Facebook, a Place for Friends!
I love the tag line I see when I log into my Facebook account. It says simply this “Facebook, a place for friends.”
What an excellent marketing phrase! I have been watching agents, brokers, companies, sales people, housewives, children and aliens (oops! I mean teenagers) log on and use Facebook.
As a technology coach, my team specializes in identifying technology, testing it to make sure it really works and most importantly testing it to make sure it is a true profit center for our agent and broker clients. To be honest, in the beginning I struggled with understanding the point of sites like Facebook and in quiet moments have caught myself asking whether there is any real value to this whole social networking thing. I can now state unequivocally, that without any doubt, social networking has become a critical part of today’s technology arsenal for real estate and is here to stay.
I have always taught that our most valuable asset is the relationships that we have. These relationships are only valuable if we stay in touch with the people we know and especially the ones we have done business with in the past. Many agents keep a database so they can send their annual Christmas card or calendar in January, but then leave their database alone and hope the clients will call and ‘turn themselves in’ when they’re ready to do business. While I admire the effort, an occasional letter or holiday greeting does not keep you at the front of mind of your relationship and has proven to not be effective in the long run. So, what other options do we have that will allow us to reach out and touch our entire database, that are also are permission-based and not offensive? The answer is social networking, especially Facebook. Here is what I know about Facebook:
¡ 150 million members
¡ 80 Billion page views per month (yes, that’s a B…for Billion!)
¡ In 170 countries and territories
¡ Available in 35 different languages
¡ More than 1 in 5 people who access the Internet log into Facebook
¡ If Facebook were a country, it would be the 8th most populated in the world!
¡ Average age of the Facebook user is 27 (but the trend is getting older)
I have come to realize that Facebook is not an evil time-waster for college students or something scary or irrelevant for Realtors. It is a tool that connects people with those around them. Guess what? Your clients, friends, sphere of influence and business associates are there.
If you choose to use Facebook, make sure you have specific goals in mind as to why you are there. Here are some guidelines:
1. Get found by people who are searching for homes or real estate
2. Connect and communicate with current and potential clients
3. Create a community around your business
4. Promote your business and content that keeps you at front-of-mind with your relationships, including webinars, blog articles and other valuable information
Bottom line is this: You have a sphere; Facebook allows you to make it a true sphere of influence.
Have fun with this new method of marketing called social media, embrace the technology, but do it with a focus on business and you will find thousands of dollars waiting for you there.
Social networking is no longer a mystery; it is a profit center if you work it right.
Join me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/verlworkman
I look forward to keeping in touch with you.
Verl Workman
Speaker Trainer Coach