Is social networking a passing fad? Or is it a permanent evolution of our online culture? Should businesses embrace social networking and make it part of their marketing strategies? Social networking started out as a teen-age craze, but an increasing number of businesses are putting it to work.
I believe that social networking is part of the human dynamic and is here to stay. Social media is growing with people to people networks. Even in the earliest days of the Internet, forums allowed interaction, discussions and collaboration. This movement is a long term trend toward socialization of the web.
I would translate “social networking” to conversations… The essence of Web 2.0 is technology assisting conversations and people interacting.
Social networking is a skill that marketers need to develop in order to stay ahead of the curve in marketing trends. It is rapidly becoming a means to target and communicate with customers in more interactive and strategic ways.As a result, wise marketers are taking advantage of them to deepen their relationships with consumers.
So what does the future hold for social networking? The growth seems to be in mobile social networking. The use of mobile devices continues to grow and be a part of our culture. Can you imagine using your mobile device to quickly check the online profiles of the prospect you are getting ready to meet?
What ever the future holds, social networks will be a basis for communication and interaction… unless of course, social networking evolves into a newer and better media.
Networking, either online or face-to-face is still networking. LinkedIn is a virtual form of networking. You are networking because you want referrals. You have to give to get. You have to be active with your network.
Networking is still about building relationships, visibility, trust, and likeability. You want to use the power and leverage of technology. Results are multiplied when you combine online social networking with offline networking. This can be as simple as scheduling a phone call or meeting for coffee.
3 Steps to get referrals from your network:
- Build a targeted network.
- Communicate what you do.
- Interact with your network regularly.
One of the best tools to use on LinkedIn for networking is LinkedIn Answers. Answers allow you to ask and answer questions on most any topic. By focusing with subjects related to your industry, you are interacting with people who are interested in your market.
On questions that I ask, I will follow up with a personal reply thanking them for answering my question. If they are someone that I am not connected with and I think they would be a valuable addition to my network, I will suggest a connection. If they agree, then I will send an invitation.
Make a point to participate in answering questions posed by your network. This allows you to interact on their questions. You will also have a portion of your network that reads what is being posed and answered by their network. They do this to learn and obtain expertise. By participating in Answers, you are reaching this part of your network.
With LinkedIn you will get out of it what you put into it. It is a networking site and as in face-to-face networking you have to put in the effort.
Social networking sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn and MySpace have exploded in popularity. There are literally hundreds of social networking websites to choose from. How many of these sites should a person participate in? How many can a person handle before becoming overwhelmed?
Most people should participate in a maximum of two. More than that and you lose focus. This is one of the principles behind BLiF marketing (Blogging + LinkedIn + Facebook). Choose which social networking sites based on your objectives.
In BLif marketing, LinkedIn is more of a business networking site where Facebook is more social. There is an overlap between the social and business networks. In LinkedIn you establish a good rapport with your business contacts, then one starts discussing things other than just business. With Facebook, you are in a social setting and discussions may lead to talk about business. This way one is for business and one is for pleasure.
LinkedIn is for business contacts and career opportunities. LinkedIn is a good way in seeing what is happening in your field of expertise and in communicating with people in your field all over the world.
Facebook is for meeting and discussing in a relaxed social atmosphere. There is also a place for businesses by using Facebook pages or groups. Generally people gravitate to the social network where their friends are. Facebook is the fastest growing social network.
If your business or personal objectives better fit other networking platforms, then choose up to two and spend your time and energy there.
People are forming relationships online and real estate is a relationship based business. Facebook is the social networking component of the BLiF marketing system (Blogging + LinkedIn + Facebook). This is where you connect with your network on a more personal level. The key here is to make it fun, make it social and be there to interact. Facebook is a great socializing place to talk with your friends.
Once you build up your profile, you want to work on building up your network. Encourage your past clients and new clients to add you as a friend. Spend your first few weeks of network building by inviting 10-15 people per day with personalized requests. You are building a sphere of friends that you can share with.
Keep your content fresh and updated. This is how you keep people interested and coming back. If you just put up a page and leave it unattended, you will lose your audience. If you are a good networker that is constantly reaching out and engaging, you will be able to leverage the power of Facebook.
Facebook allows third parties to develop widgets and applications that you can add to your profile. There are over 20,000 applications available with some excellent real estate applications that help make your profile much more interactive.
Highlight your properties in creative ways. You can share your properties with your friends by including photos or videos of your properties in your profile. You can add external links to your listings or send flyers to your friends.
Facebook allows you to create “groups” which are communities of people with a common interest. Create a local homebuyers group for your sales area. This is a great place to interact with potential clients and you can showcase your expertise.
Use Facebook as the “cocktail party” setting for your BLif marketing campaign. Social media marketing is the new frontier in real estate marketing.
LinkedIn is the professional networking portion of BLiF marketing (Blogging + LinkedIn + Facebook). We are continuing on our example of residential real estate sales using BLiF marketing. The focus today is on using LinkedIn. LinkedIn is more than a networking opportunity, it is a community.
Generating referrals and leads is a key part of the real estate business. Success depends on agents expanding beyond their personal circle of friends and family. Successful real estate agents have always been using traditional networks to meet new prospects. LinkedIn is a quick way to grow your sphere and referral database.
So what makes LinkedIn so special? First, LinkedIn has over 20 million members and this number is growing very quickly. This includes a high percentage of business owners, mid level and senior level professionals from companies and locations all around the world.
Profile: Building up a complete profile is an essential step in building your personal brand. Your LinkedIn profile is the easiest way to define your unique skill sets and the value you bring. Create a personalized LinkedIn URL that you can use on your website and emails. LinkedIn profile pages have a high PageRank on Google and come up prominently in searches.
Network: Build-up your network of contacts. Invite the people you know to become members. There are great search tools to locate people from your past. As you meet new buyers and sellers, invite them to become members as well. Check the connections of your network and find people you have in common and request a connection. Having lots of connections on LinkedIn increases your credibility as a successful agent.
Interact: Regularly interact with your network. Give testimonials, make referrals and regularly add new connections. Look to your contacts and introduce one to another and make referrals.
Use LinkedIn Answers which allows you to ask questions of just your network or globally to post a question for all of LinkedIn. Global questions allow you to meet new people and make new connections. Questions to your network allow you to reach out and interact with current connections.
As you complete each transaction, ask for a testimonial. Send your clients a testimonial request. These testimonials get added to your profile for all to see.
