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How do YOU Use Your Smartphone?

Mobile Internet’s correlation to Social Media

By: Stephen Roesler

With the rise of the smart phone, users are spending more time on the internet.

Let’s be honest, most of us desperately cling to our smart phone. We rarely spend a waking minute without the temptation to fiendishly flip on our phones and check our texts, missed calls or voice mails. Or maybe you’re a weather fanatic, constantly updating the weather app to see if the 10 day forecast in southern California has changed. Believe me, it didn’t. I am THAT weather fanatic. It’s almost impossible to get away from the constant desire to maniacally scroll through the latest facebook posts or to aimlessly scour your tweets. YouTube is not easy to resist either. I mean, auto-tune the news is simply superb.

Recently, a study by Ground Truth revealed that 60% of all mobile internet time was spent on social media sites and applications. Portals are the second most popular category with only 14% of time spent on mobile internet. Observe the statistics below.

Deconstructing the study revealed that social media platforms like MocoSpace and AirG, which are designed for mobile use, maintain higher engagement levels than Facebook and MySpace which were designed for PC access. Thus, Facebook and MySpace are considering ways to improve their chat functionality to mirror the platforms receiving the highest user engagement.

As we consider the shift in hardware use from PC’s to mobile devices, we’ve responded by offering property YouTube videos to our agents. Anytime we receive a new listing, we create a YouTube video. With people spending more time watching video on their phones, this is another way to expose our properties. Our in-house social media team is working to give our agents the needed edge in a changing market.

EwingSIR does not guarantee information contained in this blog, readers are encouraged not to rely solely on this information and to do their own independent research of facts contained herein. Blog information was obtained from independent sources that we do not endorse, and we do not investigate this information for accuracy.

Tags: Mobile Internet's correlation to Social Media, Stephen Roesler

The Arms Race: Battle to the Top

What’s in your digital arsenal?

By: Stephen Roesler

Similar to the buildup of military weapons by the Soviets and U.S. in the mid 20th century, there is a hot pursuit to win the race to the top of Google. Regardless of industry, SEO (search engine optimization) is the name of the game. Embracing a marketing initiative that aims to promote exposure via organic search engine traffic may qualify as an organizations biggest hurdle. The heart of our online marketing efforts revolve around the concept of an online community. Let me explain.

If things are going ’social’ as I’ve advocated in the past, the goal then becomes utilizing our social power in a medium where the majority of people spend an unconscionable amount of time; the internet. Given that 85% of real estate searches begin online, we can assume our community relentlessly searches this diabolical machine named Google, which accounts for 65% of real estate searches alone. Therefore, we need to capture our audience on their terms. What are they looking for? How do they find it? What do they search? How do they think?

Answering these questions requires some research on Adwords and thoughtful website analytics tracking. But, that’s only one aspect of finding a community. Next, providing useful content becomes integral. EwingSIR has taken a unique approach which has doubled our organic traffic. We use a strategy that provides news to micro community’s in attempt to grow participating communities. By publishing online news that remains relevant to specific communities, we cultivate a community based on location. Not only are we highly targeted, we are personal and social. Therefore, we find specific buyers and sellers coming to our site, looking for services we offer. Not only does this community effort add to our arsenal of SEO tools, it builds an online community.

However, choosing to harness one SEO effort will only result in limited exposure. Winning the arms race requires a full scope of social media efforts rooted in a strong SEO crusade. Go forth, soldiers.

EwingSIR does not guarantee information contained in this blog, readers are encouraged not to rely solely on this information and to do their own independent research of facts contained herein. Blog information was obtained from independent sources that we do not endorse, and we do not investigate this information for accuracy.

Tags: Social Media for real estate, Stephen Roesler, top of google

Social Media: I Don’t Want to Know

IRobot: The rise of the Machine

By: Stephen Roesler

I often hear intelligent people saying they want nothing to do with Social Media. Habitually explained as “just another trend,” Social Media is frequently received as another trifling distraction from business. Instead of the desire to embrace, many prefer to remain blind to this social transformation. Whether we don’t have time or remain indifferent, apathy will not eliminate Social Media.

Rather than explain the business implications of ignoring the emerging social networking trends, let’s consider the societal implications of emerging technological forces.

Throughout education we are continually pounded like slabs of meat with one simple message, learn from history. However, if we’ve learned anything it is that humans, in fact, learn very little from these history lessons and that, itself, is a much larger lesson.  Continually, the human experience is full of shock and bewilderment at our social state. Holocaust, genocide, war, poverty; we are relentlessly caught off guard by the forces that have seemingly emerged overnight. Today, it is the rise of the machine.

As our society becomes further dependent on technology, we are forced to compensate with over organization. As a result, more people live subordinate lives as they slave to the rhythmic pulse of Google’s uncouth palpitation. Meanwhile organizations inflate, bureaucracy expands and hierarchy deepens. Before long we have massive sectors of society unaware of the progressing hand of technology and the undeniable change of social condition. Suddenly, people find themselves in places they didn’t want to be, relentlessly engaging in things they never intended to do.

Social Media is fundamentally changing communication. It’s transforming the way we gather knowledge, it’s shaping how we understand our world and it remains an undeniably catalyst for immense social change.

At the hub of this revolution stands the proverbial “Search.” We’ve created algorithms that allow us to scour the collective knowledge of the human race, something that’s never been possible before the Internet. We maintain access to nearly any fact that’s ever been recorded. And we can find it in seconds. We are creating robots that are more accessible and clever than the human mind.  Essentially, we are combining the brightest minds of our current world and pouring those capabilities into one organized system that is capable of hyper intelligence. I am not sure if it’s exciting, fascinating or redoubtable. Whatever it is, Social media is simply one clear way in which our society is progressing. Let’s not ignore where we’re heading.

EwingSIR does not guarantee information contained in this blog, readers are encouraged not to rely solely on this information and to do their own independent research of facts contained herein. Blog information was obtained from independent sources that we do not endorse, and we do not investigate this information for accuracy.

Tags: IRobot, social media, Stephen Roesler

Tweet: A fleeting, unenduring, ephemeral string of words

The staying power of the Tweet; the revival of the funk

By: Stephen Roesler

A facade? A guise? A veneer? Who knows, pick your word.  Generally, a Tweet is short lived and largely ineffectual on a mass scale.  With Twitter receiving roughly 600 tweets per second, it’s no wonder that a Tweet is typically lost in cyberspace.

Generating followers on our Twitter account has proven torpid. However, this week we are testing a new product called Motor Twitter that has increased our follower list by roughly 50%. The system allows us to schedule tweets and repost them automatically. So, instead of a tweet lasting a few seconds before it’s kicked over to the second page, our tweets roll out and catch our followers who don’t spend every waking hour anticipating the next earth shattering tweet.

If the goal is to drive traffic to our website, this is certainly one strong initiative.  Under this system, we capture an extra 1,000 visitors per day. That’s more traffic, more eyeballs and more brainpower.  We like brainpower. Now that we are beginning to accrue more visitors, our marketing team is pondering the purpose of Twitter in the Real Estate world.

It seems we can use twitter a few definite ways:

-> Tweet listings

-> Tweet Real Estate news

-> Use it as a customer forum

We are working on new ideas daily.  Let us know what you think.

EwingSIR does not guarantee information contained in this blog, readers are encouraged not to rely solely on this information and to do their own independent research of facts contained herein. Blog information was obtained from independent sources that we do not endorse, and we do not investigate this information for accuracy.

Tags: social media in real estate, staying power of the Tweet, Stephen Roesler

How Social Media Impacts Global Crisis

By: Stephen Roesler

Yes, the headline suggests another typical article on the troubles of our world and thus runs the risk of perhaps another futile attempt at suggesting a solution to our most politically pressing issues.  Well, it’s worth the gamble.

Let’s examine 3 major events that Social Media affected:

-> Iran Elections

-> Google and China Censorship

-> Earthquake in Haiti

In 2009, “Iran elections” was the most twittered item of the year. In June of 09’, The U.S. State Department asked Twitter to delay the release of a service upgrade to protect the interests of Iranian citizens. This free, fast and highly mobile social media service provides certain demographics with a voice they don’t normally possess. In a sense, it acts as a social equalizer. Twitter delivered published, real time information from distraught Iranian citizens in Farsi and English. It was an ideal platform for mass protest.

Similarly, Google recently threatened China to pull out of the country due to China’s censorship laws. Similar to Iran, Chinese citizens, who are typically oppressed and left without a voice, now maintain ways to articulate opinions with the help of social media tools.

Perhaps most impressive is the impact of social media on Haiti. After a 7.0 earthquake, a slue of tweets and status updates heavily streamed across the web as Google, Skype, GoDaddy, Facebook and other tech giants mobilized. The Red Cross already raised $10 million through their charity text message campaign; Google threw down $1 million, Skype gave each Haitian a $2 voucher that allowed citizens to make 1 hour worth of calls to the U.S.

Although I am not suggesting that political crisis is solved through social media, it does receive more exposure from everyday people, altering the outcome of crisis around the globe.  As we learn new ways to leverage social media, we ought to consider the potential for information dispersion and its effect on global dilemmas.

EwingSIR does not guarantee information contained in this blog, readers are encouraged not to rely solely on this information and to do their own independent research of facts contained herein. Blog information was obtained from independent sources that we do not endorse, and we do not investigate this information for accuracy.

Tags: Earthquake in Haiti, Google and China Censorship, How Social Media Impacts Global Crisis, Iran Elections, Stephen Roesler

Sick of Hearing it?

The benefits of a recession.  For some.

By: Stephen Roesler

The rhetoric about a floundering economy due to faulty loans has been buzzing in the ears of consumers for a little over two years. It’s getting old. Now the sob stories of lost homes and accruing debt seems to be our focus. The housing market is poor, the loan process stinks and banks are shoddy.  Obama, we think, is listening.

While hardship and strife continues among everyday Americans,  Apple recently announced it’s financial results for its fiscal 2010 first quarter. $15.68 billion. It’s Apple’s all time highest quarterly revenue ever posted. Last quarter alone Apple sold 3.36 million computers, 8.7 million iPhones and 21 million iPods.  And these profits come before the launch of the much anticipated iPad.

During a recession, the gap in success between markets can be substantial. The economy bears a contraction in real output and employment which inevitably suppresses or bolsters different sectors of the economy. Taking a glimpse at the Great Depression it’s relevant to note that recessions produce emerging markets. Unneeded markets naturally select. The elevator for example, gained enormous popularity following the crash in 1929. Another notable example is the personal computer which eradicated the need for typewriters.

Currently, we are experiencing similar fluctuations in valuable sectors.   We live in an accelerated time driven by technological trends.  Google knows our online history, where we work and the street we live on.  Facebook knows who we hang out with and even suggests who we should be friends with. Stumbleupon knows our interests, Digg knows our favorite stories, and Flickr see’s our personal photos. Apple, in all their brilliance, knows what we want before we want it.

Today, the online market dominates.  From this recession, consumer technology is expanding quicker than every before. 96% of Gen Y has joined a social network, social media has overtaken porn as the # 1 activity on the web, 1 billion iPod apps were downloaded in 9 months. 80% of companies use LinkedIn as their primary tool to find employees and there are more than 200 million blogs.  As we begin to emerge from the recession, we will soon see the true success of the online revolution.

EwingSIR does not guarantee information contained in this blog, readers are encouraged not to rely solely on this information and to do their own independent research of facts contained herein. Blog information was obtained from independent sources that we do not endorse, and we do not investigate this information for accuracy.

Tags: Apple, Facebook, Great Depression, LinkedIn, Stephen Roesler

The Web of the Future

By: Stephen Roesler

Recently, Mashable published an article regarding 4 web trends to watch in the future.  It was not a despondent foreshadowing like 1984 or another forlorn Brave New World, instead the article predicted some very reasonable trends on the web.  The most important, and thus the reason for this article, is the predicted longevity of social media.

In the last year, Nielson shows that social media usage has increased by 82%.  Consider the online interaction on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook.  Ponder the millions of blogs. What can we deduce?  It’s obvious that we are social creatures seeking relationships, attention and affirmation from others.  The question is, how do we effectively achieve these relationships in today’s world of Smartphone’s, tablets, laptops and the remarkable ability to know what everyone is doing at any given time?  The answer seems to be Social Media.  And it’s here to stay.

This conclusion does no come unfounded.  Sure, it’s clear social media is on the rise, but how will it sustain growth?  Here are a couple reasons why it’s only getting more popular.

Currently, many of us use our Smartphone’s to access the internet when we are aren’t by a computer; we will soon use tablets and other forms of media.  The web will be accessible everywhere.

In 2008, the FCC held an auction for the 700 MHz wireless spectrum that detailed a nationwide Wi-Fi program.  The idea received momentous attention.  To give an example, Google was one of the multi-billion dollar bidders.  In five or ten years, it’s likely that people will scoff at the time when laptops were unable to receive Wi-FI or 4G.  Which brings up an important consideration.  These clunky metal machine’s we lug to work will likely take a back seat to emerging hardware.

T.V’s will allows us to browse the internet and tablets will likely have 3G access.  Many of us access the Internet on our phones more often than computers; 80% of tweets are from mobile devices.  As devices change, we will see more touchscreens and alternatives to the keyboard and mouse.  Already we’ve seen HP’s Wall of Touch and Project Natal.

The emerging interfaces focus on the ease of viewing videos, images and music – all in the name of making social media more accessible.  We are observing the beginnings of a social revolution driven by online networking.  It’s not going away.  Instead, it’s shaping the future of technology.

EwingSIR does not guarantee information contained in this blog, readers are encouraged not to rely solely on this information and to do their own independent research of facts contained herein. Blog information was obtained from independent sources that we do not endorse, and we do not investigate this information for accuracy.

Tags: Mashable, Smartphones, Stephen Roesler, Tablets