Facebook Fan Pages: Quality Over Quantity

To maximize the growth potential of your Business Fan Page on Facebook, keep in mind that it is not the quantity of fans but the quality of your posts that creates long term success. Know your fan base and understand why they became a fan, so you can focus on relevant posting content, links, photos and video that will be interesting enough for your fans to share and promote, and to recommend your fan page to others.

[caption id="attachment_24" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Connect With Your Facebook Fans"][/caption]

You could have 1,000 fans that don’t read what you write which carries a higher risk of your existing fans leaving your fan page. Or you could have 100 devoted fans that tell their friends which in turn increases your fan base. This strategy helps to accelerate your presence on the web which will gain you a greater following for the long term. Be patient and concise in your FaceBook Fan Page strategy and watch your business grow!

Cool Off in the Mountains This Summer

If the summer heat has you frazzled, consider a trip to the mountains and lake regions of the Southeast U.S. The lake breezes and higher mountain elevations ensure a cool down to soothe your stress.

If quiet ambiance is your dream vacation, consider a cabin rental through a vacation rental agency. Quaint small towns are filled with shops, diners, and local artisans and crafters.

But if adventure is your escape, consider whitewater rafting, canoeing, kayaking, or a more rigorous mountain trail in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, TN offer a plethora of adventures such as horseback riding, Dollywood, Ober Gatlinburg, shopping, dining, the Gatlinburg Aquarium and so much more.

Visit http://www.floridahalfbacks.com/ to connect with lodging and adventure options throughout the mountains and lakes of the Carolinas, Tennessee, Georgia, Virginia, and more.

What Makes a Good Listing

Property owners often ask how they can get more bookings, lead and inquiries on the Leisure Linx collection of websites. By following a few simple tips, your listing will stand out and encourage visitors to interact with you:

1. Visual Enhancements: Pictures form the visitor’s first impression. If your photos pique their interest, visitors are much more inclined to review the text and contact you.
   a. Make sure that you upload high quality photos for best results. Use higher resolution photos. Both 640 x 480 resolutions and 800 x 600 is the best compromise between size and download speed. Consider hiring a professional photographer or using an SLR digital camera for premium clarity and lighting.
   b. Include a variety of interior and exterior shots, along with lifestyle/activity and seasonal weather variation photos for a complete property perspective.
   c. Include interior shots with good lighting for your main living areas such as living or gathering rooms, kitchen and master bedroom. Also include entertainment photos, such as pool table, hot tubs, and/or entertainment centers. Any areas where people may gather such as breakfast bars, fireplaces, and resort features and facilities are also important.
   d. Visitors are turned off by websites that are cluttered with flashing, streaming or pop-up ads. The Leisure Linx collection of websites is designed with the visitor in mind. Our clutter-free professional designs lead to longer visitor sessions.
   e. Include a few local scenery shots –sunset, resort grounds, beach and surf, or ocean/lake scenic shots. These are important because they convey an important feature for buyers and renters: location.
   f. Add descriptive text to each picture. Although you may think visitors will intuitively know what they're looking at, it helps to highlight and point out features.

Create Inviting Text
a. Whether you are renting or selling your property, the opening description is the most important piece of text to pique visitor interest. Keep it short and simple, around 2-4 sentences. Make sure to include text that is concise, authentic, and descriptive. Examples include:
b. If your property offers mountain views, create an authentic and concise phrase such as “Sweeping long-range Smoky Mountain views from every room.”
c. “This beautiful home offers an architectural mix of Spanish and French Country style featuring a comfortable front porch with ocean view, inviting exterior courtyards, and two expansive rear yard decks. Offering 3 bedrooms and 2,562 square feet this home creates the perfect environment to enjoy the natural beauty of its coastal-close location."
d. "Relax and enjoy this 2400 square foot vacation home built in 1999. It is single story with two bedrooms and two bathrooms that will sleep eight for true hospitality. The distinctive beauty and charm of Birdson Cottage Floor Plan sets this apart from the rest."
e. You can also add special touches if your property is located in a lesser-known locale or in a newly developed area. For example, most people don't know that "La Jolla del Cabo" is located on the tip of Baja California, Mexico, next to the famous city of Cabo San Lucas. Your introduction should make this clear: "This beautifully appointed 1 bedroom 1 bathroom condo is located in the five star La Jolla resort. The La Jolla is a magnificently landscaped beach front resort just a few minutes from quaint San Jose del Cabo or 20 minutes from Cabo San Lucas."

1. Give your visitors plenty of options to contact you, including email address, website URL, phone numbers, and leading social network links (if applicable)


2. Provide guest/client testimonials to build your credibility. Authenticity is important, so ensure that your testimonials portray a real guest/client comment and are NOT pre-written by you.


3. Provide value-added opportunities for your visitor. A special offer can be presented in the form of a discount or a reduced price OR consider other offers:
   a. For a rental property, consider packaging up amenities, meals and/or nearby attractions with your rental rates. Or think about providing gas cards or discount coupons for area attractions with every rental.
   b. For a property for sale, consider offering a discovery weekend package that includes a discounted stay either at the subject property or other accommodations nearby coupled with a personalized property/area tour in a one-on-one environment. Or think about providing an extended warranty package or home-improvement store discount cards to your clients.


4. Amenities, Activities and Attractions
   a. The amenities section serves to describe your accommodations and highlight your property's best qualities. Write with a warm inviting tone to make your visitor feel welcome: Examples include:
   b. "Your home away from home lends itself to a relaxing, fun vacation in the Smoky Mountain area. The dining table seats eight in a bay-window area decorated with moose and pine trees."
   c. "A spacious open living room has a cathedral, vaulted ceiling of knotty pine, and rustic decor adding to the cabin atmosphere.”
   d. “A floor to ceiling wood-burning fireplace invites warm family gatherings.”
   e. “The kitchen is arranged to suit your cooking style while you entertain your guests with warm hospitality.”
   f. Many visitors may already know the activities and attractions associated with your location. attractions in your locality, the purpose of this text is to reconfirm and reinforce the fact that guests can do these by booking your property because of your vacation home's great location. Keep your description short, including only the primary and nearby activities. Indicate distances in miles or driving minutes. Mini marts and grocery stores nearby are not as important unless your location is far-removed from civilization, so only include these less-significant features if they are important for visitors to know.
   g. Rental Policies and Conditions are important pieces of information to convey. Only present those that are essential to the guest experience such as minimum length of stay, pet policy, children policy, maximum occupancy, etc. Save the details of deposits, booking fees, form of payment and other details for your website.
   

With a little time and creativity, you can create an appealing and informative listing to maximize visitor response, leads, and inquiries.

What Makes A Good Listing

Property owners often ask how they can get more bookings, lead and inquiries on their vacation rental listing or real estate listing.  By following a few simple tips, your listing will stand out and encourage visitors to interact with you:

1. Visual Enhancements: Pictures form the visitor’s first impression. If your photos pique their interest, visitors are much more inclined to review the text and contact you.
   
   
   
   1. Make sure that you upload high quality photos for best results. Use higher resolution photos. Both 640 x 480 resolutions and 800 x 600 is the best compromise between size and download speed. Consider hiring a professional photographer or using an SLR digital camera for premium clarity and lighting.
   
   
   2. Include a variety of interior and exterior shots, along with lifestyle/activity and seasonal weather variation photos for a complete property perspective.
   
   
   3. Include interior shots with good lighting for your main living areas such as living or gathering rooms, kitchen and master bedroom. Also include entertainment photos, such as pool table, hot tubs, and/or entertainment centers. Any areas where people may gather such as breakfast bars, fireplaces, and resort features and facilities are also important.
   
   
   4. Visitors are turned off by websites that are cluttered with flashing, streaming or pop-up ads. The Leisure Linx collection of websites is designed with the visitor in mind. Our clutter-free professional designs lead to longer visitor sessions.
   
   
   5. Include a few local scenery shots –sunset, resort grounds, beach and surf, or ocean/lake scenic shots. These are important because they convey an important feature for buyers and renters: location.
   
   
   6. Add descriptive text to each picture. Although you may think visitors will intuitively know what they're looking at, it helps to highlight and point out features.
   
   
   
   


2. Create Inviting Text
   
   
   
   1. Whether you are renting or selling your property, the opening description is the most important piece of text to pique visitor interest. Keep it short and simple, around 2-4 sentences. Make sure to include text that is concise, authentic, and descriptive. Examples include:
   
   
   2. If your property offers mountain views, create an authentic and concise phrase such as “Sweeping long-range Smoky Mountain views from every room.”
   
   
   3.  “This beautiful home offers an architectural mix of Spanish and French Country style featuring a comfortable front porch with ocean view, inviting exterior courtyards, and two expansive rear yard decks. Offering 3 bedrooms and 2,562 square feet this home creates the perfect environment to enjoy the natural beauty of its coastal-close location."
   
   
   4. "Relax and enjoy this 2400 square foot vacation home built in 1999. It is single story with two bedrooms and two bathrooms that will sleep eight for true hospitality. The distinctive beauty and charm of Birdson Cottage Floor Plan sets this apart from the rest."
   
   
   5. You can also add special touches if your property is located in a lesser-known locale or in a newly developed area. For example, most people don't know that "La Jolla del Cabo" is located on the tip of Baja California, Mexico, next to the famous city of Cabo San Lucas. Your introduction should make this clear: "This beautifully appointed 1 bedroom 1 bathroom condo is located in the five star La Jolla resort. The La Jolla is a magnificently landscaped beach front resort just a few minutes from quaint San Jose del Cabo or 20 minutes from Cabo San Lucas."
   
   
   
   


3. Give your visitors plenty of options to contact you, including email address, website URL, phone numbers, and leading social network links (if applicable)


4. Provide guest/client testimonials to build your credibility. Authenticity is important, so ensure that your testimonials portray a real guest/client comment and are NOT pre-written by you.


5. Provide value-added opportunities for your visitor.  A special offer can be presented in the form of a discount or a reduced price OR consider other offers:
   
   
   
   1. For a rental property, consider packaging up amenities, meals and/or nearby attractions with your rental rates. Or think about providing gas cards or discount coupons for area attractions with every rental.
   
   
   2. For a property for sale, consider offering a discovery weekend package that includes a discounted stay either at the subject property or other accommodations nearby coupled with a personalized property/area tour in a one-on-one environment. Or think about providing an extended warranty package or home-improvement store discount cards to your clients.
   
   
   
   


6.  Amenities, Activities and Attractions
   
   
   
   1. The amenities section serves to describe your accommodations and highlight your property's best qualities. Write with a warm inviting tone to make your visitor feel welcome: Examples include:
   
   
   2. "Your home away from home lends itself to a relaxing, fun vacation in the Smoky Mountain area. The dining table seats eight in a bay-window area decorated with moose and pine trees."
   
   
   3. "A spacious open living room has a cathedral, vaulted ceiling of knotty pine, and rustic decor adding to the cabin atmosphere.”
   
   
   4. “A floor to ceiling wood-burning fireplace invites warm family gatherings.”
   
   
   5. “The kitchen is arranged to suit your cooking style while you entertain your guests with warm hospitality.”
   
   
   6. Many visitors may already know the activities and attractions associated with your location.  attractions in your locality, the purpose of this text is to reconfirm and reinforce the fact that guests can do these by booking your property because of your vacation home's great location. Keep your description short, including only the primary and nearby activities. Indicate distances in miles or driving minutes. Mini marts and grocery stores nearby are not as important unless your location is far-removed from civilization, so only include these less-significant features if they are important for visitors to know.
   
   
   
   

g.        Rental Policies and Conditions are important pieces of information to convey. Only present those that are essential to the guest experience such as minimum length of stay, pet policy, children policy, maximum occupancy, etc. Save the details of deposits, booking fees, form of payment and other details for your website.

 

 With a little time and creativity, you can create an appealing and informative listing to maximize visitor response, leads, and inquiries.

North Carolina Mountain Living: The Sky's the Limit in Buyer's Market

If you’ve dreamed of owning a vacation or second home in the North Carolina mountains, the best buying opportunity in a generation may well be at hand. Prices have dropped, interest rates are low and good deals can be found just about anywhere you look.

Better hurry, though. After a sluggish fall and nearly dormant winter, the Western North Carolina real estate market is once again showing signs of life. While the boom days of 2003 to 2006 are gone, the mountains are clearly beginning the long slow climb back to health.

To view entire article by Jim Hughes, click here: http://www.metronc.com/article/?id=1923

Plenty of summer fun in the mountains of West Virginia! http://ping.fm/Ek9Uj

Plenty of Summer Fun in West Virginia!

The mountains and valleys here are comfortable, shady and full of outdoor fun.

Visit West Virginia State Parks, each offering a different mountain experience with plenty of outdoor recreation and lodging options. From resort rooms to camping, it will be easy to find the best fit for your interests and your budget.

Take a guided horseback ride at Pipestem Resort State Park, enjoy a scenic hike at Babcock State Park, and both Pipestem and Twin Falls Resort State Park offer great golf on scenic courses.

Outside the parks, Southern West Virginia is also home to 10 other golf courses, including a couple of beauties at Glade Springs Resort and Conference Center.

Hike, bike or ride a horse along the 76-mile Greenbrier River Trail. Include a fishing pole in your backpack; there are some wonderful spots to wet a line! This area abounds with rivers and lakes that are ideal for folks who fish and boat.

The Spirit of the Cherokee Sweepstakes

Cherokee, North Carolina is so close, but yet 11,000 years away. Nestled quietly at the gateway to Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the southern entrance to the Blue Ridge Parkway, this ancient home of the Cherokee people combines a beautiful natural setting with thousands of years of Indian tradition, history, art and ceremony.











Now, you can win a family trip for four to this culturally rich homeland in the NC Mountains. The winner will receive:

• Four nights for a family of four at the Comfort Suites Cherokee


• Passes for four to various attractions including the “Unto These Hills” outdoor drama, the Oconaluftee Indian Village, The Museum of the Cherokee Indian, and a guided tour at the Qualla Arts & Crafts Mutual


• Passes for a ½ day guided fishing tour, a whitewater rafting/tubing trip, and a horseback ride


• Four $50 dinner vouchers at four local restaurants


• Four vouchers for a traditional Indian meal/lunch that explores the Cherokee language with a Warrior of AniKituhwa


• $20 gift certificate for ice cream at a local shop


• $20 gift certificate at Tribal Grounds Coffee


• Various gifts, including an autographed Chief’s book, a copy of Cherokee Heritage Trails, and gifts from the Qualla Arts & Crafts Mutual


• $100 voucher for the Oconaluftee Indian Village Gift Shop


• $100 voucher for the Museum of the Cherokee Indian Gift Shop


• $500 travel voucher

Enter today! The sweepstakes ends July 31, 2009.
Enter To Win!

Taxes and gratuities not included. See complete listing of Official Rules.

Views Rule in the Western North Carolina Mountains!

Cool mountain breezes and a slower pace of life dominate the Western North Carolina lifestyle. Vacationers flock to the area's small towns for unique outdoor adventures including whitewater rafting, hiking, waterfalls, festivals, and tubing. Check out Deep Creek Tubing in Bryson City, or the Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC) for cool water thrills for the family. Visit http://www.floridahalfbacks.com/ for more information about great places to stay, things to do, and relocation info.

The Leisure Linx Advantage

Why advertise with Leisure Linx?

The brand brings value

Stretch your advertising dollar. Whether you advertise on one website or all five, our multi-site buys offer the greatest savings.

      Maximum exposure to a targeted visitor base = more visitors

      More sites = more visitors and more inbound links = higher search engine rankings for YOU!

Social media with solid interfaces to Web 2.0 strategies:

Web 1.0 metrics such as unique visitors and page views are still important for determining an audience’s size. You can view our website demographics by clicking here (go to demographics tab).

Because of the new ways that audiences interact with content, Leisure Linx incorporates Web 2.0 strategies into all of its websites. 93% of social media users feel a business should have social media presence because they are better served with direct contact. We serve our advertisers with two solid approaches to engaging more visitors into your internet strategy:

Increase the number of followers to your Facebook, Twitter, and/or LinkedIn pages. Links to these three social networks are included within every listing at no extra charge.  Visitors can quickly and easily connect with your social networks for engaging interaction with you.

      Leisure Linx hosts and moderates several groups, pages, and communities across leading social media sites. We regularly post links to your ad for frequent exposure. Visitors interact and click through to our websites to learn more about your property.

       Send us newsworthy content about your specials, events, or promotions, we will post that across all of our social media pages, groups, and communities.

Cutting Edge Features!

• Links to social networks: facebook, linked in, twitter


• Highlight your special offers and change as often as you like


• Testimonials create credibility and trust! Enter up to 3 of your client’s testimonies for others to see in your ad

Our Inbound Marketing Strategy for All Sites:

Backlinks

PR

PPC - Pay-per-click on Google, Yahoo, Bing, and Facebook

Text links on Southern Living, Cottage Living and more.

SEO-rich text and tags

Which website(s) is best for me?

 Unique, not cookie cutter, not just “another” site. What makes us different?

We know our audience, and we target each website with its own keywords, backlinks, and Web 2.0 applications. So whether you choose all five, or just a few, we’ve got you covered. We also market our website collection as a Leisure Linx brand.