Friday, 24 April 2015

4 Great Ways to Make Your Listings Count



1.       THINK LIKE A COPYWRITER
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Well, needless to say, this picture was intended with a healthy amount of pun. The important message that stands out from this picture is the glaring fact of how important it is to stay original. It’s a difficult world to stay original in, given the competition around us. However, for some, being creative in their presentation has got them the leads they were looking for. Having said that, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to read a few pages from a copywriter’s book. The reason why copywriters are successful and of course, we are talking about the successful ones, is simple. They put themselves in the shoes of the buyer and position their product according to how they would think a buyer would look at their product.
A copywriter understands that the audience he is selling his product have too many choices to deal with and will most likely opt for something which their eye isn’t used to seeing. Cut the buyer some slack! He has the responsibility to go through hundreds and thousands of advertisements before finally choosing the one to his liking. When you are putting out an advertisement, there are some basic questions you should ask yourself, not as a seller but as a buyer. They should be something on the tone of:
·         What is so special about your ad that the buyer looks at it first?
·         Is the offer communicated attractively enough?
·         What are you offering that others are not?
Before you put your ad out there for everyone to see, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to first run it by some friends or relatives or people who could judge the ad fairly, assuming the role of potential buyers. This could give you a fair idea of where you might be going wrong and at the same bring valuable suggestions to make your ad look more appealing. This simple principle is followed by huge organizations too, with the simple logic of doing a test run of their product to gauge buyer response.
Asking yourself the right questions is also equally important and getting your property sold would a piece of cake, if you have taken the correct measures. This applies to listing agents, property developers, fix and flippers and owners looking to sell their property.
One important statistic to remember while posting your listings would be that 90% of the buyers are looking online and 52% of the first time buyers are also doing the same. This implies the importance of an online presence that one needs to have, while trying to sell a house. The next important step in posting an ad is to remember that the wording that you use for your ad matters. Long, lengthy explanations about your offers is not going to make the buyer visit your ad, he is more inclined to read the first line of your ad and slowly find himself gazing into empty space. Buyers don’t want full details on their ads, they can pick up the phone or meet you in person to get the details, to be able to get them to do that, it is almost imperative that you make the ad as short and crisp as possible. It could be two sentences long, but the wording should imply neither over-selling nor under-selling. It is an art and like any worthy art, it deserves a certain amount of finesse.


2. HEADLINES MATTER:
Now, isn’t this a headline you would read? Unfortunately, the real estate industry doesn’t give us the license to explore the whacky side of the news, being a serious means of business for many, but this picture does create an important message which is: CREATE SOMETHING THAT THE BUYER WILL BE FORCED TO LOOK AT. Create a headline for your listing that goes beyond the known boundaries of advertising. Sometimes, experimenting, obviously with a certain amount of caution, is not a bad idea. Whatever is needed to catch the attention of the buyer is considered valid. However, one should be ethical in their approach while doing so and not present information which could be inaccurate. This might seem like an easy and convenient way of luring customers to your advertising, but in a larger sense, all it does is hurt your credibility.
When you are selling to a buyer, it is important you think like a buyer. You need to communicate in a language which is easy to understand for the buyer. For example, instead of describing just the structure of the house or how many bedrooms it has, you could spend time on your ad describing how homely the house is, how the house will suit large families, the amenities that come with the house, the neighborhood and so on. The headlines should be a one-liner leading to an apt description on the house. It is also important to be sensitive to the buyer’s needs. One knows how huge a step it was for us while buying a house and there is no reason why we shouldn’t show the same amount of compassion, when it comes to someone else buying a house. Creating an emotional connect with your potential buyer will always have a larger positive impact on the buyer.
Let us look at some examples of the headlines that could attract more people to your advertisement.
1)      “If you are not willing to risk the usual, you will have to settle for the ordinary”.
This headline carries with it, a certain amount of obscurity and could be intriguing to the buyer, as it brings with it, a certain amount of class, this headline almost sets it apart from the rest, as there is a slight tinge of sarcasm coupled with an exciting mysteriousness that brings out the curiosity in you. It is also not a typical seller’s headline which could automatically be perceived as something “different”. 

2)      “A house that appears in every woman’s dream”
There is a huge possibility that if one is married, the woman is most likely to make the final decision when it comes to the house and as it should be, the woman is known to have more aesthetic sense than a man. Creating a headline like this one would naturally appeal to the woman, as she is always the half that is more concerned with how the house should look from the inside as well as the outside. With this headline, you are creating a personal connect with women. It is almost like you are speaking to each woman individually and there is a higher chance she will visit your advertisement.
3)      “A man is judged not just by the company he keeps, but also by the house he lives in”
This is an important message as it essentially implies the importance one places on their position in society; everyone wants to be accepted in society and makes an effort to establish a certain social status within their community. A house is an important aspect of one’s personality and speaks volumes of one’s desire to live well. This particular headline covers both aspects of his existence and implies a certain amount of confidence in his way of living.

These are just some examples which one could think of, while choosing their respective headlines. Headlines are an important aspect of one’s advertisement and should be depicted in the most appropriate manner possible.



DESCRIPTIONS MATTER:
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Now that we laid down the importance of catchy headlines, it is equally important to consider having a good description behind the headline. You might have a good headline which could make the buyer click on your ad, but if your description borders on being uninteresting, he may be quick to lose interest. Statistics reveal that almost 78% of buyers prefer getting to know the company through the content rather than just advertisements. This proves that the content that you place along with your advertisement is equally important.
If you are honest and sincere about your descriptions, buyers or leads will appreciate that and almost 58% people trust informative content from a website. This essentially means that they value your sincerity and would be inclined to buy your house, if they are fully aware of the information you have managed to provide to them through your apt description. The way you define your content also shows the level of expertise you have, which could automatically establish your credibility without you having to work towards it. Descriptions carry weight and in this case, it is always better to be on the heavier side!
It is important that you don’t resort to the use of too many abbreviations as this could put off the buyer. He doesn’t want to waste his time, deciphering the cryptic language you have decided to use, instead of using simple attractive English words. The language English flows almost as smoothly as the sea right after a storm, and using the correct English words in the right places, has the potential to create that storm. There are too many abbreviations that exist in the modern concept of English as well as the commercial aspect of it. Instead of trying to make your work easier, it is always more advisable to completely avoid the use of abbreviations so as to make your message simpler to the buyer.
A description is always meant to be long and filled with enough information so as to build confidence in the minds of the buyer. He has one source of information and wants to know everything he can, through the one source. The information displayed should be easy to understand, in simple language, should entail everything about the house and provide additional information, in case anyone would like to read that too.  We need to understand that this is a huge decision in one’s life and one should exercise full transparency while describing the property in discussion. Words have an excellent way of forming pictures in one’s head and the right kind of words used would create the right kind of picture. If a buyer visits your house with a certain picture in his head, that you have created and finds the house belonging to the same fantasy, he is already sold within the first few seconds of entering the house.
·         Just talking about the year 2015, the number of homes sales processed by the MLS systems of Canadian Real Estate Boards and Associations rose by almost 4.1 per cent in March as compared to February.
·         The national average price rose by almost 9.4% on a year-on-year basis in March, this is in exclusion of Greater Vancouver and Toronto, which increased by 2.4%.
·         The number of newly listed homes rose 1.8 per cent in March as compared to February.
·         The national sales-to-new listings ratio was 53.9 per cent in March, up from 52.7 per cent in February and 50.4 per cent in January.
·         It is important to note that a sale-to new listings ratio between 40 to 60 per cent is considered consistent with balanced housing market conditions, with readings above or below this range depicting the buyers or the sellers markets respectively.

4. PHOTOS
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This is perhaps one of the most important points to consider while presenting an advertisement. It is a well known fact that pictures speak a thousand words which is why it becomes all the more important to ensure that your feature image is enticing enough. While doing so, you shouldn’t add graphics to it as it reduces the quality of your photo. That will give a wrong impression to the buyer of being unprofessional or a novice.
Professional photography not only enhances the quality of your photographs but also gives the impression that you believe in the best quality possible. This creates a certain amount of confidence in the buyer, when he comes across your advertisement. This holds true for both existing as well as potential clients. When potential clients see how well you market your product to your existing clients, ensuring brand loyalty, they automatically become your next clients.
Generating business is always a two way street. Always remember that if you are generating business for a photographer, he is always bound to return the favor and will most likely be a good influencer within the buyer circle.


It is important that you make the right choice while buying a house and you can call on this no in order to look at the most valuable propositions at an affordable enough price. 

Sunday, 22 February 2015

What are Promoted Tweets and How Do They Work

What are Promoted Tweets and how do They Work

Promoted Tweets will be tweets that are advertisements. They appear at the highest point of searches on related themes, at the highest point in a client's course of events when the client takes over the record and, soon, all over the place. These Tweets help increase your Tweets to a more extensive group of onlookers to drive more engagement with your knowledge text. Promoted tweets are essentially that — tweets, advanced by a brand on Twitter.

The contrast between a normal tweet and a promoted tweet is the capacity to resound with Twitter clients. If a brand conveys a promoted tweet and it is not imparted naturally, Twitter will cease the utilization of the promoted tweet.

Working

·         To make a Promoted Tweet, begin by composing a convincing piece of data, for example, the declaration of a forthcoming item release, an event or a sale you're facilitating. Incorporate a video or image to drive higher engagement.

·         Once you make Promoted Tweet, utilize focusing on alternatives to associate with the right viewers.

·         After you dispatch your Tweet Engagements crusade, your Promoted Tweet will show up in the timeline of home of the clients you've focused.

Promoted tweets could have the capability of influencing Twitter's message to people in general. These tweets can possibly develop the income of your business as far as deals, yet there are negative perspectives to the administration. The Pros of promoting tweets are:

·         Increased sales: This ought to come as a given when utilizing promoted tweets. The Google model would say that when utilizing a promotion medium through pursuit, your deals will increment. Brands straightforwardly impact indexed lists through Twitter, which can (if done effectively) expand income.

·         Increased engagement: Promoted tweets can and will expand client's engagement with a brand's text/content that is imparted through Twitter. If your objective is to drive clients to your Web website, these tweets ought to be utilized to pick up clicks by clients who may not be taking over your image however who are looking for it.

The negative implications of this device are simpler to concoct over the long haul:
·         Annoying individuals: Users began without promoting. We appreciate utilizing Twitter (and online networking) on the grounds that it is our knowledge, data and our capacity to impart data. At the point when an administration presents content that we didn't offer consent to impart, it could be disastrous. If you are in a discussion and are inconsiderately hindered by a person who did not ask to be included, it is irritating.
·         Accustomed to ad campaigns: The Google model has met expectations, yet it has additionally made clients familiar with the commercial stages that impart supported content in view of searches. The same idea is connected to TV promoting: When you see excessively about something, you get to be usual to that publicizing medium.
·         Third-party applications: Millions of Twitter clients get to the stage utilizing outsider applications like Tweetdeck and Hoot Suite. Twitter will have some major snags measuring the viability of the promoted tweets when outsider applications are shut systems.

The accomplishment of the promoted tweets stage will completely rely on upon how Twitter chooses to execute the promotions into client's courses of events.


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Selling Your Business on CrunchBase

Selling your business on CrunchBase
CrunchBase is a world-wide platform that maintains an extensive database of all startup activities. It can be accessed by anyone from anywhere. Having more than 600k profiles of people and companies at present, it is a great site for businesses and consumers to find all details about a company at one place and also connect with each other.
A company profile page is divided into various sections containing basic details about the company, employees, office locations, tweets, competitors, investors, news, images, videos, etc. Anybody having a CrunchBase profile can create or edit a profile. People updating the profiles are contributors and a link to their profiles is also provided on the page.
CrunchBase is an information hub that can be a great medium for start-ups that are looking for promoting their business. Below are some of the ways in which you can effectively sell your business on CrunchBase:
Logo and description
When creating a profile on CrunchBase, the first and foremost thing would be to mention basic details like name of the organization, its location, year of founding, website etc. The logo of a company is an integral part for its marketing as it is a mark of identification. Have a meaningful logo designed and update that on the top most section of your CrunchBase profile.
Also, make sure you write a very good description paragraph that is crisp, clear and precise. This is the first thing most people read when they come across your profile.
Provide core members’ details
Details about the founder and other core members of the company should be mentioned along with their profile links and contact information. This would make it easier for other businesses and consumers to connect with you.
Links to your social networking pages  
As a startup company you might have created your company pages on various social networking platforms like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Make sure you provide those links in your CrunchBase profile for people to know more about your company.
Use images and videos
CrunchBase has a section for updating pictures and videos. Most people tend to be more attentive to images that are graphically attractive and videos that are visually appealing. The images and videos you upload must be relevant and informative.
Mention investors and competitors
It is a good idea to provide details of people and organizations that have invested in your company. Other companies that may have a similar kind of business might be your competitors and you must list out at least a few of them to ensure that your profile gets more visibility.
Regular updates
 If you are a contributor to a company profile make sure you keep updating all the ongoing activities of the company from time to time. You may make use of the news and events section to share any piece of news about the company. Updating events is also a good way to get noticed and generate interest thus attracting potential clients.
In addition to the above mentioned points you must bear in mind that apart from timely updating and providing the most accurate information about your company, it is important to add content that would be useful to others and pull in more prospects for your business.
                                   



Anatomy of a CrunchBase Profile: Business Perspective

Anatomy of a CrunchBase Profile: Business Perspective
CrunchBase is a global platform that maintains an extensive database of all startup activities and can be accessed by anyone. It has more than 600k profiles of people and companies and anyone having a profile on the site can create and edit other profiles. For a business, having a consistent CrunchBase public profile would be of great help as all their activities and linkages can be found at one place and they can easily connect with whoever or whatever it is that they want.
A typical business profile has all the details and activities of the companies mentioned on its page in various sections. There is a follow option for every company page and a drop down menu at the top left that lists the sections in the profile.
Top of page
The top most section of a business profile may consist of the name of the company with its logo followed by information about acquisitions, funding received, headquarters, description, founders, categories, website, etc.  
This section also has links to the company profiles on social networking sites like facebook, twitter and linkedin followed by the links to the profiles of the contributors to the page.
Details
The next section has information regarding the date of founding, previous names, contact information and number of employees.  This is followed by a brief description about the company, its core business and main activities.
Current team 
This area mentions the names of the important employees of the organization along with details about their position and their association with the company. You can visit any of their profiles if you wish to connect with them.
Tweets
The twitter updates by the company are found in this section. Twitter is an important platform to connect with consumers and other businesses and a lot of companies keep up with this trend of tweeting regularly.
Office locations
Office addresses are mentioned in this section. A company having multiple offices would have all the addresses listed in this section that would include the headquarters or head office, regional offices and other branch offices.
Competitors
The companies that are into similar or the same kind of business are the major competitors for any company. The competitors of the company are mentioned and links to their profiles are provided in this section.
News
This section is constantly updated with the latest news about the company. It contains links to articles published by news websites.
Images
The contributors to the profile may update pictures relevant to the company. This could be regarding the product, services or any latest initiatives and activities of the company.
Videos
This section may contain videos that promote or talk about a company’s products or services. Informative videos have more impact than written materials as it provides a better understanding with the help of audio visual medium.
Apart from these, some company profiles also have other sections about investors, past employees, company events, etc. There is an add option on the top right of the profile which can be used to add sections. Also, there is an update option on the right side of each section. The contributors can choose which section they wish to update and show on the company profile page.                                                                  


How to Drive Traffic with a CrunchBase Profile


How to Drive Traffic with a CrunchBase Profile
CrunchBase allow the users so many options to attract the traffic to their profile. It is similar to any other form of online marketing media and has strategies that are capable of making a huge shift from regular search to your profile with the help of tools and tips.
Redirecting the interested crowd to the right profile
CrunchBase has close to 5,30,000 profiles and is known to attract millions of users each day. There is huge involvement in the data contribution as well, and thus it means that the site is performing well on its own. The target now is to attract more people to the relevant profiles so that most could be gained from each visit, to do that make use of your other social networking profiles. Yes, why not an advertisement can be used to create another one. The LinkedIn profile for example is a great source to highlight your CrunchBase profile. The Google chrome has suitable setting options that can be used for linking these two profiles that will allow the users to go directly to your profile. The LinkedIn search is made regularly for many business and professionals needs, a simple connect here can provide a lot of updates.
Make use of free medium
There are a lot of sites that allow content based writing. Make use of these mediums and generate informative and unique articles that may highlight your profile and will attract crowd to the desired profile. Make sure that the content is of high quality and also the medium right here. Be highly active on the online media if you are planning to promote your profile. Social media is a great platform here and your active idea generation will prove to be highly useful in long run. Your active comments and insights will attract attention to your profile and if they are valuable comments, you are generating the following without much effort. The comments however, should be useful and not controversial as it may lead to a negative impact.
You may also here create a back link for your profile. If you are serious then there are a lot of companies that can help you with the process. This however, will cost you but not much compared to what benefits it will provide. The charges are reasonable and the expert advice may help you generate more opportunities.
Blogging is a highly popular tool in the same category. If you have fan following for your blog, you are truly there. Blogger generally attract a lot of common interest followers and they are also allowed a platform to advertise their knowledge. If you have a thing for writing, start now and make use of the tool to help people find way to your CrunchBase easily.

The whole online marketing and database is interlinked. The ease of locating one WebPages wins the race. You may have been a long existing profile on a highly popular web page or database, but you have to play your part to create awareness. 

10 Concrete Reasons Why Brand Should Put up Crunchbase Profile


10 Concrete Reasons Why Brand Should Put up Crunchbase Profile
Crunchbase has emerged as a highly used source of information and there has been long example of people digging out beneficial information from the site. The sole aim is to provide a database where anyone can find relevant information. Thus if you are related to any business then it would be great way to reach the customers, venture capitalists, investors or any such party with the help of an account here. There are many reasons that one can related to and choose to be a part of the database.
1)      Open for all- the most important part of this crowd based database is that it is a common platform, thus a new business, a start up and a long running business all find a space here.
2)      Accessible to all- The open source crowd data base does not have limitations, anyone can use the information provided here and thus it becomes a huge platform to attract new customers or investors.
3)      Updated source- It is on constant surveillance and allow the accounts holder to make changes to their profile easily and timely. Thus anyone who is not a part of the organization can be removed from the profiles and new and updated information can go up within no time.
4)      Authentic- Even though the platform is an open source the information is available on the profile only after through authentication check. Thus, anything that goes live is checked and even then it is allowed to the public. Is provides authenticity and creates trusts in the audience.
5)      Users account- With the help of your users account you have the right to your profile. The common database is there for administrations. Thus the freedom allows you to keep up with the any changes that are needed to the profile. If you are worried about a lack of social control, this one is a gem here.
6)      Secure- Mostly, there are issues related to the ease of making changes, that may be a harm to your content and profile. Again Crunchbase is your database and nothing that is incorrect will go live. The options for an open source is to not curb the freedom and is all set to ensure that it is a blessing and not a boon.
7)      Privacy: The privacy policy is a blessing not only for the users but also for the general public that reaches the site. No personal information is required to browse through the content and thus no privacy issues are breached.
8)      Social connect- Like all other social media, Crunchbase is a necessity. Many of the users relate to the web based database for all the information about the company and its history and thus it should provide the information so as not to loose on them.
9)       Protection- There is no harm from anyone as the Crunchbase does not allow any malicious activity ending in the removal of a profile.
10)   Highlight your activities- The last but not the least features that makes crunchbase a great option for companies is the fact that it allows upcoming events and highlights on the calendar.

If you are there on Facebook, twitter etc. then you must be n crunchbase. 

How Do Promoted Tweets Work


It is a general idea by everyone that a trading topic is something that automatically connects with the audience, but it should not come as a shocker if one finds that the trading topics are as easily advertised as any other thing to increase the re-tweeting options. The strategies that are used are simple that allow any well-equipped user to become the Jackie Chan of updates as far as twitter is concerned.
What are promoted tweets?
Anything that is aimed at connecting with the audience to in order not just to share a view or an experience but by and large create a business platform or larger audience to just for the sake of getting together for a cause or an occurrence may be termed as a promoted tweet. Though, the main idea is any tweet that is promoted by using strategies will result in a promoted tweet but mostly tweets of the prior mentioned strata are generally seen to be the ones that are promoted, hence they are similar and gives a better understanding of the subject.
To top the market know what you are targeting and where are you targeting at?
Targeted tweets allow the users to focus on the audience along with aiming for a huge market. The control is in one’s hand and that should be used to make the most of the opportunity. The main aim is large audience that is understood- but even then focusing on the group that is more likely to connect to the and re-tweet is something one should keep focus on. Thus, limited the audience is not limiting the scope and this should be done with the help of defining interest of the audience.
The main types of targeting are –Keyword targeting where the special keywords that are common to the audience are used which scores with the promotions targets. The other one is the common limitations created for the followers or focused accounts, these are people who have same interest and are likely to become followers if they are not.
The focused audience however, should get the content that is actually relevant, thus design the content with a lot of thought, it should be compelling and should strike a chord with the followers immediately. It could be anything from promotions to any action but make sure that it catches the eye.
The most important part of the promotion technique, it is said earlier that the followers should be focused but that not mean that you go ahead and limit the audience. The idea is to connect with the interested one, thus make sure that you are able to realise that your followers are the actual interested parties, if not and there could be possible other users then uncheck the box that asks for either target the tweet to your followers or limit users. This will allow a larger audience that can follow the tweet. You may also not limit your update to one tweet; float more tweets about the same thing to allow more people to connect to any one of them which they like.
You get a chance to even evaluate the results which shows how successful the whole idea has been for the update.