Sent from my iPhone

Posted via email from Bobby Carroll – Dakno Real Estate Marketing

Are You Ready for It?

An agent attending RE Bar Camp SFO said she gives her buyer clients Flip video cameras. I wish had gotten her name as I would love to give her credit for such an awesome idea! (SEE UPDATE BELOW!)

I Told You It Was a Great Idea!

WOW! There it is…I told you it was simple! Think about that act of generosity and all its many implications.

Giving a Gift That Will Create Lasting Memories

Video images taken by a buyer have the opportunity to create so many emotions!

Giving Generates Tons of Good Will!

Think about it. How would you react to receiving a FREE cool device like a Flip? Imagine how your clients will feel? What a great bond builder!

Give a Flip to Your Sellers Too!

When I heard this great idea I suggested she also give her sellers a Flip video camera too.

Extend Your Brand with Your Gift!

I also recommended that each camera you give to your buyers and sellers have a “skin” of your brand on each camera. What a strong way to extend your brand. Plus, long after the transaction has been consummated, your client will continue using your Flip and they will be reminded who gave it to them each time they use it! Now that’s staying “top of mind”.

Keep the Creative Real Estate Marketing Ideas Coming!

The creative ways buyers and sellers can use these “free” video cameras is unlimited. Think about the emotion sellers and buyers will be able to convey about their experience of finding a home and selling a property. I believe it will make for some compelling content generation.

Try these video ideas on for size for your buyers and sellers:

• Conduct video contests among your buyers and sellers… best neighborhood video, best testimonial video, or maybe best personal home tour
• Ask permission to host these videos on your blog/website
• Share those videos on YouTube (with permission)
• Share the videos on the buyers and sellers Facebook profile (with permission)
• Tweet the links to the videos for exposure
• Syndicate your buyers and sellers videos on Tubemogul (with permission)
• Offer to help with editing your clients videos
• Let the children of buyers and sellers create their own videos (with the parents permission)

More Traffic to Your blog/Website!

If you can gain permission to use these videos on your website or blog, you will see significant traffic growth from all the  friends and family eager to see these videos.

Did You Attend RE BarCamp San Francisco?

If you did, what other creative real estate marketing ideas did you learn. Don’t forget to take action on your epiphanies and do it soon!

To your success!

Bobby

P.S. Special thanks to John Glynn for his Tweet advising me that the awesome idea of giving Flip video cameras to buyers was created by Shannon King, San Diego Realtor with  Schoolhouse Realty. Girl, you rock!

Rachel Makes a Great Point!

From her perspective, all Rachel sees is Tweople “Tweeting” about what they are doing and news posts. Though not personally directed at Rachel, if that’s all the Tweets we see and we want “more” I would question who we are following. And that “more element” that a person is seeking is that “high value information”, and help we receive as a result of the spirit of giving that is (or at least should be) so prevalent in social communities.

Use Twitter for Fun? Sure, Go For it!

If you would prefer to only use Twitter as your social water cooler, great! Go for it. For some individuals they can have fun (like me) and use it to help grow their business at the same time.

Be Top of Mind!

If your goal is to in fact realize a financial benefit from social media, I suggest we use Twitter (and Facebook) as a tool to obtain “top of mind” status. That way when a friend or follower needs your help, they remember “you”! Not because you use Twitter/Facebook as your megaphone and say “Buy a House from Me“ or “Here is another one of my listings”! It’s all about the fact that you listened, connected, engaged and offered high value content and helped. That will position you to become top of mind. Now that’s leveraging social media to benefit you with the primary mission to help others.

Let me know if you agree or disagree.

Helping you use social media more effectively to the benefit of all!

Bobby

P.S. Note to self! When on Facebook you never know who is reading your comments, so lose the “RE industry speak”.