It’s not often that an opportunity lands in EAT’s lap to be rude abut Twitter and the RICS in the same sentence, but it was hard to ignore this opportunity.
And particularly as EAT had just completed a survey on whether journalists use social media. The answer was yes, but only if you want to die of boredom, and before you ask, someone else does EAT’s twittering on our behalf even though we’ve told them it’s a complete waste of time and in return we were told to move with the times.
However, back to the trendy RICS which has used Twitter to appeal for chartered surveyors who love their jobs to tweet about how happy they are. Apparently, it’s for the next ‘happiness’ issue of Modus magazine.
If EAT could be bothered, we’d tell you what the response has been like so far, like how many surveyors are happier this month than last, and whether there is a negative net balance of unhappy surveyors as opposed to happy surveyors. But frankly, Twitter has the same effect on us as a mug of Horlicks.
Are we alone?
Comments
Estate Agent Today and the Twitter advocates both seem to have extremes of opinion regarding Twitter. EAT is overly critical whilst the advocates seem overly supportive. A more balanced “middle way” view would be that sometimes (and for some people) Twitter is indeed “a waste of time” whilst at other times (and for other people) it is vital. Sometimes you can achieve the same or better results with alternative social platforms (e.g. Facebook, local community events) and it is down to each business’s individual assessment as to whether they should choose to focus their limited time budget on none/one/some/all the social platforms. By all means, people should at least give Twitter a try and they shouldn’t let EAT disuade them from checking it out for themselves but neither should they feel the need to persevere with it just because the Twitter supporters say so. The average estate agent shouldn’t get caught in the crossfire between EAT and the supporters. I have no ill feeling whatsoever towards either group because I understand that they are both trying to help the estate agent community in their own ways however I will say in EAT’s defence that at least they tried Twitter before passing comment (even if those comments did seem, in parts, to be crude). Balance is the key.
I have written much about this topic and this particular article elsewhere, but I would like to point out one additional fact to the many good comments made below.
Google and Bing both take into account your twitter presence when determining search criteria. In other words, if you accept that your presence on google et al is important (and surely you must) then twitter matters and is far from a waste of time.
Twitter is a strange beast when it comes to property sales and marketing.
We (PURE International) do not see a huge volume of leads through twitter - perhaps 2 or 3 a week (though not bad considering our 500 followers), but for the 60 seconds it takes to tweet something new each day, it’s a fairly time and cost effective way to push one's product into other places.
Someone, who has been a client of ours some some time, recently put a deposit down on a chalet in the Four Valley. They say they saw our Luxury Chalet collection document through twitter, but I think I would be pushing it to notch a sale against twitter for that seeing as we've known them for a long time.
I do know that lots of journalists use it. Quite effectively too. They tell me it offers them real time ‘soundbites’ of news which they can then sometimes formulate into wider features….
If you can get enough followers and keep your tweets fresh and interesting, then there's definitely remit for sales.
Lloyd
Becca
Its not all about selling houses, like you say we have various property portals for that......twitter is just a good way to boast a little, laugh a little or moan a little......
I deleted this bit on my last post as thought it was a waste of time saying it, but we had a celebrity retweet us! Could you say Becca a celebrity has every quoted you personally on something YOU have said quoting your name and your business name to the world...(well everyone to everyone who follows her!) Daft I know and did it sell a house probably not...no definately not! BUT bloody good as one of her followers will remember our name for sure and maybe pass our name on to someone else....maybe she will remember our name.
Its more about the vanity sometimes with twitter but I have had some good conversation and very importantly if you personalise your bio and have you own personal twitter page linked you will be surprised how many followers you get who you know ie went to school with and lost contact with
and from here I can finally say YES I got a message to call an old friend and got a probate valuation (sad) but nether the less a valuation (they rented it out instead, but it got a lead)
PS: Do not auto tweet your listings and price reductions you will lose followers and be reported for spam! People like to here topical comments, links to your blog or a bit of news on something about you or your company, not just see your houses BUT if you get a cheap cheap house and I am talking very cheap, there are some wealthy investors who play on twitter for fun and they will look at the property, I know as our analytics have shown twitter as a route to our website!
To PBroAgent,
I'd be happy to speak with you... just a general chat about Twitter and its effect on business. No sales spiel, just a chat. I believe we might be local to you.
Kind regards
I agree that one has given evidence of twitter selling a property for them.
There seems to be a shortage of case studies, but I know of a number of agents that have won listings through relationships they have developed through twitter.
How many of you can relate to the idea of getting to know and be known by the influential people in the local town/village to where you are operating? Whether that be the local hairdresser, a journalist of your local MP. This was one of my aims when I ran estate agency offices.
Whereas you would previously nurture these types of relationships by attending local events, dropping by for a chat etc, now you can do so via social media and if you approach it correctly it can be incredibly effective and produce quick results.
It takes lots of time and an understanding of how to find the right people and interact with them through twitter, but I can guarantee I could help any business get results from it.
(P.S - This is not a sales pitch, please don't contact me to help you as I am very busy and very, very expensive)
As people have asked for evidence of ROI on Twitter, I trust I will be forgiven for posting a link back to the Property Tribes forum for this?
http://propertytribes.ning.com/forum/topics/why-the-work-of-4walls-is
The ROI's to my mind are:
* PR – via community review and word of mouth – the most effective form of marketing and PR.
· Building a database
· Customer feedback
· Collecting customer testimonials (advocacy) – marketing material.
· Client support/communication
· Leadership
· Community
· Raising profile
· Brand building
Increasing brand "equity".
· Building trust for you within targeted communities
· Live R & D
· Attracting media coverage
· Breaking into new markets
· Future-proofing your brand and business (new/younger clients finding you via social web). Furthermore, anything that you populate the social web with is there in perpetuity, and, if set up correctly, will continue to drive contacts and business to you for the rest of the life of your business.
· Monetisation through increased business transactions.
· Reduced marketing costs using free web tools and community review/word of mouth
* Possible monetisation through related companies who want to leverage your following/community.
* Value add to the value of your business should you wish to sell it in the future.
I don't Twitter, laziness and lack of understanding probably, but I do get the idea behind it.
A chance to engage and be seen as a professional with a useful opinion, perhaps even an authority who's view is worth seeking out.
Looking for a quantifiable Roi (if I put x in, how many extra houses will I sell) is naive. My take on it is that it is a long term slow burner, more about branding and establishing relationships.
I'm confused and a bit of a novice when it comes to Twitter, so go on then Twitterati, here's your chance to convince me. How do I sell a house through Twitter?
Do I "broadcast" my latest listing? You seem to think broadcasting is bad or should I "waste" my time interacting with other Twitterers/fellow time-wasters?
I can't help thinking that we have perfectly satisfactory ways of reaching potential buyers, who have set up email property alerts through the major portals, at no extra expense or wasted time to us (which might be better spent winning new business or selling existing stock)
Persuade me, I am pro-IT and all for now technologies if it helps us sell more or reduce time-wastage, but I will need to convince my Agency principle first if we are to implement a Twitter in the business.
Nowt wrong with twitter.
We picked up TV work, The RHS (as a Client for web work), we've had holiday lettings, we have a property transaction on the go at the moment. I also have a small sideline in listening to the web (via an algorithm) which is a product that is used by corporates. We have x3 large corporations that we advise for (as with the 4 methods of entering the matrix that is currently used by the general public) and umpteen SME's.
This does not include the connections we have made for other people as well.
All in all, Twitter has served us well. Having said that listening serves better than shouting, there are people all over twitter asking for help. maybe not directly but they are there.
The trouble is people asume twitter is a marketing channel, hence searching for an ROI. However, twitter is a conversation, therefore, how do you calculate an ROI on that?
The average human in the west says 5000 words a day (as part of many conversations) but you don't get up in the morning an say - "I'm not saying anything until I get an ROI!". The ROI on a daily basis via conversation is calculated very differently.
Sometimes it's because it makes you feel good. Sometimes it's because you just want to chat, Sometimes is to commiserate, whinge, whine, or even laugh. Sometimes it's to chat someones else up and sometimes it's to get a sale.
But they all are conversations - and so is twitter. However, don't use it if you don't need to, as no one can miss you if you're not there.
Twitter is part of the greater good of the web. If you only have one web site then you only command a small proportion of what is going on, if that is the case then you'll never get "business" out of them.
Only Twits use social media to whine about social media (irony). Twitter on it's own may not help, but then again sitting in the corner talking to yourself doesn't either.
Anyone whinging about twitter is missing the point - it's not about twitter, facebook etc etc it's about other people and how they find you. And it would appear, given this thread and some sizeable numbers, that the web as a whole (i.e digital for those that don't know what the web is) is winning people over.
For those of you who don't like the web (twitter, facebook, blogs, you tube or anything) don't use it to whinge - you look silly. Just leave it alone.
On the flip side, if you are going to use the web then get over the fact that it's not about you.
Twits.
N
Well, this article has brought the Twitterati out in a rash. But none of them can say what Twitter actually does for their business, so well done Becca for highlighting this. The very first post talks about speaking to someone who gets results from it, but not one of the posts mentions concrete results.
Do buyers and sellers need Twitter, or an agent who is spot on about returning calls and keeping them updated (it's called talking).
But, Sally, why is everyone still ignoring the question? Not one poster has actually quantified what the business benefits are of using twitter beyond a bit of hazy 'raises brand awareness' stuff. Surely there must be some agents who can say: "I sold this house through twitter". Or not? It's all very well being indignant on behalf of twitter and slagging off EAT, but Im not unique. I don't use twitter, I have never twittered, I run my own business and I'm in my 30s. And I can't ask any of my friends, who include other business people, about their expeeriences because none of them use it either apart from the odd person who follows a celebrity. None of us find it at all interesting, sorry! But again, the real question is does it deliver tangible businesst. EAT seems to have hit a raw nerve among the believers..
Well. I have to agree with Vanessa & Nick here. Those that are quick to write off twitter tend to be those who are not using it properly. Twitter is about engaging and not broadcasting - which is why large companies simply cannot do it well.
I seriously suggest EAT examine their use of Twitter before making wholly inaccurate fleeting statements which make the author actually not look all that smart.
So twitter is good for brand awareness. So are lots of other things. But does twitter actually deliver business? No proof yet in any of these pro-twitter posts. Do we even know how many people looking to sell or buy make twitter their choice destination? Surely they choose Rightmove? I'm not anti-twitter, I just can't see any reason to be sucked into it.
It seems the general consensus it that Twitter wins this debate. An opinion with which I agree. You surely must appreciate the power of a medium that delivers real time updates to a specific network of people across the world. If nothing else, it can incase brand awareness (as proven above with all the people who have said they are only here because of Twitter). As suggested before, perhaps speak to the person that 'does EAT’s twittering' on your behalf. I doubt that person probably won't appreicate the public disrespect he/she has just recieved.
I follow EAT's tweets which is how I landed here! The @eatoday tweets are excellent and you know it. I think you are trying to stir it up a bit. You have more followers that Zoopla so I dont know how you can say that twittering doesn't work.
People twittr for the sake of it, and it becomes an addiction, and at the moment, it's almost against the law to say anything against it. But what would be intresting to know is from estate agents how they can prove it has brought in new instructions or proceedable buyers. Otherwise, it's not worth the time they spend on it.
(aagh!) Sorry EAT you have got this one wrong...
Unless fake posts, which I am sure they are not, you have already seen the power of twitter in this thread alone! Lost readers before they have started........
2300+ followers, so that 2300+ people interested enough to log in and follow EAT.....give it some credit!
If used properly, Twitter is a great medium for agents to promote their business, engage with their clients and generally enhance their business. I know of letting agents who have attracted new landlords because of their twitter accounts.
It can work!
Having looked at your twitter stream, I am not surprised that EAToday is not getting results. You are just "broadcasting". That is the equivalent of the bore in the pub who talks in a loud voice all the time, and never listens to anyone else, or engages in conversations.
We are all talking about this article on Twitter, but where is @EAToday?
Whoever is running your twitter account has no idea how to get traction on twitter from what I can see.
Twitter is highly reciprocal. It is not a broadcasting channel and anyone who uses it as such will never get traction on it.
So rather than rubbish the medium, why not consider that maybe EAT does not understand how to optimise it?
Interesting that you should be so disparaging about Twitter, yet you use it yourself.
Twitter is a great way to promote you and your business. Take a look at a few of the people who know how to use it and can help you get the most from it - without feeling it's putting you to sleep.
It's a great way to connect with your customers, share advice and information and raise your visibility.
After all - I wouldn't have read this if it wasn't for Twitter.
I only found EAT through twitter as well.
Agree with every single word in this article. Twitter is for twits! So pleased I'm not the only one bored rigid and no, Im not an OAP but in my early thirties. Does nothing for me or business. Just get a decent website, keep it up to date and make it as easy fas possible for people to contact the Agent. Thanks EAT for saying what a lot of us are thinking.
Strange that a site that professes to give news should "whinge" about a channel that offers to give it.
Cutting nose off to spite face springs to mind.
I wonder if they know what a mobile phone is or how to use one?
N
I had never heard of the EAT until I saw a link to this article today via twitter.
Given the attitude displayed in this article towards the RICS and twitter I am highly unlikely to bother returning.
I must say, what surprises me most about this "article" is your negative attitude towards Twitter. It is clear that you do not understand it, and, if you did, you certainly wouldn't admit to having someone else tweet on your behalf!
When used with understanding, Twitter is an amazing "Serendipty generator" and, ironically, it was via Twitter that I arrived at this article. :)
Twitter is a brilliant way to share valuable content, advocate others, find out what the sentiment is on any given topic, make powerful new connections, learn new things,demonstrate your domain expertise, and become known as the "go to" person for your product or service.
I find twitter an amazing tool every day and I have made many new friends out it, and increased my property knowledge.
If you consider that "the most up to date information is the most relevant to the community" and twitter is "real time", then Twitter is a very important communications tool ... and it is fun to use as well.
Perhaps you should speak to someone who is getting results from it to fully understand it, rather than just do it because you have been told to move with the times?