The social media network is a fascinating world.
If you have been there for a while, you know this. For new folks, well, the discovery road is an interesting one. The rules are pretty much unwritten and still evolving, the places to play are numerous, how one goes about it is not always intuitive (Twitter being a case in point), and the value, short of adding to your list of contacts and having a list of profiles, user IDs and password to remember, is not immediately apparent. It is not, mind you, simply about being Poked or throwing sheep on Facebook, or earning Kharma on Plurk.
That being said, despite the blossoming popularity of social media, some folks simply don't bother getting involved either because they don't get it, are afraid to take plunge, or see no reason to. That's too bad.
Twitter is particularly intriguing, with lots of Tweeples/Twitterers/Tweeters tweeting about whatever strikes their fancy or that somehow has meaning, no matter how obscure or irrelevant. You will see tweets about anything, some of which may be of no interest to you. Or perhaps the more trivial or off the wall the better. There are endless things to talk about, report on, or share, seemingly.
But I wonder, what do you say when you have nothing to say? Is that even possible given the nature of Twitterland.
~ Is it better to say nothing?
~ Say that you have nothing to say?
~ Make up something to say?
~ Ramble on about something you think no one probably cares about anyhow?
~ Or not worry about it at all.
Does it matter anyway
Well, it could.
There are lots of reasons to be on Twitter, and depending on yours, this is not as nonsensical a question as it may first appear.
If you are only concerned about yourself, or sharing only what interests you, then it likely doesn't matter what you say, how you say it, or even why. If you have nothing to say you can say it anyway and not worry. Why should you even care?
A beneficial reason to be on Twitter, in case it hasn't occurred to you or you simply aren't yet in the know (trust me, there are many), is to build relationships...with folks who are there now of course, those who will be there, and from your real estate business perspective, those yet-unknown potential clients who may emerge from the social media world from unexpected places or through other relationships already created. We often do not know where a client is going to come from in our off-line reality, and the same is true in the social media world, perhaps even more so. And unlike AR, many Twitterers are not RE folks.
With that in mind, having nothing to say does not help your cause. And in our real estate world, and as a REALTOR, the likelihood of having nothing to say is, well, like the sun not rising.
Have nothing to say? Consider these micro-blogs for starters (remember, Tweets are 140 characters or less, so those of you who appreicate brevity will rejoice; the yappers will, well. will need to adjust):
- Local market updates
- MLS highlights
- Short ditty on a great REO you just saw
- Details on recent home sale in your community
- Links to real estate tips, mortgage info, etc.
- Community pics
- Local events, restaurants, tourist stuff, recreation
- Updates on local ordinances and regulations
- What's going on with the wildfires and other newsworthy stuff
As with our blog posts, the do's and do nots are pretty much the same - skip the vulgarity and rudeness, don't self promote (seems like you can do that a bit more on Twitter), be interesting, consider what folks might want to know and hear about, and remember that what you say CAN be found in Google.
Need to know more? Well, a recent article sheds some light on why sellers and buyers should be in the social media world and how they might benefit. Read it and you, too, will have some ideas on how to reach out to them.
Want to learn more yourself? Read this re-blog for opportunities to learn more.
Also, check out what the Social Media Handyman has to say.
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