The other day I put together an article with the purpose of helping people focus their energy when establishing an online presence. I noted that many folks in Real Estate were just building profiles on every social network possible and I wanted to let people know that it is better to focus on a few quality ones than to have dozens of profiles on sites they never participate on. For more info, check out: Social Network Marketing: Can You Have Too Many Profiles?
I thought an appropriate follow up would be a piece that helps teach you how to effectively put together a profile that serves its purpose. While this article is a must read for our BiggerPockets Real Estate Social Network members, it is also 100% applicable to users of other sites from Facebook to MySpace, Twitter, ActiveRain or Digg.
Seven Tips on How To Create An Effective Real Estate Social Networking Profile
Once you join a social network such as ours, here’s what you want to do to create the most effective profile possible to attract the attention of others who may want to do business with you.
- Immediately change the default avatar – There is nothing that says I don’t care or I’m not willing to put in any effort, than someone who sticks with the default avatar provided by a network. Take a minute and change this — upload something that represents who you are, which brings me to:
- Choose a profile avatar that shows off your personality – Don’t use logos, scenery, or other imagery; find a picture of you that highlights the best in your personality (even the grumps out there have some positive personality traits) and use it. People like to connect to other people; by using a photo of yourself, you’re making your profile more approachable, and as a result, you will be more approachable. People are more likely to want to network with someone they can see than someone who isn’t willing to represent themselves.
- Be truthful – It is okay to leave out information about who you are, your background, etc., but by lying, you start all of your relationships off on the wrong foot. Lying includes putting false “facts” about yourself in your profile, using fake names, and being boastful about things that may not be true. You will have no credibility
ifwhen people find out that you’re just another person pretending to be something that you are not. - Make sure to include the following key elements: your background and experience, what you can offer others, your goals, your wants, and your needs. I’ll do a follow up piece and go into details on all of these points.
- Lose the sales pitch – There is nothing worse than to find your way to someone’s profile, only to discover that all they have to say about themselves is their sales pitch. If people wanted the pitch, they would stay up later at night and watch the infomercials.
- Be Professional – Remember, people will judge you based on what they see on your profile. If you’ve got a profile full of spelling mistakes, slang, or other problems (such as ALL CAPS), people are going to take that into consideration when considering whether or not to connect with you.
- Be Detailed – Lets jump back to #4 above again . . . when filling out your profile and providing the information I suggest, make sure to be comprehensive. There is a HUGE difference between saying “I’m looking for houses” and “I’m looking for single family 2/1 houses in the x neighborhood in the $50k – $75k price range”. Details will help others better understand who you are, what you can offer them, and what your interests are.
The ultimate goal of business networking online or off is to get business done, right? By creating a real estate social networking profile using the tips I suggest above, you’re showing people that a) you are serious about doing business, b) you’re web savvy c) you’re willing to put effort into your business d) you know what you’re doing.
What are you waiting for? Get back on BiggerPockets (preferably) and those other networks, and make sure your profile makes the grade!
Photo Credit: ChrisL_AK
Article Author:
Joshua DorkinJoshua has written 539 articles for us.
Visit Joshua's Website: http://www.biggerpockets.com/
BiggerPockets.com was founded by Joshua Reed Dorkin in August 2004. An entrepreneur, web designer, real estate investor, and one-time realtor, Joshua was not satisfied by the online offerings of other real estate sites out there, and decided to build one himself. Mr. Dorkin's vision for BiggerPockets has helped to propel it into becoming one of the top real estate destinations online. His vision for the site and its future has brought national press attention to both Mr. Dorkin and to BiggerPockets.
Joshua Dorkin
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{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
I appreciate the new series of posts you are doing on using social media. With so many opinions out there, it is hard to know what to listen to. You guys have proven yourselves time after time with Biggerpockets, so I’ll assume you know what you’re talking about when it comes to SM.
great stuff, i think that this is a really good way to build your profile, you can put all your sales info on the main page but it is important online to have a human aspect it really makes a difference.
I agree with you about the avatars especially. I agree with this whole post, but I wanted to point that out in particular. I am usually not as initially interested in any profile that is obviously about branding or overtly promotional. The social media world is hyper-sensitive to commercialization, and professionals like myself need to always leave their sales pitch at home when they network online. Trust me, it’s way more effective to NOT sell anything. You build a much stronger base that way. Guess what…these people are still customers, and they’re going to be spending their money…but they’re NOT going to spend it with you if they don’t like you
Christian’s last blog post: Tony Robbins Talks About the Economy and Opportunity
Yes, One can create an effective business social networking by using these guidelines and most important point is profile and avatar for the network which gives good impression to any viewer.
nicky’s last blog post: Digital Photographer
Great comments. What about my avatar. Does my dog look suspicious or trustworthy. Great tips in this article.
“lose the sales pitch” This is too funny! Social media is like being at a party or networking event online. Walking around pitching everyone is a great way to not make any friends.
Remember, people do business with those whom they like and trust.
Bryan Ellis’s last blog post: Homes Are Selling More Briskly… And It’s “Bad” News
. . . and yet people still don’t get it, Bryan.