In the last few weeks I’ve had several partners, property managers, colleagues, and friends ask me for recommendations for (internet) tools that I use to make life easier. Here are some of my answers:

Resources to check out:

“How do you find time to twitter? and how do you get it on facebook?”
For the twitters out there that have mobile phones it’s time to download TwitterBerry (http://www.orangatame.com/products/twitterberry/). It’s also worth downloading twirl for your desktop. It saves time, energy, and organizes your twitter life quite nicely. Regarding getting your tweets on Facebook, just download the Twitter App (on facebook) and enter your ID and PW. Pretty simple http://apps.facebook.com/twitter/. Of course, if you don’t tweet then you probably don’t care. If you’re wondering what Twitter is then check out my profile on the site http://twitter.com/McFads.

“Any secrets in writing blogs?”
In terms of content, that’s up to you. As far as writing/posting blogs, download ScribeFire (for firefox) and I quote ‘post to your blog without ever leaving Firefox.’ Warning: you might start blogging too much because it’s that easy! Please note I’m writing this blog from the ScribeFire tool.

“How do I know about my SEO?”
There are many tools out there to check out your SEO. I’m a big fan of SEO Quake (also for Firefox). It embeds a toolbar in your browser that displays critical information about every site you view. It was developed for webmasters but I think everyone that has a business presence online should have it. SEO Quake “allows user to obtain and investigate many important parameters of the internet project.”

There are also several good articles and resources available at SEO Tools (http://tools.seobook.com/).

Lastly, if you don’t know who Matt Cutts is then you’re missing the boat. Just check out his posts on SEO/Google (http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/type/googleseo/)

“What Social Networking sites should I be on?”
First, it depends what you want to do on these sites. If you just want to maintain friendships then I’d highly recommend Facebook. If you’re looking to attract, interact, and impact existing and future clients then you need to create a profile on LinkedIn (click to see mine) and a company page on Facebook. Just the other day I received an inquiry for a vacation home in Santa Barbara through Facebook. One of our partners, Palm Springs Rental Agency, booked a home through Facebook too. You can check out their FB group.

A few days ago we posted about our promotion for Colorado residents looking to escape during the Democratic National Convention.  We sent out a news release and even polled a few locals to get their thoughts on the effects the convention would have on their commutes, leisure time and lives in general.

The folks over at 9News in Denver sent their always entertaining, mountain reporter Matt Renoux to Vail to meet with Mike McFadden of The Society and Mike Connolly at Peak Properties Inc to get some details.  The piece aired on the 5 o’clock broadcast.

Additionally, the very cordiall Scott Miller of the Vail Daily wrote a great article for us including some nice quotes from another of our local property manager partners Prudential Colorado Vail.  Jon Eskin provided some excellent support comments.

Finally, we had a write-up in Denver’s Rocky Mountain News that features the detilas of the promo.  Thanks to all the editors and reporters for the press coverage!

The Special Anniversary Issue of the duPont Registry has been released for August, 2008.

Inside, The Society and a few of our premier property manager partners were featured in a full, two page spread, as well as a feature story entitled, “Paradise Redefined.”

Excerpt:

One company that has been leading the way in the luxury vacation-home rental arena is the Society of Leisure Enthusiasts. “Vacation rentals are a great alternative to luxury hotels or owning your own vacation home,” says Michael McFadden, CEO and co-founder of the Denver, Colorado-based company. “You enjoy the ambience of high-end accommodations and save money, versus staying in a luxury hotel.”

Another bonus is homeowners in desirable vacation destinations can list their properties for rent on The Society’s website and use the money to offset the cost of renting vacation properties for their own travels.

With more than 2,000 qualified luxury properties available in forty-five different destinations around the world and new inventory being added all of the time, The Society of Leisure Enthusiasts offers ample exotic locales and unique properties to choose from.

To receive a free online subscription to this esteemed publication, click here.

With the Democratic National Convention coming to Denver August 25-28, metro-area residents will see an estimated 50,000 visitors descend upon the city overnight. This is the largest event in Denver’s history and will play host to about 1,500 special events in the four-day span. Regardless of your political affiliation, the sheer volume of people can be overwhelming and an inconvenience.

www.TheSociety.com is making it easy to escape the crowds with free gas and discounted vacation rental home rates for Colorado residents. All the details can be found on the DNC Promotion Page.

A new luxury poll taken from 278 American Express Centurion card holders brings to light some emerging trends of affluent travelers.

* “Two thirds (66%) seek destinations that are entirely private and secluded to take them away from the crowds.”
* “72% are demanding bespoke, personalised experiences, catering exclusively for their needs.”
* “76% want to gain new talents and a sense of individual achievement during trips.”
* “A big driver in the growth of tailored travel is the need for security and privacy.”
* “If you want to see things off the beaten track and experience views few get to see, doing this without the crowds is what really makes it a truly luxury experience.”
* “The continued growth of luxury vacation rentals, yachting, and private plane businesses is a testament to this overarching desire for exclusive and private experiences.”

As so many of us have realized, this is the beauty of enjoying a vacation in a luxury rental rather than a high-end hotel.  Luxury rental homes combine the concierge/services typical of 5-star hotels with the seclusion and comforts of a private estate.

You can read the entire article here, and to begin a search for your perfect rental home, start here.