Everyone is on Facebook but you're just not sure how it could possibly be a good decision for your business. It is. The following ideas should help you, very basically, figure out how to utilize social media to reap some respectable rewards.

Let's assume someone has already set up a fan page for your company. So now what?

If you look at social media from a public relations perspective, then you're headed in the right direction.

Let's discuss a few ways to use social media.

Something that's really neat about social networking is that it's more personal than just sending traffic to your website. You are initiating a conversation with your audiences: employees, current customers and prospects. Social networking is permission-based; everyone agrees to 'friend,' 'fan,' or 'connect' to hear more about you and your company. Your communication is one-to-one and interactive.

Some cool things to do with social media:

· Create events and invite your friends and fans. Encourage them to invite their network of friends and fans too.

· Post lots of photos. Set up photo albums of all your products, homes, models, specs, home sites and amenities.

· Add videos to your page. Tours of your models, interviews with happy customers or an available home site.

· Send direct messages to your prospects about new products, model grand openings, community events and meetings.

· Update your status with uplifting and thoughtful sentiments. Keep it positive!

· Offer professional advice. Tips on selling a current home, cleaning up credit, tax advantages of purchasing, why your new product will simplify their life - all provide good information.

· Let your personality show. It's okay to have a few personal tidbits on your page, as long as they somehow relate to your business. Companies that celebrate together and look like nice people with whom to do business will win every time.

If you aren't utilizing social media, you should. You really can't afford to be on the sidelines any longer.

Editor's Note: Cindy Plackmeyer is the owner of Cindy Plackmeyer Marketing, LLC, a social * media* marketing company based in Baltimore. To learn more about how social media can help your company, contact her at cindy@cindyplackmeyer.com.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- New home sales improved in March at the fastest single-month rate in 47 years, according to a government report released Friday, as buyers snatched up properties ahead of the tax credit that's set to expire.

New-home sales rose 26.9% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 411,000 last month, compared to an upwardly revised annual rate of 324,000 in February, the Census Bureau said. The gain snapped a four-month streak of declines.

A consensus of economists surveyed by Briefing.com expected March sales to rise to an annual rate of 330,000.

The March sales were the strongest since last July, and the percentage gain was the biggest on a month-over- month basis since a 31% gain in March 1963

Upon entering the home, the shopper was greeted by the sales person who introduced herself and extended her hand.

The sales person asked the shopper if she was referred by a previous homeowner or if she found them on the website. (great question, since web leads are to be treated as return visitors)

The sales person, continued to probe and build rapport in the sales center for almost 20 minutes.

The demonstration began and it was geared towards the needs which were discovered during the 1st 20 minutes.

After the demonstration, the sales person walked the shopper back to her office talked about homesites

After narrowing down the homesite, (land was not developed so they could not walk the site) the sales person ran numbers with the shopper. The sales person gave a nice soft close and then asked for a deposit.

All in all a real nice job by the sales person. We love to see shops like this!

The New Home Sales Connection works with many National and Regional builders, providing mystery shopping services, personalized sales training and consulting services to generate impressive sales results.

Jay Schulman, founder of The New Home Sales Connection, has spent his 25-year career in sales, management and training. Over the last few years, The New Home Sales Connection has shopped hundreds of new home sales professionals. Jay has provided team training and one-on-one coaching to hundreds of community sales professionals and managers as well as provided consulting services to numerous builders. His work with his clients in identifying needs, creating urgency, handling objections, closing the sale, and following up, has resulted in increased sales for their builders.

Contact us today!

1603 Edmondson Ave, Suite 200

Catonsville, MD 21228

443-341-6821