The iPhone is not just a fun phone to have. It’s actually a great tool for business owners. Among the millions of apps available, there’s some that are very useful for businesses, especially if you are a small business owner who needs to stay on top of things. Since social networking has reached an all time high, it was only a matter of time before the need to stay connected through your iPhone became a must. The rise of social media has helped news spread like wildfire and in order to keep up with the newest topics, you’ll need to download these 10 social apps for your iPhone as soon as possible.

1. Facebook: The Facebook for iPhone app currently has 45,907,786 active users, a number that is growing every day. This app will allow you to keep up with your business’s Facebook fan page wherever you are. Check out your news feed, update your profile, check your messages and see what your fans are saying about your company all from your mobile phone.

2. LinkedIn: LinkedIn for the iPhone allows you to put your professional network in the palm of your hands, literally. Connect with over 50 million professionals worldwide in real-time. Imagine yourself walking into a client meeting with the ability to look up the profile of your new contact and make a permanent connection online. The LinkedIn app allows you to find the person, information or company that can help you close a deal and allows you to get the latest updates from your contacts, interact and respond to them any time from any location.

3. Hootsuite: Use your Hootsuite iPhone app to manage multiple Twitter accounts, update your Facebook profile and fan pages, translate Twitter messages from over 50 languages and schedule messages to send. You can also add geo-location coordinates to your tweets to let your employees and customers know where you are.

4. WordPress: Manage your company blog from your iPhone with the WordPress for iPhone app. Moderate comments and create and edit posts and pages quickly and easily from any location.

5. Foursquare: Keep up with your Foursquare account from your iPhone with this app. You’ll be able to see where your employees, friends and clients are in your city or surrounding cities. Get notification updates to your phone too. Also you’ll be able to view a social city-guide that helps you find nearby places that will reward you for stopping by or near. It’s easy to become the “mayor” of your favorite spot when you can update your account from your phone.

6. Twitteriffic: This Twitter app features a built-in browser that lets you follow tweeted links without leaving the application. Users can post tweets to their account, view other tweets from contacts and update a location. There’s a free (ad-supported) version as well as a paid version.

7. MySpace: The MySpace iPhone app allows you to stay in touch with your social network, send and receive messages, view your contacts and read their statuses as well as upload photos from phone.

8. YouTube: Browse and view millions of videos from any location on your mobile phone with the YouTube iPhone app. Access account favorites and playlists, search for videos, share and comment on videos and upload videos while on the go.

9. Mashable: This app allows you to keep up with the latest coverage from Mashable’s Web site wherever you may be. The Mashable app allows you to have the most current information on the Web 2.0 and social media world sent right to your mobile phone.

10. StumbleUpon: Use the StumbleUpon app to get the best stories on the Web sent right to your phone. Every time you click Stumble!, you will be shown sites that have been chosen just for you based on the preferences you set. You’ll also be able to see which sites millions of users recommend. Keep up with the best news in your industry with this app.

Using these social networking apps will keep you connected to the news in your industry as well as allow you to engage your employees, clients and potential customers, whether you’re sitting in traffic or sipping coffee brainstorming your next big business move.

Buyers are online, but where are you? Many Realtors realize that the majority of property searches take place online; unfortunately the busy nature of being a Realtor can make it difficult to take the time to research and learn the technologies behind a successful online marketing strategy. An ever increasing number of home buyers are utilizing Google to find their new homes; this has made it imperative that Realtors get found online. This guide will give you the tools and knowledge to get started on a successful strategy that will increase leads and sales through an effective online presence.

Google is making changes to it algorithms that will make social media and blogging an integral part of your online marketing mix. As these platforms are very inexpensive (Facebook and twitter are free) it is vital that you start now, to ensure you are found online in the future.

Blogs A very simple and inexpensive method to get started is by creating a blog. Your blog is a great way to open the communication lines to your potential customers by providing interesting and relevant information. Blogs are a quick and effective way to keep clients and buyers up to date on industry news, tips, listing info and are great for generating leads. Clients, employees and visitors can comment on your posts thus building the foundations for a relationship in the future. Your blog can be linked to your website to keep the homepage fresh and relevant. Website users will have more of a reason to return to your site (and view your listings) if there is new and interesting content regularly posted to your website. Your blog can be used in place of a newsletter to keep yourself in front of potential clients on your email lists.

Social Media Integration Blogs are a great way to feed your social media channels. This saves time and adds relevant content to your accounts automatically via RSS feeds. By linking your blog to your Facebook fanpage and twitter account, your fans and followers will always know what’s new with you and your business. This can be a great time saving tool as it is instant and automatic. It is important to login to your social media accounts to interact with your followers and fans. Linking your blog is a great way to get the conversation started, but you must follow up and interact to receive the full benefit of social media marketing.

Twitter Twitter is a fantastic way to communicate with real estate buyers and industry members in your marketplace and across the globe. Many Realtors are turning to twitter to post their news articles, new listings, showings, open houses and all other relevant information. Twitter allows users to share and discover information very quickly and only takes minutes to use. Google is utilizing twitter feeds in their new search algorithms, so it is recommended that you have a twitter account and use it to promote yourself, your listings and your business.

Facebook Facebook is another great way to interact with clients and promote your business online. You can create a personal page and add all your friends, colleagues and clients. You can also create a fanpage and list all your business information, post interesting articles and relevant news. It is important to remember with both twitter and Facebook that they are about two way communication. Think about what your friends, fans and followers want to read about and post engaging material that gets the conversation started. Blasting your social media contacts with non stop sales oriented material is a great way to get blocked and dropped quickly. It is important to understand your social media goals and follow a strategy so you can measure your success.

Are you trying to:

• Become a Real Estate thought leader
• Generate Buzz
• Get lots of friends online
• Garner leads and sales
• Improve your online presence
• Promote your listings

By developing a strategy you will have an easier time with the day to day usage of social media, and enjoy yourself much more. While this may seem a bit overwhelming, it is imperative to get a start on your social media strategy now, to ensure you have an online presence in the future. Realtors with a successful social media program will start seeing the benefits in both their website’s Google rankings and in general brand awareness from the public. So whether you start a blog, Facebook &twitter account, or do all three, the most important thing is that you get started. By Kelowna Web Design Company