Author Archive

I was having a discussion today (via comments on a Facebook status) regarding using video in your marketing in 2011, and the topic of “bad” videos came up. Now this isn’t a new concern by any means. Many people avoid using video in fear that having a poorly lit or shaky video will actually hurt their marketing efforts. To this I always say: “What about awful listing photos? Those are posted far too often, but photos are necessary to sell a home.” Now, whether or not … Read More »

The iPad 3G came out last week and a few people I know were waiting to buy until the 3G version came out. I assume this was the case for many buyers. Of course the 3G model has a $14.99 per month service fee for 250MB of data transfer or $29.99 for unlimited transfer. Whats nice though is there is no service contract: “Best of all, there’s no contract. So if you have a business trip or vacation approaching, just sign up for the month … Read More »

Hi, I’m a Mac, and I’m sure this isn’t the first Mac vs. PC debate you’ve read, and I’m sure it wont be the last. However, unlike other debates, I’m not going to sit here and tell you how awesome Mac’s are. Well, maybe I will a little. But, I’m going to go beyond that and tell you why making the switch shouldn’t be a concern. Why cost shouldn’t be a concern. Why and how your life will become easier and more productive because of … Read More »

If you’re been on Twitter.com lately checking out a users profile you may have noticed the new title tags. They used to be “Twitter / ZipvoJames” but in a change that went live yesterday they are now “James Shiner (ZipvoJames) on Twitter” Anyone who knows about search engine optimization knows that this is huge! This move will help get your Twitter profile to the top of the search results when someone searches your name. If my past posts, the recent press, or your friends haven’t … Read More »

In a previous post I talked about using Picnik as a way to create a custom header and background for your ActiveRain blog. This is a great use for Picnik, and really makes your blog stand out. However, there are many other uses for the site. Adding images and photos to your blog posts makes them easier to read, more appealing to the reader, and can even help to illustrate a point or give an example of something. If you’re currently using images in your … Read More »

Video, video, video. It’s the hot topic in real estate these days, and it’s popularity and applications will only increase in 2009. Whether you’re shooting a video tour of a property, a community video, or doing a vlog (video blog), video can help you get your message across in ways text can’t. A future post will cover all the uses for video in real estate, tips for viral video, etc, but todays post is a simple how-to for embedding videos to your blog. Whether you’re … Read More »

Anyone who has designed a website or blog knows how tedious it can be to make sure it is cross browser compatible. You have to test in Internet Explorer 6, 7 and now 8. You have to test in Firefox, Safari, and the list goes on. It can be a daunting task and I know I dread it every time I’m done with the CSS for a site. Well, instead of pulling up Parallels every time I needed to test in Internet Explorer on Windows … Read More »

Are you a part of the largest real estate network? If you’re not, you should be. It’s FREE to join! What are you waiting for!? Join Now! If you are, then you’re already taking the right steps towards success. I am of course talking about ActiveRain. From the site: “Our goal is to ‘Empower the real estate professional‘ and as an extension empower the consumer.” So what does this mean for you, the real estate agent, you might ask? Well let me tell you. ActiveRain … Read More »

Facebook is a phenomenon used by hundreds of millions of users worldwide. According to Facebook.com / comScore — Facebook has over 110 million active users, is the 4th most-trafficked website in the world, and is the most-trafficked social media site in the world. These are staggering numbers for a website that was started by a student at Harvard University and saw most of its early growth from college students. The latter is what turns most people off from using Facebook to market themselves and their … Read More »

There are a number of free tools out there that can help you market yourself and your listings through the use of social media. Whether it’s posting an item on Facebook, blogging on Active Rain, uploading a video to ZIPVO (my employer), or posting a tweet on Twitter, these tools can help you get connected and stay connected with your buyers and associates. If you haven’t heard some or any of the above sites, do not panic. In this series of posts I’m going to … Read More »