We cover all topics related to Craigslist. How to post, when to post, what to post, why you should post to Craigslist, best practices, pictures, clickable links, click tracking, etc.

We cover all topics related to Craigslist. How to post, when to post, what to post, why you should post to Craigslist, best practices, pictures, clickable links, click tracking, etc.

Ideas, discussion, suggestions encouraged!

Hosted by Sean Goerss and guests.

Please post a Comment if you liked this video or what you thought...

What if you found out your email had been hacked and lewd messages sent to all of your contacts?

They might sound like never-happen moments, until it happens to you....

Join Jim Casey and Sean Goerss as they give best-parctices and real-world tips on everything to "hacker-proof" your business. No, nothing is totally hacker-proof (just as Sony about their recent PlayStation Network hack were 70 million people's info was stolen!).

But there's probably a lot you CAN do, that you are NOT doing, to ward off hackers, recover from thefts faster, avoid embarrassing moments, and most of all keep your business PROFITABLE if any of these traumatic events ever happens.

We'll cover items like LastPass, Carbonite, Syncplicity, LoJack, phone tracking apps, picking passwords that take over a million years to hack, and much more. Everything you need, in a nutshell, to protect your life and business from accidents and hackers.

Notes from the webinar here:

Before we get started…..

Big Huge Disclaimer – use our advice at your own risk, we aren’t responsible for anything you do or do not do, we are just trying to offer our own best practices. Make your own decisions, ok?

Good overview article of security tools – even if for Mac, applies to all of us.

http://www.freemacblog.com/how-to-prepare-for-a-stolen-mac/

Use the Cloud to help with backups and syncing
Google Apps – syncing contacts, calendar – over the air – OTA – much better than USB cable syncing!

Internet Security

Passwords – Strength and Variety

A good video on password strength  - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5grxeMAwJcA

A good example of how long it would take someone to hack different types of passwords - http://www.lockdown.co.uk/?pg=combi

Use a Password Manager

Why? Because most agents are just writing down all of their passwords on a sheet of paper, which isn’t secure at all, or WORSE – typing them all out on a Word document sitting on their hard drive!

“Just say no” to manually tracking your passwords!

Enter LastPass

LastPass and Email www.LastPass.com
Have different passwords for sure! That way if they hack into one, they can’t use the same password to hack into the other!

Use Password phrases, using the first letter of each word to create a password

i.e. - My Dog Has Nine Lives and Loves Cheese + Ebay = #MDH9L&LCEBAY*

Optional – sites like LastPass.com let you also use a Yubikey – it’s a USB drive that you must plug in to whatever computer you are going to use LastPass on – this way, even if someone hacked your LastPass password, they would have to also steal your physical usb drive – very unlikely!

Hardware Security

Backups of your documents

Carbonite – single agent, just one computer

www.Syncplicity.com – Team – multiple computers - tell them Sean Goerss sent you

Share different passwords with differernt people, without every letting them see your actual password. -- Listing Manger, Closings Manager, Sales Agents, etc.

Dropbox, Onbox, or others out there too

Backups

Login Password – for when your computer starts up, require a password. Easily hackable, but most thieves won’t bother.

Data Encryption – encrypt the data on your hard drive so they won’t be able to access important documents like tax returns, Quickbooks data, etc.

http://www.truecrypt.org/

Step by step instructions for True Crypt http://www.maximumpc.com/article/howtos/how_to_encrypt_your_entire_hard_drive_the_easy_way_using_truecrypt

Video for True Crypt - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coAMTC7uFxA

Record all of your serial numbers – give those to the police – “hot list” for pawn shops
Ebay or Craiglist – setup searches for your stolen computer/phone
Photos of the actual hardware helps

Home security/office – ADT
Homeowners insurance – often deductible waived if security alarm company shows their log

Keyed Alarm Lock - http://us.kensington.com/html/6311.html

LoJack for Laptops – Absolute Software

http://www.absolute.com/en/lojackforlaptops/home.aspx

Mobile Security

iPhone -  trackmyiphone app – turn on all the settings!
wipe the iPhone, pull out the battery and sim card
Verizon – report  the serial # as stolen, makes the CDMA iPhone a brick

Hardware Lockdowns and Encryption

LoJack – wipe all data on your computer/just certain folders, locate the computer suing ip address

Malware/Spyware protection and virus protection

Norton
McAfee
ESET Smart Security – NOD32

Really, there’s multiples ways to get spyware that installs on your computer without you knowing about it!.....

Websites that have been hacked

Email

Facebook

Other Resources to keep you up to date on Computers and Security

www.Cnet.com

www.Pcworld.com

www.Macworld.com

Leo Laporte – don’t let the old-school website designs fool you – he’s one smart guy!
http://leoville.com/
http://techguylabs.com/

Chris Pirillo
http://chris.pirillo.com/
http://www.lockergnome.com/

If you are not yet a member, use our 21 day trial by clicking here.

Yes, you've missed the May 10th deadline for 50 free emails with the free version of Google Apps, but now it's just 10 free emails, so go there anyways and check it out - heck, we think it's a steal even you got the paid version for $50/year!

These are instructions for getting a free Google Apps account - for handling your email, calendar, and more.

Instruction Sheets

1. Getting a Google Apps Account (link will open in a new tab - PDF)

2. Migrating your old emails to your new Google Apps account (link will open in a new tab - PDF)

3. Allowing Others to Edit your Google Apps Calendar (link will open in a new tab - PDF)

More instruction sheets to come!

I have done the above process several times - post a question if you have one!

NOTE: This page is a work in progress that Sean started on Jan. 3rd, 2010.

Step ZERO: Is blogging even worth it?

Catch a vision of a successful agent using blogging here:

http://www.realestatetechnologyexperts.com/blogging-for-profit-real-estate/

You really need to commit to this and leverage it just like you would your follow-up calls to your sphere. If you don't think you can commit, then don't bother - it will just be a waste of time and money.

Step 1: Decide which type of blog system to use.

We recommend a self-hosted WordPress blog since you will ALWAYS own the content, and it's really easy to use.

1A: Buy a Domain at www.NameCheap.com or www.GoDaddy.com or whoever you use

1B: Get some Server Hosting at www.HostGator.com (NOT GoDaddy.com - we can't stress this enough - you will run in to issues if you try to use GoDaddy.com for your hosting - they do funky stuff with their servers). Other options are www.Page.ly which is really managed for you, but offers about 10% less flexibility and costs a little more.

1C: Setup a free "installation" of WordPress on your Server.

1D: Point your domain name's DNS to the Server.

Step 2: Create your first post the SAME DAY

That's right, the best way to gain momentum is to create your first "Post" the same day your blog gets setup.

2A: How to Create your first WordPress Post

2B: How to Add a Thumbnail image of your Post

video coming

2C: How to Embed a Video inside a WordPress Post

video coming

2D: Managing SEO, Authors, Misc. items for your WordPress Posts

video coming

Step 3: Record Market Update Videos and Post Them on your Blog

more steps coming when Sean is done watching his 4 kids age 4 and under

Step 4: Choosing a WordPress Theme and Installing the Theme

more steps coming when Sean is done watching his 4 kids age 4 and under

Step 5: Customizing your "Widgets" on your Blog

more steps coming when Sean is done watching his 4 kids age 4 and under

Step 6: Cool Plugins to Make your Life Easier

more steps coming when Sean is done watching his 4 kids age 4 and under

Step 7: Basic On-Site Search Engine Optimization

more steps coming when Sean is done watching his 4 kids age 4 and under

Step 8: Basic Off-Site Search Engine Optimization

more steps coming when Sean is done watching his 4 kids age 4 and under

Step 9: Social Networking Integration

more steps coming when Sean is done watching his 4 kids age 4 and under

Step 10: Adding Optin Forms and Other Ways to Generate REAL Leads

more steps coming when Sean is done watching his 4 kids age 4 and under

Also, we will have a Discussion Forum area on Blogging over here

If you are using Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or other powerful social media, and you are NOT also blogging, you are missing a critical tool in your social marketing toolbox.

My expert guest, Karl Trommler, and I will cover the 6 "MUST HAVES" for Blogs:

1. Goals for your blog
2. How to reach your target audience
3. How to use your blog to connect with leads
4. How to use your blog effectively to get business and enhance your credibility
5. How to advertise your blog and get it noticed
6. How to effectively maintain your blog and keep it looking professional and current

Blogs *done right* can help generate more leads and build credibility with your follow up.

They are a great and inexpensive way to incubate the "Not Ready Yet" prospects and build your credibility in your local market.

About Blogging Expert Karl Trommler

Karl is a licensed real estate agent since 1971. He built and ultimately sold two successful agent teams, one in Virginia and one in Scottsdale Arizona. He has held licenses in PA, North and South Carolina, Virginia and Arizona and still has licenses in the last 4 states.

He holds the Certified Relocation Professional and Certified Residential Salesperson designations and is a Graduate of the Virginia Real Estate Institute. He also served as a past Director on the Northern Virginia Association of Realtors (NVAR) and Chaired the Housing Needs Committee and the Housing Opportunities Foundation. He was a long term member of the Re/Max Central Atlantic Regional Sales Council, a lifetime Top Producer award winner at NVAR and a member of the Re/Max Hall of Fame.

He currently works as the Manager of Marketing and Business Development for PenFed Realty LLC, the nation's only Credit Union owned Real Estate Company and a wholly owned subsidiary of Pentagon Federal Credit Union.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

(note: some of the below training is restricted to members-only)

1. Interview with Josh Schoenly regarding best practices for posting to Craigslist
2. Craigslist Advertising Automation - a training with Jim Casey on how to automate the process of collecting leads
3. Another great interview with real estate agent Josh Schoenly on the basics, but often-overlooked parts of using Craigslist to generate leads for real estate
4. Interview with Spencer Schmerling, who has been posting to Craigslist for years, and was running a company helping other agents with their postings

OK - so, watch ALL of those you'll have be dominating Craigslist in NO TIME!

Do you think there's something we didn't cover? Please let us know by going over the FORUM or posting a Comment below....

Here's the video:

(sorry for the less-than-perfect audio - this was due to a technical difficulty beyond our control)

If you have questions about Craigslist or Facebook for real estate, please either post a comment below or go to our Forum and post them there.

Go Here to get Josh Schoenly's Craigslist Training.

Craigslist for Real Estate Agents

Just did a GREAT call with Josh Schoenly from Harrisburg, PA on Craigslist. Very creative stuff, and good to see he's updated it from when we reviewed it last year.

If you missed the call, here's the link: https://cci.infusionsoft.com/go/BLBTReplay/RETA/

Ryan and Josh are doing some great things over there at RETechulous and we applaud their efforts to focus on technologies to generate more leads.

There's nothing better than real-world, in the trenches advice from a REAL real estate agent!

We'll start a post in the FORUM here as well so you can discuss best practices.

And watch out for some cutting-edge stuff that Sean Goerss has been doing regarding auto-posting software for Craigslist for real estate. Join the forum discussion on this post