I don’t think I’m sinking, but I’m no speed boat… yet. My Facebook Biz Page Tribe is tiny, but the size of my Twitter Tribe is healthy. Per common sense and best-practices practice, I would like to grow the size of my Facebook Biz Page Tribe by sharing relevant, valuable and interesting stuff.
My problem is this- how do I broadcast share my relevant and interesting stuff if I don’t have an audience? Sorta of like if a tree falls in the woods and nobody is there…
So I posed the following question on Twitter.
I felt I might have some success growing my Facebook Biz Page Tribe by forward-sharing of the stuff I share there with my Twitter Tribe. You know, then if people liked it, they might say to themselves, “Hey, this is interesting stuff, I think I like this page.” If that’s how it worked, maybe both Tribes would thrive. (I know there are some automatic cross posting tools, but I wanted to cross post manually. I don’t want to share everything automatically, different audiences, relevance, etc.)
The next that happened was the Tweet you see below. Jeff Bernheisel with M Realty was kind and cool to answer my question. In addition to Jeff’s Tweet, several people spoke up and shared that they would like to know how to do the same thing – which is why I wrote this post. Now you and I and our AgentGenius Tribe will know how too.
Problem solved. Simple eh? If you have to run, safe travels and thanks for reading.
But if you have a few amps of spare attention, I wanted to share a bit more . . .
My The-Sinking-Boat or The Success Speed-Boat Theory.
Social media tools work in expected and unexpected ways. If you use them wisely, you’re driving a Success Speed Boat.
If you’re not using social media tools and strategy, or using them stupidly, you’re not missing the boat – it’s worse than that, grab some floaties, your ship is sinking. Depending upon your current level of social media apathy, the hole in your success may be gaping or the size of dime. Either way, if you don’t get on board, come correct and patch it; first you’ll slow, then sink, then drown in salty sea of sameness and irrelevance. RIP.
I understand that some will see my theory and proclamation as lame, pompous, arrogant, or all of the above. But I gotta tell ya, my personal experience, along with what I observe and learn everyday, confirms the undeniable truth of The Success Speed Boat/Sinking Ship Theory.
If you’re skeptical about the fuzzy nature of my experience and observation filter, I understand. If you believe that the real estate business is a people business, then focus your attention on this data and tell me what you think it means for the future of social media and whoever uses it wisely.
Back To Cross Posting And Patching A Leaky Ship.
Here’s a tiny tutorial. . .
Step 1. Share something on your Facebook Biz Page, then capture the web-link to your shared post by clicking on the Date/Time Link.
Step 2. Copy the shared perma-link.
Step 3. Copy and past your Facebook Biz Page perma-link into your Tweet. To conserve Twitter characters, I originally used the URL shortener Su.pr to shrink my perma-link. It didn’t play nice with Facebook. Next I tried the Goo.gl, the free Google.com shortener (and QR Code generator). It worked, yea. Here’s what it looked like.
The Result
So I used this cool little technique and within 7 days my long-gone hair regrew and my teeth magically whitened and straightened. I lost 13 pounds of fat and grew two inches taller. I haven’t returned her call yet, but Oprah wants me to guest appear on her new Network. Lastly, miraculously and more to the point, my Facebook Biz Page Tribe exploded overnight.
Ok. Not really. I don’t know what the impact will be, I just started, it’s a journey, not an event. I do believe that if I use one tool and Tribe to support another tool and Tribe, only good things can happen. And now we all know how to cross post Facebook Business Page posts manually to Twitter.
Best wishes for successful 2011 and thanks for reading and happy speed boating.
Cheers.
Bob Wilson
January 23, 2011 at 8:23 pm
This is great news for all those agents busy with their SM campaigns chasing the mega producers who are unaware that their boat is going to sink.
Ken Brand
January 23, 2011 at 8:57 pm
I’m not sure if you’re “in” or “out” Bob, either way, thanks for the comment. Cheers.
Bob Wilson
January 30, 2011 at 12:44 pm
Ken, you made the following statement:
“If you’re not using social media tools and strategy, or using them stupidly, you’re not missing the boat – it’s worse than that, grab some floaties, your ship is sinking”
I was simply trying to point out the absurdity of an absolute like that.
Ken Brand
January 30, 2011 at 1:20 pm
You’re absolutely right, it’s a bold and absolute statement. As you point out, and I agree, the reality is only a very rare few things in life are absolute. I was going for dramatic effect, but the general principal is true in my opinion. Appreciate you comments. Cheers.
Bob Wilson
February 3, 2011 at 11:27 pm
I didnt say it was bold. I said it was absurd.
What general principal? It is a nondescript term.
What evidence do you have that those who dont employ this ubiquitous, yet vaguely defined concept of a sales strategy are going to fail?
At the end of the day, sales skills are what is required to close a sale or listing appointment with a buyer or seller prospect. SM doesnt factor into that equation at all.
That leaves the task of acquiring a prospect to close. Are you saying that cant be done successfully and repeatedly without SM?
Ken Brand
February 4, 2011 at 7:36 am
Bold to me, Absurd to you. Here’s what I mean, for example, one guy believes that walking on the moon is absurd, because he isn’t a rocket scientist, the rocket scientist understands that it can be done, but it’s a “bold”. To you it’s absurd, I respect that, but I don’t believe it myself.
As for evidence, I don’t have that. What I have is experience. What I’ve learned is that agents who don’t embrace change, they fail. I’ve seen it happen year after year for 30 years. SM isn’t any different, in a couple of years if you’re not into it, you’ll be out of business.
If you think that “sales skills” are all that is required to succeed, I have to disagree. It’s difficult to sell someone in the real estate business if you don’t have a client to work with. I’ve seen plenty of skilled sales people fail because they wouldn’t prospect. I’ve seen plenty of poorly skilled slaes people thrive, because they had great prospecting skills. Buyers and sellers primarily work with people they know and trust. NAR points this out in the 2010 Homebuyer and Seller Survey. Knowing and trusting someone usually means there’s some kind of relationship. SM is key to fostering relationships. I’m saying that as SM continues to mesh and intertwine with all media, commerce, education, entertainment, politics, religion and revolution, YES – ignoring SM will sink your ship.
And lastly, do you believe that the 20 and 30 somethings think as you do at SM and it’s relevance in their life? All the factors I’m talking about will impact every agents success in the future. The further out you project, the more important it will be. Might as well start now.
Bob Wilson
February 4, 2011 at 5:43 pm
“If you think that “sales skills” are all that is required to succeed,” Seriously Ken, did you even bother to read the entire response? Did you miss the part about acquiring prospects?
“And lastly, do you believe that the 20 and 30 somethings think as you do at SM and it’s relevance in their life?”
Dude, you love to make assumptions. I didn’t tell you what I think about SM. I merely challenged your absolute statement (which is why it is absurd) about who will fail and who will not.
Jeff Belonger
January 24, 2011 at 11:21 am
Ken… I still don’t consider myself a true expert on all what and how to do it… but here are a few more tips.
You can also set your FB fan page to automatically display what you post onto Twitter. Like an auto post. But I also prefer to post myself on twitter with the link, so I can place an engaging question so people will want to click onto my link.
Also.. I use TweetDeck and what’s nice about this is that you can stick the full link/url into the “what’s happening” part and it will automatically make your url smaller for you… by- passing the fact that you have to make the url smaller youself, by using Tiny URL or another site.
But overall… I agree… using such social tools can only help you, but if you use them wisely and not spend 24/7 on them… You can’t think of it as a popularity contest, getting the most followers… but those that actually engage with you, ask you questions, those that retweet your posts and like your posts… helping you get the word out there.
Ken Brand
January 24, 2011 at 11:25 am
Amen Jeff, I see it like you do. I hear lots of good things about TweetDeck, I need to check that out. Thanks for sharing man. Cheers.
Agent for Movoto
January 24, 2011 at 12:16 pm
Wow that is one nifty little trick. I am definitely going to give that a try within the next five minutes. Thanks!!!!!
Ken Brand
January 24, 2011 at 12:52 pm
Hope it works like magic for you. Cheers.