Turner's Perspective

I'm glad you're talking about this Jeff. I see a lot of people just trying to get followers. Personally, I'm trying to connect with people that are in my local area, hopefully that will either buy or sell real estate with me or refer me to someone who does. Plus I think it's interesting to hear the local people talking about local places and events.

Jeff, I agree.

While I do like the idea of having a large number of followers in the sense that my message is getting out to more people, you are right in the assertion that engagement is critical. I sell real estate in an area that is primarily tourism based. The homes I target for marketing are typically vacation properties, so I find Twitter useful in that it allows me to "meet" people from outside my area, who are more likely to buy the homes in this niche market. The more people I can appeal to, the greater the likelihood that I'll find a qualified, appropriate buyer.

I have steered clear of "robot" follow generators, and have built my following based on referrals and key demographic searches. This is only the first step, however. Everyday I try to establish a connection with at least one of those people.

The other advantage to a large following is the variety of information you can learn from. I have learned a ton about social media and real estate strategies from fellow twits.

In summary, I think it's best to remember that "quantity" is not better than "quality".

Tim... we share similar strategies relative to followers. And I've experimented with both auto-follow and purposed-follow paths. What I've found is that numbers are easy to get with an auto-follow path, but engagement is not. The naturally occurring and purposed-follow paths that rely on conversatin have much clearer paths to engagement. I have a large following as well, and I follow and converse with many who I may never do any business with. Probably for the same reasons you do.

Jeff - I suspect we will see much more of the emphasis on quality, and on engagement, as Twitter and SM evolve, and we better understand the power that comes from the relationships, not the numbers. Establishing true relationships and engaging with those people takes deliberate effort, thought, and intention; building an on-line list of XXX folks to follow, friends, or connections in a network is pure mechanics (there are even systems to allow that to happen), and it has little meaning beyond the numbers, unless the numbers serve a purpose, like direct mail.

Jeff

Jeff - I'm glad someone else is less than happy with the sales pitches that never end on twitter. Good post, keep up the good work.

have to agree .. with so much comeing at me each day my filters are very very fine and just hitting me in the face does not work .

Makes sense to me as I am immediately turned off when I get one of those obvious mass tweet messages.

It's all about Quality not Quantity. 

The number game became very popular -we used to freely discuss billions and trillions of bailout money:)

It's hard to imagine though an actual volume of these billions.  The same is with Twitter and Facebook - just imagine being in one room with 10, 000 followers. What quality relationship are we talking about? Just don't get lost in this crowd.

:)

OH...

Sorry about that...I was listening :)

TLW...ROAR!

Jeff, one of the difficulties in bringing a more analytical approach to the engagement issue is that right now, there are few useful tools/applications for sites like Twitter to measure and track this.  Most applications are measuring connection in a very mechanical way.  Even search clouds are not truly effective in giving a clear analysis of the depth of the communication pattern.

I suspect that the reason why there are not many applications (I was tempted to say any, but I may simply be unaware) is that the Value of what you are talking about is still largely misunderstood.  The 'more is better' philosophy has reigned supreme in the world centered on ego...this @ the expense of the rich vitality which characterizes relationships built on mutual interest and support.  

Jeff, I have not been a user of twitter simply because I don't have the time. However from I read and hear it seems like Twitter is becoming more and more popular as a place to spam people. Am I right about that?

It's gone from "what you up to" to "Buy this" "see this" "look at this" "look at me" "mines bigger than yours" and so forth.

I couldn't agree more. Thanks for the post

What's great about Twitter is that you can choose the folks you follow. I never follow obvious MLM'rs, etc. These social networks: FB, MS, Twitter, etc are not meant to be to "sell", if you use them in the right way. They are a way for us to reach out and network with fellow Realtors and future clients. If you do not understand that, you will reap no benefits! IMHO

Bryant, I am surprised at you, it takes no time and you are into everything else, give it a go, I am sure you will like it! 

I just became twitterpated myself.  i need to ask my intern how i am doing on that twitter deal.  Thanks!

Jeff- That is why being transparent on our blog produces so many listings and paying it forward a loyal readership. Givers gain, always! Katerina

What bugs me Jeff is the DMs i get on my iPhone from auto-DMs. You make, as often you do, a compelling point about engagement, and I'm starting to trust the process more. Be who i am, and those who have an interest in that, may naturally follow. I see many of my peers starting to discover Twitter and the only tweets they publish are direct sales pitches. Makes the noise-to-signal ratio much higher when people are only looking for the short term promotion. Thanks for the insightful post. Aloha...

Evening Jeff,  Excellent analysis of the current fads and their abuses.  As I'm reading your post I have this mental picture of a plane blanketing an area with leaflets while some of us are on the ground meeting individuals, making eye contact and engaging with real people.  Well done.

You are so right it is all about good relationships.  Not just saying hi to a bunch of people in passing everyday.

I don't like focusing on the numbers too much. I prefer to focus on the person/people and being able to relate to them. The higher number does not necessarily conflate to relating well.

Great post!

Aloha, Lana

Jeff,

I am new to Twitter, or at least newly active. It seems to me that many post promotional one liners, really not expecting engagement. Certainly not initiating any engagements. That always seemed odd.

For those who do fully engage, it is fun, rewarding, and certainly informative.

Thanks,

Richard

I have been very ambivalent about Twitter.  I think without relationships and trust being formed, ultimately, you have nothing but numbers.

Jeff,

Agreed.  It's difficult to have two way conversations when you are broadcasting.  True interaction involves listening, a lot of it.

I agree.  I'm not into Twitter that much, because I think I signed on with too many folks I didn't know well.  I've got almost 200 followers, but I don't think I've had one thing to say that would mean anything to any of them.  There is some valuable info, but also a lot of noise.  It would be much more of interesting experience if I was Twittering with 20 or 30 people I know well and nobody else.  Then every Tweet would be meaningful.

Jeff,

like Broker Bryant I do not do Twitter, I do not have time and do not think it would add anything to waht I already have.

These huge numbers of followers always made me feel uneasy. maybe we are creating the environments, but their value is highly questionable.

Jeff, I am a follower of you and of the person you had the debate with earlier this week. I could hardly stand her logic. As you said, Twitter and social media is not about spamming your message out and hoping the right few will pay attention. That's what SPAM was to begin with..uninvited emails that scammed some people, but my audience is not someone I am going to 'one-time-thank-you-Ma'am'...

Couldn't agree with you more...

Jeff, Jeff and Gail,

Along those lines, it seems to me that FaceBook environment is a little different. More engagement, more people that you do know, more community. Just starting in that as well, but it seems to be a quick way to expand your community.

Richard

Jeff - If I could give you a standing ovation on this post, I would do so.  Very nice.

Hi Jeff...I'm feeling better reading comments from some of you young folks.  I was beginning to think it was my age that kept me from seeing so much value in Twittter.  Perhaps some day I will appreciate it more.  Right now I like the give and take of Active Rain.

Hopefully I'm not missing the big picture.

Kate

Thanks for making me feel as if I am doing the right thing. I don't turn around and follow every follower. Heck, I don't even Twitter that much. I blog on AR and it makes the phone ring. 'Nuff said.

Engagement is important in anything we do.  I'm still trying to work my way through Twitter.

"Engagement Is The New Marketing Metric" that may be one of the most enlightening concepts I have read in a blog post recently.

Huzza for the great though. It helps validate my attempt to provide content on these mediums that is interesting to a specific targer market.

Great post.

Interesting analysis, Jeff. I'm not a big user of twitter because like Bryant, I just don't have time... and really didn't see the point. I'm still not sure I do, but your logic is certainly sound.

I finally recently hooked into twitter, and I'm having fun with it. Fortunately, I read your blog about chasing numbers, so I was able to put into perspective those who preach the "How to get 10,000 followers in two days" approach. I am having a good time finding people who share my interests, offer information I value, and have a true reason to want to connect. I'm in no hurry to get the numbers, but I am ecstatic about the potential to meet people who I share common interests with. 

Tweet tweet.  I remain most thankful for Twitter as I LEARN SO MUCH, and I use it every single day. I love the aspect of engaging with people outside the realm of RE as I am finding RE, per se, well.... that's for another day. Oh, and if I wasn't tweeting early this morning I would have missed the hysterical joke I RT about the economy, a la Jane Fonda.

It's okay to turn down invitations to follow that are not a good fit.  In fact, I think it's the responsible thing to do.  As a relative new member of Twitter I think I need to do some spring housecleaning.

If all of this is true then why even bother with Twitter? I see things all day that make me think this tool is useless even though quite a few of my followers have been looking at my blogs.

Jeff - Rock on !  I recall you saying this before, maybe at the Inman conference.  Is so true.  I believe your quote was "What difference does it make if you have 10,000 followers but do not engage with them ? " or something like that.  That is when social media can turn into mass media per se.  In our services industry (real estate) social media works, but mass media does not.  ~ Chris

Interesting comments, and as I talk to other RE professionals in my area I get many of the same sentiments, but before I began to "Twitter" I researched what it was, why it works, and how it works... I really enjoy twittering, and have allowed my numbers to grow slowly as I find others, and they find me. I only "follow" those who look to bring value to my twitter stream, because I go to their profile site, and read what they've been saying... not interesting? I pass!

But more than that, I believe that twitter gives us a chance to see what others are about. If used properly it is a way to remove the mask that we all carry around. We're around strangers there, and as we play on the site, and become more comfortable, we can let out hair down and relax, and let those who are listening see us. That's how we interact in that environment, how we make new friends and aquaintances. It isn't always possible to have a long drawn-out conversation there, but we don't have to include in our stream, the spammers, the self-promoters, and the auto-responders... choose to follow those who may not tweet every 2 minutes, but give you a glimpse of themselves, and you do the same for them.

With people moving from state to state, and country to country, I believe that twitter can be used to form a type of relationship that can have business consequences down the road... as follows have a need and turn to someone they've followed on Twitter. Maybe I'm naive, but I look at the power Oprah has. I enjoy watching her the 1-2 times a year I get a chance, but let's face it: If she endorses a product, sales go crazy... if she promotes a book, it sells... if she mentions anything good about anything, ie: her favorite products show each year... it becomes wildly successful... Why? I believe it is because of the sheer number of people she is able to reach, and MUCH more than that it's because she shares her life, her opinions, her feelings, herself with the audience, and becomes a real person to each one of them. They may never meet her, or go to lunch with her, but they feel like her friend because she talks to them like they are!

Twitter can do the same for us as people, and professionals... use it to talk to the strangers out there that follow you, as if they are your friends... share yourself, your thoughts, your fears, your disappointments, and your successes with them... they ARE watching and listening, and they want to connect with you, even if you never meet, or go to lunch together. Then once in a while remind them what you do for a living... not as intrusive marketing messages, but by way of sharing a part of your life with them... and if they should ever need RE help, in your area, you will hear from them! I may catch heck for this opinion, but I think building numbers organically, is a good thing... sorry!

I am just begining this interesting trek called real estate. I am finding that there has to be a blend of promotion and contact (engagement). Like Jennifer Allan says in her books and blog, there is a huge difference in touching people and impressing people. We are most definitely in a people and service business. Engagement is by far the most important factor.

Thanks for the excellent post!

Jeff:  This is Brilliant.  Simply On Spot.  I am ready.  Hit the red button and lets blow this thing to the sky!

OK - now I am engaged as you can see....

But I forgot.. what is this thing we just blew to the sky?

What is the practical application?

Jeff, some reading this may not realize it, but you've been preaching YEO since way before Twitter became the "in" thing.  You were right on then,  And you're right on now.

Yes, Twitter can be effective.  But it's got to be used as you say, to engage, not spam.

Those who are just into the numbers are buying into the notion that if they throw enough mud at the wall, some of it is bound to stick.  Uhm, yeah, but I don't wanna be slinging mud.

Jeff - I read your awesome post, here, flipped over to Twitter and saw this:

PreppyDude My thoughts on #followfriday ... Follow any of the kick ass people you see having conversations on Twitter. Not just the talking heads.

LOL. So true.

"I'm not giving Snake Oil salesman link love"

I could not have said it better! Thanks again for your great Tweet Tutorials, I am slowly coming out of the dark with your assistance!

Coming back for another thought on Twitter. Being more active the last week or so, I am shocked at the quality people who found my profile and linked. It is not so much their numbers but the character and input, their readily available content.

The news feeds are better than RSS. The info and tips are constant.

It is a sweet deal.

Richard

Jeff, I think you've hit the nail on the head. Sometimes I wonder if Twitter is social networking reduced to the point where it's optimized for the spammers at the expense of engagement(?) I really like the idea of YEO, maybe taking the you out of it and calling it EO would emphasize the engagement part.

Jeff, I have a twitter account, but do not use it much.  I would like to get more followers in my area.

Jeff, maybe one minor tweak would make it a little more meaningful:  yEO instead of YEO.

Jeff - I think the biggest thing that I learned is that boradcasting to 10,000 people doesn't mean a thing, if 9,999 delete it.  You're still only broadcasting to one.  Broadcasting to 100 and knowing that at least some of them will read it, because they havbe a connection to you, will probably yield more than one reader.  I don't know 10,000 people that give a damn about what I say.  I do know 100.

Thanks for making it clear. I always thought quality was better than quantity!

Great post Jeff & I can't agree more with Matt above - Content, Content, Content

Jeff - I am also turned off to those mass tweets. I don't accept everyone who follows me as this is just another form of spam as we all know. I am picky when it comes to friends. Just my two cents. Thanks for posting again and so happy to see you on A/R again.

I am still trying to figure out how to handle and use Twitter.  It is like Real Estate, so many people are selling solutions; you know you need something, but which one is it?

Great post, great responses.  I'll take 100 good relationships over 10,000 followers anyday!

Why did the houses in the 50's all have front porches? So neighbors could get to know each other on the front porch. If you think of twitter or facebook like that, you cannot go wrong.

Tom Larsen

www.nypropertyinsurance.com

Rock On! I like the comments about not giving Snake Oil Salesman link love and using Twitter and FaceBook like front porches. Lisa

Reminiscent of Jerry Maguire - "Show me the money!" 

It makes sense.  You can't influence without the other "I's," and what good are the other "I's" if you can't influence?

I want to here more from you about Twitter. I remember the good old web 1.0 days when the snake oil salesman said he good give you more hits, when that was not what you wanted. At least the 2009 version has updated his BS. A rose is a rose? Merde is always merde. Sorry is my French sounds like Oklahoman.

Point well taken.  Congrats on all the great comments.

Jeff... I agree. We're in the relationship business and that requires genuine participation. This is a new age and most of us are giving it our best to embrace social media with transparency and distance ourselves from greed capitalism. We're attempting to build communities where we are present, visible, have value, and contribute.

It blows me away when after a two hour talk about social media, someone will approach me and ask, "Is there a way to automate this?" I say, no...

Great points... thanks.

Rene'

I have not jumped on the "follow and ignore" train... and I won't.  I want to have a lot of followers, but I would rather have friends and two way conversations.  It is harder, though...

I love the YEO, and haven't gotten how people would care about twitter, but was worried I was geting old enough that I wasn't embracing technology at the same pace that I used to.  Glad I came across this.

Jeff, I'm with Gail. I have 200 followers and can't find the people I want to connect with because of all the other tweets. I don't want to unfollow people because that seems rude but what else do you do?

Jeff,

This makes you think, because what you say is so true. If the contact you make with others on social media sites is superficial, the chances are predictably small that it'll result in many business transactions.

I wasted time Twittering, and now doth Twittered time waste me...

Jeff, your thoughtfulness and insight are always appreciated. Thank you for inspiring me to think, think, and think some more. =) Not only does having thousands of followers have the potential for very little YEO, communication gets lost in translation.

Hi Jeff - I quoted you in my newest blog post on Twitter, I hope you don't mind! Engagement is the most important factor in marketing going forward.

Kevin & Monica... of course I don't mind. :)

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