This kind of advertising strategy is fairly low key, but nevertheless, given The Sims Social’s enormous popularity among US Facebook users, it should help the firm to attain widespread visibility across a wide audience.

During the game, players get to ‘earn’ virtual currency by decorating their virtual homes with a Century 21-branded fireplace. The end result is that gamers are exposed to Century 21’s brand, and in return they get their hands on extra funds to help them enjoy the game just a little bit more.

It’s a pretty clever move considering that many gamers might just be secretly modeling their ‘virtual homes’ along the lines of their own dream home. By associating the Century 21 brand with these thoughts, it could well drum up quite a bit of business for the firm.

Bev Thorne, Century 21’s chief marketing officer echoed these thoughts in an interview, saying:

“We think this is just a great opportunity to integrate with the holidays and provide those target customers with a touchpoint…  with an opportunity within the home setting for buyers and even sellers to see the Century 21 brand during the holidays.”

“We see this as a creative opportunity to deliver the dream of home ownership to millions who are intent on investing in real estate virtually, and eventually, in reality.”

Century 21 said that its advertising campaign will last for about three weeks, from December 20 until January 9.

The realty firm has tried the strategy before, reaping significant benefits from a previous advertising campaign on the SimCity Social game, which is largely played by those in the 25-year old to 34-year old demographic. During the course of this campaign, Century 21 saw a 225% increase in the number of “likes” on its Facebook page.

SimCity Social is an even more real estate-oriented game than The Sims Social, allowing users to build up a virtual real estate portfolio whilst interacting with their Facebook friends. One of the available buildings was a Century 21 real estate office, which players could build to earn more virtual currency.

Images via www.Century 21.com

Is there only one, or more than one solution?

This latest news from Market Leader speaks of linking Internet Data Exchange (IDX) feeds that list some 1.6 million properties with selected agents within the company’s matrix (network) to take advantage of exclusive leads and customer relationship features. At least this is the report from Inman News we read. That article goes on to reflect however, a much bigger story, one of territorial end-fighting and splitting of hairs even.

The company that bought RealEstate.com versus the other side of the Internet sales aisle, and all those accustomed to MLS listings and the current online listing model on the other. At issue is basically the what the National Association of Realtors allows as far as these feeds are concerned. RealEstate.com basically forces the issue of “how” IDX listings get listed, with ads or without, with lead generation forms or without, and so on. More critically though, the fact that brokers cannot “opt out” of being listed on RealEstate.com as is the case with Trulia and Zillow, this is the real rub.

To break this all down, an agency that has listings in a particular MLS, Multiple Listing Service Property Information Network Inc. (MLSPIN) is the Inman use case, is forced to show their listing via RealEstate.com by virtue of being in the MLS basically. In a very real way what Market Leader accomplishes here is a sort of game changing control dynamic, one that actually polarizes the real estate pro market too.

It all boils down to a somewhat controversial bout between real estate franchisers, who won a bid to the NAR to display the IDX listings of affiliated brokerages that was later rescinded when complaints flourished, and brokerages like HomeServices of America Inc.  When all is said and done Market Leader, or any online real estate player, is in the game to push product. In the case of Market Leader, services like their websites for brokers, positioning and feedback from and on key sites like RealEstate.com, PPC campaigns, and other marketing offerings. Ian Morris’s (video above) company has just about every end covered when it comes to sales leads.

Whether or not agents, buyers, and sellers find Market Leader’s tactics with favor or not is not at issue for the moment, what seems more important is the pulling at straws that takes place within the industry. A technicality here, an uncrossed “t” there, when the housing market is still suffering its most crippling blow ever. One has to marvel at the big game being played for position. But then, that’s what business is about, right? One thing you have to give Market Leader a lot of credit for is bringing RealEstate.com down to the local level. Not many big time players have done this well.

More on real visibility as the story grows. Oh, and Market Leader, if you really want more solutions for leads… mail me.

RealEstate.com Atlanta site – Market Leader has done this right

Oh. One hint too, don’t profess Pinterest, G+, Twitter, Facebook or any expertise you are not entrenched in. Now Inman News? They have Pinterest down.

• Is each listing in the first ten results about you?
• Do the listings about you have any negative information such as bad ratings or reviews?
• Do the listings about you have your contact information such as a phone number, email address, or website?
• Do image or video results that come up for your name actually show you?

If every listing on the first page of search results for your name is about you, has no negative information, and has your contact information so people can get ahold of you immediately after looking at that webpage, then you’re in top shape as far as your online branding goes. If not, here are some ways you can ensure that anyone who searches you finds only the most relevant and positive information about you and you alone.

Online visibility is essential for your success © Nmedia - Fotolia.com

Create Strong Online Properties for Your Personal Brand

The first step towards controlling your online reputation is creating strong online properties for your personal brand. These should include any (and all) of the following.

• Your Own Website Domain – If possible, secure your name as a domain. Your top choice should be yourname.com, but if that isn’t available, try to find good alternatives such as firstname-lastname.com, yournamerealty.com, or similar. Then create a simple website or blog using a CMS system like WordPress. WordPress, according to Matt Cutts, the most well-known public Google representative, “takes care of 80-90% of (the mechanics of) Search Engine Optimization (SEO).” This means if you want a website to rank well, using this platform is the best way to do so.
• Profiles on the Top Social & Professional Networks – If you haven’t already, be sure to create profiles on Google Plus, Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Biznik, ActiveRain, Flickr, and YouTube. Make sure to include a good bio on each profile (usually 160 characters or less is good), a standard photo for each profile, and keep them active by regularly adding content such as updates, images, videos, and so forth.
• Blogs on Popular Hosted Networks – If you’re having issues with reputation management, such as negative listings and reviews, then you will really want to go the extra mile and create as much positive online content about yourself as possible. One way to do so is to publish unique blog content on sites such as WordPress.com, Blogger, Tumblr, and Posterous.

Make your username on each yournameif possible and include your name in the blog title to ensure they will rank well.

Claim Established Listings and Profiles About You

There are a lot of networks and directories that will automatically create profiles for you based on public information. A great example is the way Google Places creates profiles for a business that business owners have to claim in order to edit and add information. If you see profiles or directory listings about you in the first page of search results for your name, find out what it will take to claim them (sometimes they are free, other times there is a fee involved), and if you feel it is worth it, do so and update the information. Be sure to try to get in your phone number, email address, or website on the listing to make it worth it!

Upload Media with Your Name in It

Last but not least, be sure that every time you upload a photo or video of yourself, your name is in both the filename and (if possible) the title of the media. This will help you if search results for your name include image or video results so that searchers will see that you are dominating every aspect of your online presence.

Contributing writer Kristi Hines is an online marketing consultant, freelance writer, blogger, and social media enthusiast.

Fortunately there are a myriad of applications and social media websites to help you put together a strong and effective social media strategy. One of the best things about competition is it inspires innovators to stretch their imaginations and “build a better mouse trap”. Roost is one such company.

Roost homepage

Roost, according to their website, is

“…committed to building the best social marketing platform for individual professionals, businesses, consultants and agencies. Roost builds tools that save its customers time, increase engagement and increase the impact of social campaigns. We strive to answer the question, ‘how do I get the most out of social networks for my business?’”

Some of the amazing features that Roost offers includes:

Users can create a social media campaign using Roost’s “Campaign Creator”. This amazing bit of technology will:

• Offer suggestions for types of blog posts
• Provide a list of relevant links to search through
• Suggest when to post to your blog, Twitter, Facebook, etc.
• Provide marketing templates, to help you create a successful campaign – quickly

Other key features include:

• Dashboard with Facebook and Twitter information in one location
• Quick set-up and weekly maintenance of about 20 easy minutes
• RoostBar, places your brand at the top of any web page links you share, and also allows people to “like” your Facebook

How to use for your business

Promote your business and that of others by keeping in touch with former employees, employers and business contacts. As you and others in your “circle” interact with each other, you  have the opportunity to promote each other through the sharing of links and content, boosting business for each of you. Some individuals you may wish to add to your circle include appraisers, surveyors, mortgage brokers, contractors, etc. As you boost each other’s businesses, each of you have the opportunity to expand your influence exponentially. When you share links from your circle with your followers, and they do likewise, the word will spread further about the services you have to offer.

Knowledge you can use

Any social media pro will tell you that it’s important to know how well your efforts are paying off. This knowledge will help you see what is working, and what is not, helping you improve your efficiency and respond to your audience more quickly.

Roost offers an “Engagement Score” which evaluates the effectiveness of your campaign. Every post or tweet receives a rating from 1 to 5, depending upon the number of followers you have and the number of times individuals interact with you through your social media platform. The higher the interaction compared to the audience, the better the score.

It’s also possible to find out how many people interacting with your Facebook page are locals, which in the real estate business can be very useful knowledge to have. Roost will also offer tips on developing your audience, depending upon the way you’ve set up your profile.

According to Roost, their Real Estate Lite package, which is free, offers the ability to:

• Establish a professional presence on Facebook
• Stay top of mind by publishing great content
• Expand your network and get more referral business
• Works well with Roost Campaign Creator
• Up to 4 Listings
• 1 City or Zip Code

For an even more powerful addition to your social media arsenal, their paid version, which at the time of this writing cost $24.90 per month, included:

• All the features of Lite
• MLS Search
• Lead Capture
• Unlimited Listings
• Up to 6 Cities or Zip Codes

As a realtor, you know just how important a social media strategy can be for your business, but if you don’t have a lot of time to spend on your social media campaigns, or simply need a bit of guidance, Roost can be just the tool you’ve been searching for. And with packages that are “Free Now, Free Forever” the incentive to give it a try has never been better!

Job One – Have your OWN Website

This seems like a no-brainer, but keep in mind that a website should be showcasing you individually and should point to a unique URL. A profile about you on a social networking site alone, like Linkedin, does not count. If you are an agent working under a broker who insists on only using their website, be sure that you have a page that is at least dedicated exclusively to you that is simple enough for clients to remember. If you’re a broker, keep in mind that success of your agents can be enhanced when people have clear access to them.  The bottom line is to make sure people can learn about you.

Recommendations:  For DIY types, I recommend Weebly, SquareSpace, WordPress, or even 1&1. For Brokers looking to have agents all under one domain, check out Agent.Point2 as well, and always consider custom web design at the high end of the spectrum.

SQUARESPACE helps professionals build stunning sites

Jon Two – Improve Your Website

Having a site alone and calling it a day just isn’t enough. Remember, your website is your business card, resume, and billboard. As a business card, it must have your general contact information: Name, Contact Information, Location, Phone Number, Photos etc. There should be a way to reach you, but having a built in form is also a good way to capture incoming interest. Also, to get a better sense of design, use this method from web usability experts. Ask your friends, family, and colleagues to offer a critical examination and to be sincerely honest with the presentation of your site.

Keep in mind they may try to spare your feelings, that is why you should check their facial reactions for the first 15-30 seconds as a test. You can usually tell from their initial reaction what their thoughts are, despite what they might say.

Recommendations: To add forms in order to make it easy for clients to contact you, try going to WidgetBox to get a plug-in solution. If you have the experience, try using Slidedeck as a way to showcase key properties or tell the story about you in an engaging format.

Fitting your digital brand into the matrix

Job Three – Internet Advertising

If you are looking to generate business or buzz about your service, it might be worthwhile to consider paid advertising online. While going into the depths of paid advertising online could serve as a post, or even a book in-itself, there are some key takeaways to consider. Know your audience and demographic. With search engine marketing, you can target not just keywords but also geographic data. Make sure that you only place ads against prospects in your region. Furthermore, monitor your results. If the cost of acquisition is too high, it might be wise to bow out and spend your time on other channels.

Recommendations: Paid advertising is a highly encompassing endeavor and it’s a field of study that requires considerable research in order to get the best results, that being said, if you are still gung-ho on pursuing that avenue cold, try getting a feel for Google Adwords and even your local Yellow Pages online.

Ever Hear of Interactive Online Signage? You Will

Job Four – Free Promotions on Social Media and Video Sites

Everybody loves free. In order to get some free marketing online, here are two things you can do to get seen on search engines and other channels fast. First, be sure to mark your presence on Linkedin, Twitter, Facebook, and other social media sites. Many of these websites will often be the first thing that pops up when people search for you online, many times these pages will be higher up than your own website. Keep these sites pointing to your website and make sure the branding across these sites are the same. Second, it is always good to create a video about yourself on Youtube. The reason why it is on Youtube is that Google likes to include Youtube and other video content into search results. Be sure to disable comments when you post a video, otherwise you may find odd remarks from people whom you may have never ever met.

Recommendations: Make sure your presence on social media sites are consistent with each other and that they point back to your site. Top sites to have a presence on include, Linkedin, Twitter, Facebook, and Youtube.

Free digital latency with your audience

Using these steps, and infusing a bit of yourself into your virtual “online calling card” what you will have in effect is a perpetual commercial introducing you and your talent to the world. In the digital age so many have invested in half measures where websites are concerned, expecting a sort of “magic” to occur, if you will. But just like in the brick and mortar world it takes work and commitment to succeed online. And believe me you must succeed online or else your competition will overshadow you. There is no more important marketing or business tool than a credible online footprint. I hope this has helped.

What separates and defines you? In the digital world everyone has a presence

Credits: Interactive signage image courtesy Northern Computer website.