According to a recent survey, 27 percent of Americans over the age of 50 use social networks, and 23 percent prefer Facebook over other sites. Despite what Betty White says, I believe this is further proof that it is a mistake to discount the wide ranging appeal and utility of social media.

Boomers, of course, are not alone. A Nielsen survey shows that of all active U.S. Internet households, 75 percent visited a social networking site last month and overall, 22 percent of internet time is social, a sharp increase over this time last year.

According to Gallup, upper income consumers may be looking to shake off “frugality fatigue.” The opinion research firm reports a 33 percent jump in self-reported spending between April and May among the affluent.  Hopefully this is a sign of better times ahead.

Thinking of putting together a YouTube campaign? Check out these guidelines on how to stand out in the enormous sea of content to get viewers to find your videos and keep them coming back for more. Similarly, if you’re looking to quickly build a mobile Web presence, dotMobi has launched a new set of tools to help. The platform centers on an icon-based interface and the ability to be automatically optimized for different handsets. (Read: “call us” and “find us” buttons)

T9 introduces Swype, which allows users to glide a finger across the virtual keyboard to spell words, rather than tapping out each letter. Sending emails via mobile is now going to be a lot easier!

What would Nancy Sinatra say? These boots have a “power generating cell” that converts heat generated from your feet into an electrical current that charges your mobile phone.  Wow, I’ll have to get myself a pair!

A theory from history books and economists is that if the rate of unemployment declines, then the recession is on its way to recovery, which we started to see happening in July. Numbers released by RealtyTrac show foreclosure filings increased 14 percent in December from November, but were lower than in July. If the unemployment theory applies to the housing market, we could be seeing a steady and encouraging, albeit bumpy, decline in foreclosures.

Along the same line, Moody’s Economy.com predicts that about 2.4 million homes are expected to be lost to foreclosure, auction and other means in 2010, which will lead to falling home prices in the spring and summer. The number is very daunting, yes, but when compared to foreclosures in 2009, which reached 2.8 million, it appears we are on the right track. Who would have thought discouraging numbers like 2.4 million and an increase in December foreclosures would have us looking ahead to the light at the end of the tunnel?

Another glimmer of hope is in the 10.7 million families owing more than their homes are worth. This may also seem strange but, according to these numbers and the expected foreclosure numbers, only about 20 percent will actually file for foreclosure. That means that nearly 80 percent still recognize the value of owning a home.

With all this week’s marvelous speakers at Inman Connect, from a variety of different industries, I learned even more that the real estate industry does not work in a silo. This is evidenced by real estate agents in Manhattan growing excited by Wall Street bonuses, being distributed to big bankers this week. The expectation is that cash flow will boost sales in the City, particularly in the $2- to $5-million range. It will be interesting to see if this has a trickle down effect, hitting traditionally second home markets like Florida and Arizona. What do you think?

Now we all know that Trulia has revolutionized the industry for agents and consumers. But this week it made our lives a little easier (again!) with the launch of a new self-service ad platform that allows real estate agents to build ad campaigns targeting markets at the city and ZIP code level and then locking out the competition by purchasing a percentage share of the available space. There aren’t too many platforms that understand this business and can deliver results like that. Jump on it!

In other advertising news: although Google may be pulling out of China, that doesn’t mean it can’t help make our lives easier. For those of you who just bought a new billboard, rest assured that Google will update it in the Street View service (for a price, of course). Until now, the ads on Google’s popular mapping system have been sometimes years out of date. This new function is another way to get in front of a potential savvy home buyer who goes on a virtual tour of neighborhoods before house hunting in person. Also from Google is a new “Near Me Now” feature that allows for easy, localized, geo-enabled search for users to discover what’s within close proximity to where they are standing, from restaurants and gas stations to coffee shops. This tool will help home buyers familiarize themselves with an unfamiliar area and is another great tool for us to keep in mind and recommend.

Speaking of buyers, a recent Forrester Research survey on consumer interactions with companies shows that industries which perform well have always put their consumer interactions first as a means of differentiating themselves from the competition. As real estate agents, we can take a page out of these companies’ books as we consider how to treat our consumers as a top priority. On a similar note, what was originally meant as a marketing principal is valuable for us as we continue to discuss how to effectively use Twitter: using social media platforms not to solely push content, but to create a platform for people to hold conversations and discuss issues. Think of it more as a conversation with friends over coffee than your personal stage.

One last tool: If you or home buyers you’re working with are still confused about the government tax credit, visit HomeBuyerTaxcredit.com for up-to-the-minute information and in-depth support.

There is a “tug of war” mentality between those in the real estate industry and Washington who believe the government should do more to speed the recovery of the market versus others who believe the real estate industry should be self sufficient. Some policy makers at the Federal Reserve, for instance, believe more might need to be done in the housing market while others believe existing programs should be scaled back. The most discussed form of support from the Capital is the tax credit, which has significantly helped with home sales. Here’s proof of its success:  As the original tax credit expired, the number of houses placed under contract fell sharply in November. As I have said before, we should expect to see something similar in May, as the extended tax credit program will have just ended. This is a prefect example of how we should take advantage of all programs available to us now, but not to solely rely on them for the future of our industry.

I happen to teeter in the middle, agreeing that in the interim we need to take advantage of the government’s crutch of tax credits and programs to hold down mortgage rates, but long term we need to do more than rely on a government-funded band-aid. Collaboration is essential to help reinvent the industry to avoid a housing bust in the future and we all need to think about how we reinvent our industry in today’s changing world. What are you planning to do differently in 2010?

Not surprisingly, with the holidays and people gathering with their families, finding perfect gifts for loved ones, we saw a lull in December house shopping. Also during this time of year, people are traditionally more cash-strapped, which, along with with mortgage troubles and job losses, has perhaps led to the latest wave of bankruptcies. There is, however, light at the end of the tunnel as the pending home sales index for the month was 15.5 percent higher than it was a year earlier. There’s something to celebrate!

This week is perhaps one of the most exciting for consumer technology buffs as the Consumer Electronics Show begins in Las Vegas. According to MediaPost, the tradeshow will likely introduce several products that will pique people’s interest. It will be interesting to see what products are revealed, especially in the realm of smartphones: a 21^st Century real estate agent’s best friend and personal assistant. Stay tuned.

For all of you playing in the online content and video world, a new survey by The Neilson Company tells us that consumers trust and rely on content produced professionally over content produced by consumer peers. If you’re considering developing and posting videos or images in the new year as part of a marketing scheme, it’s best to spend a little more dollars and have something done more professionally, rather than rely on your consumers to produce content. That being said, if all you have is a FLIP Camera, don’t let that stop you! Something is likely better than nothing.

On to advertising… we should keep our eye on a new experiment from the U.K.’s Outdoor Advertising Association, which is setting out to prove that outdoor advertising can drive response. The company is tracking consumer reaction and awareness to advertising on buses, street signs and more. The results could help those in our industry determine how to target outdoor advertising to reach “cold” new consumers.

Posted by Joel on FOREM, the best real estate video ever. Oddly, I agree. There’s something fashionable about the the good, the bad and the ugly parts of truth. And compelling.

I like this advice as it applies to any brokerage looking to expand or create video content about their marketplace and want to create and/or increase the amount of views you get. This video offers a stack of things your marketing department can do to drive up your traffic on YouTube, which as you all know is the second largest search engine in the world.

“They don’t watch TV as much, they are not reading magazines as much, but instead they check Facebook, Twitter … where people are really drawn together over parenting issues,” said Baby Center’s editor-in-chief Linda Murray in this article titled Where The Mothers Are – The Internet published on Times Live. With all the talk regarding the amount of Gen Y on the Web, let’s not forget that’s where the boomers are flocking too as well.

From Askmen.com – tips on public speaking. I read these and thought of Irish Springs soap. You remember, strong enough for a man but I plan on using these tips too.

Speaking of Twitter, Jennifer Leggio of ZDnet questions the the depth and scope of corporate Twitter accounts especially for the Johnny come lately brands that do it to do but offer no real substance in this post titled I don’t care if your company is on Twitter.

Can you benefit from content scraped from your site? Take a look at what Google Webmaster Central says taken from their YouTube channel.

Jay Thompson has been hanging around the social media water cooler for quite a while. He’s earned his stripes. Even has an innovator award from Inman that serves as his purple heart. So one might expect him to be gaga over social media. Well he is. But to a sound and logical point which he clearly expresses in this must read Achieving Untold Wealth Via Social Media.

On the same topic of social media reality check brandmind published some very cohesive thoughts about social media and how it works best when integrated. That means planning social media efforts as part of a comprehensive communication plan here titled With the social Web, don’t expect results to come easy.

Our strategy at Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate has been to begin that relationship in an intimate way online, connecting with the consumer through lifestyle communications – all the things that our brand actually stands for, but proving them out with the sort of compelling content that results in repeated, extended web visits, and the creation of an impression that we stand for a lot more than real estate.

Additionally, we hear from our brokers their challenge to continue that kind of 360 degree brand approach especially when the communication is left to a third party – namely the agent. The better tools, strategies and air cover the agent has from the brand (the franchisor) the more likely a consistent impression will be conveyed.

One of the requests we had heard repeatedly was to provide fool proof and aesthetically engaging home staging videos so agents don’t have to navigate the tough conversation about what they need to change with a home owner …but rather it can be done in a ‘TV’ like way, through the voice of an expert. This preserves the integrity of the relationship between agent and client through the provision of clear and defined, educational content about how to properly list and present their home to the public.

We continue to invest in this strategy and have great plans on this front for 2010. To see what I mean, take a look at this behind the scenes video.

How are you creating momentum online long before you meet your client?

(Click to Enlarge)

I have compiled my top 5 list of issues with some suggestions for improvement:

1. Isn’t visually engaging

I understand this is focused on just one thing, listings, but it doesn’t mean it has to look awful.  This is a plain text email and doesn’t use an HTML format which could add a ton of visual interest and just make it look so much more professional.  Also there really isn’t an information hierarchy as all the text is relatively the same size and rarely uses bolding or italics to emphasize important information.   Most importantly, why aren’t there pictures of home in line?

2. No recognition of my home buying status

If I already purchased a home then you have to be concerned with buyer’s remorse.  The last thing I need to see is a comparable home for less money in a better neighborhood.  You should remove me as soon as I close or at least give me the option of continuing to receive these alerts and be upfront about how I opt out when i just don’t care to receive them anymore.

3. Vanilla customization

The email opens the same way EVERY TIME!

“Dear Jason,

Here is today’s listings update for your review. Please call or email if anything here is of interest or if you have any questions. Thank you!

Best regards,”

Here’s a suggestion; how about you make the real estate buying experience customized and personal.  It would be nice if my agent reviewed the listings and made comments like “just saw 123 main st. and you won’t like the backyard.”  Instead they are letting technology do the work and leave it to me to reach out my agent if i see anything of interest.

4. Too much technical language used

The main purpose of this email is to make me click the “CLIENTFULL” link.  Shouldn’t it be “View today’s NEW listings.”  If it were an html email you could insert a nice big, shiny button to get me attention to the most important action Also if the instructional copy is way too prominent and technical for the avg consumer.  Lastly, I see terms like “GSMLS “and “ID55512555″; is that even necessary?

5. Missing valuable data

The MLS has a wealth of data that would be relevant other than just new or revised listings.  I would love to know what has recently sold or gone under contract as a start.  I am eager to consume as much information so I can make the best offer given all of the contributing factors.  To their credit I did have an agent who did run those types of reports and send them to me, but I had to ask.

As you can tell I think this marketing vehicle has a world of potential that isn’t being utilized to its fullest  I would imagine the execution of these emails varies by MLS and without the ability to get this data from anywhere else, there isn’t any motivation for them to improve.  In the end, we the consumer lose out.

Brand Image: Consistent brand image, and well constructed brand architecture matters no matter what medium.  Just as we often talk about managing our online brand image (and that is suddenly hip to talk about) we shouldn’t forget that every brand touch to a customer from a telephone greeting, to a ‘for sale’ sign needs to be consistent too, if you want to successfully establish brand attributes

Value Proposition – no matter how far reaching your online presence, you can’t get around the need to articulate a tangible value proposition at the core of your marketing messages. Why work with you? How are you really different? What are the proof points? How sustainably different is what you offer? Eventually, thousands of friends on Facebook won’t replace the need to deliver something of value to clients.

Be (appropriately) where your customers are:  - again, just like the time and effort media planners put into targeting their audience with ad placements – the right TV spot, the perfectly placed print ad, the high profile sponsorship, eye height shelf space – thought really needs to go into where you ‘hang out’ online as well. More is not always better.  Some social media venue attendees will actually form a negative brand impression if you try to ‘sell’ in what is more of a social setting. It’s a fine line with Facebook  and YouTube advertising and I think the jury is still out on where it will end up.  Either way, just consider your online placements – you wouldn’t run an ad for your fine dining restaurant in “Waste Management Monthly” now would you?

Business cards: They may be going electronic, or replaced by the swiping of an iPhone, but the objective is still the same. Customers needs to know how to find you, so  make sure your information is accessible on all your online profiles – a well crafted email signature is elementary, links to your social media profiles important and an email address that is easy to remember and makes sense for your business really helps. And let’s not forget to do a reality check on what for many customers is now meaningless data like fax numbers and street addresses. Better to include information you would actually like them to use such as your IM identifiers, your LinkedIn profile and the like.

Crafting a Message:  Well structured, well written content will never go out of style.  The day of the high expense, 16 page glossy corporate brochure may have passed, but professional writing hasn’t.  Don’t think that just because you are writing in a digital forum that you can abandon the rules of creating a compelling, memorable and relevant piece of content.  Sure show your personality and your own voice, but always keep a healthy respect for your customers and remember they have discretion as to where they will take their business.  Don’t go overboard with your personality at the expense of including information that aligns with customer need.  It seems to be the norm to spend hours revising content for printed collateral, but in some cases much less discretion is used about what goes on a website or a blog.

Do I sound like a dinosaur? I hope not, because just remember during the dot.com boom everyone said economic fundamentals had been turned upside down and traditional ratios no longer applied in the e-business world!

Well look what happened next….

Max Kalehoff, vice president of marketing for Clickable, offered this advice regarding use of Twitter to build personal brand.

When blogging is done right, if the content is topical and well-written, a well crafted blog post can take its author to the search engine heights. Matt Carter writes about one such blogger. one particular blog post, and its rise to the top of Google.

Blog etiquette and the legality of linking to other sites is revisited in this post from Future of Real Estate Marketing.

Taking a break from all the news and opinion swirling the nation regarding the new Housing Plan, CNN Money released a report on the most affordable place to live in America. Will this city realize a boom in relocation? Is this a great place to live and, if so, why? What is the most unaffordable city in America? How do residents manage to make the ends meet there? This report lays is all out.

Until next week…