The BVAS Connection» Misc.

What is the ROI of Pinterest?

Megan E. Barber — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 23:17:42 +0000

Facepalm - Image via Wikipedia

“How do I leverage Pinterest for my real estate business?”

The title of this post, as well as the above question is starting to get asked a lot around the real estate marketing circles and social networks I follow. And I must tell you, it makes me cringe to hear it. Many agents are joining this relatively new network, looking increase their marketing reach and hoping it’s the holy grail of lead generation. Frankly I think they are missing the point and purpose of Pinterest, and may be sorely disappointed in the lack of “ROI”.

Just what is Pinterest, some of you may you be asking? Pinterest is an new-ish social network where users can Pin images, putting together a visual collection of things they love, their interests and inspiration, etc., on pin boards users create in their accounts. These pin boards can be related to anything from food to crafts, fashion to home decor. The possibilities are endless.

Personally, I LOVE Pinterest. For me it is a great source of creative inspiration, craft and DIY project ideas, home decor ideas, recipe ideas, and a place that I can daydream by pining images of my dream home or dream vacation spots. For me Pinterest is fun and and inspirational.

Where I believe that people are really going wrong, especially those that want to “leverage Pinterest for their business,” is that marketing and self promotion is not in the spirit of what Pinterest was designed for. Just simply look at #3 on their list of the Pinterest etiquette guidelines:

Avoid Self Promotion

Pinterest is designed to curate and share things you love. If there is a photo or project you’re proud of, pin away! However, try not to use Pinterest purely as a tool for self-promotion.

When embarking on any new social networks, Pinterest or otherwise, my advice is to first explore it and really observe. Get an idea of what this community really is about. Observe how other users are utilizing the network. Then go have fun with it. On Pinterest, you may find that you can create new connections and meet like minded people you never knew before. But don’t have high expectations that it will be a magical source of lead generation.

If you are looking into to Pinterest purely as a way to promote yourselves, your listings and generate your business, then frankly I think you should move along. Pinterest is not exactly the place for you, and I think you will find very little ROI, if that is your main goal. Your time may be best spent elsewhere.

There are certainly ways to use Pinterest and relate it to your real estate business, and you can do so without shameless self promotion. Coming up in a follow-up post, I will show you come creative ways to use Pinterest as it relates to real estate, and show you some examples of those in the real estate industry who are doing it right. Stay tuned!

And if you want to follow me on Pinterest, find me here. You will see that I am definitely not all business all the time.

The Ultimate Guide to Mastering Pinterest for Marketing (hubspot.com)
What Is Pinterest and Why Is Everyone Talking About It? (accesscomptech.wordpress.com)

Megan E. Barber is a Real Estate Virtual Assistant, and owner of Barber Virtual Assisting Solutions. With over 10 years of experience working within the real estate industry, Megan and her team Virtual Assistants provide top notch real estate support services such as marketing, lead follow-up, social media, WordPress websites, and more. Megan E Barber is also the creator and author of The BVAS Connection and VA Mommy.

Happy Holidays from Megan at BVAS! {Video}

Megan E. Barber — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 13:01:22 +0000

Here is a special holiday message from me!

May your days be merry and bright!

Rich Real Estate Agent, Poor Real Estate Agent

Megan E. Barber — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 00:30:53 +0000

via activerain.com

What separates Rich Real Estate Agents from the Poor Real Estate Agents? Check out this awesome infographic and survey from Active Rain. Lots of striking information in this, definitely worth checking out.

Posted via email from megbarberva’s posterous

Monday Motivation {6.20.11}

Megan E. Barber — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 21:15:35 +0000

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Today’s Monday Motivation post will be short but important…

“Duty makes us do things well, but love makes us do them beautifully.”
– Zig Ziglar

Go forth and do the things that you love!

Are You Available 24/7/365?

Megan E. Barber — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 15:47:54 +0000

via activerain.com

Are you available to your clients 24/7/365? Have you tried but burned out? Balance in business and life is a good thing. I run into this in my own business. I’ve had past clients think that because their business is 24/7, mine should be too. No thanks! It really is a good idea to set regular business hours and to set good boundries with your clients.
This is a great post on this from Active Rain. Now go read it!

Posted via email from megbarberva’s posterous

Look At Who’s Certified Virtual Assistant Now!

Megan E. Barber — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 17:34:15 +0000

I don’t normally pat myself on the back, but I was just notified of this today…

I am happy to announce that I recently passed the IVAA Certified Virtual Assistant examination with flying colors and am now considered a Certified Virtual Assistant ( a.k.a. CVA) by the one of the leading VA organizations, the International Virtual Assistants Association.

Happy Independence Day!

Megan E. Barber — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 15:25:49 +0000

: Image via Wikipedia

Just wanted to take a minute to wish all of my American friends, Happy 4th of July! Hope you are all celebrating with lots of BBQs, family, friends and fireworks!

Happy Birthday USA!

Freedom’s natal day is here.
Fire the guns and shout for freedom,
See the flag above unfurled!
Hail the stars and stripes forever,
Dearest flag in all the world.
~Florence A. Jones

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Megan E. Barber — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 13:36:12 +0000

: Image by cobalt123 via Flickr

Just wanted to wish one and all a Happy Saint Patty’s day! One of my favorite holidays where I get to celebrate the fact that I am 1/8 Irish. Guinness for everyone!

Here’s an Irish blessing for ya all-

Like the warmth of the sun
And the light of the day,
May the luck of the Irish
shine bright on your way.

Success Simplified – The FIX or Fire It Method

Megan E. Barber — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 14:08:03 +0000

via agentgenius.com

Excellent post coming straight out of Agent Genius that you must check out. Re-evaluate what is going on in your business model, your life, etc, then Fix it or Fire it and move on! AG rocks!

Posted via web from megbarberva’s posterous

Farewell 2009! Hello 2010!

Megan E. Barber — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 20:51:14 +0000

: Image by Kibondo via Flickr

Just wanted to wish one and all a Happy New Year! Welcome 2010!

2009 was a great year full of fun, milestones, and good things. The most exciting happening of 2009 was the birth of my son. And though last year saw a soft economy that slowed business a bit, I didn’t let that get me down.

Now I am gearing up for a fantastic 2010. Bring it on!!