Kim Hughes

Providing solid solutions since 1999 specifically tailored for today’s real estate professional.

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Backing Up Your Tweets


Twitter is an effective and fun tool, it can be used for your business as well as personal connections. Some people spend a substantial amount of time and energy into their tweets. So what would happen if all the time that you spent on Twitter, all the great stuff you sent out, all the followers you’ve gathered were to suddenly disappear? For a lot of people who are hooked on Twitter it would be a nightmare.

Have you ever thought about backing up your tweets? If not reading the above statement about what could happen if you don’t may make you change your mind. Backing up your Twitter can be simple and free. Here are a couple different programs that can keep you tweeting even if something happens to your account.

BackupMyTweets.com
Their tagline “Don’t lose your Tweets. Make Them Permanent” and that’s exactly what they do. With this service you can protect your tweets, do daily backups, and they offer flexible download options. The basic service is free but you can also get a Premium Edition $4.95 a year, pretty cheap for all that it does. BackupMyTweets.com also offers a suite of other programs such as BackupMyMail and BackupMyBlog.

TweetBackUp.com
TweetsBackUp is easy to use and it does daily backups but what makes it really stand out is that it’s all web based. No installation of extra programs on your computer to bog it down.

Tweetake.com
Tweettake makes possible users aware of just what can happen when Twitter malfunctions. On their about page under “Why bother to do this?” They state that Twitter may lose followers again like it did in June/July. If you are backing up your tweets you won’t be the one that’s scrambling to get them back.

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How to Prepare for a Disaster Using Social Media

It could happen at any time, you could be running your daily errands. Your oldest is at school and youngest at daycare. Your husband or wife is in another city 400 miles away at a conference. You go into the store to buy milk while your walking to the register to check out it happens, an earthquake. Once the initial shock is over your mind is spinning. What do you do next?

Preparing for a disaster is something we all need to do to make sure that our family is safe and technology is there to make it possible. Within minutes we could contact our husband and children to make sure they are ok, find a local shelter to get everyone to, make sure you can find the safest route to all the destinations that you need to get to.

To use social media and technology as a guide to getting through a natural disaster you need to know where to start. First step is to make a plan and involve your whole family in it. Make sure everyone has all the vital information in their electronic devices that they need. Phone numbers, addresses, email address, etc. Check with your children’s school to see what their plans are for natural disasters. Have a meet up place if your children are older so they know where to meet in case of an emergency. This is a great project for your virtual assistant to help you with so your family is prepared as well as you business associates.

Disasters can strike at any time and using technology can keep you connected. For more information check out this great article from wonderful guide HOW TO: Prepare for Disasters Using Social Media.

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Check out NutShellmail To Stay Informed on Your Social Networks

Here is a great FREE program that I have been using for so long and really love it.  It saves me so much time in knowing what is going on with my social networks.  You have got to try it out yourself!

NutShellMail

 

NutshellMail: Simplify Your Online Social Life from David Lyman on Vimeo.

Facebook:

Get all your Facebook Birthdays, Photos, Friend Requests, Wall Posts, News Feed, Event & Group Invites, and Messages in one interactive email.

Control Facebook right from your inbox — you can comment, reply, post on walls, and update your status without leaving your email.

Twitter:

See your mentions, new followers, quitters, and your friends’ latest tweets in your Twitter summary. Tweet, Reply, Retweet, and DM without leaving your inbox.

Posted via web from Kim Hughes and Company

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Social Network Marketing for Real Estate Agents

Daily I am reading about new opinions, tricks and new applications with social networking. Sometimes I think “this is consuming my life” – But, really it is the best marketing you can do for yourself and your business, if you do effectively.

Because I work with so many real estate agents across the country in building their social networking presence I find real estate has its own social networking niche. What works for other businesses or industries is not necessarily the case with real estate.

You need to constantly work on re-crafting your talent and message to your target audience. Your audience already knows you help buyers and sellers with their real estate needs, so get creative in keeping them focused on you because you don’t necessarily focus on your real estate marketing, but focus on local charities that need attention, local events, local issues. Ask yourself – Why would the local community connect with you? Yes, you should throw some real estate in there on occasion, but you will receive more positive exposure by focusing on what your audience is craving. Be unique and supportive. Get to know your audience and engage with them.

Believe me – this has a bigger impact and makes your audience want to see what is next or rely on you to have the information about what is happening in the local area.

As for who your audience is. You need to focus on your community. Sure connect with other agents (Keep them private, if you can) and learn from their posts and hopefully build a great network for referrals, but engage your neighbors, local businesses, etc.

I made this suggestion to a client and we re-focused and he even went as far as hosting a social networking event to help his community to involved in social networking. This was unique and a big-big hit!

Another client hosted a church networking event and again – huge hit.

I discovered the principal of our high school was following me on Twitter. I told him I would be happy to build a background page for the high school. He was very appreciative. After I created the background I would get stopped at events by people saying they saw the page. I thought to myself “WOW! Word sure gets around!” So, remember people talk and share information, so do something that gives your community something to talk about and WANT to connect with you.

Social Networking is about socializing. You have a wonderful opportunity to offer so much more than just real estate, but make them remember you when it comes to their real estate needs.

Tip – You might want to have two Twitter accounts – one for real estate connections and the other for your local community. I have two and it is amazing how well this works.

If you are attending the 2009 STAR POWER Annual Conference look for me and let’s see how I can help you make this social network marketing concept will work to your advantage.

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Managing Twitter – Great Add-ons

Most likely you are Twittering and if not then why not? It is a cool way to social network with others in your industry and to get referrals, new business or just to stay in-touch.

Being a real estate virtual assistant, I have been twittering for a while now, but found it took to much of my time, so I did not focus on using it until I found two great add-on tools. If you are like me you want what works and is effective. So, try these two add-on programs to Twitter and then follow me. I will follow you back.

Twitter Deck – The only add-on I have found useful in managing my time with Twitter. TweetDeck enables users to split their main feed (All Tweets) into topic or group specific columns allowing a broader overview of tweets. Make sure to set up Groups! You can set up groups for real estate agents, virtual assistants, friends, family, etc. and keep everyone organized.

Twitter for Blackberry Users – Have everything set up on your Blackberry so you can manage your tweets anywhere – anytime.

If you are using a different PDA and want to install Twitter, just do a Google search and you will find a program for that PDA.

And, don’t forget to follow me – Kim Hughes – Real Estate Virtual Assistant

A Word to the wise, don’t just twitter about silly things, make your tweets and eye-catcher. The more you have to offer the more followers you will get.

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