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 I see that quite a bit of the august population that comprises the title and mortgage industry is now LinkedIn, or present on Facebook.  We’ll leave Twitter-talk for another day.  So now that we’re all here….um, well, now what?

Judging by what I’ve seen in a variety of forums and group discussions dedicated to title and mortgage professionals, our newfound social media prowess breaks into two categories by and large:

1. Lurkers:  Professionals who have taken the leap of faith to join a social media outlet, maybe even a few groups.  Maybe they’ve even updated their profiles.  But you will almost never, ever hear from them.  They’re only here to watch and maybe learn…
2. Pitchers:  Professionals who have taken the leap of faith with great gusto—and view social media as a free marketing conduit.  As I’ve said before, it can be.  But a status in all caps on LinkedIn reminding anyone who comes in contact with it that YOU CAN SOLVE ALL OF THE INDUSTRY’S PROBLEMS WITH A CUSTOMIZED, LEVERAGED SOLUTION…well, that’s not a status.  That’s a pitch.

Don’t get me wrong.  There are also a good number of professionals making excellent use of social media for what it is.  But, for the most part, our industry’s little corner of the world of social media is more akin to an awkward middle school dance (boys over there, girls over here…) than a lively conversation.  I see a fair amount of “discussions” that amount to little more than “How much do YOU like my product?” Let’s try to change that.  I think we’ll discover that the returns improve dramatically.

I’ve heard quite a few bright professionals assert that they get nothing from social media beyond learning what a contact had for lunch.  By that reasoning, we should all probably disengage from our cell phones, for fear of being accosted by telemarketers.  Or unplug and discard our new, 50” LCD televisions, for fear of being assaulted in hi-def by infomercials or, even worse, American Idol. 

So, with that, a few suggestions for making the most out of your social media experience.

1. Social media is a tool.  Like any tool, it only works if you use it, and use it appropriately.  Or, to use another old cliché; you get out of it what you put into it.
2. Social media is intended to be used for networking.  That doesn’t just mean “getting another job.”  Networking is a crucial part of sales, marketing and public relations.  Most sales people don’t usually approach a new prospect at a conference while barking out product specs from the get-go.  Instead, they build a relationship, often by offering value (nuggets of information, suggestions, etc.) and learning about said prospect.  Social media should be treated similarly.
3. Virtually every time one posts to any social media outlet, it should be to deliver (not just extract) value.  A link, an observation, a question which could lead to a beneficial and useful conversation.  Hell, even a good poem can deliver value in some (rare) instances.  All are better than pitches.
4. Social media messages must have personality.  If it looks like corporate boilerplate, they’ll go find it on your corporate Web site.  Be as interesting as you can (not inappropriate—just interesting!)
5. Social media is, above and beyond, an opportunity for conversation.  If you dance the dance, you may find that a sales conversation eventually breaks out offline.  But if your opening line is no more sophisticated than that offered by a drunken 22 year old in a meat market of a bar…well, you’ll probably get the same results.
6. The returns on social media are not instantaneous, much like the returns on your trips to trade conferences or even sales visits.  Just like real, live, face-to-face networking, social networking only works if you put time into it.

Having said that, the benefits of social media are real.  You have your industry gathered together in a single place.  They still have business needs.  They’re just waiting for you to ask them to dance!