Approved by the Nevada Real Estate Commission

3 Hours Continuing Education (PD) CE.3706000-RE

Friday, May 7th 9:00 am to 12:00 pm

Mountain View Mortgage Building

(215 – between S. Buffalo and S. Durango – off W. Sunset)
Not on Mapquest -Download a Map when you Register

$30 in advance; $40 at the door

Register online

Instructors: Jan O’Brien 858-9191

Kathryn Bovard 348-7191

Three hour (CE Approved) training seminar covering…

• The anatomy of a blog – understand all the components
• 6 Questions to Consider before Launching a Blog
• Learn the 15 Top Tips for A Successful Blog
• How to generate leads using a blog and other social media
• Learn how to leverage FACEBOOK, TWITTER, and LINKEDIN

Bonus Materials: Receive a copy of:

• Wordpress.com Tutorial ($20 value) A step-by-step guide to launch your blog
• Real Estate Agents Internet Resource Guide ($10 value) A comprehensive guide to online Listing Tools, Blogging and other Web 2.0 services, tools and technologies

Register & reserve your seat online:
http://business-blog-consultant.com/register/

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1. Blogging & Social Networking CE Class in Las Vegas, 2-12-10
2. Blogworld Expo Las Vegas – Best Tips and Strategies (Nov 2007)
3. Facebook Movie Preview – Social Network

Tamar Weinberg of Techipedia compiled an unbelievably comprehensive and well-researched “Best of 2009″ summary of the best blog posts on social media, social networks, reputation management, branding, seo and more. This post is a must bookmark for reference and reading.

Best Internet Marketing Posts of 2009

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1. Social Media Branding Case Study – Why Businesses Must Wake Up and Join the Conversation!
2. Types of Blogs and Blog Posts
3. Top 15 Real Estate Marketing & Industry Blogs

A must read for every business-owner…

11 Mind-Blowing Reasons Your Business Needs Facebook

Excellent blog post by Jay Baer of the Social Media Examiner….350 Million Users and Counting, 100 Million Users, Average Facebook user spends 55 minutes per day.  Read the full post and embrace the power of Facebook to build your online community.

Related posts:

1. Facebook Expected to Reach 500 Million Users in July 2010
2. LinkedIn Surpasses 50 Million Users
3. Benefits and Business Uses of Twitter

Business-owners…Read this post and learn from a major brand’s blunders in the social media world: The Tragic Of Macy’s: Social Media Branding Case Study

Key lessons learned from this case study:

• If you are going to jump in and set-up social networking accounts (YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Flickr, etc), then KEEP THEM UPDATED!  Don’t open an account or start a blog and abandon it.
• Make sure your content is search-engine optimized
• Brand your official social networking pages.  Logos, backgrounds, call to actions, etc.

Related posts:

1. President Obama stays connected through blogs, websites and social media
2. Socialnomics Video on the Power of Social Media
3. Best Social Media Marketing Resources and Blog Posts for 2009

I have to admit, my internal struggle with Twitter and blogging in general has been to surrender to the process, let go of my own fears and truly be transparent, less technical, more remarkable and interesting. I am in awe of the people who brilliantly tweet, blog or post a Facebook status in a succinct, intriguing, thoughtful, entertaining, funny and compelling way.

Laura’s talk had several nuggets to share – here is a summary:

• Fear is a terrible motivator – don’t make decisions from Fear
• What is your superpower?
• How to be remarkable – cash in on your passion?
  Luck
  Believe
  Connect
• Twitter is overcoming human isolation
• You have to embrace randomness to really get Twitter
• The real influencer is the message – not you!
• Be useful – turn it inside out.  Don’t just retweet or post a link – Ask a question, produce value, make a connection, set it up, add something
• How to become Awesome on Twitter
  • Listen
  • Learn
  • Care
  • Serve
• Influence was attracting attention to yourself – Influence IS providing attention and value to others
• Be uniquely you
• Resources/books to check out:
  • Twitter for Dummies – Laura Fitton. et al
  • Think Big Manifesto
  • Awesomeness Manifesto – Umair Haque
  • Crush it – Cash in on your passion

Related posts:

1. Benefits and Business Uses of Twitter
2. To Twitter or Not Twitter…that is the question
3. Blogworld Expo Las Vegas – Best Tips and Strategies (Nov 2007)

As we reported yesterday, growth for some of the world’s biggest social networks — like Twitter and Facebook — appear to be flattening . One site bucking that trend though is LinkedIn , which saw a 5.68% growth in traffic for the month of September, according to Compete. It’s not just traffic that’s growing, users are increasing too. In a blog entry today, LinkedIn reports that it now has over 50 million users worldwide. As the company’s announcement points out, it took nearly sixteen months for LinkedIn to reach its first million users. The last million took only 12 days.

LinkedIn says that while 50% of its users are based in the US, 50% are international. This is an impressive stat that speaks highly to LinkedIn’s continued growth. As more and more social networks start to expand their focus and go after more types of users, we like that LinkedIn has continued to reinforce its mission of connecting professionals to each other. Sometimes having a solid target and niche can be more effective and lead to greater consistent growth than trying to be all things to all people. What do you think about LinkedIn? Do you use the service more than you did a year ago?

Continued here:
LinkedIn Surpasses 50 Million Users

Related posts:

1. Facebook Expected to Reach 500 Million Users in July 2010
2. 5 Key Social Networks for Real Estate Agents and Why You Should Participate
3. Why Your Business Needs Facebook Now!

So , I came across this hilarious video by Julian Smith when I found this excellent blog by Michael Hyatt who agrees (as I do) with Julian’s 25 things.  Check it out if you haven’t already seen it.

I am actually a fan of Facebook – and recommend it as a must have for all of my business clients who want to implement a social media strategy.  Besides the obvious business networking and relationship building that Facebook promotes, what I LIKE best about Facebook is:

• The ability to keep up with friends, relatives and business connections in a quick and efficient way – on my terms and time.  I would never be able to know what’s going on with everyone via phone calls – there’s not enough time in the day!
• I have found that Facebook has helped me be more social!
• The interesting and informative links and posts that show up on my wall (in between the annoying Mafia Wars and other inane quizzes)
• How I can share my blog posts in a convenient way to people I am connected with
• Facebook, along with Twitter really does help you become a better writer and sharer of information.  I am in awe of how some people can be so entertaining, pithy, and interesting in one or two lines.  I strive to emulate that… a definite work in progress.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Related posts:

1. Awesomeness, Connecting and Twitter – Blogworld Expo 09
2. Why Your Business Needs Facebook Now!
3. Facebook Expected to Reach 500 Million Users in July 2010

The Conversation Prism by Brian Solis and Jesse Thomas

Related posts:

1. Social Media Branding Case Study – Why Businesses Must Wake Up and Join the Conversation!

Socialnomics(TM) is a blog designed to cover the latest trends in social media.  It primarily focuses on covering the latest news on social media and what it means for users and businesses, often taking irreverent view points of a popular topic.   It was founded and is still maintained by Erik Qualman – who has written the book “Socialnomics: How social media transforms our lives and the way we do business.”

Click here to view the embedded video.

Related posts:

1. Social Media Branding Case Study – Why Businesses Must Wake Up and Join the Conversation!
2. President Obama stays connected through blogs, websites and social media
3. Best Social Media Marketing Resources and Blog Posts for 2009

Twitter definitely has been adopted by the business world in the past year.  The biggest indicator of Twitter being used for business marketing is the recent release of Twitter 101 for Business – A Special Guide..by Twitter!

Chris Brogran wrote 50 Ideas on Using Twitter for Business and his first idea of simply getting a Twitter account and listening to the conversation is the perfect advice to experience Twitter.  I also like his #11 idea:

Instead of answering the question, “What are you doing?”, answer the question, “What has your attention?”   This question really broadens the possibilities of tweeting more interesting comments, questions and information.  This post is packed with some great ideas and advice on how to use Twitter for business.

Here are a couple of other must-read posts to help you figure out the whole Twitter craze and decide if it’s something for you…

• Twitter Guide Book - Mashable’s Comprehensive resource guide
  
• Use Twitter to Find Customers - Inc. magazine
• How to Use Twitter to Grow Your Business – Copyblogger
• Twitter Explained for the Real Estate Blogger – Jim Cronin, Real Estate Tomato
• 20 Must Read Beginner Twitter Tips for Small Business Owners – Darren Rowse of Problogger

The bottom line about using Twitter for business will probably come down to whether or not it’s a tool your clients or potential clients are using now or may use in the near future.  Also, it is not an instant lead generation platform.  It really takes time and effort to build a following.  You must tweet useful and compelling content, links, photos and not be constatnly selling or pitching your self or your product or service.  Social networking is about building relationships and interacting/participating in the conversation.

Related posts:

1. To Twitter or Not Twitter…that is the question
2. Awesomeness, Connecting and Twitter – Blogworld Expo 09
3. Why Your Business Needs Facebook Now!