Tracing back bad behaviors
Most real estate coaches that I know personally are pretty smart people, many have even had a real job before, and some of those have practiced real estate. That said, there is a bad practice that I am seeing being used on Twitter that is traced back to several real estate coaches.
Although not a new practice, it is one that is rising in prominence and commonality and that is the Auto-DM when a user gets a new follow. Say I follow a Realtor in South Carolina, I may instantly get a direct message that appears to be somehow personalized to me, “thank you for following me, do you have any real estate needs?”
I won’t beat a dead horse that was buried in the ground years ago, we’ve already had the funeral and people are going to Auto-DM no matter what others think. Heck, in theory, it’s not a bad idea, but it does clash with the culture established on Twitter.
Beating a dead horse but with a twist
No, it’s not Auto-DM that we’re seeing more of, it’s what is in the Auto-DM that people have been taught to do at conferences and that is to send an Auto-DM to new followers through one of the various social media applications that automates it for you, and in the DM it says, “Thanks for following, please follow my Facebook Page as well [insert their URL here].”
Wait. Thanks for following me on Twitter, now go somewhere else and do something else? Why? There is a similar script being shared in real estate and if you follow a handful of Realtors, several will have the same wording, directing you to follow their Facebook Page.
I get why it is a good idea- you’ve put effort into Twitter and you’ve put effort into Facebook, and you’re making yourself available.
Why this is problematic
The problem, however, is that often, people are following you back, sometimes out of politeness. Other times they have sought you out, but it may be because of your geography, not your profession. Do you really want to tell someone who may not be 100% enthusiastic about following you in the first place that their follow means so little to you and that if you get a follow from them on Facebook maybe then they’ll be good enough?
Don’t command new followers to leave you!
Commanding people to follow you on one social network when they’ve just connected with you on another is tacky because the first impression they have of you is that you’re spammy (you used an Auto-DM script and will you be DMing ads and links every day now?), and you have moved the goal post, almost as if telling your new connection “you have one more level to pass” as if they’re playing a horrible video game they hate.
Retention levels are higher with genuine contact, but for those unwilling to commit to the culture of Twitter, at least don’t move the goal post for your new connection- wouldn’t it be kinder, more welcoming and make a better first impression if you said hello first before you told them to leave?
