Realtors use Twitter. Shocked? You shouldn’t be.  Real Estate Agents are voracious consumers of new communications technology. Proving that out, several agents turned out for Twitter training given by Karen Goodman (Arch City Homes blogger and premier realtor), and me. The class was offered by Keller Williams Realty.

Agents were aware of Twitter and it being a social network.  A few of the real estate agents were already members, as well as being Facebook members. Universally though, they were using only the basic web sites and none was using Twitter on a regular basis.

Training took Twitter from the ‘what is it’ level up to installing Tweetdeck on personal computers.  The questions focused primarily on privacy and distribution. People were worried about being spammed and spamming others.

Here’s a few of the questions and how Karen and I chose to answer them.

• If someone starts following me do I start seeing their posts?
  • No.  It does mean they’ll begin seeing of your Twitter messages
• Do my Twitter messages also post on Facebook and LinkedIn?
  • Not automatically. There are add-ons and tools that allow cross-posting; those are all optional and can be controlled.
• Someone I’m following starts spamming, talking about porn, etc. What can I do?
  • Unfollow them. Visit their Twitter profile page and unfollow them.
  • They don’t stop copying you? Visit their Twitter profile page and block them.
• How do I find people I know?
  • Using Find People on the Twitter home page.
  • Email or call that person. Most reliable choice. Avoid’s picking someone else with the same name.
  • Check that person’s web site for Twitter and other social network information.
• How do avoid being sucked into too much Twitter use?
  • Time control – only open Twitter at regularly scheduled times. Much like you’d handle email inbox review.
  • Browsing control – unless you have plenty of time, only check your replies and direct messages.

These may seem like basics to many of you, but these are questions anyone in business should be asking.  Approaching Twitter and other social networks with a plan, even if it’s a ‘don’t do this’ plan is better than winging it as a business user.

We also discussed what’s appropriate in terms of content.  Realtors online seem to line up on two sides; those that broadcast listings, and those that never talk shop.  Karen explained how becoming a local area expert is more valuable than spewing out listings.  Expertise shared equates to trust building and from there to clients.

Attendees were quite involved, asking good questions, and wanting to understand how Twitter connects, and how it could be used. A great follow up class would be on mixing up social networking to find what works best for each individual.

If you’d like to have a Twitter class at your work, please contact me – todd at toddrjordan.com, @tojosan on Twitter, or by phone (636) 486-4723.

Realtor shout out to attendees from Keller Williams Realty:

@patislay

@jbbutler03

@karenprinster

@Nancygkw

Atomic Cowboy Events

Welcome to the series Sunday Social Networking Tips. The plan is to bring in folks to share their best ideas about social networking. The next person to write up a tip could be you!

Tip:

Get Involved

Okay, so you’ve gathered a few thousand followers on Twitter, hundreds of connections on Facebook, and you’ve added dozens of LinkedIn contacts. You’re feeling about as involved as you could be. Heck, in your area, you’re the most connected person around right? I bet not.

One of the most fundamental mistakes folks make is that having added someone to their address book is the same as making a real connection. Heck, you’ve probably added a dozen people’s birthdays to your calendar. How many of them have you actually purchased a present for or attended their birthday.

Now that you realize you have a problem, let’s talk about some ways to get involved.

1) Attend some local events – art openings, launch parties, even sporting events. Take along your business card, your camera, and a smile. These will go a long way at getting you noticed but they give you an in for conversations.

2) Build a real address book – this may seem old fashioned but many of us have become content to have a social networking ID and an email address for each of our contacts. Pfft. That’s not a real address book, that’s a contact list. If you have so many contacts you can’t put them all in a pen/paper book, consider fleshing out your PC’s addresses. Start by collecting mailing addresses and phone numbers of those you spend your 90% time with. The rest will come over time.

3) Write to them and about them – now that you’ve been to a few events, added some contacts, and really gotten their detailed contact information, it’s time to do something with all of that. Start small, send cards, letters, and invitations. Move beyond on that for the most open folks; set up and interview them for your blog or someone else’s.

4) Make yourself accessible – give our your own information. Don’t just settle for giving your Twitter ID and email. Give folks a phone number, an address, and a reason to contact you. A reason? Yep. Share something about yourself that will drive future conversations. Best done by giving people just enough to hook them without answering every question they might have.

If you’ve made it this far, and taken the steps outlined above, chance are you are quickly rising to the top of the social heap in your area. Remember, social networking existed long before web 2.0. The same principles still apply though.

Coming soon will be an article on business cards. if you’d like to share your insights on where to purchase, what to put on them, and how many to get, I’d be much obliged.

Todd

Social Media Club St. Louis
St. Louis Bloggers Guild

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This poll is a follow up to the intense discussion and debate on Twitter Blocked Facebook Banned LinkedIn Locked.

One person, Rex Dixon, lead most of the discussion in the thread. His thoughts inspired this small poll.

So quick as a tweet, click and vote.

Those are common headlines these days it seems. Your company and mine are blocking just about every man of social networking and social media site. I’ve hedged about committing to lambasting this sort of policy. I’m a social networking addict.

My friend Phil Gerbyshak over at Slacker Manager has a different take though. Here’s a quote from the article Block New Media at Work.

We block these because we have no way of monitoring all the stuff people might say while they are using their work computer. I work for a financial services company, and we are required to keep a copy of EVERY piece of electronic communication our associates might send to their clients. And it’s not possible to do that right now, at least not easily, if we allow access to these sites.

It seems there’s another side to this issue. So often folks like me only look at what’s being denied to us; we fail to see how our very use of these tools could be harmful.

I don’t work for a financial company yet our company is just as concerned about negative interactions and keeping track of emails and such. Any appreciably large company is at risk for what they send out either verbally, in email, or by some odd chance video.

The only issue I have with this approach is that folks are free to use Twitter when they aren’t at work. They could just as easily bad mouth the company or its clients at those times. As a matter of fact, it’s likely they’ll be more inclined. Witness the recent spat of folks losing their jobs by stuff they posted when not at work.

So what’s your take? Block? Not block? Is this a political or legal issue? Moral issue? Challenge yourself on this issue.

Oh yeah, if you’re reading this at work, thank your HR department.

Job Angels?

Some of us struggle with the inability to donate financially, some of us cannot find the time, while others don’t because they lack  information that clearly outlines what they can do and where help is needed. Well, if you fall into the last category, this is your lucky day!”

So begins the story of Job Angels told on Remarkable Parents.

Job Angels exists to help people find jobs. It’s that simple. Well, really it isn’t simple. Finding a job is often more complex than we ever imagine. Job Angels seeks to lighten that burden by pairing job seekers with an angel, someone to help them along.

The Remarkable Parents article gives details about Job Angels beyond history. You’ll see how to sign up as a job seeker, angel, or as a volunteer. You could be the next person employed or be the one that helps your out of work neighbor back into some income.

Visit the article, sign up, and then pass it on.

Thanks,
Todd

PS. Hold me accountable to sign up?

The following will tell you all you need to know about getting your business online and being successful. Work it baby.

That’s deceptively simple sounding, and it’s got the tone you hear so often from people in any business that are hacking away at it. The sad truth is that many of those same folks won’t provide you much insight on how to get started ‘working it’.

Today I took time out to stop being cliche and share some real world information about getting started online. I joined Traci Knoppe with Missouri Business Online presenting part of a two part conference on creating a blog and the basics of using social networks.

Traci had been looking to put together some recorded video presentations on blogging and social networking as well as hold some day conferences on the topics. We’d been chatting on Twitter for a while and one day we decided to go off line and pick up the phone.

A couple of phone calls later we had Missouri Business Online. The business will be about the conferences and producing materials providing instruction and tips on blogging, social networking and social media. Our primary focus will be Missouri, with special attention to the St. Louis area.

Traci already has a site loaded with tutorials. At Genesis Blogging, you’ll find videos and articles full of information; information you can put to use immediately.

As a side benefit of our presentations today, a video is being created. This will be available in the near future on this blog as well as at Genesis Blogging. In the mean time, I’ll be cranking out more content in my style here, and Traci will do her thing with her blogs. Don’t tell Traci though, but I’m going to ask her to guest blog for me. Shhh.

So keep an eye out folks, and please continue to drop by here and on Twitter with your questions, tips, and rants.

Yours,
Todd/@tojosan

Or is it spreading yourself too thin.  How many social networking sites do you belong to, and how many are trying to get you to aggregate your contacts there?  Most evident in my  case is Plaxo and Spock.  The invites have been coming in from folks I know on other networks, because those people have just joined up.  But is it worth doing, or will some of those networks go by the way side?

I’ve been a Plaxo member for quite some time, as well as a member of LinkedIn.  Most recently I’ve joined Spock.  Of course, I’m on Facebook and other sites as well.  Honestly? It’s making me crazy.  I can’t remember all the networks I’m party of, let alone keep up with them or my contacts there.

Consolidation would be great.  If only all of my contacts would just pick one network, sign  up, and stay there.  Not happening soon I’d say.  And why not? It’s the ooh-ahh factor in part.

Yes, the online culture is one of follow the shiny newness wherever it shows up.  Each new tool or network that pops up, a slew of my contacts will begin using it immediately, dragging the less ADD types along shortly. This has the effect of leaving old and well used networks high and dry of networking.

So what’s a network socialite to do? Jump ship like the rest of their friends?  Abandon the old tried and true?  Perhaps dig in their heals and stay behind?

I recommend a third alternative. Pick a few and stop.  Draw your line in the sand at your two or three life essential networking sites and tools and leave the rest to develop.  Find the best tools you can that return the most value for the time you spend.

Making the top three choice can seem difficult if you focus totally on the quantity of contacts.  Contact quantity though, does it really speak to the value of that network?  The key is what does that network provide you in terms of true connectivity, ease of use, and ability to take action through and with that network.

Believe it or not, my favorite social networking tool is Twitter.  It’s simple, easy to use, and allows direct conversation between friends.  No special client is required.  Tons of add ons as well.

Second favorite? Facebook.  Facebook allows me to add more contacts than I actually have. I can contact them simultaneously.  We can quickly form groups, organize photos, plan events, and support common causes.  A very actionable site, as well as easy to make contact through.

Plaxo, LinkedIn, and others may be good address books, but there is little that you can accomplish there that a good Rolodex product wouldn’t serve the same purpose.

So you’ve selected your two or three favorite usable and high value networks, what next?  Here’s a few tips on how to stay dug in.

1) Reach your contacts through your key chosen networks and not just to say hello.  Contact them to accomplish things.  Form a group, exchange ideas, or better yet, meet in person.

2) Let folks know you’re there – List your chosen network contact information in your signature, and on your other networks.  Make sure your blog refers to them.

3) Let your contacts know why – Let everyone you contact or have contact with know why those are your chosen networks. Give them reason to check them out and join, or maintain their use of that network.

4) Expand your contacts on those networks – Get to know more people on those networks.  Get to know the founders if possible.  On Twitter, it is possible to make direct contact with the founders on their own service. Likewise on Utterz, and Seesmic as well.

So if you want to stop the madness, then start with yourself.  Be picky about where and how you network.  Making a choice is important not just to keep in touch with your friends and fellow business contacts, but it’s about your brand as well.

Brands can ‘be everywhere’ or they can really be present on the networks they are part of.  Which will it be for you and your brand?