First, let me say that I have signed up to be a fan of some Facebook fan pages. Normally they are organizations to do with Oklahoma City whether they are real estate related or not, cancer groups, non-profits, and organizations like Active Rain. So I am not totally against fan pages, but I think that that old adage, there is not enough hours in the day applies. At some point we have to draw the line on what we do, but also we have to make choices about how we present ourselves. Let me share with you some of my concerns about a fan page.
1. I have to have one just to have one. Do we have to have one of everything. A big problem is listed above. Either we spread ourselves to thin to actually transact business with real people, or we are afradi that if we don't have one then we might miss out on something. Ask yourself this question before you create a fan page, what purpose does it serve?
2. I have one with colorful graphics but no content. As the bloggers in real estate know you got to feed the beast. A fan page needs fresh content just like a blog, a web site, or a social network needs. It is much easier to maintain a friends page and update your status like you would in Twitter. If you have your blog post going to the friend page it should also go to the fan page. But ask yourself, do most people go to your fan page for content, or do they want to see multiple streams of updates?
3. Join my fan page because i've reached my 5000 friends limit. You kiddin me? You really have over 5000 friends really, or are you just a stat freak. I requested a connection with an out of state Realtor who gave me the option to join his fan page since he was at the limit. No place in the message was there a benefit, a reason, or a I know you. I am not going to be a fan of someone I have no idea about to endorese them.
4. Is it about you or me. I have seen fan pages that are truly a vanity page. Our industry is correctly making a change to customer-centric relationships. If you are going to glorify yourself then I am not going to visit. Potential clients will feel the same. If you can choose a specific topic maybe, like short sales and feed it, it may have validity.
5. The fan page is just another distraction. Okay, this is where an even more personal opinion comes in. Why do we market without a direction? So many times on web sites, blogs, and social sites, we want to make sure that people see our every profile. This is where marketing becomes a distraction rather than a coherent structure.
These 5 reasons not to do a fan page does not mean a fan page won't be productive. There is a war going on between Facebook and Google for online dominance and Facebook is trying to hide links from Google and create a walled community. That being said if you forward all your blog posts, attach interesting articles, add a few guest commentaries, post some links that are helpful, and make sure that people are directed back to your primary page be it the originating blog or web site then by all means create it and promote it. Just make sure you have the time to sell real estate, and get some sleep.
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