Part 3 of this series discussed the concept of sharing your content, both manually and automatically. We also looked at social bookmarking toolbars and analytics. Part 4, and the final part of this series, talks about getting involved in the conversations that ensue around your content as well as inserting yourself into conversations that are occurring elsewhere.
Taking Part in the Conversation
There is little doubt that publishing a blog, adding regular news and announcements, adding events, adding your listings and syndicating all this content on your site is beneficial. Having a presence on Facebook and Twitter can be beneficial as well. But your social networking strategy should not end there. It is important for you to establish yourself within the various networks and communities. How much time you devote to this is your decision, and it can certainly be modified over time.
There are large organizations that devote dozens of hours or more per week to social media and social networking. There are companies that devote nothing other than providing social media and social networking guidance. If a small business does not have the time or resources for an aggressive strategy, a simple or moderate strategy can be very effective and should not be ignored or overlooked. Starting out with as little as one hour per week devoted to social networking can provide many benefits. There are several ways to do this. Below are some suggestions, but it is important to note that this is by no means an inclusive or complete list.
Blog
In previous posts in this series we have discussed the concept and benefits of blogging, but don't let it end there. Encourage readers to comment on your blogs and when they do be sure to respond. Try to keep the conversation going. As soon as one person begins a conversation, you will be surprised at how many others are willing to get involved. Perhaps ask some questions in your blog that may prompt readers to respond.
Read other blogs and provide comments. This is a great way to insert yourself into the conversation. Give your opinions and share your knowledge and experience. It may drive others to read your blog. Use common sense here though, it is fine to disagree with others; just do so in a respectful way.
Community Forums
There are many community forums dedicated to a variety of topics, including real esate. Read through some. When you see something interesting, join the conversation.
Share
Do not just share your content; share others' interesting blogs or news items with your audience. The more you are willing to share others’ work, the more likely others may begin to share yours.
Groups
Many social networking websites, such as Facebook provides the concept of groups. Anyone can create a group based on a specific interest or activity. Other individuals who share those interests can join the group and from there, discussions evolve, content, blogs, photos and videos are shared, and friends are made. Start out by joining a group that you find interesting and join the conversation. Perhaps you can create a group of your own and encourage others to join. Either way, get involved.
The 12:1 rule
This is a great tip I read form blogger and author Chris Brogen. Try and contribute something valuable to conversations that you are taking part in 12 times more often than you directly market yourself or your services. Of course this ratio is a general rule and not something to strictly adhere to. The point is to take the time to establish yourself as a knowledgeable and experienced professional that is not afraid to share information or provide advice to others.
Use Third Party Apps and Tools to Enhance User Experience
Facebook provides a number of business apps that you can add to your page to provide additional functionality. There are apps available that allow you to create a custom tab and display HTML content, RSS Readers, apps that display your latest Twitter posts (known as tweets). There are apps that allow you to create a business card which can serve as a signature on your messages. You can get an app that displays testimonials. The list goes on and on, and there is plenty of information available regarding these Facebook apps and how you can use them to provide a rich user experience on your Facebook profile or page.
Twitter
Twitter provides robust search functionality. It can be used to find individuals or businesses that interest you. When you find someone interesting, follow them. They may decide they want to begin following you. Remember, links to your blogs, news, and properties are all included in your postings from your website which helps draw traffic to your site. Let people know you are out there. I would not however recommend simply spending on hour on Twitter for example, and following everybody you find. Just because you follow someone does not mean they are going to follow you. This has never proven to be an effective use of resources. However, you can reply to conversations you find. Often Twitter is used for information gathering. People ask questions. If you know the answer or think you can provide some insight – go ahead and respond. Remember, this is all about making contacts.
Conclusion
Social media and social networking is a large topic and there is some overlap with other web technologies and concepts. This blog series was not meant nor could it, detail every aspect or offer a one size fits all approach. But, I hope that I was able to provide a useful overview of what is needed to begin a social media and social networking campaign. In addition, I hope that you are now aware that these activities are important, relatively simple and can positively impact your business.
Finally, you may be thinking that you do not have the time for all this social media and networking activity, or perhaps that you do not believe it will ever provide a benefit to you or your business. However, remember that the statistics of Facebook and Twitter users are staggering and that individuals are increasingly using the internet and social networking sites when searching for new homes. It is essential that you have an internet presence and that you use available tools to present yourself as a relevant and invaluable resource. The knowledge and the tools are available to you. You just have to take the first step.
How much time do you currently spend each week sending out postcards with a photo and a list of your recent sales and new listings? How often do you hand a business card to a new acquaintance? You probably attend conferences, trade shows, education events or tech fairs. You probably mingle with your peers and actively seek out new contacts and potential new business associates. You may even ask friends for referrals or actively try to make new acquaintances in your community. Most, if not all of you, regularly participate in these traditional and in-person networking activities. You probably consider it essential to your business because it is. Without it no one knows you. The concept of online social media and social networking must be approached the same way. There are only so many people you can physically meet in a day, but online you have the resources to potentially reach and communicate with a much larger and broader audience in a much shorter amount of time. It should be considered as essential to your business as your traditional networking activities. I will not try to tell you that this is easy, it will take time, but it is worth the effort.
Thank you for the opportunity to share some of my thoughts on social media and social networking. If you would like to see the ideas presented in this article, please look at Verdeschi Realty. You will see that the blogs, news, events, and property listings are all available as an RSS Feed. You will also note that the news and announcements contains the latest news and events of Long Beach and Atlantic Beach, Long Island (Verdeschi’s area of interest). We have also included social bookmarking toolbars and links to their Facebook and Twitter pages on every page of the website. In addition, the Verdeschi Realty Facebook Page and Twitter account have postings that are continuously and automatically added throughout any given day. If you take a look at the Verdeschi Search Our Listings page, you will see the RSS symbol in the top right corner of the page. This enables site visitors to subscribe to their listings and receive updates in their RSS Reader. Finally, we have provided functionality so the latest 3 tweets by Verdeschi Realty and their followers are displayed on the home page.