Posts Tagged ‘twitter’

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Real Estate Client Referrals Uses Social Media, Too!

RECR has always tried to stay on the cutting edge of lead generation. And, one avenue that has come about recently is the advent of social media and the power that it can give real estate agents in lead generation. It only makes sense that we have a presence there considering how many are tapping into that power.

And, the fascinating thing about it is the reasoning behind why it is so popular. This is one of the best examples I have ever found as to why social media exists, why it works, and why so many are turning towards it to help build their businesses!!

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Sex has helped me use Twitter.

 

Yes…I said sex has helped me use Twitter. 

 

(Do I have your attention yet?)  Ok…good.

 

For those of you that understand Twitter, use it properly, and have seen it as a benefit in your business…you can pretty much stop reading right now because this is going to simply regurgitate everything you already know (unless you just want a refresher course with a bit of snark).

 

But, for those of you that have no clue what Twitter can do, have not understood Twitter, are afraid of Twitter, don’t know how to effectively use Twitter, or see it as a time-sucking vacuum designed for nothing more than “chit-chatting” with other people that have nothing but time on their hands, you need to keep reading.  (BTW – I’m not going to attempt to explain what Twitter is…the fact of the matter is that unless you live under a rock, you have seen something about it somewhere.  I will call you out if you say anything to the contrary.  Just sayin…)

 

I will start by telling you that I starting using Twitter roughly a year ago.  And, in that time, I have developed a following of over 1,200 of the most amazing agents and real estate people on the planet and I add 4 or 5 new contacts on a daily basis.  Many of these people I consider friends…even close friends.  But, this didn’t happen overnight.  I worked to get to this point.  If you think this is a ‘magic bullet’ to instant fame and fortune, you are seriously mistaken.  But, I’ve made money using Twitter.  And, I continue to do so.

 

What I have found that has led me to the greatest success on Twitter is sex. 

 

Well…not actual “sex”.  More like S.E.X.X.X.

 

What? Did you think that I meant…(No, you wouldn’t think that.) J

 

S.E.X.X.X.

 

Socialization

Engagement
eXamination
eXperimentation
eXcitement

 

So, now that you know what S.E.X.X.X. is, let’s break it down.

 

Socialization – That’s right.  Twitter is a SOCIAL tool.  So, in order to use it effectively, you must socialize.  I’ve said many times that Twitter is like a cocktail party.  When you are at a cocktail party, you might not know everyone there.  You also might not talk to everyone there.  You might not know what everyone there is talking about.  But, you include yourself in discussions that you enjoy…usually with people you enjoy.  Twitter is exactly the same thing…without the annoying drunkard spilling his martini on your shoes because his finger is pickled from stirring his drink with it.  (But, that’s another blog…)

 

Socialization will lead to MONITIZATION! (If you stick with it!)  The more your socialize with the people that you meet on Twitter, the more you will find agents that need someone to refer clients to in your area; the more you will find that clients in the area need an agent’s help; the more you will find that you can use this social tool to put your name and face out to people in ways that money can’t buy.  If you would like examples of this, simply hit me up on Twitter at www.twitter.com/recr and I will be happy to send you to people all over this country that are doing this.

 

Engagement – This is really a good way of putting everything I just said above.  Engage with people.  Don’t use Twitter to continually post links to your ActiveRain blog over and over and over.  (Although, I use it for that also…it has increased my readership probably 10 fold.)  But, use it to engage with people.  Speak to them person to person.  Enter into a conversation with someone.  Ask a question and you will be amazed at who will know the answers.  Find interesting people that you have common interests with and talk to them.  Engage.  Don’t know how to find people?  There are hundreds of sites you can find them on…or, do like I did…ask!  Without that engagement, you are missing out entirely and Twitter will not help you grow your business in any way.

 

eXamination – The best information I ever recieved about Twitter was from Jeff Turner.  According to Jeff, the best way to get how to use Twitter is to watch others use it.  Examine how others are using Twitter.  Find and follow a group of people that you have a specific common interest in and see what they do.  Chances are you are in real estate.  So, I would recommend finding other agents and RE.net people and follow them.  As with anything, investigate how others are using it to success and then try to duplicate that success with your own efforts.  (If you are reading this on ActiveRain, I would suggest any of the following:

@respres
@jasoncrouch
@SarahStelmok
@craig42K
@BrokerSaunders
@Ines
@nik_nik
@RealEstateZebra
@thekencook
@rerockstar
And I can include probably 1,200 more, if you want.)

 

eXperimentation – Experiment with it.  Find your niche.  Figure out how you can use it comfortably and go with that.  Twitter is nothing more than an extension of yourself through a different portal.  So, be as much of yourself as possible.  The ‘buzz word’ that is thrown around all the time about this aspect of Twitter is “transparency”.  You want to remain as transparent (or as true to who you are) as possible.  Don’t create an alter-ego.  Don’t make yourself appear to be someone you are not. 

 

Believe me when I say that Twitter is real life conversations with real life people.  The relationships you will develop here are just as real as any you have anywhere else in your life. 

 

(Pausing for the argument that usually is inserted here by the non-believers…) 

 

Despite what you may think…Yes, they are real relationships.  Don’t get caught up in the lack of “Face-to-Face” contact with the people that you meet on Twitter.  Yes, in some cases that is lacking.  But, the relationships you will develop are real.  Just because you have not met them in person does not mean that what you can build between the two of you isn’t real.  So, I hate to coin a phrase here, but “keep it real”.  Be true to yourself…and respect the wishes of others and you will be fine.

 

eXcitement – I decided to include this at the last minute because I have a hard time relating to boring people.  Part of using Twitter properly is to express yourself.  And you should do so willingly and wantingly.  Show some love for the things that you believe in…be excited about it.  Don’t just post links to blogs.  Talk to people.  Be interesting.  Be intriguing.  Be engaging.  Be excited.  If you can do that and stick with it, you will amass a following that will astound you. 

 

Hopefully, you can now see why this acronym has helped me build my following on Twitter…and I truly believe it can help you also.

 

But, if you still don’t believe anything that I have said here, click on this link http://www.mytechopinion.com/twitter-for-real-estate-twits and download this ebook on how to use Twitter effectively as a real estate agent. (Yes, there really is an ebook for everything.) And, when you get done with it and are on Twitter, give my good friend @Nik_Nik a shout out for her good work. 

The world needs another blog about how important it is for agents to build and maintain a positive social media presence like Eskimos need ice. 

But, I’m a big fan of technology.  I figure anything that is out there that can help me do my job better, more efficiently, and with less effort on my behalf has to be a good thing.  Plus, I’m a numbers junkie.  Numbers and statistics to me are undeniable proof that certain truths exist. 

And, I guess I’m not the only one that feels that way.

The 2008 Use of Technology Survey tracks the current trends in technology.  The survey is conducted in the 3^rd quarter annually and is sponsored by the California Association of Realtors.  For the purpose of the survey, agents are asked about everything from computers to phone and internet usage. 

Some of the statistics that I read don’t really surprise me.  For example, according to the survey, 93% of Realtors use email, 90% use the internet to check online listings, 89% use the net to check the local MLS, 59% use it to access brokerage websites, and 55% of users access the WINForms electronic forms online.  But, aside from those, here is a stack of statistics that I read that stood out….

• On average, 48% of a Realtor’s business originated on the internet in 2008!  That is up from 44% last year.  This is expected to increase to as high as 60% in the next 3 years!  (If you ever needed a reason to start working in social media and getting your name out there for clients to see…Here it is!)
• On average, 33% of agents use a laptop or tablet computer in the field.  Again, that is up from 27% from last year further proving that agents are taking advantage of the technological advances to help in both presentations and closings.  70% of those that use a laptop in the field use it for listing presentations.  That alone is up from 2007 by roughly 13%.
• As a sign of the struggling economic issues associated with housing currently, only 13% of agents bought a new computer in 2008.  That is down from 20% the year before.  (This does not surprise me in the least…everyone has had to cinch the belt down a bit…)
• 58% say that keeping up with emails is the greatest technological challenge.  (I spend probably 3 hours of my day just responding to or generating emails.  So, I would have to agree with this.)
• 11% say that they send their clients an electronic newsletter via email.  (I’m surprised that this is as low as it is…maybe that is because I work for an internet company and literally everything we do is online.  Maybe I’m desensitized…)
• 45% honestly believe that the technology that they use gives them a competitive advantage over other agents in the field.  (That would explain increase in people using it.  If you weren’t using it before and were getting clobbered in the field, you would want to use it now.  Makes perfect sense…)
• And, the kicker —- ONLY 7% of agents that responded to the survey say that they participate in an online group/forum or post blogs!!  (Are you kidding me??  I don’t know why I’m surprised at this statistic…but only 7%??  That means I’m ahead of the curve by 93%!!)

Now, I don’t know about you, but some of these statistics are just incredible to me. 

But, even more incredible to me are the statistics that were quoted in the 2009 Social Media Marketing & PR Benchmark Guide published by the Marketing Sherpa.  This marketing survey is taken annually to measure the power of social media with reference to companies big and small across the country and globally.

• 76% of the companies surveyed agree that social media is dramatically changing the way that companies communicate with potential and existing customers.  (The practice of marketing and communicating with customers isn’t dead…but, it is changing!)
• 48% of companies that were surveyed all plan on INCREASING budgets with regard to online marketing and social media. 
• By the same token, the same businesses in this survey are all planning a decrease in spending in “traditional” forms of marketing
  • 22% are decreasing spending on telemarketing
  • 52% are decreasing on direct mailings
  • 57% are decreasing on events such as trade shows
  • 60% are spending less money on print media
  • 83% are decreasing spending on radio or TV ads

And, the most impressive statistics of all…

• 94% of the companies agreed that social media can directly influence the reputation of a company’s brand in the eyes of it’s potential customers.
• 91% agreed that it is effective in ensuring brand awareness.
• 87% agreed that social media has improved their specific search engine rankings and can increase website traffic.
• When asked what factors were stopping companies from setting up a social media presence, 46% of the companies surveyed claim that there isn’t enough knowledgeable staff in place to help support the effort.  (Considering the massive number of consultants and “social media gurus” that are out there, I find this number to be a bit off…But, hey, what do I know?)

Now, having said all of that…I fully realize that writing a blog about how important social media is in this market is a lot like giving a firearms demonstration to the NRA…somewhat futile since 99% of the people that will see it believe in it already. 

But, as far as I’m concerned, these statistics are convincing enough to make anyone with any form of connective brain tissue realize that having a social media presence isn’t optional any longer.  It’s needed.  Not only is it needed, it’s mandatory if you plan on keeping up with those around you. 

So, start blogging.  Join social networking sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, ActiveRain, and Twitter.  Get your name and your face out there as much as humanly possible. 

Times change; markets change.  And, with those changes, adaptations must be made by those that intend to survive.  In this internet-ruled world, social media is now king.  You can either adapt to that change…or be overcome by those that do — Your choice.

 

If you would like information on www.recr.com, please feel free to contact Clint Miller at 800-977-7058.  Or, follow me on Twitter on www.twitter.com/recr.