Social Media Principle 6 – Be Open and Be Human

Social marketing earns, not buys attention so have an opinion, be true to what you say, be of value, be open - above all be human.

"Ask not what your customers can do for you; ask what you can do for your customers" Stan Rapp

As 'markets become conversations' customer relationships and advertising models are changing for good. Passive consumption becomes active interaction. Monologue becomes dialogue. Control becomes collaboration. Customers are empowered, well informed, connected. Companies are becoming more transparent whether they like it or not.

It's an environment in which the balance of effective communication shifts from being less about interruption to more about participation, less about delivering a message to more about being part of a conversation, less about what you say to people and more about what people are saying about you.

It's an environment, which operates to social principles - creating not subtracting value, serving a larger purpose than your own, being useful, facilitating.

It's an environment in which the more human elements matter - having a point of view, being true to yourself and what you say, being open, honest, transparent. Ford use social media to (in the words of Scott Monty) "humanize the Ford brand and put consumers in touch with Ford employees", and regularly reach out to bloggers for feedback and to encourage the spread of positive word of mouth.

Zappos believe that their "culture is their brand" and use social media to create touch points throughout every area of their business and ensure customer service isn't just a department, it’s the entire company. Authenticity is the currency that encourages trust, involvement, and engagement. Authenticity is what turns an audience into a following.

Developing A Strategy For Real Estate Mobile Marketing

Realtors are constantly seeking new ways to control business costs, in a slow market. Placing print advertisements, and printing up fliers to leave at listings, may eat a sizable portion of a realtor's budget. Fortunately, real estate mobile marketing, as part of an overall digital strategy, provides a no-paper, low-cost avenue for reaching potential clients. This type of marketing also helps realtors to be more proactive with advertising, rather than reactive.

Mobile marketing is defined as communicating with customers via a mobile device. This capability appeals to a clientele that is rapidly growing more technologically sophisticated. Realtors who have mobile capability may assist buyers twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. This availability gives the realtor a competitive advantage, in the recruitment and retention of clients.

Realtors are set back in a reactive position with print ads, and even with websites. In both cases, realtors have to wait for clients to contact them about the property. Even fliers will never be picked up unless a client actually sets up a property showing. Ideally, realtors should be able to proactively market their listings to potential clients. Mobile capability will give realtors a platform in which to be more assertive, while, at the same time, saving money.

Digital advertising may be realized in a number of ways. When realtors list a new property, for instance, they may choose to send the information to clients, using text messaging. Or, when an open house is about to begin, realtors could sent a text message to interested clients in their database.

Realtors should also take advantage of SMS. For instance, realtors could establish a service, in which clients could text a keyword to a specific number, and then receive property listing information, right on their smart phone. SMS would replace the hassle of printing and carrying fliers to every property site, producing a savings of both time and money, while still delivering a valuable service.

Advertising is only one aspect of an overall digital strategy. Many clients use their phones to look at property information online. For this reason, realtors should ensure that their websites are easily navigated with a smart phone, and that they do not publish too much Flash content. Additionally, good visuals on a website are important, and realtors may even consider adding a video element to their pages.

Of course, there are even less expensive alternatives for digital strategy. One idea is for realtors to list homes on real estate websites, like Zillow or Trulia. Both of these websites feature high-quality mobile applications, and are rich in visual features. Another idea is for realtors to use social media to communicate with their client base.

Real estate mobile marketing gives realtors new, fresh ways to reach out to potential clients. Web and phone-based services offer convenience to clients, at a low cost to realtors, thus helping them to recruit and retain more prospective buyers. Utilizing all of the capabilities of computers and smart phones allows realtors to match their services to the technological savvy of their client base.

How to Handle a Large Volume of Customer Inquiries and Sales with Style and Ease

The telephone is not just another household device. Today, most of the businesses around the globe have at least one phone within reach to handle a multitude of purposes. From simple customer inquiries to order taking and processing, businesses give their phone numbers to their customers to provide them with ease of access to their needs whenever possible. This is to allow consumers or clients to be given a sense of relief in contacting the company if they needed something. Customers no longer have to drive all the way to the establishment or even purchase airline tickets (for some) just to talk to a representative.

The telephone is there to give convenience to the business' consumers and clientèle. But how about if we look at it in the business' end?

Everyone knows that when the phone rings, chances are a person will answer it most of the time if the telephone is within reach. Simply put, if the device is allowed to ring for long people will get annoyed by the constant ringing and answer the call anyway. Again, when the device rings someone has to answer to cater to the needs of the customer or the prospect. For the representative, they have to stop all their tasks just to cater to one client.

A business works like a clock; if one cog will not function right then the entire timepiece will not work at all. Therefore, if one employee stops working just to cater to one client or prospect then the whole business itself might as well stop for that moment.

But what if there are a lot of customers calling at the same time?

Here lies the problem and challenge for many. To better resolve all known issues with regards to catering the needs of clients and customers over the phone, businesses may as well outsource to professional contact centers.

The services of contact center are always available whenever the need arises. Their aid is highly appropriate for those that cater to a large volume of calls per day through overflow call solutions. SMEs and even large business corporations would do well in acquiring these services.

For one thing, they no longer have to deal with the large volume of calls everyday while still being able to manage handling all the needs of the business' soon-to-be and existing purchasers. Calls can be redirected to a number of agents working in the contact center or inbound call center so that the client will not be placed on queue for a very long time.

These professionals are trained to help customers in their time of need for as long as their need is related to the business and nothing else. Inbound call centers make sure that their live operators treat each and every customer that call with due respect no matter how rude or how skeptic the purchaser may seem.

If the caller is a potential buyer, then the live operator can deal with the sale accordingly to the processes of the business. If the caller is already an existing customer, the live operator will then cater to his or her needs with utmost professionalism.

To outsource to these inbound call centers means the acquisition of a service that is trustworthy and fruitful for the business' end.

How To Make Your Online Business Progressive

This article is all about internet marketing, using the power of internet, a business owner can gain profits and be ahead of the competitors. Internet marketing is used to increase income and promote your own product in different sites. Internet marketing involves selling your product through email messages, as long as you have your own computer with an internet connection you can start working on your business. Negotiating with different clients via email is much easier, faster and hassle free. As an internet marketer, you must know on how to convince those who visited your website and your target audience. Show the advantages of the product, encourage the viewers to try on the product and tell them why they need it.

Internet marketing helps in increasing your sales, this is considered as the best strategy in order to make your product popular. Online marketer helps in increasing your sales, instead of hiring an advertising company which charges way too high prices for ads, lame commercials and billboards why not hire an online marketer? You’ll save more cash and the results are faster, expect to have increase of sales within a shorter span of time.

There are people who are expert in this field, they do know that taking your business online is not enough. The main goal of putting your business on the internet is to make it global, reach more people and make money online. You will need an online marketer who will make things easier for you. They provide virtual office, complete with the tools, training, technical support and other resources that your business needs. There are also mentors who will guide you in your business, these people are professional, backed up with vast knowledge and have a wide experience when it comes to business. Taking advises from these mentors is the key to become successful.

There are companies that help those who are in need of online marketers. A potential client must be referred, this is limited for qualified applicants only. Those who have potential are accepted. Not everyone can be accepted because the company wants to protect their integrity.

If you have an online business and you are selling a product or service, you must keep in touch with your visitors. Online marketers helps in communicating with your visitors by sending letters, emails regarding the benefits of the product and why they must acquire the product. Without follow – up, your business might be forgotten by the visitors, which only means you lose a client. As the owner you are too busy to handle all of these. Outsourcing will make things easier, let online marketers take some weight off your shoulders. All you have to do is count your profits and watch the sky rocketing sales of your product. Now that’s a way to have a successful online business

Welcome to an Open House!

Article Summary: Have you ever been to an open house? Do you even have the slightest clue regarding the events happening there? Do you know who is invited and who is not? Do you know if you are allowed to participate?

Have you ever been to an open house? Do you even have the slightest clue regarding the events happening there? Do you know who is invited and who is not? Do you know if you are allowed to participate? Will you be needing any special invitations? Will you have to go together with your Edmonton real estate agent? Will you have to pay a certain fee? Can you buy a home you like on the spot?



These are all questions you might be asking yourself, provided you have never actually been to an open house before, or you haven't really paid any attention to the matter to begin with. It doesn't really matter how come you do not know a lot about open houses - you can always teach an old dog new tricks, and you can always boost your knowledge, as long as you want to. So if you are reading this article, you are probably on your way of finding those extra pieces to connect the dots in your head. Kudos for you! In order to make things easier and more engaging, here are some essentials you need to know in regards to any open house - be it a condo or a townhouse or an expensive residential property.



First of all, an open house is completely free, it does not require any fees or taxes and you can attend an open house even though you might have already contracted the services of an Edmonton realtor you can find at Remax Edmonton, for instance. Moreover, it is quite advisable to use the minimum of your spare time and go check out a couple of places your Edmonton real estate agent has in mind for you, just to make sure he is walking on the right path and that he is following your instructions.



Moreover, what is only a simple Edmonton real estate property for a Remax realtor can become your dream-home, so actually visiting a house, inspecting it on your own, seeing or picturing yourself in it during Christmas are all actions you might want to consider whenever you are thinking about completely rejecting the thought of an open house again.



The truth is there is so much real estate in Edmonton that you might be fearing not to leave some truly gorgeous properties unattended or unvisited; so you might hence decide not to attend any open houses. But you are the one who is very likely to be losing a great deal out of your decision. They say everything happens for a reason; and maybe going to an open house next Sunday has the potential of transforming into one of the best decisions you have ever took in your life. High quality Edmonton real estate properties are literary everywhere, and you might be deliberately choosing to kick off your dream-home because you are too lazy to get up one fine Sunday morning and go house-hunting, even if it is your spouse or your Edmonton real estate agent who is accompanying you.



There are tons of Edmonton Remax properties and listings you can first check out online, learn all about their opening house hours and days, see some photos first, learn all the essential details of a house and ultimately decide whether you might be interested in going after all. The pricing details also need to be pondering a great deal on your decision-making process, this is why you also need to inquire all about this aspect before actually attending an open house in the Edmonton real estate area. There is no point into losing a great deal of your spare weekend time to attend an open house and see a property, a house or a condo you are not genuinely interested in, or one you definitely cannot afford.



This is why Remax Edmonton agents can prove to be some of the top choices you could be making in regards to the advice you need, and also in regards to the most convenient homes you should be focusing your attention on. They have probably been living in the Edmotnon real estate area for all of their life, they are professionals listed at The Canadian Real Estate Association, and thus they definitely know their way around the area.



An open house ultimately means visiting as home you are interested in buying, check all the rooms on your own and decide if the amenities and the finished there interest you, or if you are better off moving forward.

How the Internet is Introducing New Low Cost Accountants

Article Summary: Small business owners usually don't have the necessary resources to outsource payroll and bookkeeping, as much of the finance is invested back into the business, especially in the early days. Outsourcing to an accountant has traditionally been viewed as an expensive option, consuming far too much time and money to make them a solid investment.

Small business owners usually don't have the necessary resources to outsource payroll and bookkeeping, as much of the finance is invested back into the business, especially in the early days. Outsourcing to an accountant has traditionally been viewed as an expensive option, consuming far too much time and money to make them a solid investment. However, a good accountant can make the difference between success and failure for your business. As people have become increasingly reliant on the Internet, for all manner of services, accountants have also joined the online world, introducing low cost accountants.



The Internet has advanced in the last decade, with companies having to work much harder to earn credibility amongst the competition, but it has also made it possible for legitimate service providers to cut costs, like the low cost accountants. Previously, if a business owner decided to employ an accountant, it would involve several trips to the accountant to deliver documentation or hold meetings. Frequently, a full day would be required to make the journey, discuss the company affairs and travel back home without really gaining much information. Today, the information that is required can be delivered by email at any time that is convenient. The accountants and business owners benefit from the time savings, which effectively is income.



With a more traditional accountant, documents had to be hand delivered or sent through the mail which put important documentation at risk of loss. The costs for special delivery or courier service are extremely high, and still with an element of risk. The Internet has made it possible for low cost accountants to accept documents online, via email. This is especially important from a data security point of view. The Internet makes it possible for instant delivery of paperwork, with virtually no risk of loss. The storage costs associated with bookkeeping are radically diminished, with all documentation being stored online.



The world of online low cost accountants is extremely competitive, which means that a reputable accountant has to work hard to prove their credibility. When asking for an online accountancy quotation, this also presents a chance to enquire about relevant credentials. The Internet gives you access to the website of the low cost accountants, which should have most of the information available. A good accountant will provide several methods of communication, like post, telephone or email. Very often, there will be someone available through ‘live chat'.



As the fast pace of life increases, small business owners don't have to time to spend with their accountants, discussing their affairs which could place their business in jeopardy over a period of time. Thanks to the Internet, information and documents can be sent via email to your accountant, with discussions taking place at a time that is convenient by phone or email. The relevant filing deadlines won't be missed as a result of postal delays, with information being accurate and up to date, in compliance with HM Revenue & Customs. The Internet allows a low cost accountants to provide an excellent service, minimising your tax bill legitimately, allowing you to build your business.

Local or National Accountants, Does it Matter?

Article Summary: Prior to the days of the Internet, a small business owner would usually be restricted to choosing a locally based accountants to deal with their business administration. However, since the Internet has made it easier to gain access to a multitude of services and products, a business can outsource bookkeeping duties to a national accountants, anywhere in the country.

Prior to the days of the Internet, a small business owner would usually be restricted to choosing a locally based accountants to deal with their business administration. However, since the Internet has made it easier to gain access to a multitude of services and products, a business can outsource bookkeeping duties to a national accountants, anywhere in the country. With the importance of location out of the equation, the other factors to consider are whether the online national accountants is qualified to deal with your business, the cost and access details.



A locally based accountancy would have been preferable to a national accountants before the Internet, as frequent trips would have to be made to hold meetings, deliver documentation and other aspects. An accountancy firm which was based locally would keep travelling and communication times and costs to a minimum. Sending information by post was previously the most convenient method to communicate, even with a local accountants. However, if any queries arose, or further information was required, the telephone was often the only method of communication left open to both parties, which isn't always convenient and can be expensive.



As a large number of people now deal with all aspects of their life online, it makes sense for a business to do the same. Online accountancy is low cost, speedy and convenient and also allows you to select an accountancy from anywhere in the country. A national accountants will offer the same service as a locally based accountants, but will provide increased accuracy using real time information, and convenience. The costs will be kept low as the national accountants maximise the efficiency of online accounting to reduce overheads, passing the savings on to the client.



When a business owner is deciding which accountant will be beneficial to the company, it is imperative that they decide whether face to face contact is important to them. A large number of business owners are happy to submit documentation and provide information, leaving their accountant to deal with HM Revenue & Customs. Some business owners would rather meet occasionally to discuss their business, which would probably mean a locally based accountants for convenience.



HMRC has been gradually introducing online submission of documents for small business owners, limited companies, employers and individuals. Filing a self-assessment tax return online isn't yet compulsory, but provides a later deadline of 31st January, is quick and guaranteed to be received by HMRC.



Deciding on a national accountants gives greater choice than being restricted to a locally based accountancy. The size of the accountancy should also be considered, as a business needs attention all year round, especially when staying within relevant filing deadlines. A small, locally based accountants may provide an excellent service, but what happens if they are taking annual leave or are sick? Choosing a national accountancy will provide freedom to choose a company with several accountants who are able to deal with a business. An online accountancy provides freedom of choice so that a business owner will be able to manage his business, knowing that administration is dealt with in a timely manner, wherever they are situated in the country.