That’s a lot of different things to know and manage, and I haven’t even started to scratch the surface … and new sites continue to be introduced almost daily that are changing the way we communicate.

Whether you’re looking to get more out of these tools or you’re just trying to figure out how/where to get started, it shouldn’t have to be an overwhelming endeavor … that’s why we’ve started offering the Quick Fix.

Here’s how it works:

• Use our online tool to schedule an appointment. You can prepay when you book, or you can pay at the time of your consultation. It’s a flat rate of $50.
• Give us a few details about your questions, as well as a link to the site/page you want to discuss.
• When it comes time for your appointment, we’ll call you and provide you with a link to login to the online meeting.
• We’ll spend the next 30 minutes answering your questions, helping you understand the features of the tool and working with you to make sure you understand how it fits into your communication strategy.
• If for some reason we can’t help get your questions answered, we’ll help you find someone who can or we’ll give you your money back, no questions asked.

The way we look at it, we spend a lot of time learning these tools, determining which ones are most effective for business and exploring ways to dig in and get the most out of every site. You spend more time connecting with your customers, not trying to figure out the latest Facebook feature. Consider it your online marketing help desk.

Want to schedule a Quick Fix? Go ahead – give it a shot. We’re giving away the first three for free.

I follow the trends in apartment marketing on a regular basis, so when Capture The Market started posted community videos on MySpace, I decided to subscribe to their future posts. That way I’d get to see all the great videos that they’re producing as soon as they’re posted on MySpaceTV.

So what did it really get me? Well… 20 to 30 emails in my inbox each week, and every one of them looks just like this:

There’s nothing in the email indicating what property video was posted — nothing that shares the property name, the management company or even where the property is located. That’s why I think the only companies that get any benefit out of these video subscriptions are Capture The Market and MySpace.

Now, this isn’t a knock on CTM. But I really haven’t see them doing much to market these videos on MySpace after they’re posted, either.

I don’t want to dwell on the downside of this too much, but there is definitely a key takeaway here. Whether you’re using a outside marketing service or doing it yourself, make sure that your marketing is coming from who you want it to come from. Creating a new account for each company or each property is the best way to ensure that your messaging is as relevant as possible for your potential prospects. If your marketing firm says this complicate things too much, fire them.

Yes, it’s tedious. Yes, it can be a pain.  But take another another at the email above. If you don’t take the extra time to do it right, your name doesn’t even show up. My guess is that the vast majority of these emails never result in a click-through.

And if the email isn’t revelant… DELETE.

Your thoughts?