What Are You, A Sitcom, Drama, or Infomercial?
Everyone is using social media to help grow their business these days and it isn't just real estate agents like us either. Accountants, lawyers, and even doctors have incorporated social media into their plans. But as people become engaged on line, many are simply going through the motions without considering how they are being viewed by others and it may be costing them business.
When we first got started on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and different blogging formats, we attended a seminar and got some great advice.
The speaker ( Bruce Hardie ) compared our presence on social media to that of a TV show. Basically, we would be putting out information ( our show ) in hopes that other people ( our audience ) would tune in to watch. If we did a good job, people would tune in on a regular basis, and also tell others about us. He said commercials were ok every now and then, but concentrate on the show and give away value. His main point was that we should get people engaged and not just ask for business, and good things will happen.
After taking the speakers advice, we have found that people are appreciative of our efforts, and business has come as a result. We can always use to improve, but we're on the right track. However, we have noticed that some people, even friends and business contacts of ours, are still missing the boat on how to properly engage in social media.
IS YOUR MESSAGE BEING TUNED OUT?
Just yesterday, I decided to "follow" a company on Twitter that I was hoping would share great information. Instead, I immediately got 2 emails and a call from this company soliciting my business. In my opinion, any "show" that starts selling before giving gets "cancelled" immediately.
I also just became "friends" with a local agent who requested it, and quickly received what seemed like hourly posts soliciting people to call him if they wanted to buy or sell a home. No interesting statistics, no helpful links, no vaule whatsoever, just pure cold hard sales.
And let's be honest, this doesn't apply just on line either. The same principles apply in person at networking and social events. Have you ever met someone at a function who immediately gives you their business card and proceeds to talk about nothing but themselves? I'm sure their on line presence isn't much too different.
So, as we all move forward, we should all ask ourselves, "what kind of show am I putting out there?" Whether you are a news channel, drama, sitcom, or even a game show, that is your choice. However, if you choose to be an infomercial, you will be tuned out by today's audience and see poor results from your efforts.
On a personal note, we hope you found this episode of our "show" to be helpful and will continue to "tune in" to future posts from us, or find us on other social media sites. We'll promise to save the hard sell approach for the other guys.
If you enjoyed this article, here are some others that may interest you as well:
C'mon People, Stop Posting Vacation Plans On Facebook
Does Hiring Cousin Vinny Really Make Sense?
Real Estate Agents Are Not Just Door Openers
Is Zillow Really Accurate? Take A Look For Yourself
The Art Of Working With Professional Athletes
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About The Authors:
Dan and Amy Schuman live on the East side of Cleveland and specialize in Cleveland Luxury Homes, working with buyers relocating to Cleveland, and first-time buyers.
For Ohio and Cleveland Oh real estate and homes see Cleveland OH real estate
For a personal consultation or to speak directly to The Schuman Team, call 216-346-3235 or email.
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