Using the 'Social Web' to your advantage is one of the keys to surviving this new era that we have all entered screaming, scratching, and clawing. Is it as simple as creating a Facebook page for each listing that we have? No, not really. If you don't have a big family on Facebook, then all the Facebook pages in the world won't help sell a home. Is it as simple as tweeting about the great house you just listed? Somehow I doubt it.
Using the 'Social Web' to your advantage is about giving consumers and visitors to your site the opportunity to 'rate' your listings, leave comments on your blog, vote on polls and view tabulated results. It's the new way of leaving your trail, of telling your friends about your likes and dislikes, and about contributing your views to the rest of the world around you.
It's about letting your past, present, and future clients sign on to your web site and submit questions to your agents without expecting something in return. It's about letting your agents help the client by answering these forum questions without controls and commission overrides. After all, if your agents take and sell more listings, won't you benefit in the end? If consumers are happier with you, won't you see the goodwill coming back to you in the future in the form of increased business?
The 'Social Web' is about freedom of communication and speaking your mind. It’s about being a friend to the community as a whole and wanting to be seen as contributing to the planet in a positive manner.
Join the 'Social Web'. You might find that it's much more giving than you ever imagined! Of course, you might have to find a new company to develop and host your public web site. Most historical web site providers haven't even begun to develop Social Web features and functionality. Some don't even know that they are missing the entire social web. They think that putting a link to your Facebook page is the Social Web!
THDi is developing social web tools today! Give us a call. We're here to deliver solutions for your success and raise your visibility. You might find your business growing if you do.
Lynn Lahman, August 2010