Take Real Estate Social Media Efforts From Online to Offline

No More Excuses

The grandest goal in using social media is to bring your online connections offline, chest to chest. There’s nothing better than making a real, tangible relationship that leads to a transaction because it validates your efforts. People use the excuse that “it’s too hard” to organize events and I call bullspit.

All you need is the internet, a bar or restaurant, nametags and a sharpie (and you don’t need hundreds of hours, check this out…).

Event Planning in Under 1 Hour:

Want to meet all of your friends from Twitter and Facebook but no one in your city is mobilizing to get offline? Want to put a face to a name but are intimidated by some of the larger tech events in town? Whatever the case, it’s easy, here’s a quick case study:

5 minutes: last week, we realized it had been over a month since Austin had had a Tweetup, got with our friend @chelseabot to determine the location- she wanted downtown (yuck, parking issues) and I wanted uptown (closer to my house of course), so we went with a trendy bar called Gingerman downtown.

5 minute: I checked the local event calendars and determined that Thursday, July 9 wouldn’t conflict with anything and is a good happy hour day.

5 minutes: emailed the owners to let them know we’re having a free meetup with our friends and expect about 50 people to show up (make sure they are staffed for a Thursday).

2 minutes: set up an invitation on TwtVite that features a map, time, place, RSVP management (even prints up nametags with Twitter avatars!) and an embeddable widget for you blog. Then, I twittered publicly that we’re getting together for happy hour. (Facebook just simplified event planning, so it’s this easy on FB too; use this option as well)

30 minutes: direct messaged the link with a personal invitation to a bunch of Austin friends and said everyone’s welcome even if they’re not on Twitter.

5 minutes: saw that like over 100 people were coming, notified venue that the group grew, asked for a table for the entry way so people can put on nametags when they come in (you’ll need to provide name badges and sharpies).

And that’s it! So simply throw a happy hour to put faces to names. It isn’t about you, it belongs to the city. It isn’t for a birthday, a product launch or a home sold, it’s for socializing in person. Don’t call it your event, don’t say you’re the sponsor, simply spend a few minutes organizing and promoting an event in the name of bringing online efforts offline.

You might also like

Taking your Online efforts Offline – Part I

I have friends in online places

Social Media – Are You a Social Leper?

I’m Going Local and I Think I Like It.