I had this thought the other day about social networking being a big pool or an ocean if you will, and what I'm after in it.
Initially when I started blogging on Active Rain in early 2007 (did that even before Facebooking - in fact Facebook at the time was only for college kids, another "C" I'm not in or fish I'm after. But hey! here's my FB Business page in case we haven't connected there!)
I didn't think about the "C" I was fishing in and who I intended to catch. I just wrote from my heart, experience and struggle in the home staging industry on the only platform available at the time that included other fishies like me who loved real estate.
But we really need to ask ourselves, who is the fish I intend to catch in the "C" of social networking and how best to bait my line to catch my intended target?
I've indentified some fish in the "C" of social networking for you below.
- Colleagues
- Clients
- Capital
- Casual Conversation
Here's my catch on the subject:
Colleagues -Initially that's who I was writing for and connecting to. I was hungry for information sharing with my staging com padres around the country and they did not disappoint. Home Stagers are some of the most giving, creative and talented folks I know not only with their craft but with their business sense and knowledge about anything. But I soon learned that I needed to focus my efforts on more than just commiserating with other home stagers. While I still do this type of social networking I've widened my net.
Clients - I quickly started to realize I needed to target clients who were searching for information on help with selling their homes and I'm not a Realtor. Staging was and still is a new concept for many Realtors and home sellers and education is crucial for building my business. So I started writing information laden blogs and articles that my prospective clients could find if they were searching for information on tips to help them sell their homes. And by doing this, I not only created the expectation that I am an expert in my field but I was and still am getting calls and offers to do things real estate related that actually generate another source of income besides home staging!
Capital - As mentioned above, in my quest to start targeting clients for my
home staging services in my local Dallas, TX home selling market, I inadvertently (but happily) attracted other "fish" who liked the bait if you will, and asked me to do other projects and also write for them. Some of the information and content I provided was a paid for service while others were pro-bono,
however anything I've written or produced and that gets published is my intellectual capital and will indirectly pay me as well.
Positioning yourself as an expert and go to person in your industry has very valuable returns.
Casual Conversation - while I do personally love connecting with family,friends and associates on Facebook (my personal page) I don't spend too much of my working hours time doing so online. I'm not into Bejeweled Blitz or Farmville but many people are. As a business person one must ask themselves what is the best use of my time? But this is a big "C" that many people enjoy but in the "C" of social networking for business is this the best catch you should be after?
While you may say that we are essentially after all 4 of these "Cs" at any given time, focusing where your efforts give you the best ROI is important to think about and quantify. Time is money and for me I'd like a big catch if I'm taking the time to fish.
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Home Star Staging is a qualified, insured home staging company and we are always here for you North Texas!
- Affordable pre-list home staging property consultations
- Affordable post list "trouble shooting" property consultations - no matter how long a home has been on the market there are always ways to improve the chance of sale
- Owner occupied property staging (utilizing owner supplied furniture & accessories or including some of our own inventory)
- Vacant & investment property staging (Full and partial rental furniture packages, accessories and staging services)
- Is your office interested in hosting a home staging class or presentation? Just ask!
- Contact Karen at 496-964-0516 or Karen@homestarstaging.com
Interested in starting your own home staging business in TX, OK or NW LA? I can help! North Texas SAR Texas Home Staging Training Classes coming in 2011
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