Networking = Making and Nurturing Connections
Twitter isn’t going to sell your listings or generate buyers and sellers for you. Twitter can help you find these types of contacts, but in the end its going to be you and your reputation along with the value you demonstrate that closes deals.
9 Twitter Tips You Can Put to Work Right Now….
The right way to tweet your new listings – Of course you want to share your new listings with the world. But do they really want to listen? How you go about it is what makes the difference.
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Compare this:
Just listed, 123 Main Street – Anytown, USA $275k 4 Bedroom
3 Bath – Culdesac Drive www.anyagent.com/listingx
To this:
Had an awesome day and finally got to put my good friends John
and Jane Doe’s home on the market. www.anyagent.com/listingx
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Connect on a Personal Level with Your Profile.
Photo – As a real estate professional you will do far better to connect on a personal level than as a company. If you are using a company logo change it to a personal profile photo and watch your Follower rate double immediately.
Name – People want to connect and build relationships with people, not your company. Use your name.
Description – This is your elevator speech. Just say what you do. Also ok and good to personalize with “human” elements. Father, wife, golfer, Mom. Surprising things happen when you open yourself up a little. People can relate and connect with you. Also, your transparency fosters trust.
Background photo – This is the big photo behind your small profile picture. Something that shows a bit about who you are as a person rather than part of a company when possible. It’s all about engagement with your audience here.
Followers and following – Start following those you come across that inspire you in some way or have a similar interests. A good place to start would be to follow and interact with people local to you and your market. Typically 25-35 percent will follow back.
Quality and value of people you follow is important and will pay off in the long run. If it looks like they just spam away in their postings they are probably not going to invest a lot into connecting and engaging with you.
And just because your in Arizona doesn’t mean you can’t follow people in Florida. Treat peoople well, provide value, and become a resource. This is how you get great things in business to come your way regardless of location.
Post and share relevant and interesting content – The general rule is to share or post only 1 business related tweet for every 4-6 personal ones. Providing great content with links to relevant articles and tips is easier than you think and really helps position you as an expert. It’s difficult to go anywhere on the Internet without a button to share articles and other posts. You shouldn’t go out of your way for this. Simply share things as you come across them that you find value in. Like this article perhaps?
It’s not just about business – Especially for you as a real estate professional. People want to know you are human and they will do business with people they like, can relate to, and can associate with. Give them those glimpses in your life and see what happens… “had a great day with my son doing this” “have you seen this movie” “having this for lunch”
Dont’s – Don’t beg people to come to your site, or do business with you, or send a link every ten minutes with garbage just to be seen. No one is going to do business with you until they can connect with you on a real level. In fact, the first thing most people do when they get a new follower is to look for a reason to block them. Don’t be “that guy”.
Politics and religion go without saying. Stay neutral. Even a small reference or inuendo is enough to cancel a deal and isolate out people… and it adds up fast. Especially if someone dislikes something enough to share and re-tweet with others.
Investigate – You can learn a lot about a person by what they tweet, looking at their lists, etc. Meeting someone in person at their home or office for the first time you look around see what they are about right? It’s no different on Twitter so don’t be afraid to personalize.
Hash tags – Very important to use, but only one or two at a time. It really helps things show up in search results. Don’t use any spaces with your hash tags. Search for some at Twitter and see what comes up so you know your using the right ones.
Don’t try to do too much at once – It’s easy to get carried away working on your twitter account. Don’t let it overwhelm or suck you in. Take your time with a slow and steady footing focusing on quality over quantity.
Fit it into your schedule with what is comfortable. You might be amazed with what just 15 minutes or so each day or two might accomplish over time. But do stay consistent. Showing nothing for too long makes people think your not active in your business and is a common criteria for for being unfollowed.
There really isn’t a “best” time to tweet that makes that big of a difference compared to when it works best for you. Don’t let the time of day, or day of the week stop you from doing your thing. Do what works for you when it works and it wil be more enjoyable and productive for you. Consistency is the key.
Written JANUARY 6, 2015
