The use of Social Networking sites such as MySpace, Facebook, Bebo, Hi5, and many others have expanded in popularity over the past few years.
Despite this, used car dealers still do not understand the importance of using them in their business, instead, thinking of them as mere toys for children and teenagers something that a business professional is far to busy to contend with.
This cannot be any farther from the truth; today's real estate market isn't the same thing our parents once knew.
More and more, properties are bought and sold through online social networking sites.
Because of this, traditional advertising venues are having less and less of an influence in the movement of properties.
The good news is that these sites are totally free, which is why they are so popular.
It's really pretty simple, get connected with these services, or get to the back of the line.
First, I want to explain that Social Networking is not to be confused with a variant called Social Bookmarking, which I will cover in the coming weeks.
Wikipedia defines a Social Networking Site as "[a] service [that] uses software to build online social networks for communities of people who share interests and activities or who are interested in exploring the interests and activities of others.
" For many of us I am sure this doesn't make the issue any clearer, and honestly this is where much of the problem lies.
The individuals who are connected online are usually not very forthcoming in explaining its nuances to the uninitiated.
Which brings us to the purpose of this article and this is to explain, in layman's terms, just how these systems work and more importantly WHY YOU SHOULD BE USING THEM to attract more buyers and sellers Before we actually dive into the world of rubbing elbows online I would like to present a short list of basic points regarding the "culture" of online networking that are important.
1.
No hard selling - Yes, social networking sites can help you market your properties, but it is not for direct selling.
The fastest way to anger prospective clients is to bombard them with high-pressure sales material.
A well-placed advertisement for a product or service that is relevant to the conversation is perfectly fine, just avoid the "in your face" kind of approach and you will be okay.
2.
KISS (Keep it Simple Stupid) - Keep your details and explanations to a bare bones minimum but at the same time make them logical and to the point.
Bulleted lists are infinitely more effective than paragraphs of long explanations.
You are not trying to be Steven King here.
You want to immediately grab their attention and keep it.
Think "short attention span theatre".
That is your crowd.
People surfing the net are very quick to click the back button if they cannot figure out what it is you are trying to say literally in the first two seconds.
If you are unsure as to how to write copy that appeals to this crowd, don't hesitate to find an expert who does, their creative skills are worth their weight in gold! 3.
KISS (part two) - If you are maintaining your own website, do not load your pages up with dozens of pretty little flash animations just because you can.
Nobody ever watches this stuff and they always translate into an annoying experience for your potential clients.
I like to tell my website customers that their website (believe it nor not) is really NOT for them! In reality, their website is created for their potential customers to use.
People surfing the net really don't care about fancy swirling graphics and other cool webpage tricks.
Instead, they are only there to find specific information and to see if you have something that they might be interested in.
While a nice looking website is always important, the ones that are clean and business like are the ones with the biggest audiences, always! Think Yahoo, Google, Microsoft.
Check out their sites.
These are some of the leanest and no frills sites around but guess what? They also happen to have the largest audiences on the planet! Keep this in mind when you are debating the look and functionality of your own website's design.
Don't let your site's design get in the way of your message.
4.
Be relevant - If you are in a club on one of the social networking sites, be sure the club is relevant to what you have to offer.
Yes, Tool is a top-selling rock band, with legions of fans, and yes it is hypothetically possible that one of the fans in that club is looking to buy a home, but that doesn't mean you should post your property listings to that club.
Listings like these would obviously be considered spam and frowned upon by the other club members.
Instead, find clubs that are not only in your area but are also likely places where your posting will fit in without objection.
Check with people you know about which clubs they think are good ones to join.
(Hey, you're networking already!) 5.
Listen before you speak - This is actually an extension of being relevant.
Be sure to read the postings in the forums of the clubs to gain a good understanding of the social etiquette of that club.
Imagine this as just like being at a party.
You're making conversation that fits in and you say what you have to say in a way that people at the party can relate to.
A black tie dinner requires a formal approach, while attending a family reunion things tend to be a bit more relaxed.
Online clubs are no different.
6.
Follow up - When you post an informative message, many times people will reply back with questions or comments.
It is expected of you to respond back in a timely manner.
Failure to do so will result in people not taking you seriously and it also looks very unprofessional, too.
Not only to the person asking the question but other people who frequent those pages will also get the impression that you aren't with the program.
So far I have discussed the reasons why you need to take advantage of Online Social Networking and the simple rules that are wise to follow when doing so.
In the next part of this series I will discuss the process of signing up for services (remember, they are free) and some of the basics on finding your way around them.
Despite this, used car dealers still do not understand the importance of using them in their business, instead, thinking of them as mere toys for children and teenagers something that a business professional is far to busy to contend with.
This cannot be any farther from the truth; today's real estate market isn't the same thing our parents once knew.
More and more, properties are bought and sold through online social networking sites.
Because of this, traditional advertising venues are having less and less of an influence in the movement of properties.
The good news is that these sites are totally free, which is why they are so popular.
It's really pretty simple, get connected with these services, or get to the back of the line.
First, I want to explain that Social Networking is not to be confused with a variant called Social Bookmarking, which I will cover in the coming weeks.
Wikipedia defines a Social Networking Site as "[a] service [that] uses software to build online social networks for communities of people who share interests and activities or who are interested in exploring the interests and activities of others.
" For many of us I am sure this doesn't make the issue any clearer, and honestly this is where much of the problem lies.
The individuals who are connected online are usually not very forthcoming in explaining its nuances to the uninitiated.
Which brings us to the purpose of this article and this is to explain, in layman's terms, just how these systems work and more importantly WHY YOU SHOULD BE USING THEM to attract more buyers and sellers Before we actually dive into the world of rubbing elbows online I would like to present a short list of basic points regarding the "culture" of online networking that are important.
1.
No hard selling - Yes, social networking sites can help you market your properties, but it is not for direct selling.
The fastest way to anger prospective clients is to bombard them with high-pressure sales material.
A well-placed advertisement for a product or service that is relevant to the conversation is perfectly fine, just avoid the "in your face" kind of approach and you will be okay.
2.
KISS (Keep it Simple Stupid) - Keep your details and explanations to a bare bones minimum but at the same time make them logical and to the point.
Bulleted lists are infinitely more effective than paragraphs of long explanations.
You are not trying to be Steven King here.
You want to immediately grab their attention and keep it.
Think "short attention span theatre".
That is your crowd.
People surfing the net are very quick to click the back button if they cannot figure out what it is you are trying to say literally in the first two seconds.
If you are unsure as to how to write copy that appeals to this crowd, don't hesitate to find an expert who does, their creative skills are worth their weight in gold! 3.
KISS (part two) - If you are maintaining your own website, do not load your pages up with dozens of pretty little flash animations just because you can.
Nobody ever watches this stuff and they always translate into an annoying experience for your potential clients.
I like to tell my website customers that their website (believe it nor not) is really NOT for them! In reality, their website is created for their potential customers to use.
People surfing the net really don't care about fancy swirling graphics and other cool webpage tricks.
Instead, they are only there to find specific information and to see if you have something that they might be interested in.
While a nice looking website is always important, the ones that are clean and business like are the ones with the biggest audiences, always! Think Yahoo, Google, Microsoft.
Check out their sites.
These are some of the leanest and no frills sites around but guess what? They also happen to have the largest audiences on the planet! Keep this in mind when you are debating the look and functionality of your own website's design.
Don't let your site's design get in the way of your message.
4.
Be relevant - If you are in a club on one of the social networking sites, be sure the club is relevant to what you have to offer.
Yes, Tool is a top-selling rock band, with legions of fans, and yes it is hypothetically possible that one of the fans in that club is looking to buy a home, but that doesn't mean you should post your property listings to that club.
Listings like these would obviously be considered spam and frowned upon by the other club members.
Instead, find clubs that are not only in your area but are also likely places where your posting will fit in without objection.
Check with people you know about which clubs they think are good ones to join.
(Hey, you're networking already!) 5.
Listen before you speak - This is actually an extension of being relevant.
Be sure to read the postings in the forums of the clubs to gain a good understanding of the social etiquette of that club.
Imagine this as just like being at a party.
You're making conversation that fits in and you say what you have to say in a way that people at the party can relate to.
A black tie dinner requires a formal approach, while attending a family reunion things tend to be a bit more relaxed.
Online clubs are no different.
6.
Follow up - When you post an informative message, many times people will reply back with questions or comments.
It is expected of you to respond back in a timely manner.
Failure to do so will result in people not taking you seriously and it also looks very unprofessional, too.
Not only to the person asking the question but other people who frequent those pages will also get the impression that you aren't with the program.
So far I have discussed the reasons why you need to take advantage of Online Social Networking and the simple rules that are wise to follow when doing so.
In the next part of this series I will discuss the process of signing up for services (remember, they are free) and some of the basics on finding your way around them.
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