As promised in a previous post, it is time to talk about Social Media.  This has been one of the easiest yet hardest aspects to develop into a habit.  I have no problem being on Facebook all the time, just looking through and killing time, but the challenge of adding creative and interesting content can become overwhelming.  Twitter is another platform that has been, and still is, a challenge for me to utilize.  The only reason I got onto Twitter in the first place was to get clarification of an article I was reading regarding tweets from Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson. Yes, that was a while ago.  I rarely had tweeted on my personal account since then.  I believe I have tweeted more on my business account in 4 months than I had on my personal one in many years.  That brings up another great point.  I find it very important to have separate accounts on all platforms for your business and your personal stuff.  That allows your thoughts and appearance to be professional where appropriate, though I do still put some personal interests on my business one to keep it from getting too dry.  Other platforms that I use are Instagram, which is a battle, for me; Pinterest, which I think is fun and an easy way to get your information out there.  I’ve been working to start posting on Google+ but that has been a challenge to get going.  I’ve made a point to post on my LinkedIn account a few times a week, because that is a platform that not many REALTORS® use, and finally this blog, which, at times, stresses me out.

Let’s start with Facebook.  This is the platform that I am to most comfortable using, as I have been since 2005, or so.  I did not have a business account then, since I was still in High School, but I had learned many of the ins and outs of the site, or so I thought.  Once I came to CB Premier Group, I learned a lot more regarding the use of Facebook to build a business.  I jumped on board and began to explore the business side of the site.  I’ve learned how to build advertisements, boost posts, set target audiences, and much more.  Learning what to post took a little while, but I think I am getting a better grip on both what I want to post and what I need to post to get traction from my followers and the general public.  This is especially important in case of ads and boosted posts.  Another thing that I found out on my own, I think, was that when you post an ad, or boost a post, you NEED to invite those who liked the post to follow your page.  That is the easiest way, I’ve found, to get new people to follow you.  A strategy that I use to avoid just posting Real Estate posts all the time, is to post a motivational quote that every morning, (OK, I try to every morning).  These can help to motivate me through the day and can cheer me up in the morning if I’m feeling down.  Sometimes I am in the office earlier than I want to be, or appear to be, so I schedule posts throughout the day at various times.  I wish I remembered the source, but I found somewhere that the best times to post on Facebook are around 9 AM, Noon, and 5 PM.  If you think about it, it makes complete sense; before work, lunchtime, and after work.

Now let’s look at Twitter.  As described earlier, consistency here has been more of a challenge for me.  I use the same strategy I use with Facebook by posting the same motivational quote on my Twitter feed.  Other than that, I try to post about what I am doing during the day. I don’t get too personal, but I try to seem transparent.  One of the themes I’ve been using a lot, is complaining about going to the gym and how sore I am from going to the gym.  Another way that I get Tweets is through Instagram.

Well, I guess now I need to talk about Instagram.  So far, I generally use Instagram to show off the houses that I am looking at whether with a client, just previewing them myself, or going to open houses.  Through Instagram, you can replicate your posts on other sites; I only go with Twitter and Facebook since I use those sites regularly.  Occasionally I post food that I’ve ordered or made to show what I am into.  I am working to post more content on Instagram, but it’s been tough for me to get going on that.  I forget to take pictures of what I’m doing a lot and think of it after the fact.

Now let’s talk about a fun social media platform that I use, Pinterest.  This is a super easy platform to post on.  Nearly every day, I go on the site and look around on topics that interest me, or that I think might interest people doing research on DIY projects or thinking about selling their house.  I have started to create my own pins, but I have not, yet, figured out the magic way to utilize those.  Once I do, I’ll write a blog post specifically about that.  This is a site that is still new to me, but I enjoy the time of searching through it.

This next platform is extremely new to me, and I really don’t know how to use it yet.  I am talking about Google+.  So far, I am still exploring the site and learning ways to utilize it.  If you have experience or insight, I am more than willing to learn the ways to use it best.  I don’t know if I’ve even posted on there yet, to be honest.  I better do that now.

The last platform that I will talk about is LinkedIn.  I will talk about my blog in a later post, and I don’t feel the need to share the website with you all, as you are already on it.  LinkedIn is an important website for, well, everyone.  If you are in business, you should have a LinkedIn profile.  It allows you to connect with colleagues and even search job listings.  One aspect that not many utilize is the fact that you can post on the site for the world to see.  I try to post a few times a week with articles that are relevant to the time, relevant to Real Estate, or just great articles that can help you through life.  Not many REALTORS® use this to their benefit.  As always, I try to stand out from the herd.

Well, now you know the strategies that I use on all my social media platforms.  I hope you all will follow each one of them.  I will continue to build on my social media skills and will probably write about what I learn some time down the road.  I hope you enjoyed this read as much as I enjoyed writing it.  Next week I’ll write about something more exciting.  I don’t know what it’ll be yet.  I hope you all have a great day, and week, and let’s go see some houses.