Social Media 101

Guide to Social Media in 2019

Social media is an outlet that lets you expand your sphere of influence and carry on a conversation, just as you would in person.

THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA, YOU CAN:

• Create and promote a personal profile that celebrates your successes and defines your niche.
• Give virtual tours.
• Connect with past, current and potential clients.
• Update your audience about market changes and new homes on the market.
• Advertise listings and open houses.
• Provide information that promotes your reputation as a trusted resource.
• Create dialogue with clients.
• Reach clients and prospects wherever they are, through a computer at work, a tablet at home or virtually anywhere else through a mobile device.

PERSONAL VS. PROFESSIONAL PROFILES

It’s standard practice to have dual-purpose profiles on most networking sites, enabling you to share business news and aspects of your personal life in the same place. It’s important to maintain a balance in your content. Users don’t want to see just a constant stream of listings, nor do they want to be barraged by pictures of your kids.

SOCIAL NETWORKING: 11 RULES OF ENGAGEMENT

1. IDENTIFY YOURSELF. Let people know you’re with RE/MAX when responding to work-related social media posts.
2. SHOW YOUR PERSONALITY. You’re not a robot. Your personality can be a powerful tool for building relationships – but not if you bury it in business-speak. Be conversational and professional.
3. ENGAGE WITH PURPOSE. Go beyond simply hitting the Facebook “Like” button in response to someone’s post – at LEAST give them a reaction such as “Love” or “Wow.” Take advantage of the opportunity to share your knowledge and establish yourself as a real estate expert. Add a fact, or point out an interesting related article.
4. DISCUSS IDEAS, NOT PEOPLE. Feel free to constructively argue over ideas, but not personalities. And never question anyone’s motives online.
5. THINK BEFORE POSTING. In a heated discussion on social media, it can be helpful to take a few breaths and consider your comment before hitting “Post.” It’s incredibly easy to type something you might regret.
6. KNOW YOUR STUFF — AND SHOW IT. When making claims, always refer to your sources using hyperlinks when you can. Always give proper attribution.
7. DEAL WITH MISTAKES. We all make them. Admit it when you do, and do what you can to correct them.
8. KNOW YOU’RE ALWAYS “ON THE RECORD.” Don’t say anything you wouldn’t say in person in front of other people. Never use profanity or demeaning language. Once your comments are out there, they can always be used against you in the court of public opinion – a comment can easily be screenshotted and reused against you, even if you delete it.
9. LISTEN AS MUCH AS YOU SHARE. Social media is not a soapbox. That wouldn’t be very social. Keep it a two-way conversation.
10. IF YOU RESPOND TO A PROBLEM, OWN IT. If you become the point of contact for the media, a client or colleague, stay with the issue until it is resolved.
11. ASK FOR HELP. A social media encounter have you flustered? Reach out to socialmedia@remax.com. We’re happy to help.

There’s much more to social media. To learn more about various social platforms and how to use them, download the RE/MAX Social Media Best Practices Guide.