After going through the planning of a wedding for the last 10 months, I can definitely admit that I have no idea how people planned weddings before the internet. Almost every detail and idea at our wedding is inspired by various websites I had visited for countless hours over the last few months. My top favourites for planning our destination wedding in no particular order:

Pinterest: by far the most ideas came from this, and this is a site that I will definitely use for many other inspirations even after the wedding.

Best Destination Wedding: a wedding forum filled with hundreds of other brides from all over the world also planning their weddings, real life information on resorts, ideas, it was  great collaboration. (www.bestdestinationwedding.com)

The Knot: great inspiration photos, and you can post directly to Pinterest. Did not like that their store would not ship to Canada, therefore unable to purchase any of the great stuff from their website. Allows you to create and customize your own website for guest to access all your wedding information. (www.theknot.com)

Wedding Favours: Canadian website where I purchased most of our wedding favours, the service was great, prices comparative if not cheaper to other sites, and the website allows you to create a wishlist to organize ideas. (www.weddingfavours.ca)

Michaels Canada: I did a lot of DIY crafts (often inspired by Pinterest), so before every trip I printed off coupons and managed to save quite a bundle. (www.michaels.com)

And of course Google Image search, if I had something particular in mind I would look it up on Google!

Now it’s time to run off to Mexico for my internet inspired wedding!

We all have a love/hate relationship with Facebook, and similarly to driving we all assume we are the best at our Facebook posts and have major pet-peeves with others. Here are some of the major mistakes Facebook users make:

10. Posting a reply to someone else on their own wall.

9. Being on Facebook all day long, being the first to comment on friends updates and photos seconds after they are uploaded.

8. Uploading pictures without rotating them the right way so others have to turn their head sideways to see.

7. Posting everything they do, from what they ate in the morning to each time they visit the bathroom.

6. Using Facebook to vent about every little thing that is wrong in life.

5. Facebook PDA, posting very personal messages on their significant others wall.

4. Uploading all their photos, even those that did not turn out.

3. Serial liking, clicking on the thumbs up on everything they come across on Facebook.

2. Using hashtags even though they do not have Twitter.

1. Not being able to use proper grammar and spelling.

If you need help with your Facebook use for personal or business purposes, contact Copperpond Media at info@copperpondmedia.com.

If you are a local Calgary and area builder, home renovator, landscaper, gardener, property inspector, interior designer, home painter, DIY professional, etc. Copperpond Media needs you!

We are looking for local Calgary businesses who would like to provide guest blogs for our clients. Your blog would be featured in weekly blog posts, and marketed on various social media outlets. Links and contact information for your business would be included within each blog. Various topics we would like to see include  home renovations, property inspections, home decor, do it yourself projects, etc.

If you are interested in this type of collaboration, please contact Maja at maja@copperpondmedia.com.

Facebook has introduced us to a whole new vocabulary since it’s initial launch, from newsfeed, to wall posts, to “friends” who may not really be friends, profiles, pages, and so many more. Now, as Facebook continues to evolve it also evolves our vocabulary; here’s a few new terms you may have been hearing lately.

Timeline

The major change that Facebook has undergone lately is the introduction of Timeline, which each user is slowly being migrated to (if you haven’t already changed over). Basically is changes the way your profile page and personal wall look like. Timeline can be used to add in life milestones, and organize things according to how they happen.

Cover Photo

With the introduction of Timeline, we are introduced to the Cover Photo which is an additional feature to the Profile Photo. The Cover Photo is a large horizontal image that appears at the top of the new Timeline, and allows users to really personalize their profile page by choosing a unique photo. The ideal dimensions for the Cover Photo should be 850px wide by 315px high, for those looking to create very individual photos.

Social Apps

Most of us are used to the word Apps, which is short for Applications. Facebook allows various Apps to be added to your Timeline to add more storytelling and individuality to their profiles. Third Party groups and various brands create such Apps that can post directly to your Timeline, allowing others to know what you are listening to, how far your run was, what you have Pinned, etc.

If you need more information on creating and managing your Personal or Business Facebook Timeline, contact Copperpond Media at info@copperpondmedia.com.

In our world of on demand information, if clients want to get ahold of you they want to do it right now.  Unfortunately many Realtors have a low online presence, with lack of information, and it is often a difficult mission to even find their contact information. Here are six email mistakes I have recently seen many Realtors in Calgary make.

6. Having an unprofessional email.

Recently I came across a Realtors email that was a “hot4homes” @yahoo or something along those lines. Two major mistakes in one, and her email address sounded like there is more to her services then just selling houses. Instead of getting creative use your name @your brokerage, or @you website url. If you have a common name, look at inserting a period, such as jane.smith@brokerage.com. It comes of much more professional, and also much more personal.

5. Having an email that ends with @hotmail @shaw @gmail etc.

If you were making the biggest investment of your life, would you trust an advisor with a @hotmail or @yahoo email? My recent favorite was a Realtor with his email ending in @aol.com, now I applaud him for being on the email bandwagon since the days of AOL, but he’s dating himself slightly. Plus, I think people would question if that is even a valid email anymore. Free email services are great for personal use, but for business use a more professional email is required. Most brokerages set you up with an email account, such as a @remax.com or use your own domain (contact your web host for set up).

4. Generic Auto Responses.

You send of an inquiry and are pleasantly surprised to have a response moments after, “what great customer service you think!” Your heart sinks when you read the response only to get a generic auto response telling you to expect contact sometime in the future. If you see a lead come through and cannot call them, or provide them with the required information immediately. Respond with a quick, “thank you for your inquiry (insert name here). I am currently with a client/in a meeting/or another professional excuse, but I will contact you with the answer within (insert time frame here).” Make sure you reply within the stated time frame, and you are considered a superstar!

3. Not ensuring that the Contact Form works.

You’ve used your first born child as payment to get your website on first page Google, but you’re still not getting leads. Many people forget to test their contact forms from time to time, and their leads are somewhere floating in the world wide web. Make it a habit to check your contact forms weekly so that you do not lose any potential clients.

2. Expecting a Contact Form to be filled out.

This point goes along with #1, instead of an email a contact form is provided which asks a potential client to fill in their first name, last name, phone number, email address, date of birth, their address, etc. You can get exhausted just reading what the categories are, you cannot expect a potential client to fill it in! There is definitely a benefit to collecting a potential clients information, so if you choose to keep the form ensure you provide your email address above it. That way, if they want to send you a quick email instead of providing you with their history, then they can.

1. Not providing an email on their website.

Although it seems like a no brainer, you would fall off your chair in shock if you saw how many Realtors do not have their email address clearly visible on their website.  Either its not there all together, or it is hidden at the very bottom in miniscule letters. Be sure to have your email address clearly visible, and be sure someone can just copy and paste it. Don’t rely on the Email button that opens up an email for them to compose, many people do not have that enabled on their computers and therefore have no way of actually getting your email address.

Phone books are becoming obsolete, newspapers are moving online due to low readership, people are spending more time on Facebook then on Google, You Tube is now the second largest search engine.  There is a major shift in our society, the way we shop for products and services is moving online.

Your Real Estate business can either prosper and move online to where potential clients are looking; or you can continue to mail out notepads in hopes of getting a phone call. There are certain elements of traditional marketing such as face-to-face networking that online marketing cannot replace, but being online is now essential for any business looking to be successful. Here are some of the top mistakes Realtors make when it comes to online marketing.

5. Not doing a regular Google search on their name.
Google your name, what comes up? Is it good, bad, shocking?
Are you discovering negative reviews you’ve never heard before? Recruiters now search prospective employees prior to hiring them; prospective clients will search your name prior to using you as a Realtor. Through strategic online marketing, you can control what comes up on a Google search. A professional online presence will definitely give you more credibility with prospective clients.

4. Having a generic website
Some brokerages provide you with a generic website, CREB also provides Realtors with the option of a generic website as part of your fees. DO NOT use them! They usually look generic and unprofessional. There are many third party providers who have template Real Estate websites at a low cost, but these are usually very professional and quite customizable. Your website is often the first impression you provide to clients, ensure that it represents who you are!

3. Refusing to participate in Social Media
Social Media is a trend, it’s a time waster, its impersonal and only young kids use it. Those are some of the excuses heard regularly for those refusing to participate in social media. The truth is, often times people do not want to admit that learning it all is overwhelming and somewhat intimidating. People are now spending more time on Facebook than they do on Google, in Real Estate or any business in that matter, you need to be where your clients are. Make it simple and easy for them to find you, provide valuable information for them, and eventually you will have more interaction which can lead to clients or referrals.

2. Not updating Social Media regularly
You decided to jump on the social media bandwagon, you create your Facebook Page, your Twitter account, sent out a few messages to the world wide web and then forget about it. A potential client comes across your social media outlets and sees the last update was 6 months ago, what do they think? That you don’t fully commit, that you are not fully dedicated to Real Estate, or maybe that you’re no longer a Realtor? It’s best find one thing and just do it right, if you can only dedicate only a limited amount of time to social media, choose one outlet and do it well. Create a custom Facebook Page which you provide daily updates, or have a blog where you focus on a couple specific topics, or Tweet a few times daily. Having one good social media outlet is far better then having many that are not utilized.

1. Not having any online presence
Everyone screws up on their online marketing at some point, a link that does not work, you mess up a Twitter contest; its not the end of the world. The biggest mistake anyone can make in regards to online marketing is not participating at all. Not having a website, not having any social media outlets, not having a blog means prospective clients have very limited ways to find you. Today being accessible online is as important as having a phone number.

Copperpond Media can help with your Online Marketing needs, visit our Services Page to check out how we can help!

This past week Alberta news was flooded by a certain little Tweet from a young woman employed by the Premiers office. Thankfully Amanda Wilkie gave us a good eye opener, be careful what you put out in the Twitterverse, because it can spread like wildfire.

It is easy enough to send off a quick rant when in the midst of an emotional event, 140 characters on Twitter seems innocent enough. But given the right circumstances, something said online can grow into a monster of its own. Once something starts getting retweeted, there is no stopping or earasing it. And what happens on the internet stays on the internet forever.

As a business owner it is also vital to monitor your brand, if you have employees Tweeting whether for the business or personal it is vital to monitor what they say to ensure it does not in any way slander your business or insult any potential customers. Similarly, watch what your clients are saying online; if there is negative information be sure to address it immediately, and don’t try to hide it. We’re all human and showing that you genuinely care about your clients will go a long way.

Also, parents should have the conversation with their children who are starting to utilize social networking. Ensure they understand the magnitude of social media in our society, and the fact that things they post are accessible to everyone. In today’s society employers and recruiters now turn to social media to see the true colors of potential hires, make sure your kids understand that they actions online can impact their employment.

So thank you Amanda Wilkie for reminding us that we need to be cautious of what we post. And if you are wanting to write something out of emotion, write it down on a piece of paper first, then get back to it a few hours or a day later; it will sound much different to you reading it over when you are not so emotional.

I’m lucky enough to have a local UFC fighter as a client, it provides me with very unique challenges and opportunities within social media marketing. So when a couple local politicians campaigning in Alberta’s 2012 election asked for some input on their social media strategy, I applied what we’ve been using with our fighter to form their advice. After all, an election campaign is also a form of a duel! And there is no reason why these actions can’t be applied to any sort of business, including a Real Estate business.

Be Positive

Prior to a professional fight, many fighters get into the drama of heckling and insulting their opponent. Similarly we see that same attitude in elections and sometimes business, let’s slam my opponent to make him/her look bad.  Instead focus on the positive, no I don’t mean sway voters to vote for them, or sending clients to the competition by only saying wonderful things about them. Instead stick to the rule: if you have nothing nice to say, don’t say anything at all.

Focus your Tweets on your actions, plans, views, etc. As a fighter, or a politician, or business owner, thank supporters, tell them what your positive impact will be on the community or their lives, generate excitement about how you will bring about a change or about a new product or service, how you can enhance their lives, give them tips on working out, etc. Nobody wants to spend time with ‘Negative Nancy’ but happy positive Tweets filled with relevant valuable information attract more people.

A Day in the Life

People love to see into the day-to-day life of anyone even a little bit famous, and yes as a business owner you can give people a glimmer of what goes in behind the scenes and people will be interested. Our fighter is forced to photograph and video some of his training, his trips, and just spending time with his friends and family. Most people have no idea how much work goes into preparing for a fight, so he gives them an inside view of what he does. I give the same advice to politicians, show people how hard you work to campaign, how many doors you knock on, how many signs you put up; it may seem like boring day to day stuff, but its interesting to those who don’t live that life!

How can this be applied to a Real Estate business? Show people how much work goes into the simple preparations of listing a home. Photos of measuring and the challenges faced, videos of doing the photography or staging; people will be amazed how much work is done behind the scenes. Tweet while you are showing houses to buyers, take photos of a spectacular view or a funny wallpaper. We get so used to the day-to-day process of our business, we forget that buying or selling a home is a very exciting and emotional time for others.

Personality

Most of us have a pretty good one, so showcase it. Show the world why you are different then others out there. Our fighter friend felt like he has to live up to the expectation that he lives and breathes Mixed Martial Arts. We encouraged him to show the world that in reality he is a bookworm, actively focused on politics, economics and biology, while at the same time also a Real Estate investor. The fact that there are other layers to him then just fighting makes him so much more likeable and relatable, people realize they have other topics to discuss with him.

We often get so focused on being professional that our personality does not make it into something public like Twitter. When in fact, showing people you have a humorous side, or a sensitive side will work in your favor. When people realize that you have similar interests to theirs, then you become more human and more relatable. You’re not just a Realtor, or a salesperson; you are someone they can have an intelligent conversation with, someone who can give them advice on a topic other then Real Estate. When you show people who you really are, you build credibility and trust.

So whether you’re getting ready to jump into the octagon, campaigning in the next local election, or promoting your listing, you can make yourself a lot more likeable and interesting to others. Don’t be afraid to break the mold and do things differently then others in your industry, with so much noise on Twitter having an individual style will set you worlds apart from the rest.

One of the easiest things to do when involved in social media is focusing on the number of your Followers, Friends, Fans, etc. It feels like a popularity contest, a metric of your social media success. But is quality better then quantity?

Following someone on Twitter can be viewed as very impersonal, people follow and unfollow on a daily basis; so your number will most definitely fluctuate daily. It may be up one week, and then drop another; don’t let your emotions follow. It is not the end of the world, you are not failing at your social media strategy. Focus instead on the connections you make, how many people are interacting with you? How many people are you engaging in conversation, and are you providing something of value to them?

Facebook is a bit more personal, I’ve literally heard of fights and family feuds triggered by someone ‘unfriending’ someone else. Therefore, think before you remove someone from your Facebook; but on the same note relax if someone removes your from their friend list, some people are very personal and private and just want very close friends to view their life. Don’t compare the quantity of friends you have to that of others, I know many people who have thousands of ‘friends’, yet they only personally know a small handful of them. Again, quality of relationships over quantity of friends.

Don’t pull your hair out when your Followers are dropping, focus on those who are interacting with you and eventually others will want to join the conversation.

The other evening, and by evening I mean late at night when I am smartest to work, I noticed my Facebook news feed being overtaken by a certain individual “checking in” to a variety of places. I’m all for moderated “check ins” whether via Facebook or Four Square, but this person was checking into everywhere!

Within minutes of each other he was checked into Banff, Veradero, Sudbury, Phoenix, Miami, and it went on and on and on! Now unless you’ve somehow acquired a Transported or a Time Travel device, its quite obvious these check ins are fake. I’m not fully sure what he was trying to accomplish, but I was so annoyed with his insincerity that I seriously considered un-friending him on Facebook.

I know, the check ins sound quite minor; but the point is that when your social media posts are obviously not honest, then you lose credibility. Steve Jones, the author of ‘Brand Like a Rock Star’ says, “the blog (or book) doesn’t make you rich, but it is absolutely a currency of credibility. And a valuable one at that.” Whether its a blog, a book, Twitter, Facebook or anything other form of social media, when you post blatant lies its takes away from the entire point of what social media attempts to achieve.

The idea of social media is to develop genuine relationships, which evenutally build trust between you and your audience/followers/fans. When your Facebook is filled with “stuff” that is only there to help you meet a specific goal, your insincerity is pretty offensive to those who are following you. It really annoyed me to have my Facebook news feed full of this persons check ins, when I’d so much rather see what people are actually doing.

The moral of the story is, when developing a social media strategy ensure you genuine and sincere with what you post. What happens on the internet, stays on the internet; so being dishonest can haunt you in future business deals.

(In the end I did not un-friend the offender, I may be able to use him as an example in future blog posts.)