Saturday, November 20, 2010

When Real Estate (Social) Networking is not Networking

I wasn't thinking about social networking until recently.  In fact, I am still a little skeptical about social marketing (as it is advertised).  I do believe in social networking, however, when done right.

So, what is wrong with social media when it comes down to doing business?  I "think" most people perceive that social networking means to collect as many contacts as they possible can.  In this perceived theory, it makes sense, kind of.  For example, the more contacts I have in my social media network means a much larger audience.

However, if I learned anything while earning my marketing degree, it was to identify the target market.  I think the question should be asked, who in my social network is in my targeted market?  I am sure that number is quite small, but I do have some ideas to mitigate wasting time pretending I am networking via social channels.

One example would be to ask clients to conduct a survey on LinkedIn or Facebook (Company Page).  This would be the truest form of social networking, and one of the ideas behind LinkedIn that I like.

All social media channels present the opportunity to be productive, when used correctly.  So, if social media has not paid off for you, re-think who your contacts are and if they are in your identified target audience for the product you are marketing.

 

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