September 9th - 2007

The wonderful world of Web 2.0

If you’re just getting comfortable with using the Internet in your business, hang on to your mouse!

If you’re just getting comfortable with using the Internet in your business, hang on to your mouse! The latest buzz in the world of technology – Web 2.0. – is dramatically changing the way people use the Internet. Web 2.0 technologies include a range of Internet-based tools that can help small businesses reach out to existing and potential customers. In real estate, where customer contact is vital to your success, Web 2.0 applications offer plenty of opportunities to grow your business. The REALTOR® EDGE will cover the topic in a series of articles.
 
Essentially, Web 2.0 means the second generation of Web services comprised of everything from blogs and WIKIS to podcasting and social networking on sites like Facebook or YouTube. Unlike Web 1.0 where customers needed to seek out your Web site, Web 2.0 is interactive allowing you to be more proactive in your marketing approaches.
 
Blogging and RSS
Two very popular Web 2.0 applications among REALTORS® are blogs (or Weblogs/ online journals) and RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds. A blog can be a powerful marketing tool for attracting new clients and communicating with current ones. Many REALTORS® already send out regular newsletters to their customer bases, and blogs can be easily adapted into online versions of the same newsletters.
 
As a REALTOR®, your blog might provide tips to homebuyers and sellers, information on market conditions and links to articles on housing trends or other industry news. Another option is to create a blog highlighting your local community, updating readers on events, linking to news stories about the area and so on. In this way, a blog can help you show how knowledgeable you are about your community and how committed you are to your profession.
 
RSS feeds allow you to send news and information to your customers, but they can also help you to stay on top of information related to your business. You can subscribe to receive customized, relevant content on a regular basis, from various Web sites. To start using RSS, you need a special news reader or aggregator that displays RSS content feeds from Web sites you select. There are many different news readers available as desktop software that you download and install on your computer and many are free of charge. When you’ve selected and installed your RSS reader, you can start looking for and subscribing to feeds that interest you. Many feeds start with a pre-installed list of popular sites and over time, you’ll collect feeds on your own as you browse to sites that interest you. There are also sites that can help you find blogs, or RSS feeds including Technorati http://www.technorati.com/, Bloglines Most Popular Feeds http://www.bloglines.com/topblogs, and Feedster http://www.feedster.com/. Each RSS reader has a different method for subscribing to feeds. If you use Outlook for your email, for example, simply right-click the RSS or XML icon, and then click Subscribe. RSS is an easy way for you to be alerted when content that interests you appears on your favourite Web sites. Instead of visiting a particular Web site to browse for new articles and features, RSS automatically tells you when something new has been posted online.
 
REALTORS® are using blogs, RSS feeds, podcasts and WIKIS to enhance their online presence, increase their knowledge, network and contribute. If you are new to the world of Web 2.0, there are many places to learn about it. Check out the following links for more information on Web 2.0 and stay tuned for more ways to use Web 2.0 in your day-to-day business in upcoming articles.
 
Blogs: http://money.cnn.com/2006/01/19/real_estate/blogging_for_real_estate and http://www.rsspieces.com/
 
YouTube: http://blog.ubertor.com/?p=444
 
RSS: http://www.myrealtyfeed.com/
 
Wiki/Real Estate WIKI: http://www.inmanwiki.com/Real-Estate/Main_Page
 
PODcast: http://www.scotiabank.com/cda/content/0,1608,CID10579_LIDen,00.html

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