How Public Relations Evolves to Social Media

At IBS in early 2006 the NAHB announced the results of a MIRM research project stating that 90% of new home shoppers shop for homes online before even walking in the door of a sales center. At the time this was a HUGE wow for new home builders and developers.

The impact of this news on real estate marketing and advertising was clear from the beginning. We had to find ways to get builders on the Internet and make connections to buyers. Soon we saw the importance of placing public relations stories online for our builder clients. We started with sites such as PR Newswire and branched out from there looking for the sites that would provide the best incoming links and SEO for our homebuilders.

From there our business evolved to posting on blogs and launching our own blog Atlanta Real Estate Forum. This award-winning blog has grown from its first post in November 2006 to becoming THE trusted source for Atlanta real estate news.

The next transition for Flammer Relations was partnering with MLC New Home Marketing to build blogs for builders and developers through Top Builder Blogs.

From traditional public relations firm to social media we continue to evolve as the market has changed. We are pleased to announce our new evolution at the Southern Building Show in Atlanta next week. Stop by Booth 1312 to meet mRELEVANCE -- a new type of real estate marketing firm.

Maximizing Online Public Relations

Do you already write and place news releases with traditional media -- magazines, newspapers, TV and radio? Have you thought about placing this same news online? With 80 to 90-percent of homebuyers shopping online first, having multiple ways for them to reach your site is important.
Repurposing and optimizing traditional news releases and positioning them in relevant ways online is important for 5 reasons:

1. Organic Search Engine Traffic - Google and other search engines LOVE fresh content -- whether it is on your website or posted to another URL (such as a press release distribution service) and linked back to your site.
2. Social Media - many bloggers and others who have embraced Web 2.0 are seeking content for their posts. If your content is easily accessible, it is more likely to be used.
3. Reputation Management - do you have negative stories online? Posting additional content that you have approved online to relevant and respected sources will often change your search engine results placements and bump the bad stories to page two.
4. Links - posting releases online can increase the number of incoming links to your site, and through the use of anchor text increase your site's relevance for key words and phrases.
5. Traditional Media - guess what? Reporters read online stories too. Posting new home community releases online can tweak a reporters interest and result in a traditional media placement.
   

Traditional Media Embraces Social Media

Social Media is becoming mainstream as more and more “websites” are built as blogs and corporations embrace the blog platform due to its performance as an SEO tool. According to Technorati, more than 100,000 blogs are created each day. Not only can blogs help to give you a competitive advantage in attracting online shoppers, but many blogs are emerging as credible news sources, which means a story on your site could catch a reporter’s eye and end up in a print publication.

See what others are saying about blogging about real estate trends and topics.

“If You’re Thinking About Blogging about Real Estate”
Real Central Virginia.com

“Write like a Blogger”
Seth Godin’s blog

“The New World of Web 2.0”
Realty Times.com

Atlanta's Top Ranked real estate blog is a great place to start posting and blogging. Visit Atlanta Real Estate Forum to find out more. Flammer Relations, publisher of Atlanta Real Estate Forum is a real estate focused public relations and social media agency that can help you take your online presence to the next level.

Real Estate 2.0

Flammer Relations is proud to be a Gold sponsor of REtechSouth.
A conversation about real estate technology.

It's happening in Atlanta on March 27th (an all day event – ends with happy hour networking) at the Hilton Atlanta Northeast.

REtechSouth is not a seminar — it’s collaboration, a true conference where great ideas are shared freely. No sales pressure to buy a product, just bright minds sharing new ideas. The conference is focused on real estate technologies, blogging, video, social networking, seo, etc…

If knowledge is power, then shared knowledge is even more powerful.

In just one day, you will see top speaking talents presenting real estate technology relevant to you and your career. These presenters offer real world lessons, timely tips and business solutions you can put to work in your business immediately. We will also discuss the future of these technologies and the future of the real estate industry.

Even more importantly, you will get to share ideas, ask questions, network and learn from each other as well as the speakers. In true real estate 2.0 spirit, REtechSouth is about bringing together the best of the real estate industry and sharing knowledge with each other.

REtechSouth sponsors go out of their way to provide this full day event for you to learn and network with the brightest minds in our industry. Their participation helps keep your registration fee down so be sure to thank them with your business. Most conferences last several days and cost hundreds of dollars.

REtechSouth is one day and only costs $99. Register Now

Mark your calendar today for March 27, 2008!

Do Typos Really Matter?

From Cambridge University . . .

I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh?


Thought that you'd find this fun. Hopefully your public relations company's work is a bit better than this. After all, Microsoft even offers spell check on Outlook now.
And with spell check in Firefox, typos really should be a thing of the past!

Congratulations Carol Flammer!

Carol Flammer has been chosen for Oglethorpe University's 2008 Spirit of Oglethorpe Award. Currently President of Atlanta-based Flammer Relations, Inc., Flammer is an alumna of the liberal arts college and will be recognized in a March ceremony for living the Oglethorpe motto - Make a life. Make a living. Make a difference. Flammer is being recognized for her success in her career as well as her involvement in the community. Since 1999, Flammer Relations, Inc. has grown to become one of the Southeast's most innovative real estate focused firms. Flammer specializes in an agressive social media program, which is evidenced by the award-winning blog, www.AtlantaRealEstateForum.com. In addition to these career achievements, Flammer donated company time to many non-profit organizations including: Advocates for Children; Get Home Atlanta!; HomeAid Atlanta; Pick of the Litter; Etowah Valley Humane Society; and more. She is also a member of many industry affiliations and serves on the Sales and Marketing Council for the Atlanta Home Builders Association, and she has also achieved the prestigious MIRM designation, as well as many others. Flammer is a true renaissance woman and conquers any new challenge set before her. For all of her hard work and dedication, there is no wonder as to why Oglethorpe University wants to bestow this honor to Carol Flammer.

Let's Get Creative

It has been brought to my attention by Joan Stewart, who produces an electronic newsletter called "The Publicity Hound's Tips of the Week," that the media professionals are not fans of media staged events, like a community ground-breaking. If a public relations agency would like media attendance at events like these, then it must be pitched in a more enticing way. If you offer a tantalizing story idea that is a lot of fun and eliminates the need for a tired ground-breaking ceremony, the media attendance will drastically increase, according to a media relations consultant and professional speaker. This particular individual, Joan Stewart, has begun conducting telephone training sessions for PR firms that want a refresher course on things like pitches and releases. She gives fresh ideas and a different perspective on ordinary PR tactics. You don't necessarily have to hire her, but she does make a great point. It would not be detrimental to spice things up a little and make the traditional real estate events more interesting and exciting.