2010 e book_revised_12_1_10

‘3X3X3 Marketing Strategy’ by: Frank D’Angelo, Broker/Trainer EXIT Realty Nexus – Minneapolis, MN Join our Referral Network at: www.MNEXITReferral.com 1

‘3X3X3 Marketing Strategy’ by: Frank D’Angelo, Broker/Trainer EXIT Realty Nexus – Minneapolis, MN Introduction Welcome and thank you for choosing this eBook associated with our proven and successful „3x3x3 Marketing Strategy‟ written by: Frank Michael D‟Angelo – EXIT Realty Nexus - Minneapolis, MN. I feel truly blessed to be with EXIT Realty. Much of the material in this eBook is based on the great wisdom and training provided by our technology gurus such as Jeff Lobb with EXIT Realty International. Also, the technology tools leveraged in this 3x3x3 Strategy are available from our EXIT Realty Resource Center and approved suppliers. In addition, I highly recommend all readers of this eBook to go to www.EXITRealty.com/Training and obtain as much technology training from Jeff Lobb. Jeff is on studies and is on top of the evolving changes associated with the technology tools will enhance your ability to build and generate more business. Make sure what you learn from Jeff Lobbs‟ training and this E-Book does not sit in your library. It must be in your life! . All me Digital Contact & Social Media Information can be found at: www.COACHDANGELO.com Join our Referral Network at: www.MNEXITReferral.com 2

‘3X3X3 Marketing Strategy’ by: Frank D’Angelo, Broker/Trainer EXIT Realty Nexus – Minneapolis, MN There is nothing more disenchanting to a sales professional who reads a document associated with improving productivity when the document skirts around the actual elements associated with improved productivity. This eBook is written with deliberate intent towards the specific details, techniques and strategies that generates more productivity. To further enhance the content in this eBook, it would be my pleasure to mindshare with you to elaborate on the details associated with the methodologies described in this eBook. Let me warn the savvy professional, that the content in this eBook will at the very least initiate a mastery review of your individual marketing strategies currently being utilized. Prior to introducing the concept of generating an extra $3 million in sales over the next 3 months; understand the fact that a change in existing marketing strategies will likely be required by most agents. An inventory review of your existing marketing tool box is fundamentally necessary to embark on a pro-active movement towards a more productive sales career. On a sheet of paper, make a list of all marketing or lead generating tools you have purchased or utilized in the past year. Next to each tool, note or estimate the annual expenses incurred followed by the reason for purchasing. Also include the return on investment (R.O.I) if possible. See the example below for the headings necessary for this inventory exercise: Marketing Tool Annual Cost Reason for Purchase Annual (R.O.I) IDX Website $420.00 Buyer & Seller Leads 11 Closed Ends E-Listings $155.00 Listing & Buyer Leads 4 Buyers/4Listings Active Rain Blog $2 hrs/wk Buyer & Seller Leads 24% of e-listing traffic Facebook $15 mins/day Feed page to landing pages 12% of e-listing traffic CraigsList $2 hrs/wk Feed page to landing pages 42% of e-listing traffic List all tools purchased or utilized in the past year. After reviewing your own ‘Marketing Tool Box’ and reading this eBook, you may be motivated to throw out or revise the tools necessary to achieve your sales production goals established in your personal business plan. The above example is also a partial sample of our very own lead-generating marketing tool box associated with this „3x3x3 Marketing Strategy‟. Furthermore, the activity of reviewing your own Marketing Tool Box will clearly define your new direction going forward. Before reading any more, make the list now! Couple the activity of taking a personal inventory and also consider the tools and strategies outlined in this eBook. It will provide you with a solid marketing foundation to build your business to a new level of success and personal achievement. If you haven‟t caught on yet; the 3 marketing strategies are all Internet-based and each of the strategies are linked to each other with a deliberate intent to do four things: 1) generate buyer Join our Referral Network at: www.MNEXITReferral.com 3

‘3X3X3 Marketing Strategy’ by: Frank D’Angelo, Broker/Trainer EXIT Realty Nexus – Minneapolis, MN inquiries/leads, 2) generate exclusive traffic to your seller inventory, 3) track leads and communicate buyer inquiries with clients and 4) generate „Raving Fans‟ who generate more referrals. Lets‟ get started by illustrating the 3 Marketing Strategies. They are: 1) IDX Website, 2) Blog Platform and 3) Social Networking Feed Pages. (Total Estimated Annual Cost <$950.00 of this Entire 3x3x3 Internet Marketing Strategy) Social Networking Feed-Pages Personal IDX Primary BLOG WEBSITE PLATFORM (All 3 Elements from above illustration must overlap and feed each other directly) Most sales agents already have some or all three marketing tools in place already. However, they may not be effectively leveraging or working with each other. Often times, these 3 marketing tools are utilized independently without a strategic plan to leverage each of their own strengths and benefits. Warning! If finances are impacting the decision to implement the strategies associated with this eBook; then you may be experiencing a „syndrome‟ I refer to often as; “An Agent Having a Going-Out-of-Business Sale with their Career”. Challenging market conditions make most independent business people look at their over-head and reduce expenses as much as possible to stay in business. That is a necessary and efficient practice, however, whenever the marketplace has shifted; your success will be directly related to what we utilize to adjust and adapt. That would be the 3 R’s. To Review, Re-Do and Renew whatever is necessary to make the pro-active shift towards current consumer needs and trends in both marketing and inventory preferences. Join our Referral Network at: www.MNEXITReferral.com 4

‘3X3X3 Marketing Strategy’ by: Frank D’Angelo, Broker/Trainer EXIT Realty Nexus – Minneapolis, MN Also, the IDX Website you choose should have the appropriate Broker reciprocity agreements to reveal all MLS inventory. Also, your IDX Website should have a consumer login or sign-up feature that links consumers directly and instantly to you. There are many advantages and disadvantages of requiring a registration on agent websites. It ultimately provides the agent an ability to screen or qualify leads. Most websites can be set to provide free public information or „thumb-nail‟ views of properties for the general „tire-kickers‟. Choose a website that is user friendly and set the security settings to a level that requires registration once the consumer initiates a more detailed look into the real estate property options. Consumers will bookmark and comeback to your website for two main reasons: 1) familiarity and 2) it is user friendly. We encourage or lead or direct consumers from our other 2 marketing platforms to register on our website with incentives such as: accessing our future inventory or ‘Shadow Inventory’ that is not currently listed on the MLS. Everybody loves a secret and everybody wants a great deal! Take a look at one of our websites in the Minneapolis/St. Paul Metro area: as an example: www.AllMetroHomes.com SEO (Search Engine Optimization) Background Information This topic has evolved and shifted immensely over the past year from an expense related SEO business to more interactive and relevant content-based internet business. As an example, last year when all consumers in the country GOOGLED the word „Java‟, all consumers would have the same ranked listings of pages associated with GOOGLE’s ranked ads pointing to the word „Java‟. Now, that‟s all changed whereby each and every search varies with consumer tendencies and their DNS location. For example, a consumer who frequents coffee houses from their computer habits may produce coffee house ads as top ranked listings. A computer software engineer might generate JAVA software ads as top ranked listings. What does this all mean to a sales agent utilizing the internet to leverage their exposure? Beware of the internet marketing SEO Optimists! They‟re going out of business because of relevant content-based material being posted by agents. How can anyone guarantee #1 ranking of anything any longer, particularly if the agent doesn‟t submit current or relevant content on their websites and blogs? Also, Search Engine Optimization or SEO on the internet involves more than driving traffic to the front page of a particular web site(s). Ego centric real estate agents are still marketing Web 1.0 websites. These „old school‟ marketing platforms literally do very little for their business other than promote their own egos. This style of marketing was very popular in the late 80‟s and 90‟s during the independent business revolution. Back then, conventional brokerages were literally raped by the independent movement of agents marketing themselves on the internet. That also spawned a growth of independent brokerages associated with the popular desk fee companies at the time. Top producing independent agents went wild with the internet by stroking their own sales production records and egos on the world-wide-web. Those independent models continued to grow in the 90‟s with already proven and successful agents who were effectively utilizing the internet by independently branding themselves as the proven leaders the industry. Join our Referral Network at: www.MNEXITReferral.com 5

‘3X3X3 Marketing Strategy’ by: Frank D’Angelo, Broker/Trainer EXIT Realty Nexus – Minneapolis, MN The internet launched a brand of independent agents and the desk fee companies who strategically placed themselves in the right place at the right time. Guess what? Things have shifted exponentially again towards a much more digital era associated with the internet. This new digital era has spawned an abundance of information sources available to the general public. Consumers were educating themselves at incredible rates which also impacted the business models for traditional agents who did not keep up with information boom. Education and information has become a key to everyone‟s current success including real estate agents. Post millennium, a new era of brokerages such as EXIT Realty promoting and delivering training, technology and marketing tools spawned yet another shift in agent populations. Over the years the internet has generated a more level playing field for real estate agents. Most leaders and forward thinking associates discovered the need to network more, train more, leverage more and continue to think outside of the box. A „New Paradigm‟ has shifted from the conventional Web 1.0 marketing platforms to the more social platforms associated with Web 2.0, 2.1 and 2.2 platforms. In fact there is already a movement at an exponential pace towards what is already referred to as the Web 3.0 social and interactive platforms. Agents beware! The internet has shifted from the impersonal to a very social and personal information sharing platform. Are you ready for this or are you having a „Going-Out-of-Business Sale‟? Keep this in mind when thinking about how consumers have shifted agent marketing trends. Across the nation MLS and IDX marketing websites can be generally defined categorically as; ‘Commodity-Based’ information resources. They are necessary resources for consumers to obtain the raw and generally speaking, accurate facts associated with square footage, lot and room dimensions, taxes etc. In my opinion, pro-active REALTOR associations will need to adapt to this social trend by implementing ideas associated with more ‘Lifestyle-Based’ information sources. Otherwise, entities such as GOOGLE or ZILLOW can potentially take over the entire MLS and make the REALTORS more dependent on third party entities! The sooner MLS associations make that shift, the better. The second marketing strategy associated with this eBook is a ‘Blog Platform’. There are several to choose from. Some are free, others have fees. In the marketing tool box example provided at the beginning of this eBook, Active Rain was the chosen blog platform. We have experienced incredible success with Active Rain when considering its‟ Search Engine Optimizing capabilities. It provides agents the opportunity to build and on-going series of marketing ads for all listing inventory, any related consumer publications and creative articles that might generate consumer interest. Remember, we‟re in an information era and if you‟re not providing the information for your potential clients, someone else will. Make it your mission to making your sphere the most informed consumers in their neighborhood. One of the more important considerations associated with choosing a blog platform is ensuring the consumer easy link-out access to your supporting or related search tools. The key in this 3x3x3 strategy is that the links should be linking directly back to your IDX Website page(s) with direct links Join our Referral Network at: www.MNEXITReferral.com 6

‘3X3X3 Marketing Strategy’ by: Frank D’Angelo, Broker/Trainer EXIT Realty Nexus – Minneapolis, MN versus front page links, thus saving the consumer time to find or familiarize themselves with your webpage. An example of our lead generating Blog that provides consumers the link-outs back to our consumer friendly IDX website provide above is: www.ActiveRain.com/metrobroker . Note the specific links associated with our signature section at the bottom of every blog. This is one of our primary IDX web registration sources! Today, consumers generally GOOGLE their search criteria and organically land on a content rich blog ad specific to their search criteria before they go to any „Commodity-Based‟ Broker Reciprocity site. More details on optimizing ads later in this eBook. There are blog platforms such as Word Press that are not third party in nature such as Active Rain, however they may also be more time intensive with respect to the learning curve, development and optimization versus the very popular and GOOGLE friendly Active Rain blog platform. To get started with a free Active Rain Blog and at the same time subscribe to our blog for additional support associated with training, go to: www.Activerain.com/referrals/metrobroker . Keeping the above in mind, please remember that the vast majority of your internet marketing ads should be directing traffic to one of the two ‘Landing Pages’ with direct links to the appropriate subject matter related to what the consumer is expecting to see. The worst mistake made on any internet ad or blog involves the following example: „Click here to find more homes like this Minneapolis home etc… and the link brings the consumer to the front page of a new website they are not familiar with and it requires them to make numerous additional clicks to finally get to their desired or expected destination. This is the primary reason that generates high consumer click-out rates and low retention rates on blogs. Good content generates good retention. Generating Exclusive Internet Traffic to your ‘Landing Pages’ The intent of this eBook is to provide enough detail for any agent to fulfill their promised obligations made at the listing appointment. It is specifically associated with a digital marketing advantage beyond the conventional competition as well as the promised weekly communications most clients hope to receive from their real estate agent. This eBook will help with the following:  Generating exclusive internet traffic to either of the two ‘Landing Pages’ above and beyond the competition, producing buyers, regular automatic client communications, unique traffic reports, feedback and resources.  More importantly: Creating „Raving Fans‟, who will ultimately generate more future business for you. Join our Referral Network at: www.MNEXITReferral.com 7

‘3X3X3 Marketing Strategy’ by: Frank D’Angelo, Broker/Trainer EXIT Realty Nexus – Minneapolis, MN Please note: This is designed to help the most basic internet user and the more advance internet user. Be patient and bare with the basics in that it all strategically supports each strategy associated with booking yourself solid on the internet in a more passive, social and interactive manner. The steps following the section below will help you pro-actively shift your business in your own marketplace. Enjoy! But lets‟ first dig deeper into understanding current consumer search trends. Where are consumers searching? The obvious answer is on the internet. However, understanding the consumers‟ primary or first organic internet tendencies is critical to our business. More importantly, it should also comfort you knowing that traditional brokerages continue to spend advertising dollars towards directing traffic to their ‘Super- Brokerage.com’ web sites that are limited to the ‘Commodity-based’ resources. Their primary goals involve company brand advertising making their associates feel good about their brand combined with the additional revenue they generate with the re-sale or referral income when they sell back the leads to their agents. Some charge as much as 33% referrals for cold internet leads. This concept is very similar to what most third party vendors do with their relatively cold internet leads to their paying customers/agents who will pay for those leads. Consider this. You Have No Real Competition! Here is the saddest set of statistics you can test run in your market place as well. Below you‟ll find a sample search from a very popular broker reciprocity site (Realtor.com) in a variety of major marketplaces across the country. The search statistics below indicates the number of average priced homes listed for sale in each market center that has multiple photos. Take a moment and review these embarrassing statistics. Over 75% of average priced homes listed on the market DO NOT have multiple photos. Imagine what the percentage of listed properties do not have visual tours with this already limited „Commodity-Based‟ consumer resource. This is one of the primary reasons consumers are no longer utilizing public Broker Reciprocity sites as their first organic or primary search tool. The statistics below reveal both good and bad news. The bad news is obvious regarding the poor effort by many agents. The good news is that you really do not have much competition if you apply these strategies on a consistent and persistent basis. NY MN IL FL TX 15% 23% 25% 22% 32% Join our Referral Network at: www.MNEXITReferral.com 8

‘3X3X3 Marketing Strategy’ by: Frank D’Angelo, Broker/Trainer EXIT Realty Nexus – Minneapolis, MN Today, the majority of buyers no longer do their initial search on the once popular major broker reciprocity sites because they typically lack the visual stimulus they seek (as described above). Whenever they want data associated with price, size and/or square footage on a property they have previously located on a more „Lifestyle-Based‟ information resource; they will then use a broker reciprocity site to obtain the „Commodity-Based‟ details to support their internet decision of potentially making a move into that property. However, they have likely already contacted or embraced the first person they located on their initial search (usually highest ranking agent who provided the ‘Lifestyle- Based’ information). Likely, that person provided a detailed visual description that enamored them enough to consider making a phone call or email inquiry to the agent who provided that visual stimulus. Key word in the above is the initial search. The initial organic search occurs on a search engine: i.e. Google, Yahoo, MSN, BING etc. Lets‟ deviate from real estate for a moment and look at the Automobile industry. Think for a moment how consumers might pursue a brand new car? Auto web sites allow consumers to choose model colors, change interior colors, add, remove options, watch them in motion and view all of it online. Real Estate consumers today are seeking the same by going to search engines such as: #1 Google, #2 Yahoo, #3 MSN or any other favorite search engine sources to do their initial search with specific terms that meet their specific needs such as: Executive Lakeshore Home for sale on Lake Minnetonka, MN. They then look at the top ranked front web-pages that provide one-click visuals of the information they are seeking. One-click visual searches associated with key search engine words are the key! One-Click Search is a key SEO Tip! • * 75% of North Americans use search engines on a regular basis • * 56% of North Americans use Search Engines every day • * 40% of all search engine searches are for local businesses and services • * 54% of North Americans regularly use the internet instead of the phone book to find local services • * 56% of Google users click the 1st organic result after a search query What are Consumers searching for? The question most agents ask at this moment is; “What are the consumers actually clicking onto to find their real estate? They utilize their favorite search engines and are clicking onto the organic links with subject specific digital tours of specific properties for sale, by simply making only one click! They are tired of clicking through a multitude of steps associated with criteria-based narrowing parameters to find what they want only to be frustrated with a Join our Referral Network at: www.MNEXITReferral.com 9

‘3X3X3 Marketing Strategy’ by: Frank D’Angelo, Broker/Trainer EXIT Realty Nexus – Minneapolis, MN one or two pictures associated with a public listing service. In other words, consumers are clicking on optimized Craigslist, Active Rain, Oodle and/or Postlets virtual ads. That is the key paradigm shift that has occurred in marketing real estate inventory on-line today. One Click Optimized virtual ads are ranked at the top of major search engines because the search engine spiders are reading fresh optimized material (digital photos and detailed information) and posting them on the front search engines pages. Please note: Our CraigsList Accounts have approximately 4 to 6 active ads per listing. I dedicate one hour every Thursday for generating new ads for new inventory and one hour every Friday revising or renewing expired ads from the previous weeks. Included in this eBook is my Social Marketing Calendar that will actually provide suggestions on how to tastefully obtain your own visibility in a viral manner. In my opinion, agents should not be wasting there hard earned income paying others to optimize their personal IDX web sites. In fact, agents need to provide the consumers as much information as possible offering the consumer an opportunity to access the agent with a single click, call or text message. Idol IDX sites that are waiting and expecting consumer registration and capturing contact information on-line are old school marketing and are likely a hopeless waste of resources without the other 2 marketing principles we recommend. Get your viral visibility calendar (included in this eBook) in effect so you can have internet consumers connect with you and your IDX website. Furthermore, calling back or emailing cold internet leads without leveraging the other 2 marketing principles is generally no longer recommended. Even today, most front pages of agent web sites still brag about agent production levels and status within their company. That tends to rub consumers the wrong way and increases click-out rates. More good news for agents who are focused on keeping their consumers best interests first. Consumers want information, not ego-centric marketing! The next question agents have at this point is: How they can do this without spending a fortune in time and money? The following Step-By-Step Guide allows agents the opportunity to produce the necessary information for buyers and generate additional leads, inquiries and ultimately more closed business. Let‟s get started with the theme; „a picture(s) painting a thousand words‟. Digital Photos You‟ve heard this before. „A picture paints a thousand words‟. That is literally very true and is a great tip to share with you regarding optimization. Let‟s start with any digital photo you have ever posted on the internet that was associated with marketing yourself, your business or your clients‟ properties. What did those photos tell the Search Spiders reading your content before ranking them on their Search Engines? In most cases, the digital photos were uploaded directly from the camera telling the Search Spiders the following sample story: DSC095632, DSC095633, DSC095643 etc. etc. Correct??? When in fact they should Join our Referral Network at: www.MNEXITReferral.com 10

‘3X3X3 Marketing Strategy’ by: Frank D’Angelo, Broker/Trainer EXIT Realty Nexus – Minneapolis, MN be tagged or in simple terms, tell a specific content based story associated with the property. The headings or phrases the general public most likely will be searching with on their favorite search engines should match your photo tags. Photo Optimization or Tagging The basic process of converting your digital photos to tell a story associated with your subject photo is very simple. Converting a photo from DSC095632 to having it tell a business generating specific story on the internet (Search Spider Food) involves the following: This is done by simply renaming (right-click on the photo) and/or re-saving the digital photos using „key search engine terms‟ such as: 1st time homebuyer home for sale Minneapolis, MN 55408 Stainless appliances. HINT: Rename the subject digital photos by using less than 100 characters. A standard 600x600 DPI translates into literally thousands of search engine words associated with re-naming or tagging the photos to; 1st time homebuyer home for sale Minneapolis, MN 55408. This is all done with just one renamed or optimized photo. More importantly, from this point on, lets‟ refer to optimized photos as great „spider bait‟ and „Google Juice‟ for the major search engines. Think for a moment about your own head shot photos you have uploaded on the web in the past! Do they tell a digital story about what you do and where you do business? Go back and re-name/tag and re-upload your existing personal marketing photos and enjoy the new found exposure with that simple tip. The basic how-to-steps regarding tagging your inventory and your personal promotion photos will be outlined in the following segment. Go back to your computer and take the following basic steps to all the photos you have uploaded recently and will upload in the future: 1. Right click on your desk top screen, scroll down to folder and create a new folder. Rename the folder: ex. 123 Main St (if you have listing pictures) or rename your marketing photos of yourself: ex. Minneapolis MN Real Estate Broker Bank Owned Foreclosure Properties For Sale 2. Rename each picture for the subject property using key search engine words that buyer would use on a search engine to find a specific type of property: ex. Executive Lakeshore Home For Sale Lake Calhoun Mn 55408 (identifier ie. Kitchen) 3. Store all your subject optimized or tagged photos in a labeled folder on your desktop for quick access and future ads. Congratulations! You‟ve you are now ready leverage all three marketing platforms. Join our Referral Network at: www.MNEXITReferral.com 11

‘3X3X3 Marketing Strategy’ by: Frank D’Angelo, Broker/Trainer EXIT Realty Nexus – Minneapolis, MN Uploading Optimized Pictures and Audio/Video Tours Now that you‟ve signed the listing agreement and converted the raw digital photos with the key search engine words telling a property specific story; you‟re ready to upload those photos to your own listing on the MLS, your own personal website(s), visual tours and wherever else your heart desires. However, the key point that will fulfill the obligations made at the listing appointment regarding generating more traffic to their property than the majority of agents involves the coordination of all 3 marketing platforms. That coordination process will be outlined later. Create a virtual real estate show or tour utilizing your optimized photos described on e-listings (exclusive EXIT tool) or any other virtual tour vendor that supplies virtual coding links and tools. Upload a minimum of 15 optimized photos to the virtual real estate show/tour (as described above re: optimization/tagging steps). Make sure to enhance the written script by clicking the bilingual link allowing consumers to convert the automated tour/script to their preferred language. (If you do not yet have an unlimited virtual tour vendor, unlimited call capture marketing platform yet, purchase e-listings today and get started) The remaining steps are exclusive to EXIT e-listings and may require adaptation steps for those utilizing other tour vendors. Next, after saving the e-listing real estate show, click on the e-listing tool bar and drop down to the links/codes menu. Most office administrators send out a company wide congratulatory email identifying, Agent X with a new listing MLS#12345 in Town Z for $210,000. However, most agents receiving this email simply discard it to the trash bin. Try this successful tip! Simply email the Website Link provided by your e-listing tool kit, generate an email and forward the web links to your office administrator in an email so they can simply network the news to the entire company and region. The email should be generated by the agent and can be as simple and direct as the following example: Quality First Time Home Buyer Property Just Listed in Minneapolis, MN by Frank D‟Angelo with EXIT Realty Nexus. Details and Tours can be seen on the property specific website provided by our agent e-listing Tool Kit. Click Here for a Branded Tour: http://www.exite- listings.com/15460 and if you feel this property qualifies for your client, forward this Un- Branded Tour Link to them and let them know you‟ve already previewed the property for them: http://www.exite-listing.som/15460unbranded Once the office administrator notifies the entire company and region of the newly optimized listing; it then becomes the agents‟ fundamental duty and obligation to drive visual traffic and awareness to the new listing each and every week (see enclosed Cribsheet Calendar of a Successful Agent). The tracking mechanisms associated with e-listings is our primary seller resource for consumer activity. It also provides us with a great visual and acts as a medium for our regular and consistent communication platform with the sellers. More importantly, your own communication tracking mechanisms on the e-listing account provides you with immediate Join our Referral Network at: www.MNEXITReferral.com 12

‘3X3X3 Marketing Strategy’ by: Frank D’Angelo, Broker/Trainer EXIT Realty Nexus – Minneapolis, MN feedback of the „Feed Pages‟ that are actually directing traffic to the properties. You should know what is working and what is not working! Next Step: Most MLS platforms allows listing agents to click on their own listing and then click on a „reverse prospecting‟ button that identifies all of the MLS agents who have a saved profile of a buyer that matches the criteria associated with their new listing. The next step in generating more internet traffic from qualified people to this tracking and marketing system involves emailing (preferably BCC which stands for Blind Carbon Copy) each agent on the reverse prospecting list the same or similar email that was forwarded to the office administrator as described previously. Three quick questions! Will these activities generate more visual tour clicks from qualified agents and prospective buyers? Might there be a few agents who may be sleeping at the wheel or working another job while their buyers are waiting for that perfect home? Might your clients see that you are going above and beyond the conventional marketing efforts exhibited by most others? Obviously yes to all three! The above two tasks and networking emails might generate hundreds of qualified unique visual tour hits that most conventional marketing strategies might not generate. That‟s great news for the first week of marketing; now lets‟ focus on hitting a homerun on the internet in the subsequent weeks. The next steps involve ensuring top rankings on major search engines including Google and generating many more future unique internet visitors to the subject properties during the marketing campaign. This can be done by utilizing the e-listing production codes and tools provided. Start by copying the „embeddable flyer‟ HTML code. After copying the lengthy HTML code that will create a professional interactive online virtual advertisement, it can be posted on a variety of Blog platforms that will be viewed by people specifically looking for matching properties. Here is a sample HTML Embeddable Flyer code that produces the FREE Virtual Ads that should be posted on your primary Blog Platform such as Active Rain. The other feed networks such as CraigList, BackPage, Oodle, Postlets etc can also receive these codes: <table width="770" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> <tr> <td colspan="5"><img src="" alt="Logo" width="770" height="50"></td> The HTML sample code above is abbreviated and only a sample. HTML code will publish the visual ads similar to the following ad and carry specific messages to the Search Engines. Join our Referral Network at: www.MNEXITReferral.com 13

‘3X3X3 Marketing Strategy’ by: Frank D’Angelo, Broker/Trainer EXIT Realty Nexus – Minneapolis, MN Sample Ad: 27XX 107th Ave Minneapolis, MN 55449 (Motivated Sale) Click For Listing Website Click For Interactive e-Tour MLS# 35xxxxx $375,000 3 Bed, 3 Bath 27xx 107th Ave Minneapolis MN, 55449 Frank D'Angelo Broker/SRS EXIT REALTY NEXUS 763-548-1444 dangelo@exitrealtynexus.com Join our Referral Network at: www.MNEXITReferral.com 14

‘3X3X3 Marketing Strategy’ by: Frank D’Angelo, Broker/Trainer EXIT Realty Nexus – Minneapolis, MN Places to advertise the optimized listing(s) and generate many more qualified virtual tour hits than most Broker reciprocity sites will generate include: CraigsList.org, Postlets.com, Backpage.com, Listing2Leads.com, Facebook.com etc. Our tracking data reveals a slim 14% coming from the combined Broker Reciprocity sites, MLS sites and reverse prospecting links. The remaining 83% of the tracked hits come from our agent specific ads, blogs and ‘Feed Pages’ links that will be described later in this guide: Posting the „embeddable flyer‟ link codes in at least two places (others already recommended previously). 1. Post the html code onto Craigs list (remember to renew the ad after 14 days and/or update the ad re: price changes). The beauty of the html code/ad is that it is a full color optimized e-listing brochure that allows consumers to find it from any search engine. More importantly, consumers can click onto your bilingual interactive visual tours for more information and immediately access the listing agent via phone or email. 2. The second step excites us. Paste your html embeddable flyer code that will generate almost as much independent traffic as your CraigsList Ad will be to post it on one of the most GOOGLE friendly real estate networks: www.Activerain.com . We have since piloted and endorse another automatic step here by including a multi-faceted lead generator ad with www.Listings2Leads.com . It‟s a very cost effective lead generating „Feed Page‟ ad that has become a great IDX registering source of leads. Again, establish an Active Rain account as soon as possible, post an optimized profile for the general public to find your ads and then post the embeddable flyer html code as an independent post or should I say and independent and exclusive advertisement. “Icannot emphasize the importance of establishing an active rain account and posting virtual lead generating ads for buyers and seller”. In no way am I suggesting you become a two hour a day blogger on active rain”. I‟m simply suggesting you post your inventory on active rain on your sellers behalf and post a „fishing‟ buyers ad that entices consumers to call you „the expert‟. For more information on lead generating ads, I have already posted a whole series of optimization and buyer generation activities on Active Rain.com. Simply locate this special group called: http://activerain.com/groups/WWWEXiT Feel free to read, learn and post additional tips for our associates. 3. The next lead generating tip is associated with Active Rain signatures and Profiles. The signatures and profile settings are attached to each and every Virtual Ad or Blog posted. The signatures and settings beside each and every blog must allow direct linking to the lead generating IDX Website. Remember, the ad generated the interest and the Signature links initiates continued linking to sites owned by the same agent. Join our Referral Network at: www.MNEXITReferral.com 15

‘3X3X3 Marketing Strategy’ by: Frank D’Angelo, Broker/Trainer EXIT Realty Nexus – Minneapolis, MN 4. There are many other places to post virtual ads including Postlets.com Oodle.com YouTube.com etc. The above steps will generate more optimized traffic to the agent listings than most MLS broker reciprocity vendors can do. Furthermore, be confident that the majority of agents will not be consistent with the simple efforts associated with this guide. You can count on it! Virtual ads allow consumers to access more information, pictures, bilingual scripts, tours maps and quick agent access tools. Consumers who take the next step in viewing the property are more likely to call for more information or set up a showing because they have qualified the potential of living in that property. If the client calls the listing agent or their own agent for a showing; it‟s a Win-Win for everybody. Typically, when viewers of the on-line real estate ad book a showing appointment, they are more likely to be enamored buyers. Here is an example and true story: We listed a small acreage in Buffalo, MN. The buyers found the „one-click‟ virtual ad on Google (the specific ad was posted on Craigs list as described previously from posting the „embeddable flyer html code‟ and they found the ad on Google). They viewed it several times and even forwarded the ad to their friends and family. Here is what the email said prior to setting up their first showing: “Here is the home we are buying, if you want to come to the showing, let me know”. Of course, we arranged the showing when they called. Here is what happened: We literally opened the door and stepped back. Mrs. Buyer literally took over the showing and led the extended family and friends throughout the home on a tour. We stepped back and proceeded to arrange the paperwork at the kitchen island as Mrs. Buyer lead the showing tour. Please remember, this was her first time inside the home. Mr. Buyer had no chance but to do the right thing and negotiate a deal with us. Mrs. Buyer was literally enamored and they purchased a $675,000 home on-line in a market place that had over 14 similar properties available for sale per buyer. She viewed and reviewed the property on-line and made a decision to set up a showing. She mentally purchased this property on-line because we marketed it in a „Lifestyle-Based‟ platform. All we needed to do was facilitate the information, the showing and of course the necessary paper-work for a „sweet double-ender.‟ Additional Optimization Ideas/Strategies For those looking to do more advanced optimization, you can dabble in Meta Tags and Descriptions. I strongly suggest your signature lines include re-direction domain names for your sphere such as: www.BankOwnedEXiT.info (re-directs to our REO Real Estate Magazine) Domain names can be purchased for a couple of dollars on GoDaddy.com Note: Refrain from focusing too much attention on the keywords tags. It is mostly disregarded nowadays due to abuse by people stuffing keywords that didn't belong into the web page. You can almost skip this technique entirely. Focus on fresh content, optimized digital photos, quick easy virtual access. There are other SEO strategies that can be leveraged to generate more Join our Referral Network at: www.MNEXITReferral.com 16

‘3X3X3 Marketing Strategy’ by: Frank D’Angelo, Broker/Trainer EXIT Realty Nexus – Minneapolis, MN traffic. However, there should also be limits to the amount of ‘techie time’ necessary to improve your internet exposure. The more time spent on these efforts may negatively impact your sales production. There should be some balance on all your activities. ‘Feeding’ your Business by Leveraging Social Networks Facebook isn't exactly the: be all, end all for small business internet marketing, but it sure doesn't hurt to start using Facebook and additional Social Networking Platforms. Why? Because social networking or should I say, „Social Marketing‟ sites like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are very popular platforms for internet marketing. The key element of the success associated with this „3x3x3‟strategy greatly depends on the social marketing aspect which primarily acts as ‘Feed Pages’ directing related and enhanced content to our lead-generating ‘Landing Pages. Consumers are very familiar with navigating multiple social media sites and they are prepared for personalized business networking. As an Independent Sales Agent trying to generate more business; imagine that you are handling the internet marketing department for a small business. You're not, of course, going to take over the world by creating communities on existing social networking sites. However, imagine if you could build your own social business network and build your target database and your own community or niche. In time, most people including real estate agents will be old pros at building profiles, finding communities of common interest, and sharing pertinent videos and articles. So get started now so you're not left behind. Please note: Your competition will not do this with any consistency as evidence of abandoned social networks hosted by active real estate agents surfaces everywhere on the internet. Remember this, every business related post you make on a social network from this point on should have a deliberate intent to feed or invite consumers who are interested in your title/feed post to one of your two ‘Landing Pages’. Social Networking Suggestions 1. Join Facebook and build your Business Page link(s) right away: The best way to learn how to replicate a social networking site is to familiarize yourself with how they work. Use the „Friend Finder‟ feature on Facebook to find people you already know, organize your data base into categories such as: family, met group, out-of-state realtors, local realtors, clients etc. By doing so, you can control who sees your marketing posts. Join or subscribe to groups that share valuable information on how people interact on social networking sites. Post video clips and real estate appropriate articles that interest you to see how others respond. You will also find that Facebook allows you to make business contacts you would have never met in real life. Establish your own business Fan Page and regularly invite new people to “Like” your page. Remember, as you add friends, you‟ll want to invite them to Like your page intermittently. Your ‘Viral Visibility’ will be directly related to the organization of your Facebook marketing ads. Remember to schedule 1-2 hours per week on this habit. (See Social Marketing Calendar) Join our Referral Network at: www.MNEXITReferral.com 17

‘3X3X3 Marketing Strategy’ by: Frank D’Angelo, Broker/Trainer EXIT Realty Nexus – Minneapolis, MN 2. Comment on other colleagues Blogs: This is as simple as social networking gets. People get to know you, what you do, where you work and you get more traffic to your own sites! 3. Blog and Post deeply embedded web pages found on your personal website utilizing Feed Sites such as: Facebook, LinkedIn, PingFM, HooteSuite, etc. Remember, your landing pages are potential lead generators with invitations to register or see more details. 4. Post 4-6 types of CraigsList Ads per week. Several ads can be specific to each listing such as an optimized HTML e-listing brochure, an Active Rain Blog ad etc. Other ads can be specific to the community that promotes x number of listings and a link that points to those listings. A third example ad might be associated with helping Sellers Avoid Foreclosure which in turn, points them to one of the deeply embedded landing pages of your own webpage. If you have a relocation page, post one additional ad per week in a different major US City offering MN relocation services. 5. Open a Twitter Account: Twitter is a scaled down version of blogging. It‟s a great „Feed page‟ and points to your Lead Generating „Landing Pages‟. Feed to your deeper pages of your Website since they are great resources, however few consumers will find them unless you lead them with an appropriately titled Social „Feed page‟ link. Essentially, Twitter allows you to type 160 characters about what you're doing at the moment. It seems a little silly, but many folks are using it and effectively generating business from Twitter. Utilizing your own Twitter account will allow you to gain some insight about how it might be helpful for you as you market your own business. Personalized business networks are already becoming the norm for the successful internet marketing gurus. It's worth your time and effort now to learn how to use the social networking sites upon which the personalized business networks will be based. Also, remember this simple fact. The majority of your competition will NOT do these kinds of strategies with any plan or simply won‟t do it on a consistent basis. When you develop any consistency with the above, you‟ll begin to dominate your competition and enjoy your business more. 6. QR Codes are becoming popular „Feed Page‟ links. In a nutshell QR Codes stand for Quick Response codes. It‟s a cell phone readable bar code that can deliver website information, video, audio, emails, business card information in a digital format. People utilizing the QR Code deliver are doing so on websites, for sale signs, t-shirts, business cards, property information brochures etc. For example, the following QR Code will direct Smart phones to our website: Join our Referral Network at: www.MNEXITReferral.com 18

‘3X3X3 Marketing Strategy’ by: Frank D’Angelo, Broker/Trainer EXIT Realty Nexus – Minneapolis, MN How To Add 5,000 Points To Your Active Rain Blog In 2 Weeks! Whether you're a new or an experienced Rainer on Active Rain, adding points quickly is possible and is not very complicated for even the novice blogger. Most active Active Rainers, may have missed some of the "low hanging fruit" I have recently discovered. Here we go: 1. Profile Points - Make sure you get all the Profile points possible. I still see veteran Rainers‟ with incomplete profiles. Pick the City you actually work or live in and do not be intimidated by your competition. Stake your claim and start swinging the bat. Upload an optimized photo of yourself (rename it first with your city, state and zip code), fill out all the contact fields, complete all the descriptions, testimonials, etc. 2. Linking Points – Link to the so called, big hitters as much as possible. Put a large company logo your blog which is the same as your website logo. Many agents brand their faces significantly larger than their company logo, this technique actually minimizes your face as being associated with the brand. If you don't have a personal web site yet, get one ASAP. You need it for search engine ranking and it must be linked back to your blog platform such as Active Rain. This is fundamentally the most important advice I have to say about this entire „3x3x3‟ strategy. GET ONE STRONG WEB PAGE PLATFORM AND LEVERAGE IT WITH ACTIVE RAIN. 3. Invitation Points - Get your invitation link and craft up an email informing folks about Active Rain, and send it to as many agents, mortgage folks, appraisers, title, etc. that you know. Post the link on your "other" blog or website letting others know about this great site for networking purposes. Let me invite you again to Active Rain with this link: www.Activerain.com/referrals/metrobroker 4. Commenting Points - You will receive 25 points by simply commenting on other peoples blog posts and you can do that 10 times max per day. I wasn‟t aware of this until a short time ago, so I really could have done much better there on a personal level. The big hitters (Internet Marketing Gurus) get the most points from blogging and the second most points from commenting. I know there are many people who simply comment with words such as; "Great post, thanks" to obtain comment points. Those types of comments do not generate points. Comment because you have read the blog and you have something of value to add. Everyone likes encouragement. That's helping you by building a community also. 5. Blogging Points – Here is one of the most important ones to include. Each blog post is worth a minimum of 200 points and then you receive points when others comment on your blog. Should your post become a "Featured Post" you will receive 500 points for a single post. Getting featured posts involves stroking a few egos sometimes. Active Rain Ambassadors do have egos. Oh, by the way; you‟ll rarely be featured or suggested if your signature is loaded with lead generating links like mine does. If you have something worth while and think it might warrant being featured, then I suggest you remove those links from your signature. Nobody really knows what criteria warrants a post being featured, but I think writing for others is the key. If you see a need and fill it, you'll get rewarded by writing a post that matters to others. So pick your topics judiciously. But don't worry about that too much in the beginning. Search your skills - a web Join our Referral Network at: www.MNEXITReferral.com 19

‘3X3X3 Marketing Strategy’ by: Frank D’Angelo, Broker/Trainer EXIT Realty Nexus – Minneapolis, MN tip, a marketing tip, or time management tip that worked for you and write a blog post about it. You may want to use the sites search to see if it's already been covered and then just get in there and post away. 6. Prior to posting blogs; you should select the Groups section and join as many Groups that might add knowledge and value to your business. When it comes to time to post your blog or ad, you'll choose from a list of Groups to send your posts. There more readers you have, the more comments you are likely to receive. Also, refrain from posting to Groups that your topic may not really apply. 7. Now here's the hard part, since it involves some basic discipline. It is recommended that you post and comment on 8 to 10 posts everyday or as often as possible. This can be easily done in front of the TV in the evening, with your Notepad or Smartphone while typing a comment or blog post. Paste it into your blog, spell check it, pick the chosen Groups, and hit send. Finally, go to the Active Rain Dashboard, select a few featured posts and comment on those posts. 8. Re-Blog your own companies listings. All it takes is to simply log into your own account and find your colleagues listings posted on Active Rain and hit the Re-Blog button. All of their marketing and optimizing efforts now appear in your account and advertising platform. You may generate the buyer for your colleagues listing. One organizing strategy for each office is to create an Active Rain Group called; OFFICE REBLOG and have your agents within your office join the group. This way whenever you post your embeddable flyer ads on Active Rain, you can make sure this group receives the ads automatically and they can re-blog your own ad for yourself. Crib-Notes and suggestions for your FaceBook Account Post good content several times per week. Share news headlines, add links. Be engaging and share other events (this promotes your visibility). Post photos and video. „Like‟ your friends and colleagues postings. It makes them feel good and makes you visible on their News Feeds as well. Set your default account settings to your own level of comfort with respect to security. Invite people to your events and your friends events. Be considerate of your friends by pacing yourself with good content and limiting both personal and business posts. Utilize the HELP center offered by Facebook for tips and ideas. Have a plan and stick to it. Your competition will likely not have a plan or stick with one if they did. See our „Social Marketing Calendar‟ to plan when and what type of marketing you want to embrace. Join our Referral Network at: www.MNEXITReferral.com 20

‘3X3X3 Marketing Strategy’ by: Frank D’Angelo, Broker/Trainer EXIT Realty Nexus – Minneapolis, MN I like to schedule out Social Marketing Links on www.HootSuite.com . It‟s a great tool for reading, following and scheduling posts to a variety of your social networks. Remember, some of your friends are on other social networks such as Pulse.com, FriendFinder.com etc. Utilize your FaceBook account to find your own friend from your own email accounts. P.S. I recommend you use a personal email for your Facebook account rather than your business email. (JMHO – Just My Humble Opinion) Join our Referral Network at: www.MNEXITReferral.com 21

‘3X3X3 Marketing Strategy’ by: Frank D’Angelo, Broker/Trainer EXIT Realty Nexus – Minneapolis, MN Your 3x3x3 success will be achieved by employing a minimum of 20 days from the above recommendations. Be consistent and persistent and your success will follow. Join our Referral Network at: www.MNEXITReferral.com 22

‘3X3X3 Marketing Strategy’ by: Frank D’Angelo, Broker/Trainer EXIT Realty Nexus – Minneapolis, MN As I conclude this eBook I wish to remind all readers to obtain more training from our very own technology gurus such as Jeff Lobb at www.EXITRealty.com/Training . My hope is that this eBook has provided you with the necessary tools, confidence and motivation to implement your very own „3x3x3 Marketing Strategy‟ immediately. I am very confident that these strategies will also fulfill your promised obligation of generating more traffic to your clients‟ listing, create „Raving Client Fans‟ and getting IT SOLD! It‟s Time to EXIT Conventional Real Estate! Feel free to contact me regarding any of the details associated with this eBook or to have our Relocation Team provide your Minnesota Referrals the „Trusted‟ service you would expect from one of the ‘Best Trained in the Industry’. Be with the best trained in the industry! Thank you again and may your year be blessed with more double-enders! God Bless you and your family! Frank D’Angelo – EcoBroker www.COACHDANGELO.com (612) 281-1033 (cell/Txt) www.MNEXITReferral.com (Your Trusted Minnesota Referral) Join our Referral Network at: www.MNEXITReferral.com 23

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2010 e book_revised_12_1_10 Document Transcript

http://www.allmetrohomes.com	7
http://activerain.com	1