The Social Media Handyman

I enjoyed so very much having the opportunity to keynote at last week's REBarcamp Houston. I want to pass along my thanks to Michael Price, President of ML Broadcast, for putting it together. (Oh, and Mike, the receipts are coming!)

Here are the slides from the keynote I posted to Slideshare...

Here are some photos and video of the event for your enjoyment:

That's me during the keynote

I also got to facilitate a session the goal of which was to craft a social media marketing game plan for Realtors. However, I didn't realize that almost everyone in attendance would show up. They were extremely interested in learning how to use Facebook, Twitter and the tools of social media to generate leads, get listings, and increase revenue.

Another view of the session.

The guy in the slide is trying to grab my head, so says my buddy Jeff Turner, President of Real Estate Shows, who live streamed the keynote via his jail broken iPhone using Qik.

That's Jeff on the right, the "other" bald guy.

A little analog social networking the night before.

Most of my social media handyman posts will be in response to questions asked by Realtors and others. Today's comes from Irina Netchaev, a Keller-Williams Realtor in Pasadena, CA. She asks, "What are the top 3 social networks that you recommend joining and actively participate in and why?"

First, let me say that "three" is the operative word. There is an old proverb that says "a cord of three strands is not easily broken." I think that's applicable where social networking is concerned as well. It's a matter of strengthening your social graph. Being networked with a given individual in three different places makes for a strong connection.

Here's my pick for top three:

LinkedIn - That's your business suit. While LI is not very conversational in its orientation, having a profile there has become expected. LI lends a degree of professional credibility. It is also the site that requires the least amount of upkeep.

Facebook - That's business casual. FB allows more of a 360 degree view of you, combining both professional and personal sides. Plus, it's a more conversational platform.

Twitter - This is the cocktail hour. Think of after hours social networking events and you've got Twitter. It's the most informal of the three and allows for the greatest degree of conversation.

Keep in mind my focus here is on creating three-fold connections to individuals. It's not enough that you have a presence on each of these sites, but that you leverage your presence to connect with others who are also present on each.

Social media is about being "social." Each platform offers its own distinctive advantages, but it takes all three to build the strongest connection. Plus, it gives you ubiquity. You're everywhere!

Tomorrow, I'm going to talk about three real estate specific social networks where you need a presence. Later in the week I'm going to dig down into Twitter and share how it's being used for business purposes. I'd like to hear your Twitter story as well. Please leave a comment.

Finally, if you have a question for the "handyman," email me at pchaney [at] gmail [dot] com. Or simply leave a comment.

One of the ways I can best provide social media handyman services is by answering your questions. Let me invite you to take a quick poll that ask four of the questions I hear most often.

• How can blogs help me market my business?
  
• How can I use Facebook for marketing purposes?
  
• What's the deal with Twitter?
  
• What are the best social networks to use in building my social graph?

If these four don't represent your question, please submit it in a comment. 

Answering these questions helps me help you. Thanks!