Archive for September, 2011
Go Places with Google
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Map on mRELEVANCE's Google Place page
What is the first thing you do when you want to go somewhere new? You Google it, of course. You jot down the address and hours. Then, you check out the place’s rating, reviews and even photos.
Google Place pages are the perfect resource for this information. Recently, the Google team has made many adjustments in order to make Google Place pages simpler for desktop and mobile device users.
Now, according to Google’s Lat Long Blog, users wanted a more personalized experience when signed in to their Google account. They now get a focused, elastic and effortless experience. Photos are easier to upload with a more obvious “Upload a Photo” button. Review snippets from other web sources, such as Yelp, Citysearch and TripAdvisor, have been removed so that rating and reviews are only from fellow Google users. Additionally, all reviews are in a single section and a “Write a Review” button has been added to the top of each page.
Soon, Google will bring users searching for local places even more personalized results and ways to rate, discover and share. More information will be available at the push of a button—“Google Search”.
Trying a new restaurant tonight? Going to a new store? Be sure to add your reviews so that other users can go places with Google too!
Need help getting your business on Google Places? Just contact the team at mRELEVANCE, and we can assist with all of your Internet marketing and search engine optimization needs.
Google+ is Now Open to Everyone
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Google+ is now open to everyone! Look for the blue arrow on Google’s home page, it will walk you through signing up. After being an exclusive invite only site since July, this new social media site has fully launched its beta version to the public.
According to Mashable, Google’s Vic Gundotra wrote on the official company blog, “We’re ready to move from field trial to beta, and introduce our 100th feature: open signups.”
Did you know that 99 improvements were made on Google+ during this field trial? Crazy!
These improvements included the ability to use Google+ Hangouts (which are way better than Skype, in my opinion) on Android devices. Gundotra stated, “We think Hangouts should keep pace with how you socialize in the real-world.”
In addition, Google+ now includes search. Not having a good search option was one of the weak points of the site, but now users can easily find people and look up different topics. Plus, you can search through Google+ and web content.
If you were one of the original Google+ users, you may remember that the site was all of the rage when it first launched. Since then, Facebook has revamped to include features that were unique to Google+. Facebook has even made changes to the News Feed and Friend Lists to make them function more like Google+ Circles.
However, since everyone can now sign up for Google+, including more of your friends, family members and co-workers, maybe the site will be the next Facebook. Who knows!
If you need help navigating through the Google+ world, be sure to click here. Once you sign up, make sure to connect with mRELEVANCE founders, Mitch Levinson and Carol Flammer. Also, contact the team at mRELEVANCE for all of your social media marketing and search engine optimization needs.
Facebook Revamps Its Dashboard
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Working at an internet marketing agency, I’ve come to expect and adapt to Facebook’s changes. If you’ve logged into Facebook today, you’ll notice it looks a little different. Here’s a brief run-down of some of the changes:
Lists
While lists have been available for awhile, they’ve been a semi-hidden feature. Now they’re prominently displayed on the left side of your screen. Smart Lists are sorted based on where you live, went to school, work and who’s listed as your family. You can also build your own lists. This concept is similar to Google+’s circles. You can share things with specific lists and filter content by list.
Top News
Facebook wants to be your social newspaper, so the top of your feed is devoted to “top news,” things it thinks you won’t want to miss. Did your cousin post about a job promotion and the rest of your family is congratulating him in the comments? Odds are that will be in your Top News, even if it was posted hours before you logged in. Read More→
Integrated Marketing Plan Connects Builder to Homebuyers
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mRELEVANCE, LLC is pleased to announce the launch of the new Signature Homes blog, http://signaturehomesblog.com. This highly optimized blog serves as a source of information for homebuyers and real estate agents in the Bay Area and Sacramento region, and is at the core of the overall social media marketing strategy created for the Northern California builder by the mRELEVANCE team. In addition to the blog, the Signature Homes social media program includes Facebook, Twitter and YouTube components.
“We worked closely with the mRELEVANCE team to develop our new and improved blog, and are pleased with the results,” said Charlie Roter, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Signature Homes. “The current blog enhances our social media presence and provides a fun and interactive way to connect with our homebuyers.”
The Signature Homes blog is fully integrated with the builder’s website and other social media accounts including Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.
Visitors can use the blog’s interactive map to find townhome, condo and single-family home communities, as well as information about each community, builder news and special offers and promotions.
“The blog is a key component of Signature Homes’ social media program, and helps engage prospective buyers and agents with the organization’s brand,” said mRELEVANCE managing partner, Mitch Levinson. “The Signature Homes blog is a great addition to the builder’s website, allowing the builder to provide in-depth stories in a conversational tone about its communities and the homeowners themselves. This gives prospective buyers insight into what it is like to own a Signature Home.”
For more information on how you can take your home builder marketing to the next level with an integrated approach to blogging, social marketing and search engine optimization, contact mRELEVANCE.
mRELEVANCE Develops Search for Homes Tab on Acadia’s Facebook Page
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Looking for cool, new Facebook functionality? We are pleased to announce our development of a new Search for Homes tab on Acadia Homes and Neighborhoods’ Facebook page. With this tab, Facebook users can quickly and easily search for available Acadia homes by price point, county, home type and community without even leaving Facebook. In addition, users have easy access to Acadia’s website and contact form.
“The new tab will allow buyers to search for available homes easier and faster,” stated Sam Bass, vice president of sales and marketing at Acadia Homes and Neighborhoods. “We hope users find the home of their dreams and find out more information about us on our social media pages and website.”
“We developed the Facebook Search for Homes tab in order to help buyers search for homes on the social media platform that they use the most, Facebook. These active listings pull directly from the database on their website, so they will always be current and accurate,” stated Mitch Levinson, managing partner of mRELEVANCE. “While users are on Acadia’s fan page and thinking about homes, they can search without having to leave the site.”
mRELEVANCE offers a variety of marketing services including Internet marketing, website development, search engine optimization, social media and public relations.
With offices in Atlanta and Chicago, mRELEVANCE can connect your company with buyers and build relevant relationships nationwide. For more information or to contact us, visit www.mRELEVANCE.com, Like us on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/mRELEVANCE, Follow us on Twitter at @mRELEVANCE or call 770-383-3360 or 847-259-7312.
Social Marketing Program Launched for Ashton Woods Homes
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mRELEVANCE, LLC is pleased to announce the launch of the social media marketing program for Atlanta division of Ashton Woods Homes. With an expanded online footprint, the builder hopes to connect with potential homebuyers. The new program includes a custom blog – www.AshtonWoodsAtlantaBlog.com – developed by the mRELEVANCE team that serves as the heart of the program. Other components include Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
“Our new blog gives our team additional ways to connect with potential homebuyers,” said Dwayne Hill, vice president of sales and marketing for Ashton Woods Homes. “We will share community news such as new models, talk about design trends and let our homebuyers know when we offer money-saving incentives.”
“The Ashton Woods Homes social media program is an extension of their online presence,” said Carol Flammer, managing partner with mRELEVANCE. “Having social media sites in addition to a website is a great way to keep prospective buyers and homeowners engaged with the builder as well as the communities they live in.
mRELEVANCE offers a variety of blog solutions for businesses from basic blogs to completely custom themed sites. By leveraging years of experience in Internet marketing and blogging, mRELEVANCE is able to effectively build and launch blogs for clients that immediately show return on investment. Contact mRELEVANCE today to find out how to build an effective online marketing program.
21st Century Show in Charlotte
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mRELEVANCE founders are headed to Charlotte, NC this week to the 21st Century Building Expo & Conference. The expo is held at the Charlotte Convention Center, and offers an exceptional line-up of courses and seminars for the home building industry. Carol Flammer and Mitch Levinson will present three seminars geared towards the sales and marketing professional. We hope that you will make plans to join us at the conference. Our seminars cover a wide range of topics from selling to women, to hot marketing commodities to using social media to market your homes. Here’s the line up:
- Sisterhood of the Traveling Laptop
- The 11 Hottest Marketing Commodities of 2011
- Friend, Fan, Follow or Fail: Discover the Basics of Social Networking
With over 50 seminars and courses to choose from, there is something for every home building industry professional. Register for General Session Seminars ($85 for unlimited sessions, plus lunches) by visiting http://nchba.expotracker.net.
SPECIAL PROMO: Enter EMKT and receive $10 off. This code makes the Expo Floor Only badge free or takes $10 off your conference fees.
Questions about the 21st Century Building Expo & Conference? Contact 1-800-662-7129 or 21buildingexpo@nchba.org.
Levinson Named to NAHB Business Management & Information Technology Committee
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Mitch Levinson, managing partner of mRELEVANCE, has been appointed as a board member of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Business Management & Information Technology Committee.
The Business Management & Information Technology Committee sponsors business-related research, resources and educational events with the goal of improving business performance for builders. The committee is dedicated to helping members succeed, offering insight into managing businesses more efficiently, professionally and profitably.
As a member of the NAHB committee, Levinson will bring expertise in both real estate and Internet marketing. He is the founder and president of MLC New Home Marketing and MLC Flatfee Realty and has consulted with numerous national home builders, helping them become more efficient and successful. Levinson is also a managing partner of mRELEVANCE, an Internet marketing, social media and public relations firm that creates programs designed to enhance consumer action and interaction. Being a member of the Business Management & Information Technology Committee allows Levinson to combine two of his greatest interests.
“I am honored that the NAHB has appointed me to the board of this committee,” said Levinson. “This appointment will give me the opportunity to share my expertise with a wider audience and help companies use technology and the internet to be more effective. I’m happy to do whatever I can to help members be successful.”
For more information on how mRELEVANCE can help your business to succeed online, contact us!
mRELEVANCE Builds Blog for Premier Communities
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mRELEVANCE, LLC recently launched a new blog for Washington state builder Premier Communities. The blog – http://PremierCommunitiesBlog.com – is the core of the overall social media marketing strategy created for the builder by the mRELEVANCE team.
“The mRELEVANCE team’s expertise has really helped to jump-start our social marketing program,” said Marisa Thorson, marketing director with Premier Communities. “Our new blog is a great way to bring our communities to life on the Internet and engage with our homebuyers!”
Premier Communities’ blog is fully integrated with its website and other social media accounts including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Flickr, Stumble Upon and YouTube.
Visitors will be able to get news from every Premier Communities neighborhood under the “Locations” tab. The “Testimonials” tab is a feature that will give blog visitors an idea about what homebuyers love best about living in a Premier Communities home.
“Premier’s blog is a key component of the builder’s social media plan,” said mRELEVANCE managing partner, Carol Flammer. “Having a blog in addition to a website is a great way to keep prospective buyers and homeowners engaged with their homebuilder as well as the community they live in.”
Premier Communities has been building homes in the Washington area since 1998. The builder has communities in Puyallup, Lacey, Olympia and near Joint Base Lewis-McChord. Premier is dedicated to providing buyers with affordable pricing without compromising quality and continually works to enhance its homes features.
Stop Underutilizing SEO
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Are you fully using all of SEO’s capabilities?
Some companies do not use SEO, or search engine optimization, to its fullest potential. For instance, according to a MediaPost article, a recent Forrester Research study found that some brands “miss opportunities to tap into search engine optimization in all states of the purchase funnel.”
While SEO is a good tool to spread awareness and generate leads, it can do so much more!
You should also be using SEO to support cultivating leads to sales status, helping sales in moving prospects through the sales process, retaining customers and cross-selling services. If you start thinking like your customers that are searching for goods and services, it will be easier to add this type of support to your SEO plan.
You can also use SEO more effectively by linking more appropriately. According to a Covario study, brands have a lot to learn when it comes to link building.
“Linking is still very difficult,” said Arnel Leyva, Covario director of product marketing. “You can automate just so much, and the rest is based on relationship building.”
The better you understand your customers and their searching habits, the better your links will be. Customers are more likely to click on what you want them to when you use appropriate links.
Therefore, stop underutilizing SEO and start using all of its capabilities. By using SEO for more than just spreading awareness and generating leads, your sales can grow!
For help with all of your SEO needs, click here to contact one of us at mRELEVANCE today. Also, check out our search engine optimization services.
