First, take a hit off this (start at 1:50):
Then – quickly – absorb about thirty seconds of this:
Now imagine that it is Andy Williams and Steve Austin that are fighting, on a pastel-hued sound stage, with Sasquatch prancing about in a skirt.
That, my friends, is the sort of bizarro world you must conjure to effectively register the real estate social media universe these days.
A bad trip
Social media hit real estate about four years ago, at roughly the same time the market began its slide. The attention and energy of a restless industry flowed into blogs, online real estate communities, and mainstream social networks.
It all made sense. Real estate is a social business. It’s based on service – on people – not product or even, really, on brands. Real estate brokers and agents had been masters of social media for generations, blogging, in a sense, whenever someone at the grocery store asked “How’s the market?” and networking on platforms like Rotary or the PTA.
This social media thing was made for real estate.
But does it feel to you like real estate has really nailed it? It doesn’t to me. In fact, cases of social media success in our industry are few and far between.
There are lots of reasons why. The details are less important than some of the faulty assumptions driving them:
- That hundreds of thousands of under-experienced practitioners could play effectively on a platform that rewards substance
- That the social media opportunity would get bigger the easier it got to participate
- That social media marketing could be sensibly peddled to agents by many of the same folks who convinced them that haranguing their friends and neighbors with scripts was a good idea
Welcome to Bizzaro world. Meet Andy, Steve and Sasquatch.
But you said this was good shit
Right. It is. All this social media stuff can be really valuable.
But there are caveats – big ones – we put to clients when assessing the viability of social media as a marketing strategy. Sometimes we go for it, sometimes we don’t. And that’s OK. There are other ways to approach the marketplace.
We have not become cynical, just more careful.
Here are a few of those caveats:
- Writing is a skill you must possess, or hire, to be successful. Writing is hard for most people. It’s hard for me right now as I sit in seat 12C, my mind wandering across the isle, out the window – anywhere but this screen. But good writing is absolutely essential to most social media strategies. If you’re not strong in this area – and plenty of smart people aren’t – don’t shine a spotlight on it.
- Social media marketing costs just as much or more than “traditional” marketing. You’re going to need to spend a lot more in time and spend your money in different places. On a marketing director with great writing skills, for example. Or a video producer who can do right by you. Social media needs to be treated with the same care that big newspaper ad contract received back in the day if you want results.
- Don’t believe anyone who says blogs are passé. Just because 95% of agents and an only slightly smaller percentage of brokerage companies lack the skills needed to publish a great blog does not mean they are not still the best way to engage. Can you exposit a complex thought in a Tweet? Can you build trust with a status update? It’s important to understand that there are no shortcuts.
- It’s from you but not about you. Reality TV may be popular, but no one wants to tune into the show called You. It’s your blog, your Twitter account, your YouTube channel. But just because you own it does not mean it’s a good idea to broadcast the quotidian pitter-patter of your life. No one cares. I’ve felt the temptation to write about something off-topic here from time to time, just because I can. But I always think better of it. No one wants to hear about how I spend my weekends, my workout regimen, or my thinking about how John Gosselin should be getting his shit together. Writing for a reader is harder than writing about yourself. But remember, this isn’t supposed to be easy.
- You must be willing to make yourself uncomfortable. Who am I going to piss off? Is that reference too weird? I have a twinge of fear every time I hit “publish.” But I do it anyway. If you don’t push yourself to share things others can’t or won’t, or say what they will say in a distinctive way, you’re probably wasting your time. Explore the taboo. Embrace controversy. Open yourself to criticism. Safe loses every time.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to put on my favorite Andy Williams sweater and go unleash some whoop-ass on Steve Austin.
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This was entertaining Brian. The videos too. An interesting take as always.
But here’s my deal. I’m having a hard time buying in to anyone who tries to put a “right” or “wrong” label on anything having to do with social media. I know, you make it very clear in most cases that you’re not referring to “all” matters, or “every” situation, but man, how many “social media experts” are there in RE.net? Aren’t you, yourself tired of these “experts” trying to break down social media?
The truth is, nobody, ever tried to break it down when I was in college. Facebook was faceook. It was what you wanted it to be for yourself. Everyone used it differently. Some used it to try and impress women, some used it to connect with old friends from high school. Some used it to stalk… Now that Twitter and LinkedIn are around, it’s all the same. Just more.
Now that RE.net has been introduced to SM, all the experts and consultants and bloggers keep trying to break it down. I say STOP! Let it be already. People will use it for what they will. Great networking, a way waste time when you’re board, stalking, whatever…
I appreciate your take on SM. I really do. I appreciate and take great consideration in everything you and Marc write. But going forward, I think I’ve just read my last social media analysis.
Nice post, Brian – I spent yesterday afternoon preparing a presentation on Social Media 101 for my fellow agents, and after a few hours I realized, there was nothing to say that they haven’t already heard.
Should they be participating in Social Media platforms in order to build their business? Sure, if it clicks for them. But if it doesn’t, and if they have to “learn” how to do it – then should they? Maybe not.
Social Media has changed my Real Estate business in much the same way blogging did – it took my biz to a new level, in a way that is managable and enjoyable for me, which is cool. But it’s definitely not right for everyone, and that’s OK too.
@Kori – I dont think the 1000Watt crew disagrees with you. I think what they are trying to say is beware of “buying in” to the “SM is the magic bullet” sales pitch with real money.
@Kori
Appreciate your take on this and respect the desire to see this question left alone. I just don’t agree with it.
The “live and let live” approach is not really acceptable to me because here, unlike, say, college, I am concerned with the application of social media for one purpose: Building business.
There are lots of other applications, but they are not my concern here.
Also, there are consequences attached to the application (or mis-application) of social media in real estate. It matters if an industry so large, so important, gets this wrong.
So I will continue to bang out rants like this from time to time.
@ Bob,
Exactly.
@Kori, when you were in college and attending to Facebook, you were doing Facebook as Facebook was intended to be done. There weren’t any students stepping forward and selling their Facebook tips to other students or attending Frat parties and standing on tables delivering keynote speeches on how to Facebook.
But the second it moved into real estate, like all things, people come out of the woodwork and look for ways to capitalize on it and use it to push their narcissistic need to be recognized.
To Brian that is bizarre and I of course share that sentiment. So this post as others that we may write which we hope you will read, will serve a group of people — agents and brokers — who are mired in confusion about this topic and may find these posts helpful in their decision making about social media.
Brian, regardless of what you decide to base your analysis on, whether it be school, real estate, or painting, social media analysis will always yield the same result; It will be what each individual makes it to be for themselves, dependent of course on what the social mediaist is “selling”.
If a brokerage is trying to recruit tech savvy, social agents, then SM is definitely the way to go. If Johnny Appleseed is trying to sell real estate in South Dakota (no offense to South Dakota peeps), then maybe SM isn’t the best way for them to reach their target market. Sure, they can network, but will it be reflected in $$ figures? Is it the most efficient use of their time? I don’t think so. But that’s not my expertise, and know nobody from S. Dakota.
SM has so many different uses, it makes it virtually impossible to analyze, or “right and wrong” for the entire real estate industry. For any industry or group for that matter.
College was just used as an example, and nobody can deny the fact that modern day internet SM was indeed born in the college dorm rooms. Sometimes, it is wise to study the beginning, and where it all came from in order to understand the present.
I agree that client centric blogging is, and will be, relevant and sought after. I also agree with, “You must be willing to make yourself uncomfortable. Who am I going to piss off? Is that reference to weird? I have a twinge of fear every time I hit “publish.” But I do it anyway.”
I often have that twinge but that’s when I know I produced something effective. Thanks for the shot in the arm for those RE.net folks treading the SM waters.
So nailed it. If “Social Media” would go away…what would the vendors be selling? Web sites?
What I’ve learned from this “stuff” is tech stuff on how to tweak my blog to make it better.
I’m bullish on blogging, especially now that a fair amount of peeps have cut back on the blogging and ramped up the chit chat on Twitter.
BTW It will never end. Ok so I think I’m caught up …then I hear about this Posterous stuff…then the other day I heard (on FB) of a new app for Posterous.
I shut down. I’m done, cooked, over.
Last comment. I think many people are becoming overwhelmed with this stuff. I noticed that @tcar is backing off his rebc site.
It is overwhelming. I mean, I may stop in to the REBCNYC during Inman (if I go & if they are still doing them), but it would only be for chit chat.
I’d rather have lunch with the old biddys and the euro-trash at Nello’s on Madison.
Quite honestly, Brian, Real Estate is Bizarro in many ways right now, not just in the arena of SM. In distressed markets quantity, not quality, rule. Thus, SM is irrelevant to these brokerages/agents.
There will always be a segment of the population that will become “experts” at whatever the next new thing is. Likewise, there will always be self-serving idiot brokers/agents trying to make a quick buck off of whomever they can. Unfortunately, these shapeshifters will always exist and it is our job to speak truth and be damn good at what we do.
Keep up the good work Brian and Marc.
Kori, you hit the nail on the head. Breaking down, analyzing, quantifying, categorizing, and best-of-lists have have overshadowed what SM is all about: engagement, participation and conversation, whether for business or for pleasure.
Perhaps its time for a shift in this ongoing conversation. Maybe it’s time to get back to the basics and have a look at the Cluetrain Manifesto.
Another great Blog.
I’m not sure cynical is always a bad thing, may be it is being more cynical that leads to being more careful.
Bizarro will always be part of the Real Estate marketing strategy for some.
I think Social Media makes it eaier to weed out the undesirables. I am skeptical of all the gurus who claim to have all the answers, alot of these folks are just the snake oil peddlers of today.
Love the random South Dakota mention and the part about being somewhat afraid to hit “Publish.”
I recently taught a marketing/communications course for real estate agents in South Dakota that, of course, made heavy reference to social media as a potential marketing tool.
I introduced myself as a social media user, not an expert. The reason I was there was because of my communications background, not SM background. Maybe that helped, because I think that the South Dakotans understood that you have to at least be aware of what’s going on in the SM space, especially if your sales are faltering.
I also talked about midget prostitutes and big asses in my class. I thought twice about including these topics, but that’s exactly why I included them.
This isn’t confusing – but what you’re saying definitely does have to be said. Don’t take the brown acid, folks. This story plays again and again, any time there is some kind of new-er technology that enables unethical people to take advantage of the newness of it, and early adopters to make every mistake in the book to sort it all out for us. You have to sit back and watch those mistakes, watch out for the gurus and visionaries looking for a buck, and learn how to make it all work for you in the best way possible.
Great post, Brian – and entertaining too. Seriously didn’t start my day thinking that I’d be watching Steve Austin battle a sasquatch, or Andy Williams prancing around a pastel stage amongst go-go girls. They did end up blending into one show quite nicely. Hmmm, not sure if I got the good stuff or the bad stuff…
@ Joe
I agree that “best of” lists are often useless, but do not agree that analysis and critical thinking are contrary to the spirit of Cluetrain. And I also think the “for business or pleasure” or “hey, if you just want to make friends, that’s cool” line of reasoning is distracting at best and misleading at worst in conversations or instruction on social media applied to the business of real estate.
@ Kevin
Your point regarding blogs is well taken. A blog can be a conversation; other platforms, while easier to enter, are too often showcases for spasmodic narcissism
This is true – “Writing is a skill you must possess, or hire, to be successful.”
But I have seen far too many example of “successful” real estate blogs – successful in that they lead to transactions – with some of the worst writing imaginable.
I’m with you in that I believe that social media/writing/blogging/selling real estate is work – real work – but there are too many who advocate for simply putting content up, no matter what content or quality.
Real estate agents are lemmings; there are a relative few innovators, a larger number of early adopters and then you have the rest. The rest have been trying to figure out this social media “thing” for two years now and don’t realize yet that it’s just like anything else. SM takes time, strategy, effort and money to achieve success.
It seems to me that a few have “nailed it” and now there is a segment that is seeking to “teach it”. I haven’t come to terms yet (as I haven’t seen the teaching) as to whether the teachers are “teaching” or “taking advantage of”.
To your point about discomfort – I wrote a story in mid-2007 saying that “if you’re not offending someone, you’re doing something wrong” – I look to that story whenever I need to remind myself that I need to write with passion and conviction.
Time will tell and in three years we’ll be on something else.
Thanks for the great post.
I’m not sure how you would categorize my articles on social media, especially on Twitter at About.com. I would assume you would place me with those “teaching” it in a way. I have a reasonable audience, certainly not like the “gurus” out there enjoy.
However, I spend a great deal of my time in writing about how to spend a little to get a lot of marketing clout with blogging and social media. This mostly means spending less money than traditional media, and I see you disagree with the concept. You’ll definitely spend more time, but I also write about leveraging what you write, using it more than once online.
I believe every highly successful real estate professional in five years will be blogging, but not necessarily doing a lot with Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn. I also don’t think you need to be a polished writer, but you should have some grammar and spelling tools available to you to edit and correct before you hit the publish button.
Will you lose potential clients if your writing is not polished? Probably. But, my belief is that you will have only been exposed to them if you’re blogging in the first place. So, you probably only “lost” what you wouldn’t have had anyway. Could a few errors in grammar and punctuation resonate with people, possibly bringing a client who didn’t even catch them, or makes the same errors regularly? Probably. “Hey, this guy can’t spell either!”
I’ll keep writing about it on the site, and not selling anything. I believe the future “top producers” will have found a niche on the Internet, and these niche markets will be created from their blogging and tweeting. We will probably not be able to actually figure out the true nature of every niche, as it may not be any of those we currently think about, such as “first time buyers.”
It could be a character type, and I think it’s happening in my own blogging, like analytical thinkers. I’m a statistics person. So, I do a lot of that on my site. I seem to be building an audience of attorneys, judges, accountants, and educators on my personal real estate WordPress based site. This is validated by my client base and recent transactions. Living in an art community, I’m not building a great audience among creative or artistic thinkers. But, I’m happy, as I tend to work better with the analytical person anyway.
I’ll respectfully disagree with the idea that not being a skilled writer requires hiring someone. If you’re terrible, then it is a necessity. However, many of us could have a spouse, friend or business partner who could proof and edit before going live. I don’t think spending money at the outset is necessary, so it shouldn’t be a financial challenge to blog. If you can’t make it work, stop. But, if you can you’ll be glad you did.
@Jim
Thanks for the comments. My thoughts on writing, and the possible need to hire someone, are from the company/brand level. If you’re a brokerage, for example, and have no one on your executive or marketing team who can write skillfully, you need to rethink the skill-set you hire for.
Brian,
As I’ve been writing about brokerage blogging, bringing agent posts together on a corporate blog, your approach would be very important. The person ultimately in control of the blog’s content should be skilled in writing and editing, as well as in helping to instruct agents in what constitutes valuable content.
You were coming from a pro ball playing field, while I was running around at the local park. I tend to always think like the one-person show. As one who couldn’t get along with agents for long, I dropped brokerage growth plans and became a happier sole practitioner.
Jim
“You must be willing to make yourself uncomfortable.”
This is what I’ve told everyone who has asked me about blogging in the last few weeks. The most successful posts I’ve written (yes, those that have won me business- it happens), are the antithesis of most of what I see out there from both agents and vendors. These are candid, self-deprecating, truthful and guaranteed to piss SOMEONE off. In the end, for every potential customer I turn off, I am approached by another that found the post refreshing, “especially coming from a vendor”, “especially for ActiveRain,” etc.
If there is one misconception about social media that we need to bring more attention to, it is this: Like all valid business initiatives, an effective social media presence involves substantial risk. Absent risk, there is no reward.
Nice article. I write some off topuc stuff on my real estate blog and it has gotten me some business. I would even be willing to share who and why they wanted to do business with me. You are right though for a blog to work it can’t be about the blogger and the same with twitter. As for being uncomfortable writing makes me uncomfortable but I do it.
Doing social media is easy. Being successful is hard. Just like real estate. Is there a reason that very few agents are successful? You betcha as they say in the midwest.
But it can be easy if you do 1 thing. Write great material that will resonate with potential customers.
But 95 percent of the tweets, blogs, and material that comes out of real estate agents seems to be aimed at fellow real estate professionals. And if I am not mistaken, they are not your customers.
Brian,
To some up this post in a word? “Valuable”
Marc,
You seem to be down on those of us who “teach” social media. I wish you could hear the calls I get DAILY from agents freaking out because they have no idea what to do, and feel like the ship is leaving the dock and they are missing it. This is the problem to me.
I will bet I say 5 times a day to Realtors.. “You dont NEED social media to be a successful Realtor, heck, you don’t NEED a web site.”
Yet, they are really in a panic. This is what I dont understand… Where is this coming from?
@Teresa
I would be interested in hearing about your success with off-topic posts. How far afield do you go?
@Jim
The panic comes from the deep well of incompetence sitting in the heart of agent-land.
If adapting to change is just a matter of working hard, of learning, then there’s no reason for a real pro to freak out. If, on the other hand, you know in your gut you were only marginally equipped to perform your job with excellence before things started changing, you’re freaking now because, well, you’re S.O.L.
And, if you’re S.O.L. the “hey, this stuff is really easy,” or “Forget about blogging – you don’t really need to write or think” pitch is pretty alluring.
Brian – I go of topic every Friday and have been for 4 years. I have written about socks, coffee, having my car break down in traffic and my struggles with getting electronic devices out of clam shell packaging. Most are humor and common things that I think most can relate too. It show a human side and I have found over the years that it resonates with sellers and they feel more comfortable calling me and even trusting me. Being all business and all real estate would make for a boring read.
That’s interesting Teresa. So it’s the spice, not the meal. I can see how that works.
Great videos, Brian – I had no idea how you were going to connect those to SM…but somehow you did.
Here’s my 2 keys with social media in real estate: 1) you must have a plan and 2) only in small doses.
If you start any new initiative without a plan, it’s destined for failure. So, if you decide to use Twitter, FB, etc…it’s important to develop a stragety and commit to it.
As for #2, I think we could probably count on one hand the number of real estate agents nationally that have truly built a successful real estate business off of social media. (I agree with the spice vs. meal analogy in your previous comment).
I have personally seen direct benefits from social media…but definitely not enough to warrant a full-time commitment. In my opinion, it’s a nice accent to other proven networking strategies.
Let’s face it, SM applications like Twitter are a lot easier than hardcore networking, farming, and cold calling. So, it’s easy to get caught up in the ‘get rich quick’ dream that you can generate tons of business with 140 strokes of the keyboard.
In the end, social media is a great introduction and contact tool…not a closing tool.
[...] Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to put on my favorite Andy Williams sweater and go unleash some whoop-ass on Steve Austin. via 1000wattconsulting.com [...]
I am so close to skewering the business of RE, and the ‘average’ realtor, and ironically have had several ‘big SM/real estate guys’ suggest (out of the blue) that I SHOULD do that via my blog. Why shouldn’t I be vocal about the morons who say “if you don’t come to our open houses, we won’t show your listings.” Etc., etc.
You said it all here… almost. “If adapting to change is just a matter of working hard, of learning, then there’s no reason for a real pro to freak out. If, on the other hand, you know in your gut you were only marginally equipped to perform your job with excellence before things started changing, you’re freaking now because, well, you’re S.O.L.”
You know what, I fail to see what the relevance or big deal is with all this so called social media.
Just because the numbers are huge and everyone wants to talk about it doesn’t mean much.
I’ve got no twitter, facebook or linkd in accounts, though the latter is at least a good idea.
Managing my email inbox every day is enough for me.
I do enjoy blogging and have learned a heck of a lot while doing it.
Ask yourself this: if facebook and twitter diasppeared tomorrow, how would this really impact you, other than freeing up a lot of your time?
RM
Think the advice in this article is sound. I think the poster above me (the one with the keyword spammed user name) and other people like that need to understand even if they aren’t on twitter or facebook, just by engaging in conversations on their blog and other blogs, that is participating in social media. I think the comment about a blog having the ability to convey trust is a good one but it takes more thought than just blogging market statistics or commenting on blogs for potential backlinks.
Carolyn:
Easy there.
If you didn’t want a backlink to your site here, you could of left that off the form and used only your name.
Why on earth would ANYONE want a backlink to their site with the anchor text being their name?
Unless they were running for public office.
Anyone in the know about SEO never bothers me about this sound practice.
Either the message is SPAM or it isn’t.
@Brian
Great post. Here is a fun trivia fact that fits well with your story – I launched a real estate social network about 3 years ago with a friend as an answer to the myspace mess. At that time, there were only about 1.5 million page results in a Google search for the term “Real Estate Networking.” Now, it has grown to over 1 Billion.
The evolution our site has gone through to keep up with the pace of RE Tech in just three short years is crazy. But, it has come full circle back to a simple blog.
@Kevin
“I’m bullish on blogging, especially now that a fair amount of peeps have cut back on the blogging and ramped up the chit chat on Twitter.”
That is my exact game plan.
BTW – Posterous is awesome, especially if you integrate it with Google Reader, Hootsuite, Friendfeed, Tumblr and a custom Facebook page. It has actually replaced most of my social bookmarking activities. All Posterous needs now is the ability to post from an RSS feed.
@Jim
“But I have seen far too many example of “successful” real estate blogs – successful in that they lead to transactions – with some of the worst writing imaginable.”
Yep, me too. It all starts with great SEO. However, I’m still on a quest to achieve the perfect mix of excellent writing, top placement and a well designed / purposed site layout.
[...] How to stay out of social media Bizarro World by Brian Boero at 1000Watt Consulting [...]
Thanks for the interesting post