When you're talking to your sphere of influence and you're communicating a message through social media, email, newsletters, email marketing, and physical mail…

What is that message? And do people really like the message?

That's a really interesting question. We can measure that. We can measure it with email newsletters like Constant Contact or MailChimp, based on what they call the click-through rate—how many people are clicking on the topic so they like it and want to read it or dig into it.

And then deeper than that, we can see how long people are on your social media. If they engage, how long they're sticking on that, if they're watching your video for 10 seconds or 20 seconds, getting all the way through it. So that's what we call stickiness with the content.

To make your content more sticky and have a higher click-through, let me give you an idea. And that is to give people social currency.

What is social currency?

That means you're going to give somebody something that the...

When somebody hears the word “real estate” in your market, what do you think comes to mind?

For most Americans, it's instantly Zillow. They've taken over this position in consumers' minds, being the first place they go for searches and home values.

So, how do we compete against a billion-dollar company?

A lot of you have given up and said, I'm just going to start buying my leads from Zillow. Keep in mind that's a negative 32% ROI, meaning for every $10 spent, you lose $3.20.

So, how do you win against Zillow and take over “Mindshare” in your local community?

You can't do it entirely, but it'll come from getting close to your consumers and your community.

Why?

Zillow can't create relationships with specific people in specific communities. But you can… by developing relationships with your own audiences, showing expertise, and connecting with local businesses and charities. Highlight why you love your community through videos and social media.

When people think “real estate” in y...