Facebook+ Peanut Butter Cookies= Success

FACEBOOK.  TWITTER.  LINKEDIN. BLOGGING..... If you are a living, breathing person you have no doubt noticed, partook or can't live without this social media 'craze'.  If you are like many Realtors I've talked with, you may have at one time asked yourself the question, 'Can facebook really help my business?' 

I'll be the first to admit, somedays it seems like I'm so distracted posting, tweeting & commenting just to keep current on all my social media updates.... I realize that I am getting very little, if any real 'work' done!  My phone's dinging every five seconds, only to find that the urgent message is a thumbs up on something I don't even remember thumbs up-ing myself...AAAHHHH!

It had gotten to the point where I decided to make a public online announcement that facebook and I were permanently parting ways.   There was disbelief in the cyber air, but I was sure of it.  I had it with facebook eating up my time.... the rest of you social media platforms, you can stay.

As I went about my daily affairs, I felt an unusual calm.  My phone was no longer unnecesarily disturbing me and I felt more balanced.  I was out of touch and loving it!  (I will admit, I did satisfy a few curiousity cravings by using my husbands facebook account.... just to make sure I wan't missing out of course!)  So out of touch I became, that I slowly started to realize I was missing out on important information.  I no longer was up-to-date on the news of long-distance friends, family and  local businesses.  When I asked the trainer at my gym how to find out when the classes and times changed for the new season she informed me that I'd see it on facebook.  WHAT IF WE'RE NOT ON FACEBOOK???

I realized it.  Social Media is not really an option.  If you want to know what's going on in the world or even just your community, you better be using some form of social media.  If not, have fun in the stone age.... or so I felt.

 

Needless to say I rejoined and did some experiments.  I live in a seasonal vacation area and as it's not quite yet our summer season, it's a bit quiet.  The last couple of open houses I've done I was happy to get one person come through.  So I knew I needed to do something different for the next one.  I decided to do something I would never, ever do.... market my business using facebook.

I sent out an event invitation to all my contacts and my husband sent one out to his.  It stated that it was an open house, had my name, the location and simply read: 'Please join me tomorrow for delightful marsh views and home-made peanut butter cookies.'  I did add a picture of the cookies, for effect.  (I do always make cookies, but with one person coming through, I end up eating the rest!)

I had so many people come I ran out of room on the sign in sheet and was there 30 minutes after it was supposed to end!  All but one couple admitted they came 'to be honest just for your cookies, but since we're here we actually are thinking of ... buying, selling, downsizing'!  I could not believe it!  My husband thinks I should start advertising 'free cappuccinos'!