Five Ways to Use GeoMeme For Your Real Estate Business

GeoMeme- see Twitter trends in your ‘hood

GeoMeme is a real time search for Twitter trends based on location. With Twitter’s new release of the geolocating feature, many applications are sure to follow, but let’s start with GeoMeme. It’s in beta, so the user interface is still kind of clunky, but the idea behind it is one that a lot of people have had, but didn’t make it out of the gate fast enough. GeoMeme’s main feature is to allow you to search two keywords to see which is mentioned more frequently in your location. You can zoom out of the map to check out your whole state, or you can zoom in to a specific subdivision (you get where I’m going with this already, right, Realtors?).

Here’s what GeoMeme looks like:

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Business use number one: connecting locally

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Connect with locals over common interests. The name of the game is to be real, right? We’ve all had that pounded over our heads over the years, and this is a ridiculously easy way to be human and to connect. Enter search terms of something you’re interested in (don’t worry about GeoMeme’s comparison function, just enter two terms) and anyone who has mentioned that term will pop up. Zoom the map in closer to your office or home address and get closer in. For example, search for “gardening” and “knitting” and see who in your one mile radius talks about those things. Click on their names if they said something interesting to you and follow them! When they follow you back, say something along the lines of “I saw your tweet about gardening, I’m working on my first urban harvest of cabbage, what do you grow?” Sincere connections are made based on common interest, so this is a great shortcut!

Business use number two: brand control

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Some people call it brand control, others call it listening, but in real time, you can see what people are saying about you and your own brand as well as your competitors. Don’t focus on how many mentions you each have, go through and read what is actually being said. Veterans of Twitter have listening campaigns set up already, but it is valuable to see in real time the volume, quality, etc. of competitors. Try searching for your twitter name (@yourname) against another person’s and zoom in and out to see the clusters of brand loyalty.

As a Realtor, it’s also a good idea to search builders’ names to see where they are trending in your area or even mortgage related terms. Chances are, there are pockets of interest around your city just waiting for you to discover them. If you find that you enjoy selling Pulte homes and they’re hot on the north side in Twitter conversation, go spend the day at a north side coffee shop and say on Twitter that you’re working at Starbucks writing blog content and invite north siders to bring their laptops and cowork with you. You may sell a Pulte or you may end up with a new gardening buddy, who knows?

Business use number three: learn

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What’s hot in Austin this week? Sports related topics, so I’ll probably Twitter about sports related topics that I’m also interested in. What’s hot if you zoom in to Cedar Park? Black Friday is still being talked about so if that’s the area I farm, then I’ll throw in a tweet about that $125 sweater at Macy’s that was on sale for $20 on Friday. What’s hot if you zoom in to the Cedar Park Town Center subdivision? If that’s the subdivision I specialize in, I’m going to check GeoMeme every week and see what the hot topic is. This week, it’s Christmas, so I’ll probably talk about what’s going on in the area for Christmas since that’s what people are interested in.

This isn’t about following the crowd and forcing your way into fitting in, it’s learning what the crowds want and providing a value for them. If people in your farming area are interested in college football and so are you, perhaps you should write a blog post about where to watch the games or where alumni groups meet in the area, then tweet out your post. Add value. Period.

Business use number four: share

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When you uncover an interesting anomaly in your area via GeoMeme, share it! Tell your facebook friends about how “Longhorns beats Aggies in Austin” (grammar is on GeoMeme, not me) and razz your friends there. Compare “selling house” and “buying house” and share on Twitter that in your neighborhood, more people are talking about buying than selling. The best way, however, to share your findings is to write a blog post about it and share that on your social networks because your blog is the source and the cornerstone of your social networking efforts, point people there whenever you can.

Business use number five: shirts

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This is pretty gimmicky, but it could be fun if the right niche is found- maybe two local high school rivals or restaurants, but do a search and click the “t-shirt” button up top and you can buy shirts featuring the winners of your search. I’m thinking if I’m a realtor, I search my name versus something funny like “solid waste” or “dog food” but you have to be careful because the word “beats” has two meanings. Think about it.

So how will you use GeoMeme?

So there you have it- five ways to use GeoMeme. On the surface it’s a fun tool, but dive in deeper and think critically and it is a creative way to implement the new geotagging Twitter feature into your marketing plan. How will YOU use GeoMeme?

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Agent Genius is not affiliated with GeoMeme or Twitter.