Posts Tagged social media
Two Toronto Real Estate Agents on Keeping it Real in Social Media
Posted by The Running Start in Inspiration, social media, Storytelling on October 24, 2012
Many real estate agents and developers use social media to attract new business. But is there a right
way and a wrong way to build customer relationships online?
To find out, I spoke with two Toronto real estate agents Chris Borkowski (@CondoChris) and Mark Savel (@SavelSells).
I was curious on their insights into what works and what doesn’t when it comes to growing your business and staying true to yourself in social media. Here are their thoughts.
Build relationships by sharing your passions
Both Borkowski and Savel believe that it’s important to build one-on-one customer relationships by sharing your passions and interests.
Borkowski, a former night-club promoter, likes to share his love of tattoos and hip hop music with his network. “I talk about what I’m into with people and comment on their posts if they mention something we have in common.
That’s when I might start the conversation about where they’re living, etc. But I don’t think you should be too direct about what you’re selling.”
Savel says that “people do business with people they like.” He also shares his love of music with his social media connections. “I once got a deal on Twitter because I jumped in on a conversation about a Black Keys concert that I had just attended.”
Sharing your passions attracts more customers than talking about your business and what you do.
Turn haters into customers by having a conversation
When it comes to receiving negative comments online, Borkowski and Savel have both turned haters into fans by continuing the dialogue.
“It’s just like dealing with an argument in real life,” says Savel. “If you approach it with an open-mind and have a conversation, rather than barking back at them, it’s amazing what opportunities you can uncover.”
Likewise, Borkowski once addressed a naysayer’s comments on his video blog (or vlog) CondoChris.ca by sending a personal letter to discuss their remarks further.
By taking the time to write a letter, build a bridge with that person and turn an enemy into a fan.
“It’s better to kill them with kindness, rather than calling them out.”
Keep it real by being true to yourself
Everyone uses different tools and approaches to social media marketing. But both Borkowski and Savel agree that you should be true to yourself when sharing your views and personality with followers.
Borkowski prefers to speak directly to the real estate industry and potential customers on his vlog. “I don’t like to sit and write and I like to show a lighter side of myself – that’s why I prefer video as a platform,” he says. “I keep my videos informative and (mostly) unscripted. I do have some points and stats on-hand to call-out but I like to be real and share my views on what’s going on in the industry. That’s how I build trust with other realtors and customers.”
Here’s a video of Borkowski sharing his insights on an up-and-coming neighbourhood in Toronto – The Junction:
Savel, on the other hand, likes to write commentary about current real estate news articles and conversations happening on Twitter on his blog SavelandtheCity.com. “I track keywords on Twitter to see what people are talking about. I then use the platform to attract readers to my blog and have conversations around the news stories that I write,” says Savel.
Catch people’s attention with off-beat titles and stories. It’s wrong to only talk about your accomplishments and your business.
Experiment and don’t be boring
Both real estate agents insist that you must experiment and see what works for you. Savel says that whatever you do, “Don’t be boring. Successful online marketers are usually successful offline ones too. Just because your profession is real estate doesn’t mean you need to talk about it 24/7.”
Likewise, Borkowski believes “it’s important to keep your blog posts and Tweets positive – especially when you’re starting out and trying to build relationships with new followers.”
If you’re a real estate agent or developer, we want to hear about your successful social media marketing strategies. Please share your tips and tricks in the comments section below.
A version of this post was originally published on the Jugnoo blog in September 2012 and has been republished with permission.
Using Social Media to Manage Relationships Through the Sales Funnel
Posted by The Running Start in B2B Marketing, Online businesses on October 10, 2012
Are you trying to win new clients and keep them coming back for more? Social media provides new 
channels to attract, influence, engage and convert prospects into loyal customers through the sales funnel.
There are many different ways to do this. Let’s take a look at a few commonly used tools and tactics for selling enterprise software direct to clients.
Attracting customers and generating leads
The first step is to generate awareness of your business to peak a customer’s interest – so they’ll ask for more information about your product or service. But don’t be too forward here.
A “soft sell” approach is better with social media because the customer can find your business through online channels while seeking out insights and advice.
A great way to influence a customer to provide their contact information (through a form or e-mail) is by creating compelling content on your website via blogs, downloadable whitepapers, e-books and more.
To promote enterprise software, you can produce content focused on emerging technology trends or new research in your industry, host video chats with thought leaders who write and speak about technology and more.
It’s helpful to use social media analytics tools (or even search.twitter.com) to see what conversations are happening in your industry and to inspire your spreadable story ideas which you can then share on social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
For more information on the pros and cons of using digital storytelling to generate sales leads, read this post from July.
Qualifying leads and engaging with customers
Now, it’s time to follow-up on new leads from your website. You can begin to follow your customers and engage in online conversations with them about technology through social media channels.
At this point, your sales team should be gathering as much information about your customer’s software needs as possible – get to know what makes them tick!
You don’t want to be doing a “hard sell” here either. Social media can be used to share information and ideas with your customers. Once you’ve made contact, you can send links to relevant articles and studies about enterprise software, host Twitter chats and webinars about technology best practices and more.
You can also listen to customer conversations, answer questions and overcome objections about your product to influence their purchase decision.
The pitch and closing the sale
By the time you’re ready to pitch to the customer, your sales people will have done all of the information gathering they can (via social media and other sales channels) to understand your customer’s needs and how your enterprise software can best serve them.
To take your information gathering efforts for the pitch to the next level, grow your customer relationships offline.
As I mentioned in this post about the importance of building in-person social media relationships, ask lots of questions like their short and long-term needs (for software customizations), their budget (for offering tiered services) and more.
Meeting face-to-face will help with closing the sale as you’ll build greater trust with your customer.
Post-sale customer relationship management (CRM)
Finally, we’ve reached the customer retention stage which can start the sales funnel process all over again. At this point, your team will be:
- Continuing to build customer relationships (in-person and online),
- Listening to customer feedback about your products and service,
- Acting on feedback (both pro-actively and re-actively) to ensure a positive outcome, and
- Rewarding customers for their loyalty.
Again, you’ll need a social media monitoring platform to identify and engage in key customer conversations. Also, make sure to participate on the social networks which your customers prefer to have contact with your business.
This way, you can keep them informed of key industry trends and software updates, and promote exclusive deals for future sales opportunities.
These are a few social CRM strategies I have picked-up from my own experience working in sales and B2B marketing.
What tools and tactics work well for your business? Please share your thoughts below.
A version of this post was originally published on the Jugnoo blog in September 2012 and has been republished with permission.
Do’s and Don’ts for Expressing Your True Personality Online
Posted by The Running Start in B2B Marketing, Online businesses, Random Thoughts, Storytelling on July 25, 2012
“Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.”
― Oscar Wilde
When it comes to sharing your thoughts and feelings with the world online and through social media, it’s important to just be yourself.
Not only will this set you apart from everyone else (because no one else is just like you), but the more your Facebook fans, Twitter followers and blog readers get to know you, the more likely they will be to support, follow and interact with you.
But you should proceed with some caution. There are cases where showing too many of your true colours can get you into trouble.
Below are some simple do’s and don’ts for sharing your individuality with the world.
Do be sensitive about current news stories and media events.
Making jokes about serious situations can get you into trouble.
In March 2011, comedian Gilbert Gottfried received media and public scrutiny and lost his sponsorship contract with insurance company Aflac (as the voice of their duck mascot in their TV commercials), when he made a series of unwise cracks online after the devastating earthquake and tsunami hit Japan:
“Japan called me. They said, ‘Maybe those jokes are a hit in the U.S., but over here they’re all sinking,’” tweeted Gottfried. His jokes were way too soon and way too crude for most people’s tastes.
Do apologize if you make a mistake.
In 2011, Kenneth Cole sent the Twitterverse into an angry frenzy when he tweeted this statement during the revolution in Egypt:
“Millions are in uproar in #Cairo. Rumor is they heard that our new spring collection is now available online.”
After social media watchdogs pounced on his comment with an assault of outraged blogs, Facebook and Twitter remarks, Cole quickly deleted his Tweet and issued a sincere apology on his Facebook profile. The public eventually accepted his remorse and left him alone.
Don’t be like Debbie Downer.
If you’ve ever seen the mid-2000’s Saturday Night Live Debbie Downer skits, you’ll recall that she was always sharing bad news about herself and the world around her. Each time she made a negative comment, sad music would play.
The same reaction can happen in the real world if you’re only sharing negative stories with your social media friends and followers. You won’t hear sad music, but you might hear the sound of crickets from a lack of anyone wanting to join you in the conversation.
Aim to be more positive and people will be more interested in hearing and commenting on what you have to say.
Don’t over share. Or, at least be aware of where you are sharing.
While you may want to share every idea and thought that comes to mind, remember that everyone has their limits of how much they want to hear from you.
Some social media platforms, like Twitter, are more accepting of frequent sharing. However, you may want to limit how many pictures and comments you share daily on other websites like Facebook and LinkedIn.
These are just a few ideas to consider when expressing your personal brand online. Do you have suggestions on how to communicate your individuality through social media?
If so, please share them in the comments section below.
A version of this post was originally published on the Jugnoo blogin June 2012 and has been republished with permission. Image source: iStockPhoto.com.
Build Stronger Relationships: Meet Social Media Contacts Face-to-Face
Posted by The Running Start in B2B Marketing, Entrepreneurs, Online businesses, Storytelling on July 11, 2012
There are so many ways for business-to-business (B2B) marketers and sales organisations to find 
and stay in touch with customers online. For example, social media platforms like Twitter, Google+ hangouts, Facebook conversations, LinkedIn Groups and many more.
But if you’re not using social networking tools to meet potential customers in-person, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity to build long-lasting relationships.
Here are four reasons why you should meet with your social media connections face-to-face:
People buy from those they know and trust
Meeting in-person gives your prospective customers an opportunity to get to know your true personality. So, what are you waiting for?
Send an invitation out to people with whom you’ve built an online rapport, via direct message on Twitter or Facebook, and ask them for coffee. Or, if they live in another city or are too busy, consider a face-to-face video chat using free tools like Skype, Google+ Hangouts, Apple’s Facetime or Facebook Video Chat.
There is really no excuse not to use these free face-to-face meeting tools!
Your industry passion is contagious
Meeting your social media contacts in-person for the first time shouldn’t translate into a hard-core sales pitch. Instead, use the opportunity to show your enthusiasm and industry expertise.
To prepare for your meeting, make sure to research and understand your customers’ needs and challenges, then be prepared to share relevant and interesting news stories or factoids.
The goal is to convince your contacts that you are a go-to resource for their future needs and questions.
Understand your customers’ pain points without the limitations of 140 character questions and answers
Use your first meeting as a way to learn about what interests your potential customers, and what common likes and dislikes you both share. It’s just like a first date, so make sure to ask them lots of questions!
This will open the door to future conversations, where you can follow-up and send your customer relevant news stories, videos and trends online.
The more you share valuable tips and insights with your clients, the more they’ll trust that you can help them with their business.
Create a lasting impression
One of the keys to building a good business relationship is helping your customers put a face to your name.
This means more than just posting your photo on your Twitter or LinkedIn profile. You also need to shake your customer’s hand and get to know them one-on-one.
Making an in-person connection will ensure you are top of mind the next time your customer needs help from someone with your expertise.
Remember that above all else, it’s important to just be yourself – whether you’re meeting customers online or in-person. But be patient, as good client relationships take time to ignite and flourish.
Show them your energy and love for what you do and they’ll be excited about the prospect of working with you!
A version of this post was originally published on the Jugnoo blogin May 2012 and has been republished with permission. Image source: iStockPhoto.com.
Reach Out and Tweet Someone
Posted by The Running Start in B2B Marketing, Inspiration, Online businesses, Random Thoughts on June 6, 2012
According to this Globe and Mail article, Venus (the planet of love and relationships) was perfectly 
aligned between the earth and the sun yesterday. This rare phenomenon is known as a transit and apparently happens only once every 100+ years. So, we will never see it again in our lifetimes – unless modern medicine allows us to live a lot longer in the future.
While I’m no astronomy or astrologer, I do believe in good fortune. I also believe in the power of the Internet and social media to build stronger, more aligned relationships through effective communication. So, in the spirit of Venus’ transit, why not take this opportunity to become better at using some of these tools to meet new customers or build better relationships with existing customers.
Need some inspiration? Here are some great blogs to follow to get started:
- Getting Started With Social Media: A Resource Guide from the Social Media Examiner;
- Jugnoo Blog – a new social media monitoring and engagement platform in Toronto;
- Sysomos Blog - another Toronto-based social media monitoring platform;
- Hubspot Blog - which recently partnered with Vancouver-based HootSuite’s social media monitoring platform; and
- The TelusTalksBusiness blog is featuring social media best practices this month as well.
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