Quick Response codes will continue to be the most “misused” hot item in 2012.  Real estate professionals including franchises and brokerages will slap a QR code on everything and anything, and wonder why it’s not working. A few standout campaigns that fully integrate QR codes well will have outstanding results. The remaining marketers will be left scratching their heads. When used correctly, QR codes, are exactly that—instant, direct and an extremely efficient means of delivering content to a potential consumer. QR codes definitely have the “cool” factor. Unfortunately, for many companies, the use of QR codes ends with this cool factor, never allowing them to fulfill their potential as a valuable marketing tool. Here are some basic, best-practices that can take your QR campaign to the next level:

Rule No. 1: Your QR Code Must Lead to a Mobile Optimized Page
This is the most important rule regarding the use of QR codes, yet it is often ignored by companies who are attempting QR campaigns. If you do not have a mobilized landing destination, the instant nature of the scan is voided by slow load times, poor formatting and cumbersome browsing.

Breaking the Rule:. When scanned, the QR code leads to a non-mobilized website that is nearly impossible to navigate. While the content on the site may be valuable, its presentation on a mobile device offers an extremely poor mobile experience. Even those who had a strong interest iwould likely take one glance at the webpage on their phone and press the “back” button on their browser.

Rule No. 2: Have a Clear Call to Action
QR codes are beginning to penetrate many traditional forms of media. As they become more visible to the general public, it is important to give users a reason to scan rather than leave it to chance. A strong call to action, such as “scan here for virtual tour,” is a surefire way to get people to scan your QR code.

Breaking the Rule: A QR campaign directs consumers to a mobile webpage with property information and pictures. Although the code is fully functional and leads to a formatted page, it lacks a call to action. There is nothing prompting a potential customer to scan the code, no catchy tagline or simple instructions, the use of the QR code When presenting a QR code, it is important to offer an incentive to scan, rather than just rely on the novel quality of the technology.

Rule No. 3: Offer Value through Your QR Campaign
This rule pertains to what happens after the scan, and what ultimately leads people to participation. The mobile landing page (Rule #1) is the first impression, but appearance isn’t everything. Your QR code must offer value in some way, whether it be an exclusive offer, content or information.

Breaking the Rule: The QR code, published in various papers, led to a non-mobilized web page. In addition to leading to a non-mobilized page, the campaign doesn’t offer any value to the user. The homepage is cluttered and offers no advantage to a mobile user looking to get some quick information or an exclusive offer.

Are you following the rules? We want to know.

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There are many people out there that still don’t get it… they don’t get the fact that Social Media Marketing and Word of Mouth Marketing are now the  same  thing! I recently came across several articles all based on the same survey, and it made me realize this critical marketing mistake. C’mon people, business owners, marketers, advertisers, etc… where do you think people are “talking” these days? Word-of-Mouth reviews are happening online now and consumers use these reviews to make decisions based off of what other customers say about a business. Are neighbors (still) talking to neighbors as they mow their lawns about the new laundry detergent one just used or the great restaurant the other one went to the night before? Of course, that part will never change. But what has changed is now those same neighbors, after mowing their lawns, are going back into their homes and going on their computers or back into their garages and whipping out their smartphones and telling all their friends… their ONLINE friends all about that great recommendation. What many marketers are missing is the fact that Social Media is set to become the way to spread word of mouth. Facebook is becoming the town hall of the future, and if you can get a group of people buzzing to each other online about your business, you can bring  in more clients.

Social Media is a powerful tool for your business. You can compete in your market using consumer reviews to your advantage. Build your online reputation by taking an active role in what your customers are saying about your business. Ask customers to rate you online. Ask your customers to create a video testimonial for you and post it to your social channels, your blog and your website. You should not only keep up with your online reputation, but you can also see how you compare against the competition and where you stand in the marketplace. Improve your reputation by acting on the feedback you receive in your reviews. Online reviews are the new referrals in your business and consumers doing online research of products and services pay attention to customer reviews.

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You don’t need a crystal ball to know what it means. It means video is not only the content  variety of the moment, it’s the content variety of the future for years to come. It means video is everything, and any business owner that  refuses to believe that is taking a huge risk of being forgotten.  There’s no question about it—online video is booming.  Not only is over 48 hours of video content being uploaded to YouTube every minute, people are watching everything from online content to TV and movies online and brands are incorporating into their websites at record pace.  Online video is everywhere you look.

Back in November, Cisco’s VP for Marketing and Emerging Technologies, David Hsieh, predicted that web video would soon account for a huge portion of Internet traffic saying, “Today over half of all Internet traffic is video—51 percent.  And based on the current trends, we predict that in the next three years over 90 percent of all Internet traffic will be video.”  In a speech this week at CES 2012, YouTube’s head of global partnerships, Robert Kyncl, confirms this bold prediction. Kyncl also predicted that soon 90 percent of all Internet traffic is going to be video.

Video isn’t just for entertainment anymore.  It’s crossing over into all aspects of our lives, we are seeing the use of video purvey everything we do, whether it’s work, live, learn or play. It’s clear that, in modern society, people crave a quick, easy way to consume information.  They don’t want to have to read big chunks of text, don’t want to have to search around for explanations and online video has positioned itself as the perfect way to provide people with that quick, easy to consume content that they crave, when and where they crave it.

90% of all web traffic will be video. That’s just a huge, gaudy  number designed to do one thing: get your attention. In my case, at least,  mission accomplished. This is a ablosolute game changing prediction. Do not let this tidal wave pass you by, we can help. Contact us today.

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There is a new study by Facebook Page analytics company EdgeRank Checker that could help Page owners answer that question. When you do this right you can avoid cutting short the lifetimes of your posts and overshadowing them with new content. Each Page is different and needs to find its own optimal posting frequency depending on its content and audicence. The average news feed post by a Facebook Page receives Likes and comments for 3 hours after being published. To maximize the engagement, impressions, and traffic driven by the news feed, Facebook Page owners should wait at least 3 hours between posts. , but no more frequently than every 3 hours is a good general guideline.

Last month after Facebook changed the news feed in September, EdgeRank Checker analyzed 30,000 posts by over 500 Pages with an average fan count of 140,000. The company defines the end of a post’s lifetime as when it receives 10% of the engagement per hour as it did in its most popular hour. The study found that the average post lifetime was 3 hours and 7 minutes, while the median post lifetime is 2 hours and 56 minutes. After a post’s death, it only receive a trickle of engagement and there’s little lost by posting again.

Most Page owners stick to roughly 2 to 3 posts a day.  Page owners should remember this study when they have tons of great content and are anxious to share. Take a breath and watch your last post’s Likes and comments rise.

 

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