The topic of Social Media Marketing is getting a lot of buzz in both the real estate industry and the general business world. I regularly present programs about how to use social media platforms for business, and am often asked by my colleagues how to get started in using social media or how to take their use of social media to the next level. So, whether you are just getting started or have been at it for a while, here are a few basic tips for how to appropriately use social networks:
- Focus on relationships. Remember that success in real estate, like all businesses, is really based on building strong relationships. Social networks are places where you can build and develop strong relationships. They are not advertising platforms.
- Ban the term “social media marketing.” Eliminate the marketing and emphasize thesocial. Traditional marketing is about pushing your message out. Social media is about engaging with people to build relationships.
- Engage. I am often approached by colleagues who say “I created a profile on [network of choice]. Why am I not getting business?” Social networks are not billboards. Having a profile isn’t enough. You must have a presence. Engage with the people in your network by commenting on their posts and status updates, asking questions, providing answers and sharing interesting and useful information. And by the way, posting “happy birthday” on someone’s wall is not engagement.
- It’s not all about you. Stop talking about real estate and yourself. The two biggest mistakes real estate professionals make are only posting about real estate matters and only posting news about their listings, closings, showings, etc. Remember that these are SOCIAL networks. 80-90% of your content should be about topics other than real estate and yourself. Talk about what interests you outside of business: activities, hobbies, etc. If you don’t have any, get some.
Renée Fishman is a VP & Associate Broker with Halstead Property, where she provides real estate and marketing expertise to buyers and sellers of NYC real estate. Renée is the 2009 winner of the Real Estate Board of New York’s prestigious Rookie of the Year Award, and has been lauded for her innovative use of social media platforms in growing her business. She speaks regularly to both real estate professionals and other industries on how to use social media for business.
