From the site description

Easily draw on maps and then share them with friends, completely for Free! Simple enough to be used by children, but powerful enough to be used by GIS professionals – Scribble Maps is the easiest way to draw and share maps with friends.

I have been using this site for creating custom maps for our home tour videos. It is a great way to add your own information to a map and share it with your social networks. You can also download your map for use in other materials.

From the article

Nearly one in five mobile shoppers bought online during the holidays after viewing products in stores, a Pew report says. Even larger percentages of consumers used their mobile devices inside stores to check prices, read product reviews and seek advice from friends before deciding on purchases.

What does it mean that 50% of consumers are now doing their shopping and research on mobile phones? It means that even while you are standing in front of your customer, they are doing their due diligence on your services via a smartphone. That means it is now more important than ever to make sure your mobile strategy is effective.

Basically what you need to know is that, if you aren’t using social media to market yourself, especially Google+ you can kiss your search engine results goodbye. If you want to know how to easily market your business on social networking sites, contact us.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

I created this tutorial for Squidoo.com. You can check out the original here.

Here are some simple tips and tricks to create a great video tour of a house for sale.

Equipment:

I prefer a DSLR that allows you to add a wide angle lens attachment. I personally use a Canon T2i with a stock lens and a .44nm Fisheye adapter.

A tripod that moves smoothly is essential for room pans.

Clean audio is essential. You can pick up a Zoom H4n, H2, or H1 for about $100-$250. Also, buy a lapel mic and extension cable.

For still photos, get an external flash.

Start with a walk through of the house, making sure it is staged correctly. The same rules that apply for an open house apply to a video tour. Get rid of clutter, stow away the pets, make sure the walls are clean and painted, etc… Take note of the areas that you want to highlight in your video.

Take still photos and room pans of everything, even if you are positive that you will never use them. (You never really know) Take shots of every room from multiple angles. Use an external flash facing the ceiling to maximize your lighting, while minimizing ugly shadows. Don’t forget exteriors and local landmarks, if available.

Set up a video conversation in the rooms you want to showcase. The key is to establish a sense of walking through the home using your words. Describe what you see when you walk in the door. And what you would see as you walk through in one pass.

Example: As you walk in the front door, you see the family room to the left… the staircase leads you up to the master bedroom with an in suite bathroom, two smaller bedrooms with another large bathroom… As you come back downstairs, to the right is the large kitchen, which we’ll talk about in a minute… The finished basement has a large laundry room and a hidden storage area…)

Create excitement about the room you want to showcase on camera. Talk about the details and craftsmanship, it’s potential as a room for entertaining.

Talk about the land and surrounding area. Highlight the walk-ability, shopping, dining, etc..

End with a specific “Call to action” with an easy to remember url or phone number. Have a graphic that corresponds to the information.

When editing it all together, overlay the still and room pans over your tour conversation. Create motion in stills with slow zooms and pans. Make a lower third with the address and agent info.

Check out some of our samples here.

When uploading the tour to youtube, include as much detail as possible in the description for better search results.

From the article,

Among popular social marketing channels, user-generated content stands out for driving return on investment: 73% of surveyed CMOs say their companies facilitate customer ratings and reviews; and among those, 59% report average or significant ROI—making ratings and reviews the top social strategy to generate measurable return, according to a report by Bazaarvoice and the CMO Club.

Want to learn some strategies on how to increase your number of ratings and reviews? Contact us.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

We have an exciting deal this month exclusively for Real Estate Agents! All throughout December you can get a MyHomesMedia Hosted Video Home Tour for just $400! Also, you can get a $50 credit towards a future home tour if you recommend someone that does a tour in December. Lets get your house shot while the grass is still green!

For the Holidays coming up, it isn’t too late to set up a group photo session to personalize your corporate cards. We can also help you record a video message to send a more personal message to your client list.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving! And remember, as the holiday shopping season kicks off, be sure to support small businesses in your area.

-MyHomesMedia