Don’t “add” Fans, Create them!

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Lets talk about Fanpage Marketing for small businesses, I’m going to more specific and talk about it with Real Estate Agents. Why them? Not only do I have the most experience in the real estate industry, but I’ve yet to see a market more competitive than RE agents. There might be a couple dry cleaners in your town, but there are hundreds if not thousands of real estate agents!

First of all when it comes to Facebook, you have to decide right off the bat if you’re in a “relationship” business or not. That will reflect your marketing efforts on FB, actually that will determine if you’re marketing on FB at all. If the answer is “NO”, then you should stay away from FB and stick to Adwords and Banner Ads.

Here’s the deal with fan pages though, most solo business owners (like real estate agents) have less “Like”s on their pages than “Friends” on their main account. That’s ok, but they are not getting the best use out of FB when they do that. They will spin their wheels trying to convince “Friends” to “Like” their page- but then never really see a return from it, why? because there isn’t anything you can do with a Fan Page that you can’t do with a  personal page.

I used to tell people to start a fan page because then they can talk about business all they want. Now I recommend starting a blog, and posting links to it on your personal wall. It will CREATE fans, not just ADD them.

So what is the point of a fan page? Use it when you have more “fans” than you have “friends”. (This is my unofficial definition of “celebrity”) And thanks to the internet anyone can be the “Celebrity” of your town, industry, or expertise.

But Facebook Fan Pages do not CREATE celebrity and fans, it only REFLECTS it.

Think about Actors, Author’s, and Musicians, They can’t be friends with everyone who like their material, likewise, I’m sure there are artists who make great material, but I don’t want to be friends with. If a musician can get you to “Like” their page, doesn’t mean you truly like their music.

If you’ve been doing business for a long time or you put out great content people enjoy consuming, you might have more fans then friends. I think you can figure it out, its not a good or a bad thing, just a personality thing. Some real estate agents I know have a large social base and do business with a fraction of them, or they have a large presence in an area, but are only friends with a fraction of who they do business with.

But think about your business and your goals and if a “fan page” makes sense. You can alway have one, but know your customers and your audience before investing time, money, and energy on it.

Sean Deminski

Sean is a writer located outside of Philadelphia who reads just a little too much into things. He likes to share his unique perspectives on writing, technology, business, and life. He has been a licensed Real Estate Agent serving the western 'burbs of Philly for 3 years. Among other things he enjoys playing music, craft beer, and conversations involving politics or technology.

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Thinking Small (but not small thinking)

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Thinking small-

Maybe its a personality thing over a business strategy, but something resonates with me when I see an amazing small idea. Don’t get me wrong, I love amazing big ideas- but they are a lot harder to pull off.

The Snuggie vs. The iPad. One is a revolutionary device that beat all odds and opened the door to the future of how we interact with computers in society, the other is a blanket with sleeves- both have made A LOT of money for the people involved

I want to shout out to Pud. I first discovered him by his viral video on YouTube of drumming in his office. Eventually I found out about TinyLetter.com. Which is a stripped down newsletter service for the rest of us. They were just acquired by MailChimp, which I think is huge since I love both services.

I just got an email from him announcing Bellbot.com. It plays a bell when someone goes to your webpage.

Why?

Who cares! The beauty of thinking small means you don’t have to figure it all out now. The programer doesn’t have to guess at every use for it, people will find uses for it. Use it for business (every time you get a sale or a lead) or for fun (every time someone reads this blog post). Or don’t use it at all. It took him 24 hours to make and deploy- he’s not on the street if no one uses it.

This, like TinyLetter, finds opportunity in the details.  Maybe someone doesn’t want to pay for Aweber, or doesn’t need all the design of Mailchimp, TinyLetter meets the need with blazing simplicity.

Its the small ideas that will open the door to changing the world

 

Sean Deminski

Sean is a writer located outside of Philadelphia who reads just a little too much into things. He likes to share his unique perspectives on writing, technology, business, and life. He has been a licensed Real Estate Agent serving the western 'burbs of Philly for 3 years. Among other things he enjoys playing music, craft beer, and conversations involving politics or technology.

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Fictitious Conversation With Mitt Romney (aka How Capitalism Works)

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Sean:  Hey Mitt

Mitt:  Hi Sean

Sean:  So I heard you make a lot of money doing nothing? Like $50,000 a day?

Mitt:  Well $56 thousand something-

Sean:  Can I have some?

Mitt:  Sure, how much do you want?

Sean:  Well, you’re just going to get another $50,000 tomorrow, so how ’bout ten grand?

Mitt:  No Prob

Sean:  Really?

Mitt:  Sure, What do you want to give me thats worth ten grand?

Sean:  I… I don’t really have anything worth ten grand…

Mitt:  Really? You don’t want to give me something or do something thats worth ten grand? Is there something you can pretend is worth ten grand?

Sean:  I have a phone… and its worth ten grand!

Mitt:  Cool! Why is it worth ten grand?

Sean:  What?

Mitt:  Why is it worth five hundred times the cost of another phone?

Sean:  …It used to belong to Abraham Lincoln? I was kinda hoping you’d just give it to me?

Mitt Romney:  Here’s a dollar.
 

Sean Deminski

Sean is a writer located outside of Philadelphia who reads just a little too much into things. He likes to share his unique perspectives on writing, technology, business, and life. He has been a licensed Real Estate Agent serving the western 'burbs of Philly for 3 years. Among other things he enjoys playing music, craft beer, and conversations involving politics or technology.

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Break the rules, but not the law

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Here’s some business/life advice- Break the rules, but not the law!

Sounds good, but let’s look into it too much.

What is the difference between “rules” and “laws”?

Rules aren’t necessary, but we make them anyway. We give ourselves rules, we give others rules, usually made up for whatever reason and we follow them (for whatever reason).

Sometimes rules are fun. In fact, lots of people make up rules for fun. People get together in empty fields with a round object, make up a buch of rules- and then go home feeling better (as if life doesn’t give us enough rules to follow) Isn’t the definition of a game just a list of rules?

Sometimes rules are not fun. You have to have a special degree to earn so much money. Its unwritten, but entirely real, and waiting to be broken. You don’t do anyone a favor by following those rules. You have to break them.

So what is a “Law”?

Laws aren’t fun. “Laws” often become one person forcing their will on another. The difference is that laws are made up, but ARE necessary. Laws are simply rules we all agreed to follow to maintain some civility in our everyday lives.

One way or another, you agreed to follow the law so that in return you can live in a civilized society, your freedom is in direct conflict with the law, but you agreed to give it up- to make your neighborhood a better place.

If I’m waiting to turn left at a traffic light and you decide to run the red light- That’s messed up.

You agreed not to go when the light is red. Now, you’re going- not cool. At one point we all agreed to go when the light is green, and to stop when the light is red- now you’re doing the opposite.

You didn’t just break the law, you lied to me which is why it’s not cool.

Although it is entirely possible to go through a red light (sometimes), you don’t, because you agreed not to.

And you honor your agreements, right?

I feel a matrix coming on… Since I seek out every opportunity to build a matrix, I think I will:

Or at least that’s just how I see it.

Sean Deminski

Sean is a writer located outside of Philadelphia who reads just a little too much into things. He likes to share his unique perspectives on writing, technology, business, and life. He has been a licensed Real Estate Agent serving the western 'burbs of Philly for 3 years. Among other things he enjoys playing music, craft beer, and conversations involving politics or technology.

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Are You Serious?

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Wait, is he serious?

…eh about half

 

I was thinking about the blog while driving yesterday. The term “half serious” came to mind. Despite the obvious contradiction, I loved the way it summed up my perspective on life, sense of humor, and the experience just about anybody who knows me for longer than 15 minutes will have.

So here is the current theme. Maybe it’ll fit, maybe it won’t- we’ll see!

Half Serious

Sean Deminski

Sean is a writer located outside of Philadelphia who reads just a little too much into things. He likes to share his unique perspectives on writing, technology, business, and life. He has been a licensed Real Estate Agent serving the western 'burbs of Philly for 3 years. Among other things he enjoys playing music, craft beer, and conversations involving politics or technology.

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Excitement!

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seandeminski.com

I’m pretty excited about blogging again… well I guess never “stopped” blogging. But I’m excited about blogging on SeanDeminski.com again.

I took some bad advice a while ago from the internet marketing arena and for a bit was convinced that it was much more lucrative to run a ‘theme’ blog over a personal blog. There are two very practical problems with that:

1. You have to constantly blog about one topic

2. Social Media has since become more prominent, which emphasizes “personality”

Of course for some a topical blog works well. Copyblogger is one example that comes to mind. The key is to either LOVE one thing, or have several writers and editors manage the site (as Brian Clark does in this example). Obviously, I like topical blogs, EighthnoteMarketing was a marketing business, but gradually becoming a publishing business (especially since the line between the two are becoming more and more blurred).

As I really nail down the projects I’m committing to, and the ones that I will fold, I’ll update you more on what I’m up to.

But back to the subject, with so many things possible these days with technology, it drives someone like me crazy with options. I didn’t blog on seandeminski.com, because I didn’t know Sean Deminski well enough. For now, despite that lack of knowledge- this blog is keeping me sane.

Sean Deminski

Sean is a writer located outside of Philadelphia who reads just a little too much into things. He likes to share his unique perspectives on writing, technology, business, and life. He has been a licensed Real Estate Agent serving the western 'burbs of Philly for 3 years. Among other things he enjoys playing music, craft beer, and conversations involving politics or technology.

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