The State of Mobile 2013

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How often do you go online using your smartphone?

Well, today’s consumer is on-the-go. They seek information that is readily available to them when they need it. Have you thought about what consumers see when they visit your website on a mobile device.

According to the Pew Internet & American Life Project’s research, 63% of cell phone owners now use their phones to go online. That means two-thirds of all cell phone owners are visiting websites and reading emails on-the-go.

 

To further breakdown the number, 34% of those cell phone Internet users mostly use their phone to access the Internet, as opposed to using other devices such as desktops, laptops or tablets. That’s 21% of all cell phone owners who mostly use it to go online.

In a scenario all to common for restaurants, a consumer may find himself driving around town looking for an average-priced, non-chain steakhouse for a Saturday evening with the family. When he goes to the mobile Yelp app, he wants to find more information about Delicious Steakhouse Restaurant that is just three miles from his current location. He clicks on the website only to find that it’s not compatible for mobile and difficult to navigate on the small mobile screen.

Because he can’t find the hours and the menu is too large to navigate properly, he decides it’s better worth his time to go to the chain steakhouse he knows well. Not only is the family missing some of the best steaks in the state of Arizona, but the family-owned steakhouse just missed its opportunity to gain a loyal customer because of a mobile website.

Don’t let this happen to you. Make sure your business website is mobile-ready. All you need is four inches of accurate and necessary information to make an impression.

 

Digital Media Marketing for Real Estate Agents

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As a real estate agent you are an expert marketer offline.

You make great connections with creative marketing brochures. You take time to invite interested buyers and host them during open houses. Now, you just need to figure out how to channel those expert marketing skills and develop your own online real estate.

Social media is a great way to promote your listings, but you’ll have to go beyond that to make connections and generate leads. Here are three tips that will help you create conversations online to help make transactions offline.

 

1. Tell Your Story and Be Authentic

Be human in your interactions online. Don’t use sleazy used-car salesman pitches in your online voice. Be real, talk with expertise and knowledge, and make an effort to truly care about the messages you are sending.

As a real estate agent, you lead quite an active lifestyle. You are always on the go and you meet new people everyday. Tell that story to show everyone just how real you are.

Show your Instagram followers your favorite coffee shop. Tell your Facebook likers how much you like cats. Tweet about how many times you’ve had to drive around the city.

These are all interesting facts about YOU that will help attract clients who want to work with a person and not a selling machine.

2. Make an Impact

It’s easy to describe every home you sell as, “one-of-a-kind, gorgeous, the best deal you’ll EVER find.” Don’t fall back on that sleazy used-car sales pitch. Instead, describe what’s unique about a certain home. Then, post a photo that backs it up.

Show your followers the incredible view from the upstairs balcony. Describe the sunset that reflects off the nearby lake. There are so many details beyond the number of bedrooms and bathrooms that can help people find the right home.

*A side-note on photos: Professional photography goes a long way when marketing homes. You want the home to make a good impression and photos are essential on social media. If you can’t afford a professional photographer, then learn how to take photos with correct lighting and framing. A lot can be done with a phone.

3. Follow Up

You already have a novel of client names, mailing addresses and emails that you have hoarded hopefully in some type of CRM (Customer Relationship Management) software. The same way you set up drip email marketing campaigns for those clients, you’ll want to interact with clients on social media.

Take the time to be part of their online communication. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Be there for them when they need real estate advice. Comment on how you also enjoy the coffee shop on Main Street.

Managing your online relationships with clients often takes as much time as managing your offline relationships with clients. Although this is time consuming, it’s where your clients are. If you don’t make the leap to be where they are, then they may not look to you when they need to find a new home.

What online marketing strategies do you currently have? How do you think they could improve?

 To learn more about MobiMedia’s real estate services email kfinnegan@mobisquad.com.

 

Social Media: Why it Works

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Remember when a hashtag used to be called a NUMBER SIGN?

Chances are, if you answered yes, you might need a #MobiMedia makeover.

Social Media. Sounds fancy. Do local businesses really need it? The question should be, how are local businesses surviving without it?

Social media is rooted in a principle older than the smoke signal: Word of mouth and community. It’s what has always worked best.

Flashback Paleolithic Period: Cave person pulls other cave people toward huge secret berry patch hidden by bigger poison berry bush. Well, today, same idea, but the details are different. You’ve heard a variation of this comment so many times in your life you can’t even remember:

“Sweet. Fancy. Lord. I just had the strawberry and goat cheese salad at the cafe next door. Dunnow what they put in the dressing, but I’m pretty sure I’ll have to attend an anonymous meeting now.” – Your Cube Mate

Now you’re hungry. For berries. And goat cheese. And addictive dressing. You’re definitely heading over to the cafe. And, why wouldn’t you? They have amazing food. Cha-ching… sold.

Compare that feeling of camaraderie to the numb feeling evoked by the sight of a billboard whizzing past on the I-10. No contest. Your friend’s recommendation wins. Every time. And THAT is social media at its finest.

Here’s where we come in: Hashtags, daily posts, fans, design, check-ins, photo posts, building a sense of community, and getting your Web site on par with every new reader and tablet on the market. It’s what we do. We’re professional, relevant, accessible, and working for you around the clock.

If you build a loyal customer fan base, they’ll tell their friends about you for free. Then those friends tell their friends about you, again, for free.

Free. Hashtag that.

5 reasons your online content should contain more visuals.

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Whether it is on your website or your social media pages, visual content drives engagement. A photo or video is more likely to be shared than a link or text post.

1. A picture is worth a thousand words.

Visuals get your point across quicker. Photos and visuals have always played a huge role in conveying ideas, messages, emotions and even stirring up memories that may not be as easily expressed in words.

 2. Consume. And share.

Thanks to social media, we have access to millions of photos and have the ability to easily share the ones we like with a click of a button. Everyone nowadays is on-the-go because we’ve adapted to a busy, fast-paced culture. We want information. We want updates. And it better be quick.

3. Engage and connect with your customers.

If you own a business and are on social media, having photos of your employees, your brand, your products, and even your work events for fans and followers to see invites each one of them into your world. They get to see what you see, giving them unique access to you and your business. Even feature customer photos, if you have any!

4. Ask questions, be engaging.

Even if it is something simple, like a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ question, your customers are still paying attention to your brand and what you have to say. Sometimes, posting a relatable quote, experience or current event works too.

5. Have some fun — but don’t get too crazy.

Show your brand’s personality, be relatable.

Do you have a favorite photo, meme, infographic, gif, etc. you’ve seen online?                 Share it with us!

 ~#LiveMobi Media

Why every small business should be on social media.

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At #MobiMedia, we work with hundreds of small businesses every day. We believe small businesses are an essential building block of our economy because they spark innovation, generate jobs and strengthen entire communities. With the demand for information at an instant’s notice and the rise of social networks, social media platforms are becoming the go-to source for information and engagement.

Not on social media? Here are 3 big reasons to give social media platforms a try.

1. Communication/Engagement: Being on channels, such as Facebook and Twitter, allow you to expand your fan base further and wider than just the local community. The presence of social media has become more of a lifestyle, than anything, which makes connecting, sharing and engaging with people a lot easier.

2. Sense of Community: Being present on social media allows for your business to not only grow, but to also build and foster a community of fans and followers. These fans and followers are generally people who have similar preferences and interests that will act as supporters and cheerleaders for your business. Let’s face it. Everybody loves to be included — and social media pages allow them to be a part of something. Why not have it be your business?

3. Build your Brand: Having a brand that is recognizable is an important priority for any company. Your brand differentiates you from other businesses and competitors. It gives your business an identity, a personality. What good would it be if your brand was only on your website? By having your brand plastered on all your social media pages, it will bring consistency and brand awareness to your loyal customers and clients.

Almost everyone is on social media. Why aren’t you?

Have other reasons why social media is important for small businesses? Let us know and share your insights!

~#LiveMobi Media

 

Hello and welcome!

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Welcome to the #MobiMedia blog! As an entity of #Mobi, we work with hundreds of small businesses to help them build the right social, local and mobile presence so they can connect with their customers, wherever they may be.

The purpose of this blog is to serve as a resource on all things social, mobile and technological. Let the discussion begin!

~#LiveMobi Media