A fellow agent in my office recently asked me to put together something on Twitter and how real estate agents could utilize it. We are Realtors, there is one thing we all love to say when introduced to anything new, “I’m to busy for that.” And while it is true you, like I, may be very busy, it is important to look at what we are doing with our time and is it leading us to where we need to be down the road.
Twitter is one tool many of you have probably heard of, but have little clue what it is. The short answer is Twitter is a micro-blog social networking tool. My goal here is not to teach you the ins and outs of what Twitter is, but why as a real estate agent you should be using it.
Purpose
There are three main purposes I am going to focus on in hopes of convincing you Twitter is a tool you should be using.
- Presence: Have you ever searched your name on the Internet? What do you find? If you were to meet a potential client in your day-to-day activities and handed them a card what do you think they would do when they get back home? They are going to Google you more often than not. What will they find? Twitter is a tool that can help you control what they find. Not only does Twitter rank well so your actual Twitter account will be found, but Twitter can also be used as a tool to drive people to other sites that control your message as we will discuss more below.
- Build your sphere: Twitter is a great tool that can be used to build your SOI. This is something we all work on consistently (or should work on). So how does Twitter help you build your sphere? Much like you may spend time in public meeting people and adding people to your sphere, you can do the same on Twitter and probably meet a lot more people in a lot less time.
- Education: If you want to be a great Realtor you need to stay up on the latest. What does the recent legislation or tax incentive mean to your client? Did you even know about the latest program your community may be running? Twitter is a great tool for keeping up with the latest happenings in our industry with minimal effort. As you engage with other Realtors on Twitter you will constantly be seeing what they are talking about you will be kept in the loop about the latest happenings. Twitter is also a great way to share ideas and ask opinions of other Realtors and get their feedback. Twitter will make you a better real estate agent.
Process
While I could spend hours talking about the process you go about to get up and running on Twitter and how to use it day-to-day, this is going to be the abridged version.
The first thing you need to do when creating your account is fill out your profile and fill it out in full. Take a minute to upload a picture or icon that represents you, this makes it easier for others to remember you when they see your Twitter updates.
Make sure you fill in a link to your blog and please don’t forget to enter your location. There has been more than one occasion where I have looked for a Realtor in another state, gone to my Twitter followers to find one and open a profile of a known Realtor and they do not have their location filled out. How can I send you a referral if I don’t know where you live?
After your profile is completed then start following Realtors who are known as Twitter experts. Watch how they are using Twitter and start interacting with them. Not only does this build connections that could lead to a referral, this also builds friendships in which you can build on not only online, but offline too. These relationships will help in your growth online.
Find local Twitter users to follow. Once you find local users who you have similar interest in start interacting with them on Twitter. When they mention something you may have a similar interest in jump in on the conversation. You are going to find that many of these people get together for local “Tweet Ups.” A Tweet Up is when a group of Twitter users who usually have something in common get together at a local establishment for networking opportunities. This is a great chance to build your sphere.
Some basics on using Twitter to remember. First DO NOT SPAM. Who wants to read “I’m a local real estate agent, send me your referrals.” Not me, not many people. If you interact and engage with people they will come to know you and know you are an agent without you cramming it down their throats.
Interact, don’t dictate when on Twitter. Have you seen all those late-night comics talk about Twitter saying its a bunch of people sitting in front of their computer typing “I’m eating pizza watching Seinfeld.” Does it happen, sure, do those people have much interaction or followers, no.
I would say you should be starting half, maybe even as much as 2/3 of your Twitter updates with the @. What is the “@” in Twitter? If you were to talk to you me, and my name on Twitter is DeanOuellette you would start it out @DeanOuellette (message). That is considered a reply and will only be able to be seen by me, you and people following both of us.
So why should half your Tweets be replies? Because that means you are interacting and talking to people, not just telling people what you are doing. If you have a group of friends that you are out to dinner with you don’t just sit there for 2 hours talking about yourself and shutting them out, you have a conversation. That is how Twitter should be used too.
Payoff
So what is the payoff? Twitter is a great chance to interact with hundreds or thousands of people in a short period of time. In the last year I have added over 2500 followers to my Twitter account. Let’s say in a conservative estimate I only interacted with 20% of them. That means I added 500 people to my sphere in the last year. How many do you add through traditional prospecting? All of a sudden that time investment doesn’t seem so bad.
Twitter can also help other online efforts like your blog. When I write a new post I take 2 minutes and send out an update on Twitter to let people know I updated the blog and what the latest post is about. You will be amazed after your Twitter account grows how much this can help your blog. Not only does it send people to read that post, it also shows people who may not have known you had a blog that you are out there. All this leads to more traffic, more links and improved search results in Google.
Twitter takes time, you are not going to have 1000 people you follow and that follow you overnight and that should not be your goal. Twitter is not about how many followers you have, it is about how many you interact with on a fairly regular basis. It is about a community, a community you build.
There are dozens of other suggestions I could come up with for Twitter, but I am not out to write a book. If you have any suggestions to add to this conversation or any questions please leave a comment or better yet, Tweet me!.
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Twitter is a way to connect to clients, learn from your peers and discover new people. It’s free to use and really gives back as much as you put in.
Why would anyone in ANY sales type job NOT use it? Seems like a no-brainer to me.
Tyler Hurst’s last blog post..Social Media IS NOT advertising
Thanks Tyler, and that is the Twitter version of my post.
I’m really just here to help.
Tyler Hurst’s last blog post..Are you real?
What the heck is this Twitter thing everyone keeps talking about?
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Nick, its a way that good realtors are staying in touch and sharing information with each other and and clients. You should check it out
I have taught a class or two on social networking to some fellow agents and they just can’t wrap their brain around twitter. Actually, I am still working on getting them to use facebook. It did take me some time to figure out how to use twitter as part of my business model, but the benefits have been outstanding. I have made great connections that I network with regularly across the country and locally. The greatest benefit for me has been the knowledge that is put out for your use on a regular basis on a variety of topics. If I have a question about something or even need to find a local vendor-I just ask and it comes to me in no time.
.-= Heather DeDona´s last blog ..More Ways to Sell Your Home: Text Messaging =-.
Heather, I think the biggest value of Twitter is staying connected with other agents and using it as an education tool. The value there is great as becoming a better and more informed agent will help you become more profitable.