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Where the Tweet Did The Time Go?

By
Real Estate Agent CA RE Lic #01411593

Flickr Caucas

I looked up from my computer and it was 8:15 p.m.  Where the Tweet did the time go?

I've been messing around with Twitter the past week, trying to find ways to streamline my Tweets.  I've made some progress with the number of people I'm following as well as the number of people that are following me.

 

My Twitter Grader rating is up to 95%, a substantial increase from a few days agoTweetDeck has been working out nicely for me. But now I have a serious problem.  I am following 729 people.  Only 400 people are following me back.  Maybe this is a big deal, maybe it's not.  I don't know enough about Twitter yet to be able to form any meaningful conclusions.

Here's what I do know. I've made contact with 400 people - the people who either followed me directly or followed me back.  That's huge to me.  It's probably small potatoes to many of you, but I still find it amazing.

In trying to follow my 700+ new Twitter friends today I realized that I needed some clear cut guidelines.  I simply can't read fast enough to follow every one, every day.  I don't think I could do it even if I wasn't spending time blogging, doing CMAs, or showing homes.

I came across an interesting site TweetWasters that tracks the amount of time spent on Twitter.  It uses a basic formula to figure out by the number of Tweets you do, how much time you're likely to have spent on Twitter. I don't know if it takes into consideration the amount you may be reading.  I usually read 10-15 Tweets for every Tweet I do...until I find something I want to jump in on.

My rating on TweetWasters? "My Grandmother uses Twitter more than you do!" Well, if I can connect with 400 people and spend less time than Granny does on Twitter...I must be doing something right.

Flickr Photo by Caucus

 

 

 

 

Marchel Peterson
Results Realty - Spring, TX
Spring TX Real Estate E-Pro

Kelly, I have it all set up.  I'm following something like 100 people but I'm still having problem GETTING IT. 

Dec 16, 2008 03:09 PM
LS Rogers Realty
LS Rogers Realty - Richardson, TX

I agree with you. Anyway, isn't that the whole idea of Twitter? To spend less but highly effective time connecting?

Dec 16, 2008 03:11 PM
Kelly Kilpatrick
Rancho Santa Margarita, CA
Broker-Associate

Marchel:  What are you using manage your Tweets?

Trunda:  That is the point...and it appears to be working as far as the connections are concerned.

Dec 16, 2008 03:17 PM
Marchel Peterson
Results Realty - Spring, TX
Spring TX Real Estate E-Pro

Kelly, I am using Twirl but it just seems so hard to follow and do anything else at the same time.  I don't have that problem with insant messenger but you just really have to watch twitter. 

Dec 16, 2008 03:39 PM
Richard Stabile
Re/Max Real Estate Limited - Oradell, NJ
Bergen County New Homes Builder Realtor

Kelly:

May I ask, where dose all this following get you. Would it be better to just build your google PR by blogging and getting rank so customers will find you everywhere.

Is there something I am missing. I don't mean this is a bad way, I am just confused to the benifit beyond social graces.

I belong to twitter and don't have a real clue, never the less i will follow you.

Richard

Dec 16, 2008 04:06 PM
Kelly Kilpatrick
Rancho Santa Margarita, CA
Broker-Associate

Richard:  I have fairly decent google placement and will continue to write on my outside blog as well as AR.  What Twitter has provided for me is connection to another larger group of people.  I initially had real estate related contacts.  Now I have expanded by following and follows to those in my community and other types of professionals in the same county. Through Twitter I am now in contact with several journalists at the Orange County Register.  These are fantastic contacts...and I got them from Twitter.

Dec 16, 2008 04:54 PM
John Novak
Keller Williams Realty The Marketplace - Las Vegas, NV
Henderson, Las Vegas and Summerlin Real Estate

Hi Kelly - When you have so many followers, it may help to think of Twitter as a cocktail party. There may be a few hundred people in the room, but you're only talking to a few at a time, overhearing a few more conversations, and the rest are just there. I usually check my Replies and DMs, and then chat a bit with whoever happens to catch my attention.

Dec 16, 2008 05:44 PM
Leesa Finley
RED Properties - Wake Forest, NC
RED Properties - Raleigh NC Real Estate

Hey, John - I like the cocktail party analogy!  That was something I could relate to!  ;)  Kelly - TweetWasters?  I smell a contest coming on......scary!

Dec 16, 2008 09:10 PM
Kelly Kilpatrick
Rancho Santa Margarita, CA
Broker-Associate

Leesa:  Oh no!  Another contest...LOL!

Dec 18, 2008 04:20 AM
Robert Hammerstein -
Christie's International Real Estate - Hillsdale, NJ
Bergen County NJ Real Estate

Kelly -  I am mostly lurking on Twitter as I find it a terrific place to find cutting edge news depending on whom you follow of course.

The cocktail party analogy is right on the money :-)

Dec 18, 2008 09:50 AM
Kelly Kilpatrick
Rancho Santa Margarita, CA
Broker-Associate

Lisa / Robert: I'm with you about the cocktail part analogy.  Thanks for your comment.

Dec 18, 2008 01:44 PM