What makes people follow brands?
New research is really great news for Realtors using social networks in that fans of brands actually do business with that brand. While we recognize the following data cuts both ways, let’s talk about what all of this means.
First of all, it should be known that when a non-Realtor becomes a fan of your Facebook page or Twitter account, it has become evident that they mean that connection and will likely do business with you or refer business.
The caveat, however, is that if consumers have a negative experience, it is likely that they will spread the word, so we believe the following statistics to pertain mostly to positive consumer experiences:
Realtor brands
The challenge in real estate that is emerging is how to get reactions from fans or connections, as major brands attract fans through coupons or contests, but these things work, as one in four people have actually created content to submit to contests like taking photos of themselves somewhere or blogging about a brand, etc.
What was striking to us is that there is nearly a 10% difference between Facebook and Twitter connections being current clients, as Facebook seems to have more traction in this area, possibly because many people are leaning toward it as a substitute for email.
With 65% of respondents indicating that they follow five brands or less, that implies a certain level of pickiness with consumers and for a Realtor brand to have garnered a fan, that person has selected the brand as one of their few, which is what we mean when we say they “mean it.”
As a Realtor using Facebook or Twitter, we ask you to pay special attention to the section in the infographic that outlines what happens when people follow a brand because the majority of users indicate that they have, do or will do business with the brand and have, do or will refer business to the brand.
The bottom line is that the web is having a major impact on purchase decisions and your reputation online and off can be the difference between your connecting with others online or not, and ultimately whether or not you are hired.
