I read 3 blog posts yesterday explaining social media marketing to Realtors. As I mentioned in my last post on the subject, It’s Hard to Let Go of Interruption Marketing, we can’t seem to get away from forcing our message on the masses. Unlike our traditional interruption techniques, newspapers, postcards, cold calling, the social media are FREE, so that makes social media even more enticing. But the bloggers just don’t seem to “get” social media. Some of the tips I learned in the posts: mine successful colleagues’ friends and followers lists; direct message mined friends with your message and value proposition; broadcast your product at least 3 times a day……. And on and on…. Maybe I don’t get it.
Or maybe the bloggers don’t get it. The coolest thing about social media is that you can easily withdraw your permission. On twitter, you can block followers with one click. If you get new followers that are following thousands and obviously pushing their wares, report them to @spam.
It is not just Realtors; we just always seem to be late jumping on the band wagon. Misuse of the social media seems to be a current hot topic in Web 2.0. In the current Issue of Fast Company Magazine, Caroline Waxler’s commentary piece is “Social Misfits – How companies abuse tech’s latest tools and embarrass themselves.” It’s worth a read before you implement your social media campaign.