Many people will search on Facebook just like they search on Google.  And Facebook’s search is powered by Bing; a competitor of Google’s.

My advice here is to create as much relevant and compelling content on Facebook as you do on your blog and on Twitter.  One of the things you can do is to publish your blog on Facebook.  This allows your thoughts to be read by those who may be Facebook friends of your’s but not savvy enough to search for your blog.

 

blog, digital media, social media, twitter, video, youtube

31 for real estate – post 1 of 31

Why wait for New Year’s Eve to make a resolution.  Not that this is a resolution. But to make a decision like this one in one of the busiest months of the year can be considered insane.

All month long I am devoting this blog to sharing my thoughts on digital and social marketing.  My focus is going to be on the real estate industry: real estate agents, real estate companies, real estate service providers, and mortgage professionals are just some of the subjects that I will comment on.

How will I come up with 31?  With your help of course!

I do have almost a decade of experience in the real estate industry so I’m sure Ill have plenty of content.  However, if there are questions you have regarding real estate and how digital and social marketing are effecting this industry, please feel free to comment on this blog.

In the meantime, here is my first piece of advice:

1 of 31:

Don’t be afraid to learn.  I was recently at a real estate social marketing conference.  The one thing everyone had in common was fear of the unknown.

What was this thing they call social media?  Do we need to know how to twitter to survive in the new economy? I’ve been in business for 15 years so why do I need to learn all this new stuff now?

You need to learn because you want to learn.  You need to learn this new stuff so that you can relate to and serve your clients.  You need to learn so that you can continue to stay relevant and profitable.

Feel free to comment and ask questions below.

blog, social media

make money blogging

Yes you can!

Make money blogging.  It’s a question my friend, Joallore Alon recently asked on Twitter.  The bigger question is not “Can someone make money blogging?”  It’s “Can someone make money in a business where blogging is a part of a bigger marketing strategy?” 

The answer to that question is yes.

(It is also important to acknowledge that there are some people and companies that make money where the actual product is a blog.)

Writing a blog gives your community a place to read your thoughts and ideas.  It gives you a place to show your community that you are the expert in your industry. Translating these posts into conversation then gives your community the chance to use your product and order your service.

Blogging can also play an important part in your website’s overall search marketing strategy.

This is how people and brands can make money blogging.

It is, however, important to remember this: Just like all marketing strategies blogging (and other forms of social media marketing initiatives) takes time and effort.  Creating a community does not happen overnight.

Do you make money blogging?

blog

gone fishing…kinda

Not really.  I’m actually leaving for Africa tonight.  I’ve never been.  And I’m very excited.

So, here’s where you can find me during my trip:

my trip to africa (<– Click Me!)

Please feel free to visit there as often as you like.  I’ll be updating it every few days with thoughts, videos and pictures.

Until next time…

blog, social media, twitter

quiet noise

I remember when I used to work at one of Canada’s big banks.  During my last year there the tellers (of which I was one) finally received internet access on our terminals.

I used this “privilege” as much as I could.  Especially emails.  My siblings and cousins would exchange dozens of emails a day.  We would be discussing irrelevant things like why this hockey team sucks or why that business venture was a scam.

Today, we still communicate online via email.  the discussion have changed little.  However, sometimes we wish “such and such a company” would change the way they do things.  And this gets me thinking:

The company or brand we are talking about can’t read our emails.  We are having a private and closed conversation.  Not only can the brand not participate but maybe there are customers or fans that want to chime in.  They can’t because they don’t even know there is a conversation happening.

Unless we take these conversation public or open.

And this is where blogs, Twitter and Facebook groups come into play.  Using these tools to have conversations allows a few things to happen when we’re talking about brands:

  1. We open up the conversation to people with similar or differing views.  This is a good thing because at times we think the way we’re seeing things is the only way to see things.
  2. We open up the debate to the brands.  Now this is interesting.  What the brand does is up to them.

As a fan and consumer of brands here’s what I’m hoping:

That they’re “listening”.  Companies should be using these listening tools to listen to what is being said about them so that they can improve their product or even their messaging.

Whether or not a company decides to jump into the conversation is up for debate.  Listening is the start.

Now, getting back to these conversations…

If you’ve got something to say, here is what I would suggest:  say it loud.  Use a public forum so that as least something has the chance of being done about it.

Otherwise consider the email you sent to your cousin griping about “such and such a company” to be nothing but quiet noise.

blog, social media, sports

Mainstream Media vs Bloggers – Part 2

You can find Part One here.  It was written by Eric Smith.

Some of you may know Eric.  He’s on The FAN590 here in Toronto.  He’s also the voice of the Toronto Raptors basketball team.  He also blogs, tweets, does video blogs and makes himself available to the fans, public and to bloggers like me.

So, after Eric posted his article he got attacked.  Viciously it seems.  Unfairly as well.

I’ve had the opportunity to interview Eric for Techvibes.  Back last December, this is a bit of what I wrote:

The ability for people to self-publish blogs creates the perception that all authours are experts which is far from true.  Eric feels the ability to be properly accredited and cultivate important contacts is a privilege that most independent bloggers don’t have.  Traditional sports media are still able to access player and coach interviews as well as seek sources that the average Joe probably can’t. 

I’m not an expert in media or blogging.  Although I report for Techvibes, I don’t consider myself a reporter.  I’ve even done presentations where I admit that I don’t even consider myself “media”.  And I don’t even think I can hold a keyboard to some of the more prolific bloggers out there.

But what really upsets me about this situation is that various sports blogs seem to have bashed on Eric’s opinion.  It’s one thing to have an opinion.  It’s quite another to think that just because someone is a blogger this means that they are more objective or have more to offer. 

As bloggers, here is what we have to offer.  Our unbiased opinion.  And really, that’s all.  What Eric Smith provides is opinion as well.  However, he has the ability to access people, events and information that we can’t.  The only way we get information is from people like Eric.

There is a place for both bloggers and msm.  To take the low road and bash someone because of their job is classless.

That’s just my opinion.  What’s your’s?

blog, Olympic, twitter

the week that was

I can’t believe how fast this week has gone.  It’s been a really cool week.  Lot’s of opportunities have been coming my way recently.   

If you want a pulse on what’s happening with me follow me on Twitter.  I’ve even been asked to do a meetup overseas.  I’ll let you know how that turns out the closer it comes.

Ready to go back to the future?  Here we go!

Techvibes:

  1. Everyone watched the Olympics.  Well, almost everyone.
  2. Shipgooder.com
  3. Tweet & Win (another reason to be on Twitter)
  4. TheBizMedia (video)
  5. 5 Questions…with Joallore Alon (a MUST follow for Torontonians in Toronto)
  6. Julie Tyios and the TTC
  7. Lavalife 
  8. Top 25 technology predictions from futurist Dave Evans
  9. iBizBook’s Community Manager (video)
  10. Art of Marketing Twitter contest winners (another reason to be on Twitter!)
  11. The Canadian Budget and technology

iBizBook:

  1. Finding your online pulse (video)

Fadoo.ca:

  1. Thoora.com “knows” what the most popular Olympic story was!

As always, feel free to be my friend on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, and watch my videos on YouTube.

Have a great weekend!

blog, video

Comments – Disable or Enable?

I had a Google Chat conversation with a colleague late last night.  He suggested (based on advice from a SEO “expert”) that I disable my comments section in order to become popular.  Watch the video below and let me know what you think.  I’d love to hear your honest thoughts about this.

(If you’re reading this on Facebook, please come back to www.KarimKanji.com and feel free to cment.)

Thanks!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODoMYH09FiU&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0xe1600f&color2=0xfebd01&border=1]
What do you think?  Let me know below.