talkingDigital

LinkedIn (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

No matter what type of business you’re looking to get into, these days it’s important to have a positive online presence. You never know who’s going to view one of your online profiles, and depending on what they see it could lead to incredible opportunities or it could cost you.

Whether or not you’re currently in the middle of a job search, here are some things that everyone should keep in mind when they’re posting things online. Read the rest of this entry →

Just about everyone has a blog or two these days, so it’s become a greater challenge to get yours noticed. It can be a lot of work keeping up with a blog, it’s time you got the attention you deserve.

With these tips, you can bring new life to your blog and build a buzz around your content. Here’s five tips for how to get your blog noticed.

1. Experiment with new formats

If you fear your blog may have plateaued and you’re not getting as much growth or even traffic as you used to, try something new. Give your blog a new look or try a different platform.

If you’ve mostly just been writing posts, try doing a weekly YouTube video or starting a podcast. Putting your voice out there in different ways will help you reach a larger audience than you would with just one format published to one site.

2. Collaborate

Collaborating with other blogs or setting up partnerships is a great way to expand your audience. Both blogs can benefit by sharing readers and you’ll likely get some great new content out of it.

3. Make your social media efforts count

The rules and behavior for social media are constantly changing, which means you need to be able to change with it. You don’t want to pour all your time and energy into a blog and then share it to social media platforms where your potential readers aren’t even active.

Staying on top of trends and knowing your audience will ensure that your shared content gets seen. The people over at Klout are experts in gauging social media success, and they can give you more tips on how to get the most out of social media.

4. Make your blog easy to follow

Don’t make your readers work to keep up with you. Keep it easy for readers to stay on track with your content by adding a mailing list and links to your social media profiles on the sidebar of your site or at the bottom of each post.

5. Blog about what you love

Above all else, you should be blogging about what you love. Find a new hobby and use your blog to help you explore it. When it’s clear that you’re passionate about the subject, it’s a lot easier for readers to relate to your content and want to interact and share what you’re posting.

Related articles

• Klout – 5 Changes You Need To Know
• Need for Speed: Six Tips to Accelerate Your Enterprise’s Adoption of Collaboration Tools

When it comes to selling your house, there seem to be hundreds of things to take are of. And if it feels that way to you, that’s a good thing, because it means you’ll likely prepare your home for its best showing possible. But what about the real estate listing itself?

Real estate agents and brokers may claim that they are limited to the constraints of their multiple listing service, and perhaps within that system they are, but don’t fall for the notion that all agency websites are the same. Some sites present their real estate listings much better than others. With that in mind, here are five things you’ll want to look for online, when you’re consider which agency to utilize in selling your home!

1. Mapping

When Mapquest and Google Maps made their work publicly accessible, it took a few years for websites and businesses to adopt the new technology. But now mapping is expected in nearly every type of location-based search online. If your real estate listing doesn’t have a map, it’s an extra step your potential buyer needs to take. And in this game, extra steps are bad.

2. Overview

Every listing needs a solid and positively written overview. Check the agency’s other listings. Are they concise, but enthusiastic? Are other houses described as you’d like yours described?

3. Communities

Even buyers without children want to know about the community that they might be moving into. They might want crime information or something as simple as a Walkscore rating, depending on their particular needs and fears.

4. Photos

This goes without saying. Any agency without photos should not be used.

5. Phone numbers

In the era of smartphones, it’s odd that people often resort to email and texting before making a phone call. But when it comes to booking a real estate appointment, phone numbers are vital. If your agency doesn’t have someone handling the phones (ideally your specific agent), then it’s going to miss out on buyers. Especially first-time buyers, who are particularly nervous and need help.

If you’re lucky, you’ll find an experienced agency with a website that serves up all five of these elements and gives you your best chance at selling your property. If your prospective agent doesn’t do these things, ask if he or she can. If the answer is no, move on.

Related articles

• Could you save money by ditching estate agents and selling your own property?
• 5 Myths Buyers and Sellers Have About Working with a Real Estate Agent