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YEO - Maintaining Contact With Thousands. Why Do You Care?

By
Services for Real Estate Pros with RealSatisfied

The following conversation on Twitter inspired this post today.

  • HomesByThomas  yesterday

    @respres Jeff, with over 6000 followers, how hard is it to maintain any sort of contact with people? Did you notice that I sent you a Thank You?

    • respres  yesterday

      @HomesByThomas yes, I did, but hadn't responded yet. And a lot easier than you might think. You may have given me my YEO post for the week.

      • HomesByThomas  21 hours ago

        @respres Jeff, I'm glad to hear your response. I thinks it's awesome that you can respond like this and I'm excited I could inspire a Blog!

        • respres  12 hours ago

          @HomesByThomas well, let's hope I find the time to write it tomorrow. :)

If you're being followed by a lot of people, how hard is it to maintain any sort of contact with those people?

Not very hard at all. Why? The answer lies in how we define "contact" and "engagement." And that is different for the 6,000+ followers I have, people who have chosen to "listen" in on my stream, than it is for the nearly 4000 people I follow, people I have chosen to "listen" to.

In this context, "contact" can have a good number of definitions. Each time I post a status update, I have the potential of making contact with some percentage of those 6,000 people. There are many variables that influence what that number will be at any given time. It depends on who is online at the time and their level of interest in me and the content being delivered. It also has to do with the number of people they're following (their own stream noise level) and the pace at which others are posting status messages at that same time.

If I'm consistently delivering value to, the contact happens as part of my daily activities. There is no extra effort required. I call this "ambient presence." My followers are aware of me and what I say and can choose to engage in a conversation or take action on a request, but I don't have to reach out specifically to anyone specific each time I want to make contact.

The more critical question would be this: "How do you maintain any sort of contact with the 4000 people you are FOLLOWING."

Why is it more critical? Because what I have said by "following" those people is this, "I am listening to you." I'm saying that I want to have a conversation with them, that I want to engage with them. I'm saying they are of interest to me. I don't follow everyone back for one reason and one reason only. I want the people I follow to know that I have a desire to engage with them at a higher level.

Thomas sent me a welcome message shortly after I followed him and about 12 hours before the question that prompted this post. I knew this because I got a txt message update using a tool that we built at Zeek for Ben Martin called Twext.me. Twext.me sends a summary of the "mentions" I receive on Twitter and alerts me to the possibility that I might want to go pay attention. Ben expressed his need for a tool like that, so we built it. And it's free. I needed that tool too, because it IS hard to pay attention to 4000 people. It's not as hard as one might think, but it's still hard.

There is a need for better tools to manage our online relationships.

If we are attempting to engage with thousands, this may seem fairly obvious. But even if we're trying to engage hundreds, we will not be as effective if we don't use tools like Tweetdeck and Tweetgrid to our advantage. That's a fact. But even if we do, we are missing systems that would allow us to understand who we have and have not talked with in any given period of time. Current systems don't allow us to see who has and has not acted on requests we've made. They don't give us the tools to help us assess our reach with the messages we're promoting. And while the social side of me says, "who cares. Just engage and let it take it's course." The business analytics side of me says, "it would sure be nice to know."

So, Thomas, if someone mentions me on Twitter, I know about it. I have all the tools necessary to make sure that I can respond and engage appropriately. What's missing are the tools to help me beter categorize the people I'm following and help me me identify who I've not spent enough time conversations with. Sites like twitTangle attempt to make it easier for me to conentrate on certain people, but they don't go nearly far enough.

But this has me wanting to ask a different question.

If you are a local real estate agent, why would you need to follow thousands? Having thousands follow YOU may happen whether you like it or not. If you're interesting, it will probably happen. But why would you need to follow thousands?

I saw this tweet a few weeks ago from @anitamatys. She said, "I am new to twitter and my son told me I needed to get 2000 followers." To which i replied, "Why did your son pick the number 2000? Are there 2000 people on Twitter in Klamath Falls?" I never received a response. She now has her 2000 plus followers, but she has only posted 11 updates. I glanced through a few pages of her followers and who she was following. There was no rhyme or reason to the people she had chosen to listen to. Not that it matters. She isn't really talking to anyone. i don't get it.

Again, do YOU (not the universal YOU, but you specifically) even need to maintain contact with thousands of people in order to be successful in the social media space? What are your goals with Twitter? Facebook? Does the number of people you're listening to support those goals or interefere with them?

Show All Comments Sort:
Rita Bradley
Laguna Hills, CA
Valuation Consultant in Orange County California 949-916-3263

I think of the "following and listening to  others" part of Twitter like I would a radio.  I listen when I feel like it, I only listen to one station at a time and I turn the radio off when I'm done listening-with no guilt because of not listening to dozens of other stations.  And I think of the tweets I make, the same way.  If someone happens to be listening when I post, great.  If not maybe I'll catch them next time.  I love the simplicity of Twitter! 

May 06, 2009 02:19 AM
Naoma Doriguzzi
Virginia Beach - Virginia Beach, VA
New Media Director

I talk to people that I have an interest in.  I engage with other moms and working moms because I can relate and have easy converstations with them.  Just a few weeks ago I get a tweet of one of the moms that is following me - her husband is in the coast guard and they are moving here in a few weeks and wanted a good va beach realtor.  :)  LOVE Twitter and you are right - it is more than the # of followers that you have. 

May 08, 2009 02:25 AM
Bill Fletcher
Web Handyman - Dana Point, CA

I tweet, therefore I am.

May 09, 2009 06:50 PM
Anonymous
Ken Lampton

 

Jun 04, 2009 11:55 PM
#59
Harrison K. Long
HomeSmart, Evergreen Realty - Irvine, CA
REALTOR , GRI, Broker associate, Attorney

Jeff ... I need to use tools like Tweetdeck and Tweetgrid systems and make those advantage rather than a hassle.  Thanks again for this post.

Jun 05, 2009 03:44 AM
Scott Carlton
San Diego, CA

Twitter is a social networking tool. Like any tool (social networking or other) the value that comes from it is directly related to how you use it. If you have an effective strategy for what you tweet and to whom, it can be useful. If I am tweeting what great foreclosure deals are am seeing come available today or some other value based content to a specific target group for example...

Jun 05, 2009 07:42 AM
Frances C. Rokicki
Fran Rokicki Realty, LLC - Bolton, CT
Broker-Mentor,CRS

I love the information that you have offered.  There is so much knowledge to be gained with all of these tech sites, that, you can never read enough.  I appreciate your capacity to share and exchange these good tips.  Thank you:)  Some folks have the patience to keep 2,000 followers.  I do not.  I do follow some good tweeters and hopefully, those that are following me, will learn about the rain, as well as, real estate!

It's a Good Life!

Fran

Jul 14, 2009 11:08 AM
Maureen Megowan
Remax Estate Properties - - Palos Verdes Estates, CA
Palos Verdes Real Estate Blog

I tried to tie my activerain feed into twitterfeed.com but it wouldn't accept the url for my activerain account. Can you give me any help.

Aug 19, 2009 10:19 AM
Jeff Turner
RealSatisfied - Santa Clarita, CA

Maureen... I sent you this via Twitter, but thought I'd leave it here as well. http://screenr.com/nxs

Aug 19, 2009 11:40 AM
Matthew Naumann
Exit Realty Charleston Group - Goose Creek, SC
Goose Creek, SC Real Estate Agent

Jeff,

Great post and tons of great information and tips.

Thanks for sharing,

Matt Naumann

Aug 28, 2009 03:01 AM
Matthew Naumann
Exit Realty Charleston Group - Goose Creek, SC
Goose Creek, SC Real Estate Agent

Jeff,

Great post and tons of great information and tips.

Thanks for sharing,

Matt Naumann

Aug 28, 2009 03:01 AM
Xposure Real Estate Photography (Western North Carolina)
Xposure Real Estate Photography - Asheville, NC

Great artical!

Xposure Real Estate Photography -- www.PropertyXposure.com

Feb 02, 2010 02:30 AM
Pat & Wayne Harriman
Harriman Real Estate, LLC (203) 672-4499 - Wallingford, CT
Broker/Owners, Wallingford CT Real Estate

Jeff, I just came across your post (I know, took me long enough!) and found it interesting and very informative. Just for kicks, I checked up on @AnitaMatys. Since your initial post, she has grown to over 58,000 followers, she follows 62,000+, and appears on 335 lists...but has only updated 253 times, the vast majority of which are inspirational quotes. Not exactly what I'd call good YEO...

Mar 07, 2010 02:57 PM
Tavia Ritter
RE/MAX of Reading - Wyomissing, PA
Information Technology Operations Manager

Thank you Jeff, for sharing this information, I am a tech trainer for our RE/MAX office and I will be sharing some of your ideas (and goal setting questions) with our agents as they dip their toes in social media.

May 28, 2010 04:07 AM
Anonymous
Laura Al-Amery

Hi,

Thank you for nice article

Thanks

 

Aug 19, 2011 06:20 AM
#70
Olga Vasquez
Park Regency - Granada Hills, CA
Olgasells

Jeff: Thnk you for the tips.

Oct 18, 2012 05:06 PM
Chad and Sandy Neumann
Chad and Sandy Real Estate Group - Jacksonville, FL
Jacksonville Realtor (904-414-6200)

Thanks, Jeff! Sounds like this is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of twitter strategy...so i'll be keeping an eye on your posts.

Feb 13, 2013 11:49 PM
Bryan Beckstead, KOmKards, Care-Connect-Communicate, on auto pilot, 24/7.
Start MAXIMIZING the Internet.... Kommunicon.com - Priceville, ON
Become a KOmKard owner today,

Jeff,  Thanks for the input. I am not a fan of the new social networking culture. I have talked to far too many business people over the years, many of them Real estate Agents and found the common theme to be this:

  Spent a lot of time and effort and could see little or no definable results. 

Something to take away from this discussion. I have found that social networking sounds good, looks good, but its tools as a profit generator leave a  great deal to be desired.

Its a great day to add some value

Bryan

Mar 18, 2013 11:23 PM
JM Padron, CCIM, CCP, MRICS
THE JMTEAM NETWORK - Dade City, FL
CCIM, CCP, International Commercial Broker

Interesting and informative content = Engagement

Tweetdeck and Tweetgrid, never heard of them before, I will play with them to find out their benefit.

Thanks for sharing, great article

Apr 28, 2016 08:27 PM
MichelleCherie Carr Crowe .Just Call. 408-252-8900
Get Results Team...Just Call (408) 252-8900! . DRE #00901962 . Licensed to Sell since 1985 . Altas Realty - San Jose, CA
Family Helping Families Buy & Sell Homes 40+ Years

Thank you for this thought-provoking post on tweeting and following.

Jan 14, 2020 01:12 PM