Wearable Technology Fashion and Lifestyle

Check out things I love in the latest wearable technology fashions! #talk2myshirt

Blue Skies,

Intelligent Lighting: Hue by Phillips

I am loving this one: Hue by Philips - a wireless lightbulb with a mobile app allowing you control dimming, color, and more. Perfect timing too - my sister was just looking for a way to avoid the costs of wiring for dimmer lighting in her new home!

I am so looking forward to even more in the realm of intelligent homes. I mean, what can be more important than technology innovation with true meaning and purpose - purpose like providing a safe, secure, protected home for your family.

The future is good!

Stop Blogging, Shoot Video

[Article for Keller Williams]

Did you follow my advice and stop blogging? Good. No one reads anymore. We watch videos. 

You Tube is not just a video site filled with cat videos, its more: its a search engine. The second largest search engine in fact. Not only that, its owned by the first largest search engine and overall, it is the 3rd most visited site in the world. Think about it: when you run a Google search, are you choosing the video that appears in the search results, or that 30-page dissertation you need to go get your glasses for? You're clicking on the video. 

The point is, what's the point of all that labor-intensive writing when you can get better SEO results in a way that better connects with your audience - and is actually easier?

According to James Wedmore from the Video Traffic Academy, marketers are seeing 691% higher conversions from You Tube traffic when compared to Google conversion. Do you know what that means? That means Youtube is delivering more leads now than any other traffic source. On top of that, according to Chad Hyams, Bold Tech Coach with Keller Williams, sellers are 73% more likely to list with you when you use video in marketing.

Remember: the purpose of content is to build relationships (while you are busy selling) and drive traffic back to your site for lead capture. 

Get it? Ok, so now that you have an alternative to that high-pressure writing career you weren't really cut out for anyway, you are now free to explore the kind of role you were actually made for. You're a salesperson after all; you love the spotlight! This is your time to shine - you finally get your chance to be an actress/actor! [Insert jazz hands here].

Sigh. But you also have to be the producer too. That's going to require a lot of skill and creativity right? Nope - not when you have the secret formula!

Here, James Wedmore gives us the secret sauce: a 5-part outline that is the anatomy of the perfect You Tube video for marketers. Use this simple framework for developing smart, relevant, value-add content that drives traffic and delivers results. 

Creative Ideas for Video Marketing

[For Keller Williams]

Still not good at all this creative stuff? Below is a growing grab bag of fun video marketing ideas for real estate agents. Use liberally to give your creative spirits a lift!

Creative Ideas for Your Real Estate Video Marketing Campaigns

• Look at what others are doing. When in doubt, refer to Jessica Edward's content. She's just doing it right - excellent, relevant and value-add content.
• Inspirational. What about a new home owner opening the house for the first time? That's an emotional moment! Surely that could touch, move, and inspire a potential client!
• Commonly asked questions. When you find yourself repeating yourself, shoot a video. Point folks to your site where all those commonly asked questions are housed and save yourself some time. 
• How-tos: staging your home, becoming a real estate agent, home maintenance, property taxes, design and decor tips and tricks. Remember that "how to" do stuff is a very common search query - your video could make the ranks as an answer to that question.
• Featured businesses and cross-promotions. I have an innovation management firm which owns the Modern Living Atlanta brand. I'm considering starting an online magazine exploring modern living in all its various forms: style, architecture, decor, community.... from featuring a video with Modoni - one of my favorite modern furniture wholesalers here in Atlanta to other business partnerships. There is endless opportunity to build win-win alliances where banners with discounts, advertisements, advertisements, videos and more are shared between sites. Who do you know in the business development community would would be a great marketing partner?
• Interview local experts. What's happening with that school rezoning? When will the electric trolley be completed? Get advice and opinions straight from the source - and build a relationship in the process.
• Home tours. Consider this: if you upload a single video for each room in a house to You Tube, you could use the Spotlight Annotation boxes at the end of your video to create a grid where viewers could select a video by room. Are you more likely to continue clicking when videos are sorted by room on a grid?
• Be the trends expert and maybe even the market forecaster for your area. Where is your market trending? What's happening in that niche area? Where are you seeing movement, growth, recession, interesting patterns, anomalies? Why? You could also use Brokermetrics to write custom reports for market analytics and release quarterly - that's how Barbara Corcoran met Donald Trump.
• Afraid to be in front of the camera? How about putting one of your listing clients next to their home's sold sign and asking them for a testimonial. There's also a creative solutions for everything!  
• Humorous agent in the field videos. You know you got 'em. Be real. Humor sells.
• Client appreciation videos. Here's a great idea: did your client have a new baby? Buy the baby's domain name from Go Daddy and then use Jib Jab to send a video e-card.
• Tour guide. Become the mayor of your town! Do an around-town video. Review dining establishments. Attend events. Tell us what events are coming up. Let us ride alongside you on your bike tour. Take us with you as you volunteer in the community.

Do you have any ideas to add to the mix? Please share in the comments below!