This past week, Gia Freer and I were invited to speak at a panel for the Master Brokers Forum in Boca Raton, FL. The panel’s subject was “Navigating the Social Media Ocean: Facebook, Blogging and Beyond”. Questions were prepared before the panel, answers rehearsed……but things changed a bit when we arrived at the venue.
The average age of attendees was late 50’s – everyone there was a top producing agent with years in the business and successful businesses at that. So why were these people interested in Social Media for their business? Some were just curious and had no intention to even venture into trying something new, but a lot of them, to my surprise, recognized that it was important to at least get their feet wet and see what all the commotion was about.
The first question – and one I will share because we need to ponder and then ponder some more, was:
If I’m new to social media, what are the three most important things I should do RIGHT NOW?
Some of us have been at this for a while and going back to basics may seem a bit trivial and useless….but guess what?? If you really think about this question, it may simplify your social media marketing strategy today.
Gia answered the following:
- Put up profiles NOW (in Twitter, Facebook and Linked In)
- Start at Blog
- Change your business cards (include your social media stuff)
Denise Reynolds (aka @LuxuryWriter), third panelist and Luxury writer shared 5 stages of twitter acceptance and everyone in the room could relate to at least one of those stages – priceless information, from Influential Marketing Blog:
If this doesn’t help you identify your goals on Twitter….I don’t know what will.
I of course tried to be funny and said:
- get a computer (the crowd burst into laughter….but I saw a couple of nods in the crowd as well)
- stop using 20 year old photos for your marketing – when your client finally engages you online and then meets you in person, you will scare them away.
- drop the “fear factor” – you can’t get started if you are afraid
And lastly, earlier that day, I took the question to Twitter and received the following responses:
Most of you reading this are way beyond the “beginner” point – but some of you may have started blindly and without direction. I think the basics that need to be understood before you can really begin to reap benefits is to understand SM reach (the fact that you have access to your Sphere of influence’s sphere) and the fact that the medium is used to engage and make connections. The most trivial moves in any of the platforms may lead to meaningful conversation and possibly a business relationship. Stop telling people about your achievements and start asking others about theirs, the days of Interruption Marketing are over ….and… the Interwebs have no age cut off!
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Consumerism, Geo-mapping columnist
Marketing columnist
Great post, Ines — there’s so much useful information in here!
–Hilary Marsh, Managing Director, REALTOR.org
Including your social media on your business cards is a great tip. I never even thought of that. Thanks!
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@HilaryMarsh THANK YOU!! it was a really great group of people and the questions afterwards were so relevant and useful – because of the fact that they all have successful businesses.
Kelly (you can thank @giabfreer for that)
This is a great post as always Ines. People can’t really experience the power of social media until they start participating in social media…the right way. Too many real estate friends of mine discount it before even giving it a proper shot.
Social media may not be for everyone and I get that but it’s so great to hear stories like this one of successful people being opened minded and willing to learn something new.
Derek
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@Dorverbey even if it means starting off with a widget on their site – had one lady come up to me (in her late 60’s), with a multi-million dollar business and 30 plus years telling me she was incorporating some SM tools to help her connect with her already established European clientele.
I was very pleasantly surprised as well
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Time to move from 3 to 4, thanks Ines.
Those 5 stages of Twitter Acceptance are so true.
Some of us move through the stages a lot quicker. I think I’m still between 4 and 5.
Honestly on Twitter I mostly connect with other conservatives and not Realtors so much anymore.
What’s Social Media?
Seriously, this is useful information. Thanks.
Ines…Fantastic post…you would be surprised how many folks love the fact that they know what sites I am on by my business card alone (they don’t have to write it down ’cause it’s already there). They can look me up, befriend me and have an online conversation easily and they tell everyone else they know about it
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Howard – the stages of twitter are a wake-up call to many
Missy, and you can move backwards too – again….after you define your goals and know what you are using the medium for
Ken – love seeing older people embrace new ideas, especially when it comes to the Internet
Gia – the idea of a landing page is not a bad one either – I created one but still waiting for my domain http://ineshegedusgarcia.wordpress.com/ or http://marianawagner.wordpress.com/ or http://www.jeffturner.info/
seriously after writing a blog for more than 4 years I have concluded that it isn’t for everyone. I always suggest it because it is powerful but most won’t do it or stick to it or post often enough to get any traction
Ines,
I cannot thank you enough. I have been studying and listening to “experts” explain about social marketing, but no one has made it resound as you have. I feel as if I have been comfortably moved into a new realm by a guiding, reassuring hand. Thank you.
@tboard interestingly enough, some people use other mediums within SM and get great results as well without blogging – I just don’t know what I would do without by hub
Doc – and don’t forget that many of us are available to help….so just knock on our virtual doors if you need anything
Your information is good, and I look forward to receiving more useful recommendations and opinions to consider.