How to Choose the Right Days to Market your Real Estate Services Online

If anything, Social Networking is about timing, and each site has more than just a different set of users, it has a different schedule. Rebecca Levinson has revealed some insights to when communicating through social media is most effective. Follow these guidelines and see your interactions and your relelvancy go up.

There has been a lot of research conducted, mainly for industries outside of real estate (i.e.retail, hospitality, automotive) on the best days and times to market services and products online. Implementing the right timing to deploy marketing campaigns into your online marketing strategy is an effective way to ramp up your results.

Here are 5 tips on choosing the right days to market your real estate services online

1. Tweet Midweek-
You can tweet everyday of the week but for maximum effect make sure to tweet on Wednesdays and Thursdays as they are the most active days of tweets and retweets as found by HubSpot's State of the Twittersphere Q42008.

2. Publish Your Most Important Blog Posts Midweek
Frequency of great original content is still important in building your readership and traffic to your blog. I recommend to my clients that they blog a minimum of 3-5 times per week to be considered as a true content provider in the eyes of their readers.

That being said when is the best time for a blogger to publish their meatiest, most important blog posts? Darren Rowse of Problogger addresses the timing factor in When to Publish Blog Posts-Timing Considerations,"If I have a very important post that I want to get as much attention as possible I generally will publish it on a Tuesday or Wednesday morning (my time)."

Rowse's post also gives some advice as to publishing posts on weekends and holidays that is worth the read as well as the comments on the post (82 so far).
Roger Parker of blogforprofit.com recommends that if you were to only blog twice per week to publish those blog posts on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Clearly publishing your most important blog posts midweek is a winning strategy.

3. The Weakest Link for Email Marketing is Saturday
You may have several email campaigns in your real estate marketing campaign: email flyers, email follow-up, email newsletters. Email marketing is a heavy hitter for real estate professionals but when is the most effective time for you to deliver your messages to your prospects and customers?
According to EMarketer.com the best days of the week to send email marketing are Mondays and Tuesdays and the least effective time by nearly 50% is Saturdays.

The best advice I found and agree with is to survey your email subscribers and ask them when they would like to receive emails from you.
We are approaching the holiday season so it is important to consider the times that people are online and actively shopping. Study these deployment times statistics provided on the emailstatcenter.com website before launching any niche holiday real estate marketing campaigns.

4. Engage your Fans on Facebook on Tuesdays
In findings from Virtue SRM (Social Relationship Manager) the best days to post on your Facebook Business Page is Tuesdays, followed closely Wednesdays with Mondays coming in #3.

**Allow me one deviation~ What I find more or equally fascinating is the 6.49% CLR (Click Thru Rate) of marketing campaigns such as polls and incentives that are run on Facebook business pages. Fans are clearly interacting with their friends on Facebook in a big way and their interactions are also being seen by their friends.**

5. LinkedIn Users Are Active In the Morning
According to a small study by SenderOK Statistics report which was based on a sample of 440 anonymous users the most activity on LinkedIn occurs in the morning. "LinkedIn use is predominantly an 8AM-Noon activity with very, very little activity in the evening. Of particular interest is that LinkedIn users tend to arrive at work earlier than Facebook users do....Those serious early morning LinkedIn users will spend an average of 29 minutes reading real Email before they get around to checking your connection request which they could have read first if they wanted to."

While this is a small sampling of members on LinkedIn and their behavior I can attest that this mimics my LinkedIn use. The first online activity I do in the morning is to check my email(which of course includes my blog activity) and the first social network site I check is LinkedIn and this occurs normally between the hours of 7:30-8:30 a.m.


Take into consideration the times and days that people are online and engaging in these online activities when you create and implement your online real estate marketing strategy.

Once you taken action use an analytics tool to measure the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns. Tweak the times you deliver your marketing messages based on your analytics and direct feedback from your recipients.

Veterans Day

Today RE/MAX of Texas salutes and remembers the men and women who have served their country with courage and resolve. RE/MAX of Texas joins every RE/MAX Associate and their families in honoring all these veterans, many of whom are members of our network. We also condole with our north Texas agents who have suffered the loss of community members from the tragedy at Fort Hood.

According to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, 42,348,460 have served our nation during times of war since 1775. This doesn't include the millions of Americans who have served during times of peace. More than 369,000 of the United States Military’s 1,379,551 active-duty troops are currently serving outside the United States and its territories. 1.9 million have been deployed since September 11, 2001. Veterans Day is a time not only to show gratitude to members of our armed forces, but also to reflect on what civilians can do to support veterans both at home and abroad.

Each person has the power to positively affect the life of another. RE/MAX agents across Texas have donated their time and care, not just on Veterans Day, but throughout the year, to show gratitude and appreciation for our men and women in the Armed Forces. Just as critical is the need to support those soldiers recovering in the United States, and the increasing problem of Veteran Homelessness.

Although accurate numbers are impossible to come by -- no one keeps national records on homeless veterans -- The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that 131,000 veterans are homeless on any given night. And approximately twice that many experience homelessness over the course of a year. Conservatively, one out of every three homeless men who is sleeping in a doorway, alley or box in our cities and rural communities has put on a uniform and served this country. According to the National Survey of Homeless Assistance Providers and Clients, veterans account for 23 percent of all homeless people in America.

Here are some organizations both national and local that are devoted to the support and honoring of our American Veterans both home and abroad.

Texas Sentinels Foundation
RE/MAX of Texas founded organization that provides homes and financial support to seriously wounded veterans from the War on Terror

Voices Of A Grateful Nation
a non-profit organization that helps veterans suffering from traumatic brain injuries (TBI) through an innovative music-based therapy & teaching program called "Sound Healing."

Soldiers’ Angels
A non-profit organization of over 200,000 volunteers providing care packages and letter correspondence to soldiers abroad.

National Coalition for Homeless Veterans
The resource and technical assistance center for a national network of community-based service providers and local, state and federal agencies that provide emergency and supportive housing, food, health services, job training and placement assistance, legal aid and case management support for hundreds of thousands of homeless veterans each year.

Visit any one of these sites to learn how you can support and honor a veteran today.

God Bless America

RE/MAX Reading List: 5 Essential Books on Business

These days we're all getting up earlier and working later. But in every busy Realtors life there is time to self-educate and inspire your career through reading. Throughout the market downturn, many Realtors have no-doubt swallowed whole the mass of real estate books addressing crisis that have flooded the market in the last two years, but that's not what this list is about. We've put together some classics that still can inspire success. These titles, suggested by RE/MAX of Texas Executives, hold essential lessons and business inspirations for every entrepreneur.



1.) Everybody Wins: The Story and Lessons Behind RE/MAX
Phil Harkins and Keith Hollihan

Everybody Wins details the compelling account of how RE/MAX went from small operation to the world’s largest real estate network. Moreover, it provides firsthand lessons to leaders on how to drive growth into their own organization. A must for every RE/MAX Office and Agent.



2.) From Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't
Jim Collins

Making the transition from good to great doesn't require a high-profile CEO, the latest technology, innovative change management, or even a fine-tuned business strategy. Peppered with dozens of stories and examples from the great and not so great, the book offers a well-reasoned road map to excellence that any organization would do well to consider.



3.) Who Moved My Cheese?
Dr. Spence Johnson

The simple story reveals profound truths about change that give people and organizations a quick and easy way to succeed in changing times. Who Moved My Cheese? is an enlightening story of four characters who live in a "Maze" and look for "Cheese" to nourish them and make them happy.


4.) Magnetic Service: Secrets for Creating Passionately Devoted Customers
Chip and Billijack Bell
The ideal customer defends, champions, forgives, and commits to a company or brand for the long term - but how can a business create such long-lasting loyalty? Chip and Bilijack Bell explain how in Magnetic Service, based on examples of real companies who have done just that. Written in a lively, accessible style, the book shows that loyalty comes not from allegiance to a product but from compelling experiences.



5.) Inside the Magic Kingdom: Seven Keys to Disney's Success
Tom Connellan

No, it’s not a book on real estate. But if one thing can be said for the Disney Corporation, they know how to keep the customer satisfied and coming back for more! Connellan, a senior principal in a consulting firm specializing in customer loyalty holds up Disney in particular as exemplary. Here he re-creates a fictional visit to Disney's Magic Kingdom to bring to life examples of the customer service concepts Disney practices.

RE/MAX Calls for 2010 Convention CMN Auction Items

In times where it seems every business is tightening its belt, those who often suffer the most are charitable non profits and the people they serve. RE/MAX is one of the few companies that has gone the opposite direction and pledged to increase its support of local and national charities. To this end, RE/MAX made a commitment to reach the $100 million contribution mark for Children’s Miracle Network.

Last year, RE/MAX offices nationwide contributed over $8 million. In many cases it was thanks to partnerships from area community-minded business that made all the difference. As we approach our February convention, RE/MAX of Texas asks our agents to tap into this tradition of generosity and donate Auction items for the 2010 RE/MAX of Texas Charity Auction benefiting Children’s Miracle Network. This event has historically raised thousands in much-needed funds for area Children’s Hospitals and the critically ill patients who are cared for there.

Each year, RE/MAX Associates and Affiliates across the state challenge themselves to raise funds higher than the previous year. This year, we again challenge ourselves to make greater contributions to our community by supporting local children’s healthcare. All items donated will be auctioned off at the RE/MAX of Texas Statewide Convention in Fort Worth on February 9, 2010. Please join us in making this year the greatest in our effort to give back to the community. Let's close out the first decade of the millenium with a bang!


For more information on the 2010 RE/MAX Children’s Miracle Network Silent Auction, please contact Whitney@remaxtexas.com or by calling 832-321-9014

Senate Clears the Way for Tax Credit Extension, Expansion

After two weeks of delay, the Senate last night cleared the way to pass a seven month extension and expansion of the tax credit for homebuyers. By an 85 to 2 roll call vote, the Senate voted to cut off debate on a package of measures that includes the homebuyer credit, making it virtually certain that the legislation will reach President Obama for his signature this week.

The homebuyer tax credit, due to expire in 28 days, would be extended through April 30 of next year. First-time buyers who are in process of making a purchased would not need to worry about qualifying for the $8,000 credit if they close after the November 30 deadline.

For the first time, the legislation cleared last night makes move-up buyers as well as first-time buyers would be eligible for a credit. The $8,000 maximum first-timer credit will continue and will now available to couples with income up to $225,000, a nearly $55,000 increase above the level in existing law. A new $6,500 maximum credit would also be available to move-up homeowners who have lived in their current residence for five of the prior eight years.

The legislation cleared last night also contains a provision supported by the National Association of Home Builders. It helps larger companies strapped for cash with net operating losses this year or in 2008.