If you get Louisville Builder magazine, then make sure you take a few seconds to check out the story they did on us in November. The article written by Nancy Miller focused on Virtual Tours, Twitter, Youtube, Facebook and LinkedIn. It was titled “They’re Not Just Techie Buzz Words; They’re Today’s Marketing Reality”.
Our part of the the story focused primarily on Twitter (micro blogging) and Blogging. It discusses how we keep up with producing content, engaging in social media and using our online presence as a sales and educational tool for customers— or prospective ones for that matter.
Online with Google— it really is the way most customers begin their search. They vetted you there. They see if you’re up to speed on the market. They expect you to be involved in social media and blogging— engaging them with educational content and answering their questions. They want to believe you’re a thought leader in your field. They want to build trust with you online before they meet you offline. They don’t have time to drive around in cars pressing flesh (shaking hands) with 5 builders before they pick one. Yes we still meet people offline eventually, it’s just that the conversations often begin now on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, our Blog, through email or via our forms on our website. A lot has changed but the playing field is leveled to compete with those who bought attention through ads and direct marketing. It’s hard to do that now. The little guy can bootstrap his efforts now more than ever.