Sitting with a friend--Social Media Primer

My friend Gerry Hailer, the greatest appraiser in Eastern Massachusetts, and I had lunch together last Friday.  He has been dragging his feet for years on social media, blogging and promotion of his incredible skills in any way.  What is really interesting about this is that he spent a career as an advertising writer before deciding he wanted a more sane life with fewer brown liquids to drink.  (That is another story for another day).  I have been talking to him about how to communicate out here on the web for a long time.  He wrote me this note yesterday and I want to share it because he seems to be getting what I am talking about.  I think it is a good read for its content and the way Gerry puts his words together.

Lar--

 

Hanging with you is always good for the mind and soul, if not for a good, ribald laugh or two in the process as well.

 

I've been thinking about what it is you're up to from a marketing standpoint, the whole online content/social network/search engine optimization thing.  It's been interesting to think more deeply about.

 

What it seems to me that you are doing is offering affordable, simple ways of increasing an individuals, or office's "Star Power" online.

 

Which is the interesting thing about the Internet.

 

In your old school/new school models, you could look at it a couple of ways.

 

The new school model, the virtual world, is a portal for ANY individual to potentially reach millions of people. 

 

The old school model, the real world, offered that portal only to those who "rose through the real world ranks."

 

Take a recording artist for example.   An old school artist had to pay his or her dues, out gaining exposure and street buzz on the club scene, in the hot spots (i.e. Greenwich Village, or L.A.).  Once momentum, or sparks happened, the power brokers and gatekeepers could maneuver the artist up the ladder (record execs, managers, etc.).  But you had to gain their attention first, for they held the keys to the portal to the millions, which, if you could touch them, could result in gold and platinum record albums.  In terms of marketing reach, your vehicles were limited to a few real options: radio, television, newspaper, motion pictures, and magazines.  Elvis was the first, I believe to master the top five.  The Beatles were the first to really capitalize on it globally. 

 

These days, the new school artist, or anyone for that matter, now holds the power of the gatekeeper as well.  There are still dues to pay.  There is still exposure to be gained, buzz to be generated, and hot spots at which one has to be seen and heard.  But it is in a virtual environment. 

 

So in a sense, there are some very parallel similarities, with the key difference being, you can be the artist, AND the gatekeeper, if you know how to work the keys and unlock the gates in the virtual world.

 

Of course, you can take artist, and replace him or her with retailer, writer, Realtor, whatever.  The real point is, it's all about creating and managing your own Star Power online.

 

Interesting concept.  And very exciting, when you think about the fact that you don't need anyone's permission, blessing, or favors to reach out to millions of people anymore.  You can do it on your own.

 

And, just like in the real world, there are millions out there trying to increase their own Star Power online.  At the end of the day, however, it still comes down to whether or not you are willing to work hard at it, can deliver the goods (i.e. talent), and whether or not you can find a way to stand out from the crowd.

 

So it is, the more things change, the more they stay the same.

 

Surface scratching as it is, at least it has given me good reason to reassess the social networks, for starters. 

 

It also got me to thinking about something else, and I may try this exercise myself. 

 

Take your three top of mind brands/names in anything; any category.

 

Auto manufacturers

Chefs

Movie Stars

Rock Stars

Pro Football teams

Boat Manufacturers

Vacation Destinations

NASCAR drivers

 

The category doesn't matter.  Just pick one category, then pick your top of mind three.  Then, start checking them out online.  What is their web presence like?  Do they twitter?  Do they have a Facebook or LinkedIn presence?  Is there a blog?  What happens when you do a search on their name?  What is on page one of the search?  What is on page ten?  What appear to be their strategies for search engine optimization?  Do there appear to be strategies in place for suppression as well?  You get the idea.

 

I might try it to see what I learn.

Larry Lawfer

Realtor®

Director of Marketing

YourStorys Realty

larry@lawfer.com

Milton, MA 02186

972 322 7776