This week on our blog we’ll be tackling the topic of Social Networking - how and where should people and companies get started? There is still a lot of uncertainty and speculation when it comes to the impact social networking has on business. Still, we believe that it is important to be on the forefront of new technology and trends so we have developed a four step plan on ‘How to Build a Successful Social Network.’

Each of our Enterprise Network Members will be working through this plan with us step by step. Some have already begun and those that have are already experiencing increased exposure and better Google page rankings.

Our plan includes:

• PHASE ONE: Establish your online presences and outline your goals
• PHASE TWO: Establish your presence on 3rd party sites
• PHASE THREE: Establish a voice
• PHASE FOUR: Broadcast your brand

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Has anyone heard of the Benoit College Survey? Probably very few of you have but they produce an interesting survey on what the world looks like to their incoming freshmen, people you will be trying to sell homes to in the not so far away future. It provides a look at the cultural landmarks that shape the lives of these students entering college. It may seem far off, but these students will soon be potential buyers and they require a new way of advertising and marketing that many real estate brokerages aren’t prepared for.

As we read this survey let’s ask ourselves a few questions:

• Are we doing enough today to prepare for a generation that grew up in a wired and digital world?
• How I am going to connect with a generation that has never used a landline or pay phone?
• What is it going to take to recruit this generation into our organization?

The teenagers entering college over the next few weeks were probably born around 1990. That in mind, I am going to attempt my best David Letterman, Top 10 observations from this generation’s “mindset.” Please feel free to post your top 10. (more…)