I realize that the Internet is FULL of 'Social Media Gurus' , so I just want to preface this post with the following disclaimer:
I am not a Social Media Guru, Expert, Ninja or (put in your catchy adjective of choice here)________.
I am however, a Realtor, Wife, Mother, and Social Media addict who mostly goofs off on Facebook, Linkedin, and Active Rain, and passes it off to my husband as work!
I do it because it's FuN! I have experienced a fair amount of success via my social media outlets, but I really would be on Facebook wheather it generated business or not.
That said, I would like to share a success story with you. This is not to brag, but to share an idea that could possibly bring you business and possibly free advertising. (Okay, maybe I'm bragging a little...)
On Facebook, in addition to adding the people I really know, I have also strategically added
- People I went to High School with but never knew. (It was a graduating class of 600+)
- Local media professionals including TV, Radio, and newspaper.
- People who's names sounded familiar from college.
- People that I don't know, but are located in the Greater Boise Idaho area and don't seem creepy.
******Clarification..this is about my personal Facebook account...Fan Pages are managed differently******
I post status updates that are about my personal life, my family, and what I'm doing in my work.
I DO NOT...
- spam, harass, pester or otherwise try to SELL people Real Estate
- send spammy messages to my contacts
- post spammy links on their wall
- post 10 status updates in one hour
- play Farmville
- suggest my contacts 'like' EVERYTHING
- invite my friends to every event and/or multiple events in one day
- and I absolutely don't talk ONLY about my latest 'darling' listing
About 3 months ago I got a call from a Facebook Friend that is a cameraman for a local news station. He was working with a reporter that needed a Realtor to interview about the end of the Home-Buyer Tax Credit. He asked if I would mind being interviewed. I said....."Well, I guess not....." (haha) : ) Seriously, I said, "I would love to be interviewed; where and when?".
The interview aired that day, and the next afternoon on the local NBC affiliate. I of course PIMPED the hades out of the coverage by posting a link on my wall and probably making a couple status updates about it. The next afternoon an old High School classmate (whom I didn't ever know) commented that he just saw it, and I did a good job. He also gave me his number and asked me to call. I called immediately, and he is now under contract on a custom home in Boise.
I've had many other text messages, calls, and emails from friends, clients, and colleagues about the interview, so I know it was the most visible media I have ever participated in.....and the best part.....it was
F R E E!
So, of course I'm going to PIMP the video again, and I'd like to invite you to share YOUR social media success stories!
Wow! What a great story! Congrats, Pam!
Great advice Pam. Thanks
Nice job! What a great example of how to use social media and what can happen if you do!
Smart idea and good advice. That is something to work on with a strategy with the local media. nice post.
Very well done I have trouble with the social media thing. Oh well it does seem to work.
Pam way to go! That is awesome I love to hear things like this. I just had my first SOLD directly from my Facebook Fan Page and posted a blog about it today because I was pretty pumped too! You asked us to share our succes stories here is mine
http://activerain.com/blogsview/1769649/don-t-tell-me-social-media-won-t-work-facebook-sold-my-listing
Awesome Marilyn! I love how you are promoting your Facebook Fan Page! I am a Fan now!
I have had more success through my personal page, and have floundered a bit w/ my Fan page. I will definitely be 'borrowing' some of your terrific ideas!
Your seller client is very fortunate to have hired you!!!! Great job!
I added a clarification to my post that my story and advice was pertaining to a personal Facebook page, and that Facebook Fan pages are managed quite differently!
Great post Pam, I do not do that much on Facebook, mostly just personal, and not much of that either.
Great way to plug in to local media through social media, Pam!
Hey, you look even better on TV than in still photos!!!! You were very calm and professional my friend! What did your kids say about mom on the news?
Pam - great post...thanks for sharing with us.
Pam - I was smiling as I read your blog...I had a similar expereince with someone finding me after 23 years on Facebook. They had just sold thier company and needed to move to Incline Village, Nevada for the tax benefits...we closed about 6 months ago on a 1.5 million dollar house. Facebook does pay off and I too post about my family and things I am doing around town.
Great idea... adding news personalities as friends on Facebook. I never though of that... Thanks!
Well done!
Now that's what I call working Facebook to your best advantage. Great job!
Pam.. nice job here.. it's great when things come together, especially when it's free. I get questions from time to time on my fan page. Haven't done a deal from there yet, but someone from my middle school who I knew has contacted me on my personal FB page to help her with her financing. Overall, nice job...
Hello, Pam: I must say, your approach is clever. And obviously it has panned out well for you. Congrats!
This is a great way to handle FaceBook. It's given me a few ideas. I've done well with FaceBook and would like to do even better.
Ok this will not fit your idea of social media... but I did get a client playing farmville. So, I think I will continue... now she will be referring another buyer.
That is excellent.
Joan, I don't think that is what we normally think of when we say "farming" your neighborhood. :-)
Good idea for adding "friends" to Facebook! Great opportunity that you experienced. Hope you get lots of new clients from it!
Pam:
you sound a lot like me in regards to facebook except that I do add agents across the country and exchange REFERRALS all of the time. We should connect. lisaarcherludlow.realtor
as a mom i attend a lot of events, consignement sales etc. I was at a consignment sale last year and was interviewed by the news. I pimped that too.
I also last week mentioned in my status that I found a great distressed property for a buyer and one of my high school classmates said she wished her agent would do that for her. so i hooked her up with an agent i know in her town and now she is working with her. referral check.
great post,
lisa aka @allstarmom3
When I got that call I was at DisneyWorld with my family. Kinda sucked that I couldn't do it... I hope I get it next time...
Pam, well done! I may start those ideas! Thank you!
By all means this is a true success story. Congratulations.
Great story, great advice... thank you! I guess it works both ways too, maybe I should accept some of those invites from people I don't really know
So who says you can't be business from Facebook? Great networking and you definitely have the right idea about how to relate on FB!
Hi Pam -- It's amazing the connections that can be made, and that is so cool, congrats.
Great story and great advice; congratulations!
Rock on Pam!!!
Excellent example of the power of connecting with others through social media. Thanks for sharing, Pam.
Hi Pam - good for you! If people get ou there and take part in social media, all kinds of great things can and do happen. I've had similar things happen to me through my involvement on various social media networks. Participating responsibly is key to getting great things like your interview to happen.
Congrats!
Ann
Pam it is always great to get exposure but especially for television...good job!
Hi, Pam and congrats for the free advertising.
That's a great story. Congrats. And, I love how one success led to another success. Thx for sharing.
Great story! Hope you don't mind of I steal your strategy for Social Media Marketing
Congratulations !! I like your idea of adding locals to your friends list. Thanks for sharing.
Pam, you're a natural and you can't beat publicity like that. Good Job!
The opportunities within social media are definitely endless. Congrats on your success!
Social media is a necessity in my opinion! Buyers, especially younger ones, are using this so much! I have several transactions attributed to Facebook but your ideas are fantastic additions! I was a Broadcast News major in college so this spiked my interest a bit. Congrats!
Great job and what an inspiration. I had not thought to befriend local news folks so your hard preparation work paid off here.
Pam - Your story is an excellent example of how Facebook personal pages can be used to successfully market yourself.
Thanks for all the positive comments. I'm so glad to hear that many of you have had similar success!
Joan Cox....you really should try posting some business info. on facebook along with your personal stuff.....it really can pay off!
Dawn Maloney~Thank you sweetie!!! I will print that off and carry it around in my pocket! hehe : )
Jeff Belonger~ You have a great presence on FB, so I'm sure that you will get lots of business from in in the future. Glad to hear you've gotten some already!
Joan Whitebook~ Way to go!!!! That goes to show there is more than one way to skin a cat! Maybe I should start playing Farmville? : )
Lisa Archer~I also connect to agents across the country, so I will look you up! I have received a couple referrals from out-of-state agents.....just one more great thing about FB!
Lane Bailey~Don't you just hate that? I'm sure you will get another call.....this interview was actually my second call. They had called previously and for some reason couldn't do the first.
Lizette~I'm sure that interview has been terrific exposure for your business! Also, the free television advertising is the best......many people FF through the paid commercials!
Barb Fischer~Yes, you may want to consider accepting those friend requests. Think of it as an advertising opportunity, and that the more 'friends' you have, the larger audience you have to advertise to. I don't accept just anyone as a friend however. Like I said, it has to make some kind of sense for me to be their friend. They either have to live in my RE area, previously lived in my RE area, have family that lives in my area, be a RE professional, or something of the like. You can also customize the privacy settings. I have much of my info available for all to see, but I have only a small group of people that can see photos of my children, etc.
great advice
Michael Lissack~That's the point.....I am not ONLY doing Facebook for business. I keep up with my nieces and nephews on FB, I have connected with many old classmates (and have loved doing so), and I keep in touch with many of my church associates on FB as well. Like I said before, if FB never generated any business, I would still enjoy it for the social aspects......the business it generates really is a bonus!
I look at my FB account as my drip marketing plan to my sphere of influence. Even though someone is a friend of mine, I still need to advertise my RE business to them.....they all know at least 2 RE agents! It's a helpful way for me to demonstrate my RE expertise to them. My friends know me as a PTA mom in jeans and a T-shirt. This is a perfect opportunity for me to remind them that I am also a RE professional with extensive knowledge of our local RE market.
Ann Cummings~You hit the nail on the head..participating responsibly is the KEY! Providing sincere interaction, and meaningful content is VITALLY IMPORTANT!
Scott Fogelman~The strategy is yours for the taking! Hope you have success in Social Media!
Pam;
I have been working on rebranding myself and rebuilding social media sites. This has been a great piece of advise that I will use immediately. I never thought of media people. Thanks so much for sharing.
Dave
Pam;
I have been working on rebranding myself and rebuilding social media sites. This has been a great piece of advise that I will use immediately. I never thought of media people. Thanks so much for sharing.
Dave
Pam- That is how it happens -- NETWORKING. It is amazing how things come together like that. I follow alot of the local news reporters on Twitter, and I constantly see them reaching out to their readers with help locating "experts". Folks in the media are always in need of stories!
Tim Ferris outlines very well in his book, The Four Hour Work Week, how to become a subject matter "expert" in a very short period of time, and that advise would carry over well to what we do.
Pam - Way to work it girl! Now thats how you get some exposure. Congrats on all the success and the unique marketing strategy.
Wow, Pam - congratulations on a fantastic media piece (and handling yourself so well on camera!). I'm impressed. And a wee bit jealous. Thanks for sharing!
WTG. Keep on pimpin'that video:)
Jason
My social media success story is not nearly as rewarding in cash but made me feel good nevertheless. I was quoted in REALTOR® magazine! The quote was taken from a blog that I posted here on Active Rain! You can read that blog http://activerain.com/blogsview/1565365/i-never-dreamed-that-i-would-be-quoted-in-realtor-magazine if you like!
when did "pimp" become a word of acceptable or admirable connotation?
I'm definitely taking notes. Thanks for the great ideas.
Meridian, what a GREAT success story and soooooooo well deserved. You just made my day. Thank you.
AWESOME POSITVE BLOG...WELL DONE!!!
Very cool Pam,
good for you, it makes me realize that I better get facebooked
I am sharing this with my office today, to once again remind them about the power of facebook and social media! Congrats!
Great story with a great result. It made me laugh when you said you put people on you didn't even know, that didn't seem creepy. Just how do you make that determination? Inquiring minds want to know. And hey, thanks for the great tips!!
Don Corson~That books sounds like it fits in perfectly to what we do in RE. Thanks for sharing; I can't wait to read it!
Sybil Campbell~I read your post and that is a fantastic social media success story!!! Make sure you get the mileage out of it by listing it in your Facebook, LinkedIn etc profiles! Thanks for sharing it!
Vince McEveety~Pimped sounds so much better than hoe'd out.
Lesley Wagstaff~haha! Here's my litmus test for creepy....If they are a male and they only have scantily clad women as friends, If they themselves are scantily clad, If their 'about me' sounds like a string of bad pick-up lines, If they are female and they are scantily clad in their photos, If they use large amounts of profanity in their posts (if they use profanity but it's used in a humorous way, then I can usually deal w/ it)....any of the above usually equals creepy for me. Most of the time it's just a feeling I get from looking at their profile and seeing what type of content they put out there. Many times I have accepted people as friends, then I've unfriended them when I could look at their wall.
Pam the Property Pimp.....I'll take 10% of all marketing now.....just playing but seriously thats a good look and a great way to network.
Now Gene, I'm the property pimp....so I will be taking 10% of YOUR sales! : ) Thanks for the comment!
Where's the like button on your comments, Pam? I am LOL at your response in #69!!!
p.s. Keep pimpin' baby :)
Aw, thanks Lisa! You know I will!!! In fact, I'm thinking of changing my twitter name to @propertypimp. What do you think? : ) hehe
Pam - Congrats. See...all that practice you put in trying out for Miss Meridian...Miss Idaho Teen...Miss Rodeo Idaho...one of those pageants...paid off as attested to your very polished PR skills. Nicely done. Plus, your post was fun to read.
Kevin~Thanks for reading!! Yes, I know that my pageant experiences helped my interview skills!
Glad you found it fun to read! Hope you are staying cool down in AZ!
Pam-You do an awesome job with your FB page I think...heck, you're just awesome period :) I'm with Lisa on your comment. LOL...love it you house pimp!
Congrats! Great ideas. I'll put that to work!
Great post Pam. I love the interview...! I do use facebook as a way to stay in front of family, friends and friends of friends just to let them know I'm in real estate. I try not to be too preachy on real estate though and just be myself.