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With apologies for the delay, I’m somewhere west of Gainesville on vacation this week. And, for some reason, I chose to drive here. With a toddler. And did I mention the stomach flu that’s been ravaging my family for ten long days?
Anyway, it’s apparent that LinkedIn is the way to go at the moment in the title industry. I applaud the users. Especially those really working at it. It’s harder to travel, and easier to stay “top-of-mind” with 2nd degree contacts from the comfort of your keyboard. And you know how I feel about social media. Use it. Use it well. Don’t use it to pitch—at least, not in a club-your-prospects-to-death sort of way.
But what, exactly, is this Twitter we’re all hearing about? Aside from a good way for Shaq to give away all those extra tickets (definitely NOT a recommended approach for the title industry…)
Well, it’s LinkedIn’s replacement. Time to get used to it.
In many ways, Twiiter is more simple than LinkedIn. No groups. Simple profile. Basically just updates. And only your “followers” (connections) see them. You sign up. And you “tweet.”
Social media works as long as it delivers value to its users (like anything else in the market). People (including your prospects) visit when they get something other than advertising. Twitter tends to eliminate some of the issues with LinkedIn (too pitchy, too wordy) by limiting itself to 140 character “tweets” or status-posts.
So how, exactly, do I make use of something that limits me to a sentence?
Easy. Deliver value. How many times have you shared that gem with your salespeople?
Use links. Share relevant articles. Tell them what you’re doing (If it’s interesting. No one cares about your lunch). Somewhat like LinkedIn, the value of Twitter comes from your network. So search and find your contacts. And they’ll find you, too. Post pictures and videos (if they’re interesting, please!).
So talk to them. Just as you would approach a prospect after dinner. Do you lead with a product pitch? Or do you discuss Terrell Owns/Tim Geithner/the front sweeping in from the Plains?
Twitter’s value comes from the fact that the user is forced to build the relationship one sentence at a time. Sound like real life? You don’t have space to post a 200-word ad. And your followers, if you have any, won’t stick around for that. That’s the nice thing about Twitter. You have to put a lot of effort into it. The upside? Real prospects. Real value in your posts. Downside? Well, it takes work.
So don’t just plug your next product. Discuss the need. Discuss the industry issue that’s driving demand for your product. Link to an article that segues nicely to the demand for your new product. And be funny if you can (if you’re funny—if not, don’t try). But above all, make it interesting.
This is not a call to quit LinkedIn. But be aware that more than a few top execs no longer frequent LinkedIn. It reminds them too much of Craig’s List: too many ads. But if you have something to offer, you may just find them on Twitter. Time to get to it!