Facebook Timeline Roll Out Is Almost Here! Are You Prepared?
10 CommentsOn March 30th, one week from today, Facebook will automatically roll out the timeline update to business pages.
“This means Timeline, the reverse-chronological display of a user’s history on Facebook and other life events, which replaces and combines a user’s Facebook Wall and Profile, will become non-optional.” (http://www.techreviewsource.com)
Don’t panic! If you haven’t made the switch already there is still plenty of time to do so. Facebook has given page administrators the ability to preview their page prior to the roll out. This preview will not become permanent until you hit publish so you can test the waters without the public seeing what you are doing. Important: Once you hit publish you cannot go back to the old layout anymore.
We rolled over Facebook timeline for the Coldwell Banker Real Estate page a few weeks ago. As an avid Facebook user, I was anxious to jump right in to exploring all of the new timeline features and updates. I am pleased with a majority of the new changes. I feel that timeline has humanized brands by enabling them as storytellers and better customer service providers.
I have highlighted some of the key changes to note.
Timeline
Facebook timeline allows a business to go beyond posting updates and media. It provides the ability to share and highlight memorable posts, photos and milestones. The reverse chronological display completes a story from beginning (when a company was founded) up to the present.
The First Post On The Coldwell Banker Timeline Dates Back To1906
Display Update
The most obvious change that one may notice is the new look of the page. The first thing most people notice is the cover photo which takes up the entire top portion of the page. This is your chance to get creative. Keep in mind this is the first thing people will see when they visit your page. Maybe you want to include a photo of your office with everyone standing in front of it or a picture that represents your town/city…have fun with it!
As you can see in the picture below we opted to align our cover photo with the new Value of a Home campaign.
Recognize This Shot From Our New Value Of A Home Commercials?
Your Display To Do’s:
- Choose an image for your logo & cover photo.
- Profile Picture: This picture should be high quality, well every photo you post should be, but this one is extra important! This image should scale from 180 x 180 to 32 x 32 pixels (this will be your thumbnail image)
- Cover Photo: This will take up the entire top portion of your fan page. The cover photo is 851 x 315 pixels. *Note: Before choosing your cover photo be sure to read the Facebook cover photo policies. Some of the restrictions include: no calls to action, company information (this includes website/contact info), or pricing information.
- Arrange the top of your page: From Facebook: from Facebook: “Photos, likes and apps are now at the top of your Page. Photos show in the first spot, but you can change the order of everything else so people see what matters most. You can show a maximum number of 12 apps, so make sure to put your most important ones first.”
Wall Update
The next major change you will notice is the new look of the wall.
While the ability to post a status, photo or question remains the same the new addition to be aware of is the ability to add a milestone:
Call Attention To Important Events By Marking Them As Milestones
A milestone adds an important event to your timeline. This includes the name of the event, location, date, story and the option to include a photo.
What milestones are important to you? For an agent, adding the year they received their real estate license, the date of their first sale and when they joined the company are all important milestones that one may wish to add to their timeline. Remember, you are telling a story, make it personal and fun!
New Update Addition: Highlight and Anchor Posts
You may be wondering…What is that star/pencil button I am seeing on the status update bar?
Good question! These two buttons are really cool!
A fantastic new addition to business pages is the ability to “star” a post. By clicking the star button you have the ability to expand horizontally allowing for important updates to pop.
The pencil bottom is also important. By clicking this button you can “pin” (anchor) a post to the top of your page for up to 7 days. This feature ensures that important posts will not be pushed down on your timeline every time you enter a new update. This button also allows the user to change the date of the post, hide it or delete it.
Admin changes
The new admin panel organizes all your notifications, new likes and insights into an organized format. The most important part of the admin panel to note is the new messages section which gives users and administrators the ability to have a private conversation, similar to direct message on twitter.
I hope that this overview has been helpful. I would be happy to help with any questions about the Facebook timeline roll out that you have. If you have a question please leave it in the comments section.
Vick Dyer…Mission Gen Blue: Complete
Beautiful NOLA themed gift basket from Coldwell Banker TEC Realtors
After two weeks of riding over 700 miles, Vick Dyer successfully completed his mission of riding his bicycle from Knoxville, TN to The Generation Blue Experience.
In addition to completing this amazing journey, Vick conducted his business 100% paperless while he was away from his home office, Coldwell Banker Wallace & Wallace. Vick spoke with other Coldwell Banker offices, on the way to New Orleans, about the importance of going paperless as well as utilizing technology and social media.
When he arrived in New Orleans he was greeted with a beautiful welcome basket from the Coldwell Banker TEC Realtors office in Slidell, LA.
Vick did a fantastic job kicking off the Gen Blue Experience by hyping up the crowd as he rode across the main stage.Congrats once again Vick. You did a great job!
Check out Vick’s summary video of his adventure to Gen Blue:
A Yummy Lesson on What Realtors Can Learn from Cafe Du Monde- Efficiency in the Big Easy
Guest Blog Post from our good friend Sean Carpenter
Sean is the Director of Agent Development- Ohio NRT Companies - Coldwell Banker Kind Thompson, Coldwell Banker West Shell and a really cool guy!
I recently spent some time in The Big Easy – New Orleans, Louisiana. I went down to The Crescent City for the Coldwell Banker Generation Blue Experience.
Gen Blue is a gathering of agents, managers, brokers, owners, leadership and staff from all over the globe coming together to share, learn, engage and enjoy being away from work for a few days. For anyone who’s ever been to New Orleans before, you know that there are a few things you can count on in that city. Great music, great night life and great food.
We heard wonderful jazz bands throughout the famous French Quarter, we enjoyed dueling pianos at Pat O’Briens and even enjoyed some of our friends on the karaoke stage (although they will claim that it must have been “someone else” we saw). The nightlife should really be called “Early Morning Life” because it’s hard to head home from Bourbon Street before midnight and even if you do decide to head back early, there are so many other fun spots and hotel lounges that you might be enticed to have “just one more.”
And as for great food? As they say in cajun country, “Oh lawd, child.” Crab meat, oysters, crawfish, gumbo, jumbalaya, fresh fish, andouille sausage and everything else that could tempt you is available. I’m pretty sure you could eat at a different restaurant in New Orleans each night and never eat at the same place twice all year.
You Ain’t Been to New Orleans if You Haven’t Had Beignets
Cafe Du Monde
I waited until my last day to visit the world famous Cafe Du Monde. This little “French Market Coffee Stand” may be considered a “tourist trap” by some but if I could be trapped eating warm beignets all day, lock me up and toss away the key. Beignets are little square pieces of dough, deep fried and tossed in powdered sugar. They are served in orders of three, which could seem like a lot until you savor your last bite of the third beignet and subconsciously wish you would have ordered more. I don’t know…maybe that’s just me?
My friend and fellow Realtor Chris Nichols from Utah had recently been to New Orleans for some business and highly recommended that I not only swing by Cafe Du Monde for some beignets but also visit the side of the establishment and look at the system that they use to deliver these tasty treats to their customers.
There is something to be learned from the simple efficiency of this place.
As you can see from the video above, the system is quite simple.
First, there isn’t a huge menu – it’s pretty much beignets, coffee and sodas.
Remember – most of you reading this are Realtors. You assist people with their real estate needs helping them make good decisions.
You work with Buyers. You work with Sellers. It’s really pretty simple.
You can sit down and enjoy your beignets and coffee at a table or you can go around back (and avoid the huge line on Decatur Street) and approach the carry out window. This is where I met my friend Tony, who was randomly approaching people in line to take their order, thereby keeping the patrons happy and easing the congestion and wait time.
How do you help create ways to save your client’s time? Are you delivering pre-listing packets before each and every listing opportunity? Do you arrange for a Buyer Counseling Session before showing Buyers houses so you’re not wasting their time (or yours) looking at houses that don’t fit their needs?
Do you seek out your clients and customers, anticipating their needs before they realize what they are?
Cafe Du Monde is a “cash only” location. Sure, many tourists don’t carry cash and that could make it inconvenient for some but this does make it easy to keep the line moving. It also allows hard workers like my friend Tony to grab orders, deliver warm beignets and hot coffee (or cold sodas) and quickly make change for his customers, some of whom might just tell him to “keep the change.” When your paycheck (and tipped income) depends on not only the quality of the product but the speed and quality of the service, efficiency can be worth plenty.
Do your clients see you “hustle”? Do you reach out for the business or are you more content to sit back and wait for it to come to you?
Waiting for fresh beignets
You also may have noticed in the video that there wasn’t a whole lot of “cooks in the kitchen.” When the “recipe” is kept pretty simple, you don’t need a lot of people to get in the way of the process. Two guys working the dough side, two guys working the fryers and a few more working the “line” between the cooks and the servers.
As you look at your business, what type of efficiencies have you built in to your daily routines to keep it simple? Is it repeatable every day for every task or do you make it up as you go? Who is on your “service line” from start to finish?
I understand that each and every client is different and their deals depend on numerous factors (many of which are beyond your control such as bank deals, inspection issues and title work) but when it comes to your daily routine – how many steps do you have in place to insure that the beignets get into the hands of the customer while they are still warm?
Find ways in 2012 and beyond to deliver the products and services people are asking for with the least amount of hassle, wait and confusion. If you can do that consistently, anything else you can do to build relationships, solve problems and have fun with your customers and clients is just powdered sugar on top.
Take it from me and the great folks at Cafe Du Monde – keep it simple in 2012 and “let the good times roll.” Or, as they say in the Big Easy…”laissez le bon temps rouler.”
Head over to Carp’s Corner to read more on tools, tips, and techniques that will help build your real estate business from Sean Carpenter.
Introducing the Gen Blue Social Media Squad!
Did you know that in the last 30 days the Generation Blue Experience Twitter hashtag #GenBlue was used over 200 times? Not bad considering the conference hasn’t even started yet! One of the major reasons that the Gen Blue conversation on Facebook, Twitter and other social media outlets has been buzzing is due to an amazing group of social media stars now known as The Gen Blue Social Squad. These individuals have made the Coldwell Banker brand and Generation Blue Experience part of their daily conversations with their networks which include over 100,000 people.
The people who have been selected as members of the Gen Blue Social Squad are Coldwell Banker enthusiasts. Think of them as our version of those Apple diehards who are the first in line at the Apple store anytime there is new iPhone, iPad or i-anything. They then tweet, blog and share their passion for all things Apple.
Well, our group does the same for Coldwell Banker. In my first two months at Coldwell Banker I’ve been amazed at the amount of social media activity these leaders produce. While there are others, I know you are going to enjoy their dispatches from New Orleans. To a person, they understand the value of the Coldwell Banker brand and love using social media to share news, tips and advice all while having fun.
The goal for the Social Squad is to help capture and enhance the Gen Blue experience for both attendees and those who are unable to make it. They will be tweeting, blogging, facebooking,(yes, that is now an acceptable word) sharing videos and pictures and even recommending places to visit on Foursquare during the conference. Please be sure to follow them!
Christophe Choo @Christophechoo
Colby Culbertson @colbyculbertson
David Marine @David_Marine
Debra Trappen @Debra11
Dylan Keunig @DylantheRealtor
Julia Stander @juliastander
Linda Aaron @Skynnard
Lindsay Listanski @LListanski/@Coldwellbnkr
Matthew Case @MattCase
Matthew Rathbun @mattrathbun
Michael Ackerman @m_ackerman
Mike Bowler @Mirealestate
Sean Carpenter @SeanCarp
Start following them now, so come next week you’ll get the full dose of Gen Blue! Of course, we hope you will join the fun. Get ready to share on Facebook, YouTube, and, of course, get your 140-character thoughts going on Twitter using #GenBlue!
Vick Dyer’s Wild Ride to Gen Blue Part 3
A week has passed and Vick Dyer has already traveled over 500 miles on his journey to Gen Blue in New Orleans, only 200 more to go! Just as he predicted, this journey has been quite similar to his experience working in the real estate industry as it has taken creativity, focus, planning and determination.
Vick had the pleasure of meeting new friends at Coldwell Banker Preferred Properties in Birmingham, AL where he was welcomed with bananas, power bars, graham crackers, a big bag of candy, and water. They even had a banner for him.
Vick at Coldwell Banker Preferred Properties
While at Coldwell Banker Preferred Properties he spoke about the amazing evolution of technology and its effect on the real estate industry. They reminisced about the “old days” with listing cards and MLS books. They all agreed how truly amazing the power of the smart phone is and how much business has changed, for the better, with technology. “Everything you need is right in the palm of your hand when you have a smart phone” said Vick as he explained how he has conducted all of his business while on the journey completely paperless!
As he got ready to leave he left the group with one last thought, “I am so excited for the Generation Blue Experience so that I can continue to learn what tools, technology and training I need to be successful in today’s market as well as the future.”
After riding for five days Vick took a quick stop at McWane SciTech Museum in Birmingham, AL for a fun ride on a bicycle unlike any that he seen ever had before.
As day five ended he arrived at his final destination, Embassy Suites in Birmingham, AL, where it looks like he forgot he wasn’t on the road anymore. Wonder what the people in the lobby thought?
Vick has gotten fantastic support from the Coldwell Banker network and appreciates all of the encouragement! He does have one request though… “If you have any pull with Mother Nature, ask her to turn off the head wind machine.”
We wish Vick the best of luck on the rest of his journey! To keep up with Vick Dyer in real time check out his blog Tennessee Share the Road.
The #Swaggagurlz are Ready for Gen Blue…Are You?
The CB Bain #swaggagurlz, aka Debra Trappen and Linda Aaron, are DEFINITELY Gen Blue and have a special message for you!
Special thanks to both of them for this fantastic video! We look forward to seeing Debra, Linda and the rest of the Gen Blue crew next week in The Big Easy!
South Beach Meets New Orleans – Join us for the Gen Blue Closing Night Party!
What better way to cap off this year’s Gen Blue Experience than with a free closing night party with two great music acts, open bar, gourmet food with that undeniable southern flavor held at one of New Orleans’ classic venues and hosted by Miami’s New Wave Group!! South Beach meets New Orleans.
On Friday, March 2nd, after the closing general session ends at 6pm, we’ll be walking straight over to one of the Big Easy’s coolest venues, “Generations Hall” where we’ll be partying from 6:30pm-9:30pm; leaving you with plenty of time to go out and explore more of New Orleans and Bourbon Street afterwards.
We’ve booked the entire venue just for our closing night party! In one room we’ll have X Factor standout contestant Brendan O’Hara and his 7 piece live band with horn section playing everything from The Beatles and Jay-Z to The Rolling Stones and The Black Eyed Peas. Meanwhile, in another room we’ll also have one of Miami’s best known DJs, Producers and turntablists DJ Immortal, who’ll be playing everything from Top 40 hits, to Miami style music on over to the best songs from classic artists of the 70s, 80s and 90s. For those who want to take a breather from dancing all night, we’ll also have another room opened up with some smooth lounge music playing for you to kick back and relax for a bit.
We’ll be serving an array of amazingly tasty authentic New Orleans style cuisine. We’ll set up various “stations” throughout Generations Hall for you to grab whatever you want. We’ll have the following food stations up for your enjoyment:
- New Orleans Classic
- Southern Soup and Salad
- New Orleans Flavors
- Raw Bar
- Southern Sliders
- Louisiana Tradition
- Something Sweet
- Classic New Orleans Dessert with a Twist
And feel free to wash it down with whatever you like as we’ll have an open bar available to everyone in attendance.
We’ve been working hard over the past few months to put together an “experience” as opposed to a conference and we expect this year’s Gen Blue to be one of the best experiences any company in any industry will put on in 2012. We’ll work hard during the week but we’ll play hard as well. Come on by and catch up with old friends over dinner and drinks, meet some new ones on the dance floor and let’s all celebrate and wish each other well for the rest of 2012. Cheers!
The Gen Blue Guru Bar
Come to the Gen Blue Guru Bar
In 2011 we did away with the traditional big brand booth where traditionally you quickly browsed through never to return again and instead offered Gen Blue Spa Treatments where you could get one on one consultation by appointment on a variety of topics.
For the 2012 Coldwell Banker Generation Blue Experience we’re taking things a bit further and introducing the Gen Blue Guru Bar. Wait until you see this setup. Potentially the coolest real estate trade show setup you’ve come across and we’re not just good looks either. We’ve got the content to back it up. At the Gen Blue Guru Bar, there are no appointments. Just belly up to the bar and network with our “gurus” on a full spectrum of topics. You can even collaborate with your fellow attendees who might be asking the same questions you hoped to.
The Gen Blue Guru Bar will be open at the same times as the trade show which is 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on 3/1 and 3/2. The Gen Blue Guru Bar is broken out into four main sections: Promote Myself, Get Listings, Sell Listings & Grow My Business. Check out the full list of topics below. Then plan to stop by for a dose of info topped off with a shot of fun:
Get Listings
- Making Social Media Work for You - Learn how to be the ultimate social butterfly! Leverage a variety of social media platforms and apps to effectively generate new leads and build your personal brand.
- Move Up to Luxury - Coldwell Banker Previews International® offers eligible agents the tools and skills you need to build your business as the agent of choice for affluent buyers and sellers. Certified agents enjoy exclusive marketing products, publication discounts, inclusion on coldwellbankerpreviews.com and listing distribution to targeted web partners– all designed to deliver sophisticated impressions.
- Creating a Stellar Listing Marketing Plan - What is your plan? Get advice on how to use Listing videos, Listing Presentations (iPad and PPT), Technology tools, and Listing distribution to make you shine.
- Skill Development Blue View - Want to improve your prospecting and eMarketing? Find out how Coldwell Banker University’s BlueView portal can give you the tools to improve!
Sell Listings
- Aligning Listing to Market - Ask experts and get the tools to make your listings resonate and advise sellers on how to properly position their property for sale.
- Leveraging Online Platforms - iPads and mobile and websites, oh my! Gain clarity on how to make digital platforms beyond the .coms work for you.
- Targeted Listing Promotion - Whether you prospecting or marketing a new listing, using the right tool can make your job much easier. Find everything you need here!
- Skill Development Blue View - Graduate with a Masters in Staging, Overcoming Objections and effective Negotiations from Coldwell Banker University by using the BlueView portal.
Promote Myself
- Differentiate Yourself with Video - Smile, you’re on camera! Find out the best practices for video creation and how to share.
- Effective Profile Pages - Get noticed by over 2 million monthly visitors on coldwellbanker.com. Learn how to put yourself in the best light.
- Personal Marketing - The buyer is not just buying a home, they’re buying you! Get tips on how to best market yourself with help from brand tools like the eMarketing newsletter.
- Skill Development Blue View - Get a 4.0 from Coldwell Banker University in social media and personal marketing with help from the BlueView portal.
Grow My Business
- Capture and Convert Leads - Speak to experts to find out the best tools to get leads and convert them to sales using the LeadRouter system.
- Talent Attraction - Discover which brand tools are available to help you attract the best talent out there.
- Planning for Future Success - Look down the road and find out how to continue your path of success or transition your business.
- Managing Broker Academy - Head to the top of the class and find out how Coldwell Banker University’s MBA portal can help you with Business Planning and increasing office productivity.
Coldwell Banker Brokers of the Valley in Napa Valley, California is “Walking” to Gen Blue!
In an effort to promote team unity, healthy living and Generation Blue excitement, the Coldwell Banker Brokers of the Valley team made the decision to walk, yes you read that correctly WALK, to the Generation Blue experience in New Orleans.
The team of 65 agents and staff enjoy a variety of exercises each week which they convert into “walking” miles to help them “virtually walk” to New Orleans and eventually across America!! Some of their favorite activities include biking, swimming and hiking.
“We wanted to promote exercise and a healthy lifestyle while having fun as a team and accomplishing something together!” said Logan Songer, Coldwell Banker Brokers of the Valley Company Support Manager.
Since November 1st, their departure date, the group has been mapping their virtual walk with a plan to land in the Big Easy for the Generation Blue Experience just in time for the opening ceremonies, where 25 of the company’s agents will attend. Along the way, they have been “meeting up” with other Coldwell Banker offices across the country to network and remind everyone that Coldwell Banker is everywhere!
After Generation Blue, the team will be heading to their final destination on their walk across America- Parsippany, New Jersey, where Coldwell Banker HQ is located.
Check out their team starting their walk to New Orleans!
Map of their progress across America
Best of luck on the final weeks of your walk, Brokers of the Valley, we will see you at Gen Blue!
Vick Dyer’s Wild Ride to Gen Blue Part 2
Vick Dyer departed on his 700 mile trip to Gen Blue Monday, February 13th.C
On Monday, February 13th, Vick Dyer was surrounded by supporters at his home office, Coldwell Banker Wallace & Wallace, Knoxville, TN. The office parking lot was flooded with cheering fans holding up handmade posters showing their support. After a special good luck call from Coldwell Banker Real Estate Chief Operating Officer, Budge Huskey, he was on his way!
As he departed, well wishes from his Gen Blue family and friends took over the Coldwell Banker brand Facebook page and Gen Blue blog post about his ride to NOLA.
Over the past three days, Vick traveled nearly 200 miles and has been writing about his adventure on his blog Tennessee Share The Road. Be sure to follow it to get the latest updates on his amazing journey to the 2012 Generation Blue Experience! Warning some of his snacks and breakfast pictures will surely make your stomach growl! Yum!
Day One, and 25 Miles into his journey, Vick greets us from The Tellico Dam
His next stop was Athens, TN “The Friendly City”
Vick had the pleasure of visiting the Coldwell Banker Hamilton & Associates office in Cleveland, TN.
When he arrived he was surprised with a lunch they prepared for him. Vick enjoyed chicken soup, fruit cups, and Hersey kisses! How nice!
Vick talked technology with his new friends at Coldwell Banker Pryor Realty in Chattanooga, TN
Stay tuned! More to come on this amazing Gen Blue journey! Vick Dyer is Gen Blue…Are You?
- Facebook Timeline Roll Out Is Almost Here! Are You Prepared?
- Vick Dyer…Mission Gen Blue: Complete
- A Yummy Lesson on What Realtors Can Learn from Cafe Du Monde- Efficiency in the Big Easy
- Introducing the Gen Blue Social Media Squad!
- Vick Dyer’s Wild Ride to Gen Blue Part 3
- The #Swaggagurlz are Ready for Gen Blue…Are You?
- South Beach Meets New Orleans – Join us for the Gen Blue Closing Night Party!
- The Gen Blue Guru Bar
- Coldwell Banker Brokers of the Valley in Napa Valley, California is “Walking” to Gen Blue!
- Vick Dyer’s Wild Ride to Gen Blue Part 2