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Are you a twit? I am!

By
Real Estate Agent with Jameson Sotheby's International Realty

I've always considered twitter to be a young person's game.

I've never understood the value of Twitter... why on earth would someone care to know (in 140 characters or less) where I am, and what I'm doing?

"I'm at Starbucks drinking a frappucino" (who cares?)

"I'm riding the train" (so what?)

"I'm at a closing" (well, I know why I'm interested, but have no idea why anyone else, other than my wife, would care about that).

Today, I attended a class conducted by Karen Arenson, the techy managing broker of one of our local Coldwell Banker offices (actually two of them).  I figured I'd be fortunate to pick up a tip or two, as I understand 'what' Twitter is, and have a fair sense of 'how' to post a Tweet, but as I asked her ... "I can't figure out 'why' I should bother."  I have a Twitter account (@AlanMay), but the only thing I've done with it, thus far was to tweet my Active Rain posts.

Karen was her usual charming self, and took the class of Twitees, from zero to hero is slightly more than an hour.  She carefully and patiently explained to the uninitiated, how Twitter can actually help bring additional SEO to any social media that you're currently using.

She explained hashtags, (and no, it has nothing to do with pan-fried potatoes at Filene's basement), following, and why you should bother.  It was exciting, and unexpectedly informative.  (not unexpected that Karen should be informative, but unexpected that I was able to absorb any of the information into my addled brain).

So, I'm going to be trying to tweet a little.  I've already downloaded hootsuite, I have twitter and foursquare on my phone, based on Karen's advice, and am going to see if I can manage to enter the 20th century, and eventually make my way into the 21st.

Wish me luck.

Posted by

 ALAN MAY, Realtor®   
Specializing in Evanston Real Estate and North Shore Real Estate

Jameson Sotheby's International Realty, 2934 Central Street, Evanston, IL 60201
Office: 847.869.7300      Cell: 847.924.3313      Email: Almay@aol.com

Evanston Real Estate & North Shore Real Estate
Licensed in Illinois

   

Comments (40)

Gabe Sanders
Real Estate of Florida specializing in Martin County Residential Homes, Condos and Land Sales - Stuart, FL
Stuart Florida Real Estate

Alan, I haven't triet Twitter yet, though I know it can be useful.  Let us know how it goes.

Oct 26, 2011 12:57 AM
Alan May
Jameson Sotheby's International Realty - Evanston, IL
Home is where the hearth is.

Gene - I haven't been there for ages... just didn't see the point.

Shar - hashtags are just one of the items to learn about.

Michael - once a twit, always a twit.

Mel - I'll do my best.

Kirsten - I don't know that I'm qualified to teach... but it's worth looking into.

Tom - and that's just how I felt.

Debbie - and I just learned about hootsuite, and the ability to schedule tweets... WITH hashtags! #evanstonrealestate

Anne - there is, there is!

Gabe - will do.

Oct 26, 2011 01:26 AM
Kathy Streib
Cypress, TX
Home Stager/Redesign

Alan- good for you.  I've been on Twitter for years and still feel like I have only scratched the surface.  I'm still in awe of Debbie #19 who schedules her Tweets!  

Oct 26, 2011 01:36 AM
Alan May
Jameson Sotheby's International Realty - Evanston, IL
Home is where the hearth is.

Kathy - it's really easy to do using hootsuite.  It also gives you a place to view and reply to, all of your social media participants. And the basic version is free.

Oct 26, 2011 02:04 AM
Christine Smith
Buyers Brokers Only LLC - www.BuyersBrokersOnly.com - Canton, MA
Exclusive Buyer Agent & Attorney, Canton, MA

Alan....I am also a Twit and look forward to following you.  I am no expert but by far the biggest mistake I see out there is people not using those hashtags.  I also really like Hootsuite - and you know, there is an App for that too.

Oct 26, 2011 02:10 AM
Alan May
Jameson Sotheby's International Realty - Evanston, IL
Home is where the hearth is.

Christine - I do know there is an app for hootsuite... but I'm having enough trouble figuring out how to use it on the large screen.  I do have the twitter app, though.  (little side benefit... it makes my phone ping all the time, and makes clients think I'm a really, really busy agent!!)

Oct 26, 2011 02:32 AM
Karen Fiddler, Broker/Owner
Karen Parsons-Fiddler, Broker 949-510-2395 - Mission Viejo, CA
Orange County & Lake Arrowhead, CA (949)510-2395

We have legal Hashtag dispensaries in California...is that what you mean?

Oct 26, 2011 03:04 AM
Alan May
Jameson Sotheby's International Realty - Evanston, IL
Home is where the hearth is.

Karen - I'm thinkin' those are just a little bit different... (hey, got any snacks?)

Oct 26, 2011 03:47 AM
Chris Ann Cleland
Long and Foster Real Estate - Gainesville, VA
Associate Broker, Bristow, VA

Twitter is definitely something I have zero clue about.  I need to find my local version of Karen Arenson and open up my brain to the possibilities.

Oct 26, 2011 04:26 AM
Doug Rogers
RE/MAX Coastal Properties - Destin, FL
Your Real Estate Resource!

Follow me @Dougtherealtor, but don't expect much. My Twitter IQ is in the single digits...

Oct 26, 2011 04:47 AM
Alan May
Jameson Sotheby's International Realty - Evanston, IL
Home is where the hearth is.

Chris - you sure do... it appears worthwhile.

Doug - consider yourself followed!   Maybe we can elevate each other.

Oct 26, 2011 05:29 AM
Tatyana Makarov
Century 21 All Points Realty - South Windsor, CT
Your Greater Hartford Area Realtor

hello, Alan,

honestly, I don't see how it can bring me business... I do tweet a lot... with all my new listings, closings, etc, but don't really see a results yet. Maybe I should be more patient.

Have a great day!

Oct 26, 2011 12:57 PM
Claude Cross
Homes By Cross, Inc. - Charlotte, NC
Charlotte NC Homes For Sale

I Played Golf Today ...Tweet. Two Birdies  Tweet. Happy day for me as it was 76 and clear Carolina Blue skies

If I could get some serious Google juice from this I would be interested.

Oct 26, 2011 02:01 PM
Alan May
Jameson Sotheby's International Realty - Evanston, IL
Home is where the hearth is.

Tatyana - it's additional SEO, that should drive traffic to your Active Rain blog.

Claude - tweet, tweet, tweet... you should be able to, according to Karen.

Oct 27, 2011 01:45 AM
Brad Rachielles
CENTURY 21 Peak, Ca BRE# 01489453 - Upland, CA
REALTOR, CDPE, Upland, CA

Alan,

Thanks for the "follow". Guess I better finish reading the Twitter for Dummies book.... fast.

@Rachielles

Oct 27, 2011 05:08 PM
Alan May
Jameson Sotheby's International Realty - Evanston, IL
Home is where the hearth is.

Brad - I'm still working on Twitter for Neophytes.

Oct 28, 2011 01:38 AM
Judy Greenberg
Compass - Long Grove, IL
Compass- Long Grove -Buffalo Grove

Alan,  Karen is a great speaker and I have learned so much from her.  I definately want to go to her tweeting class since although I tweet,  I don't know what I'm tweeting, to whom, why, the benefit, etc

Oct 30, 2011 08:10 AM
Alan May
Jameson Sotheby's International Realty - Evanston, IL
Home is where the hearth is.

Judy - she's planning Twitter-202 sometime in December..

Oct 30, 2011 08:39 AM
Sussie Sutton
David Tracy Real Estate - Houston, TX
David Tracy Real Estate for Buyers & Sellers

So maybe you could have bulled some of the things to do so we could also partake in the information provided. I already follow you.

Oct 30, 2011 03:32 PM
Alan May
Jameson Sotheby's International Realty - Evanston, IL
Home is where the hearth is.

Sussie - I'm not quite sure what you're saying here... but thanks for being here and subscribing.

Oct 31, 2011 01:45 AM