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Social Media - The double-edged sword of present day.

By
Services for Real Estate Pros with Austin Texas Homes, LLC 605157

Working for a broker who is also a Social Media consultant, I am usually trying to keep up with (whether I want to or not) the methods of applying it to my business.  Instinctively, I try to use Social Media to brand myself and develop a decent presence among the digital community.  However, I accidentally stumbled upon one, major disadvantage Social Media can have towards your business today.

My broker, Jason Crouch, is also the co-founder of 210 Consulting.  As part of his platform, he has a Social Media talk show which airs on Tuesdays on Blog Talk Radio.  You can listen to archived shows here.  They typically have a Social Media winner and Social Media loser of the week.  This is usually determined by the best / worst service that one experiences from a business via Social Media.  This is the basic level in which we view customer service and Social Media.  If you've read my last post, you know that customer service is somewhat of a big deal with me.

Let me share with you what happened today.  Once again, if you've read my last post, you would know that I have had some issues with my last financial institution.  Today, I went in to tie up some loose ends.  I've already fired them, but also believe in being a responsible customer.  When I left the building, I was again, infuriated.  Since I have been using Twitter a LOT lately, I've developed a habit of immediately reaching for my phone almost everytime I have a thought.  Well, guess what I was thinking as I left the bank?  My "former" bank is on the way home and about 2 minutes from my house.  After I got home (2 minutes later), I logged on to Facebook and Twitter just to see what was going on.  I already had a comment thread for the tweet I had just sent not more than a few minutes ago.

It hit me.  Social Media has brought "word-of-mouth" to a whole, new level.  As businesses use Social Media to attract customers, customers are using Social Media to tell their sphere of influence about their customer service experiences.  Businesses and consumers have effectively started a digital stand-off within the realm of Social Media.

Here's a practical scenario.  I own / manage a business and start a Twitter page so you can follow our activities and any specials.  I can also use this as a medium to communicate with you, the consumer.  This is potential problem number 1.  Our tweets have just become a public forum.  Now, take it one step further.  If I upset or disappoint you, all it takes is a little #hashtag and our business has now spread like wild-fire.  The average twitter user has 126 followers.  Remember when we were told that an unsatisfied customer was thought to tell 10 people about their experience?

Hear me right so you don't hear me wrong.  I am in no way saying that Social Media is a playground where you can act irresponsibly and slander people.  I am saying that Social Media does give you a radical voice as a consumer.  Use it wisely.

Photo Credit: http://www.cgonlinemarketing.com/images/social_media_collage.jpg

 

Show All Comments Sort:
Teral McDowell
Referral Patners LLC - Murphy, TX

James, you do have some big broker shoes to fill but then what a great teacher to learn from.

Sep 10, 2010 03:02 PM
James Johnson
Austin Texas Homes, LLC - Austin, TX

Teral,

I am definitely blessed to be a part of his team!

Sep 10, 2010 03:17 PM
Kim Boekholder Utah Real Estate/ PECO
Results Real Estate 801.580.5624 - Draper, UT
Broker Results Real Estate/Leasing Specialist PECO

You are very lucky to have such a fantastic teacher.  I'm sure you are absorbing everything like a sponge.  I look forward to reading more of your blogs and following you on your journey and learning from your blogs.  Fantastic

Sep 14, 2010 06:26 AM
James Johnson
Austin Texas Homes, LLC - Austin, TX

Kim,

Thanks for the read! Yes, I'm trying to absorb everything I can!

Sep 15, 2010 05:02 PM
Alex Morris - Austin Real Estate Agent
Austin, TX

James - reading your post makes me think about the applicability in our business.  While I am not a tweeter, my clients very well may be.  If they tweet about me as soon as they get in the car, as per your personal example posted, I had better hope it is something to the tune of "my Realtor is awesome", versus, "This guy stinks!".  If they insert your name in there, it could be a boom or bust.  Maybe I'll start researching my clients for twitter accounts! (not that I would treat them differently either way)  It would be interesting to see if anyone tweets about you.  Kind of interesting to think you are being discussed in the social postings of the new world.

Oct 08, 2010 07:45 AM
James Johnson
Austin Texas Homes, LLC - Austin, TX

Alex,

Thanks for the read.  The intent of the post was to consider how it applies to our business!  We have to be make sure we are offering the absolute best customer service.  Not only is it our responsibility and our job, but you never know who's "talking!"

James

Oct 08, 2010 11:50 AM