The Facebook Friend vs The Twitter Follower

Trying to be an efficient social networker, I make it easy for myself and use the tools out there. What I post on Twitter automatically goes to my Facebook page. When I post on my Activerain Blog it automatically goes to Twitter which then goes to Facebook and so on and so on and so on. I really don't go on Facebook that often except to read a chain of comments when I am alerted, check out other friends once in a while or play games.

It finally occured to me why the @(reply) or dm(direct message) responses on Twitter are always so different than the chain of comments generated on Facebook with the same message. It is not a good or bad thing but demonstrates the difference of the two mediums.

Tweeters read the tweet and if they get so enticed they click on the link and read the surprise they open up and then respond. If the follower thinks it is worth sharing they then create the viral effect of RT(retweeting) spreading the insight of the message. They always anticipate some new life changing knowledge if they just click. If there is no link that 140 characters or less must be profound or else why would I be following you.

Facebook friends respond to the 140 characters or less without clicking through the link to read the post. Many times they are missing the intent of the message not taking into consideration all the information presentated and their comments reflect that. Many times the comments are amusing because you can tell they totally missed the point. Facebook friends are very into their comments.


Followers on Twitter seem to be all about the sharing of knowledge. Facebook Friends tend to share themselves.

I thought this tweet twittered today says it all: AndreaRealtor: RT @Swanepoel: RT @MIrealestate - Read somewhere that sharing is a human quality and a core principle of Web 2.0 and Social Media.

Agents: Stop Spamming Agents

According to latest reports, social media has became bigger than email. That got me to thinking about where we are as an industry. As usual, miles behind. I think many agents and some brokers missed the webinar that explained to effectively use email as a means of marketing you listings or as a recruiting tool it is called drip campaigns not spam campaigns.

I did an an informal survey on Twitter and Facebook. The majority of responses where no to reading the emails sent out about listings. Several said they unsubscribe, a few said they read them if based on the address and only one person said an unqualifying yes.

I have used emails on occasion. I try and follow the guidelines suggested by the pros. Don't send listing emails often and only if it is "newsworthy". Huge price reductions, something out of the ordinary new listing or a special brokers open event.


When I receive eflyers on listings I usually ignore them unless something catches my eye in the headline. If I see a sender email to much out then I unsubscribe. I am not sure what unsubscribe means because it stops for a while and then I start to get them again from the same agents. I think someone told these agents Tuesday is a good day to spam out other agents with all their listings. I kind of understand the Fridays for open houses. What I don't get that if your office is emailing out a list to the broker community, why you have send an individual one on each listing.

What I find interesting, is that the agents who are spamming listings are not engaged in the social networking community which has surpassed email as our means of communicating. This only goes to prove the point you spammers are still not effectively marketing yourself or your listings so you are probably not seeing this blog post!

What Constitutes an Expert in Social Networking?

What math class did they teach "loyalty" + dollars = “experts”?

We are becoming so dependent on these sites for our “expert” advice. Is one an expert because they pay to play? How do we qualify those who we are taking advice from? When did an expert become a paid advertisement? Social networking had become the means in which we get ourselves out there. It is our new means of exposure and with any advertising there is cost involved. But when did our expertise become based on how much we pay or in this case, how much our company spent over the years.

When doing my evening round of “social networking”, I saw a posting that appeared to go out to the entire local Realtor® association calling for members to apply to be one of their “experts” on their new real estate social networking site based on shared knowledge of “experts” with hefty fees involved for the those who participated. As a big social networker who has been successful converting leads from this medium, I looked at the qualifications they were seeking, and thought I might have a chance to be part of this new venture.

Thinking I had a great resume, I applied. After all, I have been an active Realtor® in the area for a decade participating in hundreds of transactions myself representing buyers and sellers in new development and the secondary market as well as short sales. I also had the benefit of gaining knowledge from others in an agent support capacity in my company. Reporters call me and I have been published and posted internationally regarding real estate. Unpaid publications called me the “expert”.

For almost my entire real estate career, I have served the Realtor® community volunteering thousands of hours of my time for the Realtor® Association (the same one he had addressed the posting to) at the local, state and national level as an advocate on behalf of the real estate community and home owners. My years of association participation afforded me the opportunity to canvas the entire city. I received the President’s Community Service award, one of only a few. I have also been greatly involved in my local chamber of commerce in the same capacity.

I went to the online application, filled it out and inquired how long the process was to find out if I was accepted or not. The response was I am not currently being considered because he will only “reward loyalty” at this point. They are only accepting real estate agents as “experts” whose companies have done business with a company the creator of this site has.

In the posting to an association with over 13,000 members it did not specify that if the company you are with did not spend money with him, you need not apply.