sOCial sunday will frequently explore a real estate angle to blogging, Twitter, etc. Today, Orange County entrepreneur Greg Robertson of Dwellicious.com offers his thoughts on how should a real estate agent or a brokerage should initially approach “social networking” tools …
Blogging? I think that starting a blog is one of the best ways for an agent today to show off their personality — but also their knowledge of the local market. Both are important in real estate. I’m also a big believer in creating a niche for yourself. So starting a blog about goings on of the neighborhood you sell is a great way to get started. Market data is available everywhere now and something you should provide. But it’s the stories about the neighborhood; who’s moving in, why this house sold for that, garage sales, softball schedules for the local park, etc. You want to be the place on the web that everyone in the neighborhood goes to find out what’s going on. The challenge here is that not all people like to write or write well. But some of the best blogs I read are just a collection of links to other stories, with maybe a brief (one or two sentence) commentary. It can be done.
Digg, de.licio.us and other bookmarking services? It’s all about sharing. There are technical things agents and brokers can do to make it easier for people to share/bookmark posts/content on their blog or website. But the real question is whether or the not the information/knowledge you are putting out is actually worth sharing. That being said, agents and brokers need to be aware that today’s consumers use sites like Digg as a news source and de.licio.us as an alternative search engine. Ranking high on either of these services will give you great exposure.
LinkedIn, Facebook and other contact networks? One of easiest ways to get started in social networking is creating a profile on LinkedIn — often been described as Facebook for business. A lot of real estate professionals are uncomfortable with the “social” aspect of social networking site, LinkedIn keeps it nice and professional. It’s like your resume on the Web. It gives you an opportunity to talk about your background, qualifications and career. I know a lot of people who check LinkedIn first before doing business with someone. Facebook would be the next step, but some people are put off by the banality of it. I look at Facebook another way. It’s kinda of like what TIVO does for me. I can see what my friends and family are doing, on my own schedule.
Twitter? I really like Twitter. Like Facebook, a lot of people are put off by it: “Why would I ever tell people I’m having a cup of coffee?” For me Twitter is the entry point for the social networks I belong too. I link Twitter to my Facebook accounts so my “tweets” also updated my Facebook account and also viewable on my blog. For agents and brokers, Twitter can also be an extention of their blog/website, a way of getting the word out. Again, the focus must be: “Is what I’m sharing, worth sharing?” That’s the best mantra for anyone trying to leverage the power of social networking in their business.
Hi
Great tips especially the one about LinkedIn. LinkedIn will soon become the most effective way of building your professional career and creating a personal brand. However, one will have to invest time in learning the effectiveness of these sites and ways to use them properly.
If you are looking to learn LinkedIn usage, a good reference is a new book called “How to REALLY use LinkedIn” by networking expert Jan Vermeiren. You can find a free lite version at http://www.how-to-really-use-linkedin.com/
Greg,
Nice article! We are in the process of getting involved in social networking for our Atlanta based Lease Purchase company. I appreciate your insight on how you are using these tools!
So I will check out Digg, de.licio.us and other bookmarking services, to see what that’s all about, perhaps to make it easier to link or share content.
The benefit of Twitter above the other social networks is the ability for people to spread your message with very little effort. If you post some information to LinkedIn you reach your network, whether it’s 10, 100 or 1000 people. But what can they do with that information? If it directly appeals to them they can take action on it, but if it’s of tangential interest or if it might be of interest to someone in their network there is no lightweight way for them to keep that message going.
The retweet in Twitter is the power tool for the service. Now instead of reaching 100 people you give people in your network a very easy, lightweight way of spreading your message to exponentially more people. This aspect is too-often overlooked when comparing Twitter to LinkedIn, Digg or other social networks - micro-distribution is the key to gaining influence, creating action and achieving success with social networks and Twitter does it better than any other tool out there right now.
Linkedin has really changed my fractional consulting business for the better, I cannot thank them enough! It takes some time and effort but it pays off.
http://www.linkedin.com/in/robertpestello
All the best,
Robert