5 Timeless Principles of Social Media
Although technology makes communicating with our clients easier, it also makes it easier to say, “I’ll write Happy Birthday on his wall instead of calling him.” Having a personal connection is still a vital part of building long-term relationships with our clients. While the majority of them may be on Facebook, it’s still essential to pick up the phone and touch base with them, send a personal note or deliver a Pop-By gift.
At MarTech, I explain online activities are the perfect complement to your offline activities. We have to meet clients where they are, and that’s where online activities come in. Here are five timeless principles of using social media to complement your offline, in-person strategy.
- Be professional. A picture says a thousand words—what do yours say? A professional photo gives a great first impression.
- Be respectful. We all have different opinions and sensitivities about issues. Try to veer on the side of caution and try not to offend or alienate your clients. This means avoid posting about contentious issues, don’t criticize others, don’t post things that could be considered offensive and watch your language. It’s also smart to monitor your friends and their comments on your page.
- Give valuable information. Consumers today are hungry for information, so be sure to give it to them. Post relevant real estate statistics and articles, tips for buying or selling, real estate insights and even motivational quotes. Your clients will not only find the information useful, you’ll also exert your role as their trusted real estate professional.
- Provide a soft touch. Don’t go in for the sale all the time. If you only post your listings, your connections with either unfriend you or unsubscribe from your posts. Provide a mix of listings, valuable information and personal glimpses into your life.
- Keep digital in its place. Digital promotion should only make up 10% of your promotional resources. Create a plan so you don’t have to think of anything on the spot. Resources like Hootsuite allow you to write posts ahead of time for a variety of social media sites and schedule them to post during the week.
Want more tips to help you leverage technology in your referral business? Register for MarTech Trends in a city near you. We’re heading to Long Island next, along with Northern Virginia, Atlanta and San Francisco later in the year. Register now to reserve your spot. I’ll see you there!
Joe
