We were recently given the opportunity to speak at two Social Media classes held at the Home Builders Association of St. Louis & Eastern Missouri. As a service for their members, the four-part June Social Media Series set out to educate attendees on some of the hottest topics. Kolbeco embraced the opportunity to encourage and empower local businesses in their social media efforts. It’s such a powerful tool for businesses to harness and incorporate into their marketing plans.
Scott Kolbe kicked off the four part series on June 6th with a discussion of Twitter. He gave attendees a brief explanation of Twitter basics and then discussed how to use it effectively as a business. Not all businesses can devote one staff member to cover social media full-time, so it’s important to know you are getting the most out of your investment. Scott discussed some great tools to help monitor Twitter and even included some engagement ideas geared specifically to St. Louis home builders. 
Cory Sielfleisch and I took the ‘stage’ on June 13th. We were asked to present on emerging trends in the ever-changing, ever-growing world of social media. Specifically, the Association sought information on Pinterest, Google+ and Four Square. As a self-professed Pinterest Addict, I welcomed the opportunity to gush about my obsession. Talk about Pinterest with a room full of people? Yes please! Pinterest packs some pretty impressive statistics and I always love seeing peoples’ wheels start turning as they realize the potential in social media. I covered Pinterest 101, from the scoop on getting an invite to how to pin and repin. I also offered up tips for getting the most out of your Pinterest time and thoughts on what pins would be popular and DRIVE TRAFFIC for home builders.
Cory gave a great presentation on Google+ and Four Square. Google+ is such an intricate system. It has a lot of potential, but it’s still a bit early to make long-term predictions on where it will go. In the meantime, he made several suggestions to help the businesses get their feet wet without devoting hours into +1’ing and setting up circles. It’s important to use the social media that your CUSTOMERS are using, and right now, we’re seeing higher engagement with a larger audience on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.
Cory wrapped up the presentation with some thoughts on Four Square and how it could be utilized in the home building industry. There is SO much potential here – Creating check-ins and encouraging interaction with your agents and homeowners. Brilliant! I saw several members download the app on their smart phones at the presentation and check in at the HBA. That’s the power of social media!
I hope that the members took one very important point away from both of the presentations – be STRATEGIC about your social media efforts. Have a plan, discuss how you will measure success and decide who is the best person to actively engage others.
If you’re interested in having Kolbeco speak at one of your upcoming events, please don’t hesitate to ask!
