There are some serious pro's and con's to using Facebook and after having been on it for nearly 2 years, I find myself still learning and perfecting how I use it. My goals are to form new friendships, keep in touch with current friends and family, and learn from others in the real estate and staging businesses.
In order for Facebook to be manageable for me, I've set up some rules. Some may be a bit quirky but they work for me. In fact, if I were to explain them, it might go something like this:
Dear Potential Facebook Friend,
Thank you requesting my friendship. I choose my friends very carefully. I will look at your profile to see if you are local, if you are in a business that interests me, or if I know you outside of Facebook. I will look at what you've posted on your wall. If your posts involve a lot of politics, religion, cursing, music videos, inducements to buy what you're selling, simply too many posts one right after another, or anything else that I find truly distasteful, I will not accept your friendship. It's MY Facebook page and I want it to be friendly. For more info on what I consider to be "truly distasteful," see my previous post.
If the reason for your friendship request is that I am in real estate and you think I may be a good connection, even though we live hundreds of miles apart and have nothing else in common, please connect with me instead on Active Rain and Linked In. I'd love to see you there!
If I do accept your friendship, please do not be offended when I do not respond to Smiles, Blessings, Hugs, Angels, Teddy bears, Hearts, Flowers and other gifts. I have them blocked and I block news ones as soon as they appear. They're sweet, really, but I'd much rather have a conversation with you.
Please do not tag me in photos that are not actually photos of me, such as cartoons, etc. I will un-tag them. I have also blocked most games, the only exception being Family Feud because, well, how can anyone not like Family Feud?
I do not press "like" for every phrase that someone has come up with that I agree with. I will not cut and paste something and pass it on simply because you told me to, even if I agree. I am convinced that cutting and pasting a phrase will not prove that I'm a Christian or that I love my country, or anything else. It just proves I can cut and paste.
If I become a fan of your business page (and if we're friends, I will!), I would expect you in turn to support me by becoming a fan of my business page. Friends should support each other's endeavors.
If we become Facebook friends, I'd like to hear what's happening in your life, with your family, your business, and whatever else is important to you. If you have great business information to share, I'll listen. And-- if you've discovered the absolute best place to get coffee, or a good sale going on, I'll listen to that too. Still want to be friends?
Michele Rose is a Realtor and Professional Home Stager in Burlington County, NJ. She has been assisting both buyers and sellers with their real estate needs for the last 6 years. In 2007, she founded Rose-Colored Staging, a professional home staging and redesign business, to help sellers successfully market their homes with professional home staging.
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