by Neil Mathweg | Feb 6, 2017 | Podcast
Creating live videos on Facebook is one of the newest media crazes that it seems like the whole world is jumping aboard. I FEEL IN MY GUT that there are so many possibilities to Facebook LIVE – and I’ve noticed one person in particular who is doing it incredibly well. Shannon Milligan is a person I first met on SnapChat about a year ago and is now doing an amazing live video show on Facebook every week where she gets incredible engagement and is actually building her business through the interactions she’s having there. You can hear Shannon’s first-hand account of what it’s been like to use live videos on Facebook, on this episode.
If you want better engagement, make it about your audience.
One of the things every real estate agent wants from their social media efforts is engagement. When people are interacting, asking questions, giving their feedback, you know you’ve created something that others are finding value in. Shannon’s advice for getting that kind of engagement? Make the things you do about your audience rather than about you or your real estate business. Shannon’s insights into how you can do that in practical ways are worth the time it will take you to listen to this episode, so be sure you listen.
Preparation enables you to make your content about your audience.
One of the most amazing things about what my guest Shannon is doing on her Facebook LIVE show is that she’s built an incredible amount of engagement with her audience. She intentionally plans for the engagement through the preparation she does and the results speak for themselves. Her focus is on finding things her audience actually WANTS to talk about so she is able to make the broadcast about her audience instead of about her. You’ll enjoy hearing what Shannon has to say and how her own vulnerability has fostered a great sense of trust among those who watch her Facebook video show.
You are always going to have people misunderstand you. Keep going anyway.
When Shannon Milligan began doing her Facebook LIVE show she had a family member who didn’t understand what she was doing. Part of Shannon’s show is that she grabs a drink of Rum or Bourbon and sits to chat with her friends via Facebook as they wind down for the day, together. The relative who contacted Shannon was afraid of what people might think about her since she was drinking LIVE on Facebook. Things got a bit testy and Shannon wound up having to block her connection with this relative on FB. Her advice: People are going to misunderstand you but you have to keep going anyway. You’ll hear a lot more from this gutsy gal about what it takes to succeed as a media company that happens to sell real estate, on this episode.
When you are attracting people who are like you, business is easier and more fun.
The main emphasis of the Onion Juice podcast is that we are working to attract people instead of spending all our time and energy chasing them down. My guest on this episode, Shannon Milligan is a pro at doing exactly that. She says that when you are attracting people they tend to be people who are a lot like you – and that makes doing business a lot more fun and everything seems to come easier. If that’s the kind of business you want to build Shannon is a great example for you to follow. You can get to know Shannon – and who knows, you might be a lot like her – on this episode of The Onion Juice Podcast.
Outline of this great episode
- [0:27] My introduction to Shannon Milligan and the Onion Juice podcast.
- [4:02] SnapChat friends who have become colleagues.
- [5:56] What Shannon’s Facebook LIVE show is and how it was born.
- [7:46] How Shannon builds engagement in her videos: make it about THEM.
- [10:57] Tips to help you get ready for your own Facebook LIVE show.
- [12:35] What it takes to go LIVE on Facebook every week.
- [13:46] The impact Shannon’s show has had on her business.
- [18:16] Shannon’s Christmas videos and the impact they had.
- [20:39] Dealing with the haters online.
- [26:12] Shannon’s “School Is Closed” video.
- [32:37] The advice Shannon gives to those who are timid about doing a live video show on Facebook.
Resources & Links mentioned in this episode
Our sponsors: www.KnightBarry.com and www.EasyAgentPro.com/OJ
Text “OJ Notes” to “44222” to get the show notes
Join the Onion Juice – Ideas for Real Estate Agents Facebook Group
Shannon’s Snapchat Code
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by Neil Mathweg | Jan 30, 2017 | Podcast
Real Estate Facebook Ads are a dime a dozen. You can find them with pictures of pretty houses and neighborhoods all the time. But those ads simply DON’T WORK. Do you want to know why? They are too conventional, too “normal.” Sounds like a great opportunity for the Onion Juice tribe to get to work, wouldn’t you say? On this episode, I chat with my buddy Tyler Zey from Easy Agent Pro about how his team uses Facebook Ads – and I’m telling you – the bombs he drops on us to help build a powerful mailing list and get new real estate clients is AMAZING. I know I say this all the time – but you won’t want to miss this one.
Find angles for your real estate FB ads that target your ideal client, then test to see what works.
Facebook Ads are one of the best ways real estate agents can get in front of their ideal audience, but you’ve got to know how to use them effectively. That’s why I brought Tyler Zey onto the show – he TRULY knows how to make FB ads work and he’s on the show this episode to share what he knows. One of the things you’ve got to do is figure out an angle for attracting your ideal clients that is NOT the same old “Get a valuation on your house – click here.” Know what I mean? Tyler gives us some great ideas on this episode, so be sure you listen.
Create an attractive offer for your ideal client and watch the leads come in.
What do your ideal clients need? Do you even know? It’s not the current appraised value of their home. It’s something else – and it’s your job as their next real estate agent to go out there and find out. On this episode of The Onion Juice podcast, Tyler Zey tells us how Facebook Ads can be used to target your ideal clients with the exact kind of offer that they can’t refuse. It might be a PDF download or a closer look at a particular real estate development, but when you get it right – the leads come flowing in. Tyler gives his best tips on this episode.
Choosing the right image for your Facebook Ads makes ALL the difference.
As Tyler Zey and the team at Easy Agent Pro have been working with and tweaking their Facebook Ads they’ve discovered something spectacularly effective – finding just the RIGHT image for your ad makes all the difference. His team created an identical ad where only the images were different, ran them all, and discovered which one outperformed the others. It’s the powerful, eye-catching images that are much more effective at getting leads, even if those images have little to do with the actual ad. Find out how Tyler and his team did it on this episode.
Create a lookalike audience in Facebook Ads to target NEW people who need real estate help.
One of the most powerful functions of the Facebook Ads platform is the creation of lookalike audiences. Don’t know what that is? It’s where you can upload your existing email list of clients and leads into Facebook and it does a couple of powerful things. First, it finds all those people on Facebook and analyzes every action they’ve ever taken on FB, including what they like and follow. Then it searches FB to find OTHER people with similar behaviors, interests, and location and creates ANOTHER list of people you can market to that is similar to your existing list. WOW! That’s a no-brainer when it comes to marketing. And the best part is it doesn’t cost all that much. Find out more on this episode.
Outline of this great episode
- [0:27] My introduction to this great episode with Tyler Zey – and why you need to drink this Onion Juice.
- [3:44] What’s working best when it comes to Facebook Ads.
- [7:50] Using FB Ads to create an email opt-in and lead generation tool.
- [12:31] One recommendation you should try out TODAY to increase conversions.
- [16:45] Using your existing email list to create a “lookalike” audience to target.
- [20:18] Think about your Real Estate Facebook Ads like you would a blog post.
- [23:45] How to target people in new real estate developments.
- [26:01] Does video work just as well as images? What are the risks?
- [27:04] Why you need to take advantage of Facebook Ads NOW, while you can.
Resources & Links mentioned in this episode
Our sponsors: www.KnightBarry.com and www.easyagentpro.com/oj (discount like)
AdEspresso
Facebook Insights Tool
BOOK: Badass Making Users Awesome
Join the Onion Juice – Ideas for Real Estate Agents Facebook Group
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by Neil Mathweg | Jan 23, 2017 | Podcast
If you’ve been on Facebook for any length of time you’ve no-doubt been invited to a number of groups. Have you noticed what happens inside those groups? People interact. People talk about areas of interest they have in common (usually the focus of the group). And relationships and community happen. What might happen to YOUR business if YOU were the one to create that kind of group surrounding what YOU do. Find out what my guest Dustin Brohm is experiencing in his Facebook Group, on this episode.
But I don’t think I’d be able to keep a Facebook Group going.
I hear excuses all the time – and don’t misunderstand, I do get the reasons behind them. But I’ve come to believe that though there are reasons, there are never excuses. If you feel that building a Facebook Group would be beneficial to your brand and business, you have NO excuse for not building it out. On this episode my buddy Dustin and I are chatting about the benefits we’ve been seeing in our FB groups, what we think it’s doing for our brands, and why we simply LOVE the enthusiasm and connection that’s happening. Learn more on this episode.
As long as you’re giving value to your group – you’ll kill it with Facebook groups.
There’s a LOT of reason to start a Facebook Group. But one of the best reasons is the community and authority you’ll build by doing it (OK, that’s two reasons). Here’s what I mean. First – the community: When you get a bunch of people in the same space who love to talk about the same thing a funny thing called “relationships” happens. People start sharing, helping, asking questions, and building good feelings for each other, and when that surrounds you and your brand, it’s nothing but good for you. On the authority piece: Well, I don’t think I’ve got time to explain it here but you can hear it in the midst of this fun conversation, so be sure you listen.
Authority, authority, authority. That’s what you get when you start something.
It’s really a bizarre fact of the way human nature works, but it’s true nonetheless. Whenever you are the one to come up with an idea or start something new – like I did with The Onion Juice Podcast – the people who begin to notice it instantly assume that you are an authority when it comes to those subjects. They just DO! The same thing happens when you start a Facebook Group, even if you’re not the main person putting content into the group. You become the go-to person about the subject you’ve built the group around. All of that is GREAT. But what does it do for your business and brand? Nothing but good. You can hear the full details on this episode.
The conversations that happen in Facebook Groups fuels enthusiasm.
One of the most difficult parts of getting your message out is locating and motivating a group of people who are rabidly interested in what you are all about. In the modern vernacular we often call those people a “tribe.” But I’m here to tell you that Facebook Groups make the tribe building process a TON easier. Dustin Brohm and I chat about the impact Facebook Groups are having on our businesses, without a script, on this episode. It’s a fun conversation you won’t want to miss.
Outline of this great episode
- [0:27] My introduction of my friend Dustin and this episode about Facebook Groups.
- [4:34] Dustin and I start chatting about Facebook groups (without notes!).
- [7:10] Why Facebook Groups are great for creating community (it’s powerful!).
- [12:12] How Dustin has developed Facebook Groups to market rentals, etc.
- [14:20] How Facebook groups and online community change your life.
- [23:05] What Dustin says to the agent who is afraid to start it.
- [26:30] Thing that have happened in Neil’s group that he didn’t expect.
- [30:20] What Dustin does in the Snap Pack group that makes it unique.
- [39:00] Dustin’s idea for Instagram (not his idea, really).
Resources & Links mentioned in this episode
Our sponsors: www.KnightBarry.com and www.EasyAgentPro.com/OJ
Text “OJGroup” to “44222” to get into the Onion Juice Facebook group
www.SearchSaltLake.com – Dustin’s website
The Snap Pack Live Group
Join the Onion Juice – Ideas for Real Estate Agents Facebook Group
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by Neil Mathweg | Jan 16, 2017 | Podcast
If you ask 100 successful agents how to be successful in real estate you’ll probably get at least 50 different answers. That’s because how you work in the business depends on who you are and how you best work with people. But the approach that’s becoming more and more effective as the culture changes is the approach I recommend – focusing on building relationships instead of building a business – and I do that by being a media company that happens to sell real estate. This 70th episode of The Onion Juice podcast is all about your questions and I answer them to help you become successful in your real estate career. Be sure you listen – somebody probably asked the question you’re wondering about. 🙂
How you can BE the show when people are looking for a new home!
One of my listeners wrote me to ask how she should approach her new position. She’s taken a role with a new home builder, working as the sales agent in his new development. Wow! What an opportunity! I think she’s got a perfect chance to actually BE THE SHOW for anyone in town who’s interested in a new home – and there are multiple ways she could pull that off. On this episode, I tell her exactly what I would do as a new home agent to be a success in her situation. You’ll want to hear this – it’s right along the lines of what I’m saying all the time, “Be a media company that happens to sell real estate.”
Don’t be stupid! Focus on relationships more than you focus on real estate and business!
Many real estate agents focus on building their business – and there are definitely business systems and approaches that you need to be intimately acquainted with and able to implement well. But if building your business is your MAIN focus you’re going to miss the boat that our culture is sailing these days. You need to focus on building relationships more than you focus on how to build a successful real estate business. It’s the trust-based relationships you’re able to establish that will build your business, seemingly without effort. I admit it’s the long game but it’s the game that works these days. You’ve got to learn how to do it, so be sure you listen.
People don’t want to engage with your brand, they want to engage with you!
Your business has a brand identity. For sure. But people are not really that interested in engaging with your brand. They want to engage with you – the person behind the brand. The success you’re looking for will come as you get to know people, and more importantly – as people get to know you. They need to see who you are, what your life is like, how trustworthy you are not only in business but as a person. It’s that trust that enables them to feel like they know you enough to do business with you, to refer you, to be excited about helping you as a person. It’s a subtle put powerful mindset shift that every agent in the 21st century has got to learn. If you need a bit more help getting what I’m talking about, listen to this episode.
Should you go on Facebook LIVE on your personal or business account?
One listener to the show asked if she should use her personal or business account when going LIVE on Facebook. I guess you could look at it in two different ways – but the way I look at it has to do with how people in our day are wanting to engage on social. They don’t care all that much about businesses or brands, they care about people. If they feel close to YOU then they are going to feel ready to trust the business you run. So I think you should at least start out going LIVE on your personal account. That’s where you’ll get the most exposure and where you’ll be seen as a person instead of a brand, which is what people want to relate to in the first place. I’ve got more to say about this but saved it for the audio, so be sure you listen to this episode.
Outline of this great episode
- [0:27] My introduction and welcome! Here’s your Juice Bar Q & A!
- [5:21] QUESTION ONE: How can I rock as a new home sales agent, working for a builder?
- [8:18] QUESTION TWO: What do you see coming in the market and how can an agent survive a market crash?
- [11:39] QUESTION THREE: What do you need to get a podcast running, besides good equipment?
- [14:12] QUESTION FOUR: How can I organize and use all the media options to build my media company?
- [17:30] QUESTION FIVE: How can I get help refining my approach when the people I’m around don’t understand being a media company that sells real estate?
- [19:31] QUESTION SIX: How do I know where to share my media content – personal or business profiles?
- [21:14] QUESTION SEVEN: Does the amount of information you share about your family impact your business negatively?
- [23:50] QUESTION EIGHT: What is your most important tool (if you could only choose one)?
- [25:26] QUESTION NINE: Starting over, what would you have done to be more self aware?
- [29:00] QUESTION TEN: How can you do an interview using Facebook Live?
- [30:14] QUESTION ELEVEN: Should I go live on my business or personal pages?
- [31:04] QUESTION TWELVE: What tips, tricks, and tools do you have for building a database?
- [33:22] QUESTION THIRTEEN: What are your best time management strategies?
- [36:20] QUESTION FOURTEEN: How can I choose the right local civic groups to join?
- [37:40] QUESTION FIFTEEN: How do you plan and put out all your content?
Resources & Links mentioned in this episode
Our sponsors: www.KnightBarry.com and www.EasyAgentPro.com/OJ
Text “OJGroup” to “44222” to get in on the Facebook Group
Text “OJNotes” to “44222” to get the show notes for this episode.
Join the Onion Juice – Ideas for Real Estate Agents Facebook Group
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by Neil Mathweg | Jan 2, 2017 | Podcast
Business strategy is powerful ONLY if you implement it consistently. Too many real estate agents are caught up in the shiny object syndrome where they jump from one new thing to another. When you do that you never allow yourself the time to discover if the things you’re doing are truly having an effect on your business. Like any client-oriented business, it’s a numbers game where you have to try something over a long period of time to see if it’s actually working at any level. On this episode of The Onion Juice podcast, I encourage you to build a 3 pillar business plan for your success in 2017 and stick with it over the long haul. I’ve got plenty of tips for how you can build that kind of strategy in this episode, so be sure you listen.
A new year requires a new strategy for your business, are you ready?
Many of the things you’ve been doing to attract customers to your real estate business may be working. That’s great. But the new year is a great time to assess what has NOT been working and make some changes. On this episode I introduce you to my 3 pillar approach to devising a business strategy. I explain each of the 3 pillars and highlight some examples of each of them. Then I unload the great suggestions I received from The Onion Juice Facebook community about what was most successful in terms of business strategy for 2016. I can honestly say, if you don’t get something actionable from this episode it’s not going to be my fault. Find something that fits into YOUR 3 pillared approach and commit to implementing it in the new year.
Sphere of influence, outreach, attraction. Put these 3 pillars into your business strategy.
When I think of business strategy it’s always helpful for me to think in different categories. For me, these three have always been helpful – sphere of influence, outreach, and attraction. Each one focuses on a particular way of interacting with influencers, clients, and potential clients that is a bit different from the others – and THAT enables me to spread a very wide net to build my business. Real estate is never easy, but if you are willing to try something new and think in terms of these 3 pillars, I believe you’ll find it becoming a lot more fun and successful. I’ve got many ideas to share with you on this episode of The Onion Juice podcast so please take the time to listen – for your own increased success.
Are you making the most of your sphere of influence? Here are some ideas you can implement.
You have a sphere of influence. Even if you don’t think you do, you do. It’s those people around you who listen to what you say or look up to you as an influence on their lives. But it’s also the people who impact YOU in those ways, those who YOU look to for advice, wisdom, example, and counsel. The most important question about your sphere of influence is this: How can you leverage each one of those relationships to further your real estate career? It’s not about asking people for lots of things, it’s about building relationships that serve both of you and move your business forward. If you’re curious how to go about doing that I’ve got a great handful of tips for you on this episode.
Personal contact works. There’s no way to get around it (and why would you want to?)
You’ve heard it said before. Heck, I’ve probably said it on this podcast. Real estate is a people business. Practically speaking, that means that personal contact with people has to be part of every real estate agent’s business strategy. You can’t sit in the ivory tower of your office, work on your website, or play around on the computer without connecting with real people. It just won’t move your business forward. When it comes to engaging in personal contact, you can do it in person, on the phone, or via social media – the method doesn’t matter – but there has to be a PERSONAL component of what you do. On this episode, I share ways that members of the Onion Juice Facebook community have been leveraging personal contact to move their businesses forward – and I challenge you to choose one of these proven strategies to add to your 2017 business strategy.
Outline of this great episode
- [0:26] My introduction to the podcast and this episode about business plans.
- [4:44] My upcoming course and how this episode relates to it.
- [7:37] The 3 pillars of a great business plan for the new year.
- [9:06] Why I love a weekly letter from the heart (newsletter).
- [11:03] What are you going to do to chase people (reach out).
- [15:05] Attraction ideas: client events, seminars, host a show (like this), blogging/Facebook pages and groups.
- [16:45] Best strategies from 2016 (from the Facebook group).
Resources & Links mentioned in this episode
Our sponsors: www.KnightBarry.com and www.EasyAgentPro.com/OJ – Get $100 off
Text “OJ Group” to “44222” to find out how to get into the Onion Juice Facebook group
Send me your questions for episode 70 – neilmathweg(at)gmail.com
www.ServiceforLife.com – great newsletter service
The World’s Most Interesting Postcard
www.CoreFact.com
www.SearchSaltLake.com – Dustin’s website
Join the Onion Juice – Ideas for Real Estate Agents Facebook Group
Follow Neil on:
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Leave a rating and review on iTunes
Creating live videos on Facebook is one of the newest media crazes that it seems like the whole world is jumping aboard. I FEEL IN MY GUT that there are so many possibilities to Facebook LIVE – and I’ve noticed one person in particular who is doing it incredibly well. Shannon Milligan is a person I first met on SnapChat about a year ago and is now doing an amazing live video show on Facebook every week where she gets incredible engagement and is actually building her business through the interactions she’s having there. You can hear Shannon’s first-hand account of what it’s been like to use live videos on Facebook, on this episode.
