Tip Tuesday: 3 Tips to Get the Most Out of Twitter
“I have nothing to say.”
I have heard this over and over again, not just by real estate agents – but by many people who are trepidacious about getting involved in Twitter.
To many, Twitter has become more useful as a way to tap into what’s “going on today,“ than to broadcast their own messages. And once you get acclimated to Twitter, you might just find you have something to say after all. 
Biz Stone, Twitter’s co-founder says,
“Naysayers should simply log onto their Twitter’s home page and search for a topic they are interested in, whether it’s their favorite sports team, the name of their company or a topic in the news.” Within a minute, they understand the appeal, he said.
Here are 3 ways to make Twitter work for you:
1. Create a custom feed. Find people to follow by searching Twitter directories. My two favorites are WeFollow or Just Tweet It. Remember, to get followers at first, you must follow others!
2. Create lists.
Lists are fantastic – and a GREAT way to organize people you follow. You could make lists for news sources, fellow Realtors, geographic areas, etc. This way you can click on that list to see what those specific people are talking about. I just created the Inman Team list – as a place for people to contact the right person at Inman News (i.e. editorial, marketing, advertising, etc.) If you don’t know who the best users are on a favorite topic, look for lists on sites like Listorious or by checking profiles.
3. Check out the most discussed topics in your area. We hear it over and over again, but real estate is truly a ‘local business.’ Find out who is around you locally and what they are chatting about. Some Twitter apps, like Tweetie and TwitterLocal, let you search posts near you. Check the Web site Happn.in to see the most discussed topics in your area.
BONUS: Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Once you’ve gotten your feet wet, use Twitter to ask questions such as the best place to grab a bite to eat in a new city, marketing tips, or anything else you need an answer to!
Some questions Realtors could start asking via Twitter are: “What’s the best marketing tool that is working for you?” or, “What is the most effective thing Realtors are doing to convert leads to sales?” These questions open the door to conversation and networking!
What are you doing to make Twitter work for you? Would love your feedback – please leave me a comment below!
Written by: Katie Lance, Marketing Manager, Inman News
6 Comment(s)
3 Trackback(s)
- From Gen Y Kert » 3 tips to get the most out of Twitter | Mar 15, 2010
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Francces Flynn Thorsen | Mar 9, 2010 | Reply
This article read well until I got to “BONUS: Don’t be afraid to ask questions.”
Why on earth are we encouraging Realtors to ask:
“What’s the best marketing tool that is working for you?” or, “What is the most effective thing Realtors are doing to convert leads to sales?”
?
I suggest to get the MOST out of Twitter, ask questions CONSUMERS can answer, not other real estate professionals.
Ask: “What is your first step on a homebuying journey, getting qualified by a good lender or looking at houses?”
“Renters: What is the biggest barrier standing between you and home ownership?”
IMHO Realtors spend an inordinate amount of time engaging with other Realtor. If a fraction of that time is devoted to consumer outreach there will be more dollar productive outcomes to Twitter and social media engagement.
Here’s a suggestion for Realtors – for every Tweet you post for peer-to-peer consumption, post three Tweets for consumers.
Katie Lance | Mar 9, 2010 | Reply
Good point Francces – I think both type of questions need to be asked. Thanks for your feedback!
david doucette | Mar 16, 2010 | Reply
thanks for the advice on lists, i will try and make use of them. i also like francces idea about posting to the consumer.
katie, do you have any thoughts on how many tweets we should do per day? i have found when people tend to send more than 5, i usually will unfollow them, but that just may be me. i’d be curious to hear your thoughts.
Katie Lance | Mar 16, 2010 | Reply
Thanks everyone for your comments and feedback!
Stephan | Mar 18, 2010 | Reply
Nice post and advice. Regarding point #3 (Check out the most discussed topics in your area), I invite you to check http://realestate.crosspollinate.org/, a new service which shows you real estate activity in your geographical area. Note that:
- the service goes beyond Twitter and include other microblogs such as Friendfeed, identica etc
- the service includes the latest blog posts and video blog posts relevant to the real estate industry
- the integration with Facebook and Twitter allows users to repost interesting content to their own feed or wall in one click.
joy paterson | Jul 27, 2010 | Reply
Twitter for Realtors doesnt have to be used only for work. I find if you add in some personal tweets, people will continue to follow and engage.