Author Archive

Jannae Mitton Jolibois makes a splash with Ticor Title in the Harbor!

sweetmd | May 3rd, 2010 | 9 Comments »

Ticor Title is happy to see Jannae Mitton Jolobois in the Harbor, and we think you will be too! Jannae brings many years of experience as a title and escrow representative in the Gig Harbor Real Estate Market and we are pleased to announce that she is a part of our team. On location at the marina in Gig Harbor, Jannae and Ryan Kalalau clear the record on how to properly pronounce her surname as well as the name of her employer, Ticor Title. Also, don’t miss the the surprise end as Jannae tops off the announcement by going all in!!

Contact Jannae:
253-686-1976
jannae.mittonjolibois@ticortitle.com

Order Title & Escrow Here

Social Media Demographics – Strategic Knowledge!

sweetmd | April 19th, 2010 | No Comments »

Understanding the demographics of the top social networks is very important when formulating our social media strategies.

Have you ever wondered which social networks have the greatest percentage of users with a bachelor’s degree?  Would you like to engage on a network that has a high percentage of users earning over $100k?  Would it be helpful to you if you knew which social network has a high percentage of college educated male users?  If you answered yes, yes, and yes, than read on….

Click the image for a full size image Flowtown's social media demographic chart.

Social networks are all about engagement with people on those networks, right?  And we believe there’s some truth to the old saying, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.”, right?  Well Flowtown put together a nice set of graphs that puts into numbers and percentages what we intuitively know about the ‘who’ on the most prominent social networks.

So as we formulate our social media strategies, doesn’t it make sense for us to take into consideration the demographics of the networks we participate in?  For example, if I’m a Real Estate agent who is targeting buyers in their late 20’s to mid 30’s , my time will be better spent on Digg, StumbleUpon, Reddit, Twitter, and Facebook.  On the contrary, only 12% of the users on MySpace are between the ages of 25-34.  If I’m someone that deals mainly in high end properties, I’m likely to find more qualified buyers in the LinkedIn community which has a higher percentage of users with a earning over $100k.

Knowing your audience is the first step in formulating what to present  and how to present it!

Cheers!
Matt Sweet
Ticor Title
@sweetmd

How to get a Facebook Fan Page Custom URL

sweetmd | April 16th, 2010 | No Comments »

Last year Facebook began allowing users to set custom URLs or web addresses for their fan pages.  This is a great feature because it allows us to promote our fan page address in plain english.  Instead of having an address that has a hundred random characters in it that nobody could remember, we have a nice and tidy URL that is much more memorable.  And in our case it is the same as our Twitter address and ‘mothership’ website.

Our Old Facebook URL looked something like this:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/My-Super-Long-Fan-Page-Address/335531722729?ref=not-memorable

Our new Custom Facebook URL is much shorter and easier to remember:
http://facebook.com/myticor

Ticor’s Twitter account
http://twitter.com/myticor

Ticor Title Northwest Mothership Website
http://myticor.com

With ‘myticor’ in each address, we have congruency among our website and social accounts which reinforces our brand.

So how did we set our custom URL for facebook? Here’s a video to explain how we did it.

!NOTE: once you set your custom URL for your fan page, it can not be changed! So have fun, but plan carefully!

Cheers!
Matt Sweet
Ticor Title
@sweetmd

My Top 5 Takeaways from RE BarCamp Seattle #REBCSEA

sweetmd | March 25th, 2010 | No Comments »
REBCSEA
In anticipation for the RE BarCamp in Seattle last Friday, I had high expectations.  I expected to be challenged, to learn new things, to meet new people, and to be inspired.  I have to say that all of my expectations were met or exceeded.  And each of the discussion group leaders came across in a fun, honest, open, and refreshingly humble manner.
There was so much knowledge being dropped in such a short amount of time from high-caliber people, It was a challenge to take it all in.  So as a breadcrumb trail for myself and others, I tweeted like a song bird and tagged it all with the hash-tag du jour #REBCSEA.  Looking back through the tweets, I’m smiling and remembering a very fun day.  And much more than what I learned, I am most happy about the connections I made and conversations I had with so many great people.
Here are my top 5 takeaways from last week’s event:
1.  There is still great opportunity to leverage video to stand out in niche markets.  It’s a land grab of sorts.  The hilarious guys at Think Big Work Small shared a plethora of ideas for anyone in any industry who chooses to board the video train.  But the importance of editing and  always providing either value, entertainment, or enrichment stood out to me as being paramount.
Tweet
2.  Getting an iPhone is one of the best decisions I have ever made for my business.  This may sound hyperbolic but as a marketer for a title and escrow company, I’m in a relationship building business.  And the iPhone has made it so much easier to listen, produce and share content, and keep in touch with a broader range of people via social networks.
Tweet
3.  Facebook just surpassed Google as the most visited site.  Fan pages are all the rage. And Mike Mueller is a Facebook Fanpage Ninja.  If you want great info on how to make your fanpage a success, check out his website for some great info.  http://areweconnected.com/facebook/
Tweet
4.  Twitter is best when there’s a balanced mix of speaking, listening, and conversation.  There are real people behind those tweets, and if you take the time to engage, great things can happen.  Reggie Nicolay shared a great tip:
Tweet
5.  It’s all about people.  In each session that I attended there were no powerpoints, no projectors, and no dazzling media displays.  Instead, there were chairs, a big notepad on an easel, and sometimes a microphone.  It was awesome and ironic at the same time.  In a nutshell, It was people just being social.
I’m grateful to the people who worked harder than I know to make the event possible!

In anticipation for the RE BarCamp event in Seattle last Friday, I had high expectations. I expected to be challenged, to learn new things, to meet new people, and to be inspired.  I have to say that all of my expectations were met or exceeded.  And each of the discussion group leaders came across in a fun, honest, open, and refreshingly humble conversational manner.

There was so much knowledge being dropped in such a short amount of time from high-caliber people, It was a challenge to take it all in.  So as a breadcrumb trail for myself and others, I tweeted like a song bird and tagged it all with the hashtag-du jour #REBCSEA.  Looking back through the tweets, I’m smiling and remembering a very fun day.  And much more than what I learned, I am most happy about the connections I made and conversations I had with so many great people.

rebcsea_1

Here are my top 5 takeaways from last week’s event:

1.  There is still great opportunity to leverage video to stand out in niche markets. It’s a land grab of sorts.  The hilarious guys at Think Big Work Small shared a plethora of ideas for anyone in the Real Estate industry who chooses to board the video train.  But their points on the importance of editing and  always providing either value, entertainment, or enrichment stood out to me as being paramount.

Picture 7

2.  Getting an iPhone is one of the best decisions I have ever made for my business. This may sound hyperbolic but as a marketer for a title and escrow company, I’m in a relationship building business.  And the iPhone has made it so much easier to listen, produce and share content, and keep in touch with a broader range of people via social networks.

Picture 8

3.  Facebook just surpassed Google as the most visited site.  Facebook Fan pages are all the rage right now. And Mike Mueller is a Facebook Fanpage Ninja.  If you want great info on how to leverage your fan page to achieve your business goals, check out his website for some great info.  http://areweconnected.com/facebook/

Picture 9

4.  You’ll get the most from twitter with a balanced mix of speaking, listening, and conversation.  There are real people behind those tweets, and if you take the time to engage, great things can happen.  Reggie Nicolay shared a great tip on how to be good at sparking engagement on twitter:

Twitter Engagement tip - be the best at asking other people questions

5.  It’s all about people. In each session that I attended there were no powerpoints, no projectors, and no dazzling media displays.  Instead, there were chairs, a big notepad on an easel, and sometimes a microphone.  It was awesome and ironic at the same time.  In a nutshell, It was people just being social.

I’m grateful to the people who worked harder than I know to make the event possible!  Here’s a list of volunteers and sponsors.

Cheers!

Matt Sweet
Marketing
Ticor Title
@sweetmd

Social Media Clock Hour Class Tuesday, March 23rd & 30th

sweetmd | March 18th, 2010 | No Comments »

ticor_universityAre you new to social media? Do you want to learn more about how you can use it in a business context?  Do you need clock hour credits?  We have a class for you!

Here are the details:

When:
March 23rd & March 30th (Tuesday)
10 am to 1 pm, both days
(2 day workshop, 3 hours per day)
with Matt Sweet & Julie McCullough Hale
Ticor Title & Escrow
6 Clock Hours Total

Where:
Coldwell Banker Danforth, Northgate, 2111 N. Northgate Way, Seattle, WA  98133
(3 Clock Hours on 3/23/10  and 3 Clock Hours on 3/30/10)
Customers go online to search for everything these days.  How will they find you?  Learn ‘Social Media’ from two of the Seattle Real Estate Community’s BEST!

Workshop includes:

  • Introduction / Overview, Internet and Social Media
  • Create your own Twitter, Linked In, and Facebook Business Page
  • Practice using tools for ‘Time Blocking’ and Social Media ‘Time Management’
  • Set up your ‘Google’ profile

Lecture combined with workshop format

Bring your laptop or netbook computer!

Cost
$72 for 6 clock hours, or $36 to audit class. Payable day or class. Reservations thru Eventbrite!

Presented By:
Matt Sweet — Ticor Marketing

Julie McCullough Hale — Creator / Chair, RRNetwork.com

Get Inspired Friday the 19th at REBarCamp Seattle #REBCSEA

sweetmd | March 16th, 2010 | No Comments »

Friday March 19th is the RE Barcamp event in Seattle at the Seattle Center! I expect that this will be THE social media event of the year for Real Estate professionals. If you want a boost of inspiration, a kick in the pants to try something new to achieve better results, or if you just want to find out what the state of the art is, this is the event for you! From smartphone productivity, to blogging, to twitter, to facebook, to good ol’ fashioned face to face networking, I guarantee that there will be an opportunity to discuss it, share successes, and ask questions with peers in an open format.

Everyone is welcome. If you’re new to social media or internet marketing, or if you’re a seasoned blogger, you’ll get something out of it.

Jim Marks of Virtual Results is the keynote speaker this year (9AM kickoff) . I heard him last year and found him to be very insightful, funny, and challenging at the same time.

So please come! You’ll thank yourself for doing so!

Ticor Title is a proud sponsor.  We’ll be there joining in the conversation!

Click Here to register and get all the details.

Enjoy!

Matt Sweet
Marketing
Ticor Title
253-312-7003

Our University Place Escrow Branch is Movin’ On Up!

sweetmd | March 10th, 2010 | No Comments »

We’re very pleased to announce that we’re moving our Ticor Title University Place, WA escrow branch to a new location this month (March 18th to be exact).  Our office on 27th street has served us well but our move to a new construction office on the corner of 40th and Bridgeport Way is a welcome change.  The new space is very easy to find, has plenty of parking, and presents quite well.  Each escrow closing room has a large window with a nice view.  Purchasing a home or refinancing is one of the biggest decisions a person can make in their life.  At Ticor Title in University place, we’re ensuring that the closing experience will be positive, comfortable, and memorable one for all parties involved.

We look forward to serving our valuable clients with great care and all the best amenities in our new University Place location!
University Place Escrow Office Relocation Postcard
The address for the new office is:

3929 Bridgeport Way W, #202
University Place, WA 98466

Phone: (253) 460-2921


View Larger Map

Enjoy!
Matt Sweet
Marketing
Ticor Title

Social Media Small Biz Case Study

sweetmd | March 3rd, 2010 | No Comments »

Having the right attitude about your social media strategy is just as important as having the right social media plan for your business.  At Ticor, we’re constantly trying to stay fresh, listen well, and improve our social media efforts.  I came across a brief case study this week and found it very encouraging.  There’s a link to it below.

iStock_000002195262MediumWhat are my two big takeaways?

Firstly, it’s important to recognize that social media is in a constant state of flux.  So it’s healthy to make adjustments to your message / conversation as well as the platforms you use along the way.  It’s OK to try something different, measure the results and either stick with it, tweak it, or scrap it!  Early attempts at success are normal!

Secondly, the number of followers is not necessarily the best way to measure your success in social media.  What’s more valuable are the relationships built.  Duh… In the real estate industry it’s all about relationships and trust and I think that part will never change.

So without further delay, here’s the case study on how a certain small business is using social media.

Enjoy!

Matt Sweet
Marketing
Ticor Title
@sweetmd

An Introduction to Ticor’s Social Media Services

sweetmd | February 9th, 2010 | 3 Comments »

We’re excited to announce that we are now offering social media services to friends and clients of Ticor Title in the Northwest.

Since the beginning of our walk down the  social media path, we decided that we must practice what we preach and demonstrate.  In other words, we choose to be an example, make our own mistakes (or early attempts at success), and claim our own victories.  This allows us to tell our own story with conviction.  And while sharing our story of discovery, we have received many requests for support and consultation.  But alas, we are part of a regulated industry and providing such support without reasonable compensation is not allowed.  Therefore, we have created three levels of support that are available via our eCommerce site.

And here they are in a nutshell:

Descriptions of Social Media Packages

A.  $99.00 – This package is setup to give you tech support for your Social Networks.  Many times you’re going to run into a situation where you need to know how to adjust privacy settings or simply change your profile photo.  These challenges come up from time to time and Ticor can be your personal support team when this happens.  Your $99.00 gives you 1 Year of access to our team and allows you individual time with your Account Manager to address Social Media challenges.

B.  $199.00 – This is an all inclusive setup package for your Social Media Networks.  When you purchase this package you’ll benefit from the following account setups:

  1. Facebook – FanPage
  2. LinkedIn – Business Profile
  3. Twitter
  4. YouTube
  5. Google Profile
  6. Intro to Blogging

Establishing these accounts will be accomplished over a series of individual, hands on meetings with your Ticor Account Manager.  This package is intended to be functional and implementation oriented.

C.  $249.00 – The best of both worlds at a reduced rate!  This package is intended to give you the implementation aspect of a fully integrated Social Media setup and the tech support to help you in the future.  Here’s what you get:

  1. Facebook – FanPage
  2. LinkedIn – Business Profile
  3. Twitter
  4. YouTube
  5. Google Profile
  6. Intro to Blogging
  7. 1 Year of Social Media Tech Support

Purchasing this package is the complete solution to not only getting your accounts setup, but it is also backed with a support so you can continue to reap benefits from you Social Media presence.

If you’re interested in purchasing one of our Service plans, please click the image below to view them via our eCommerce Site

Buy Social Media Package

Enjoy!

Matt Sweet
Marketing
Ticor Title
253-655-7003

Switching mobile carriers? How to save your voicemails to your computer

sweetmd | February 3rd, 2010 | 1 Comment »

voicemail_to_garage_bandI came to a crossroads this month when AT&T announced their unlimited voice and data package for $99. At that price I could suddenly justify getting an iPhone and stomach the coverage that may not be as extensive as Verizon in my neck of the woods (so far I think AT&T’s coverage is great, by the way). And for the record, I’ve been a fan of Verizon since before they were called Verizon around here. And I’ve had an account with them in one form or another for over ten years. I’m still a fan, but for now I needed an iPhone which requires a switch to AT&T.

There was one little problem. I’ve had the same number for about six years which means that I’ve also had the same voicemail account for that time. And in my voicemail box there are messages that I would like to keep for various reasons. Some for fun and some for business. So before switching carriers, I needed to figure out a way to move those voicemail messages to some sort of archive. Otherwise they’d be lost in the mobile phone abyss…

Here’s how I copied my Verizon voicemail messages to my Mac. First, I connected the blackberry headphone-jack (audio out) to the microphone-jack (audio in) on my Mac via a simple accessory cable. Then I launched a program that records audio (Garage Band in this case). Then I dialed up my voicemail and played the messages while the Garage Band program recorded it. It worked great. I realize that I could have played my messages on speaker phone and recorded them into some other device with a microphone. But, that method would introduce noise and degradation to each message. Connecting the Blackberry to the Mac via audio cable eliminated the potential for extraneous noise on the recording!

So now I have my iPhone and I’ve saved the precious little voicemails from when my kids were learning to talk. I’m saving money on my mobile costs, and I’m experiencing all the fun and efficiencies that the iPhone offers. I’m happy about that!

Cheers!
Matt Sweet
Marketing / Technology Integration
Ticor Title

Switch to our mobile site