Facebook & Twitter: No Longer Optional

A few years ago, when I first started using social media as part of my business model, I was one of only a couple of home inspectors in my area doing so. I didn’t mind being one of the first because I knew the value of relationships and taking the lead gave me the advantage. For a long time, I remained one of only a few. That is no longer the case. Many of my inspector friends and competitors now are in the ring with me.

So, is it too late? Have you missed the boat? Not at all. Just because your competitors began using social media before you doesn’t mean they are better at it than you are. The reason I have been so successful with social media is because I understand the importance of relationships in a successful business. Once you strip away all of the techie lingo and tips and tricks, social media is simply about talking to people.

Facebook and Twitter allow you to stay in touch with people you normally wouldn’t be able to talk to unless you drove to their office and they happened to be there or you met at a function of some sort. With social media, I can talk to my best referral sources several times a month rather than just every few months.

Here are a few tips to get you started or maybe to tweak your current efforts:

1. Be consistent. Social media is not a once-a-month effort. Relationships take time and work. So work at it.

2. Use the 90/10 Rule: 90 percent of what you talk about should be about everyday life; 10 percent should be about business. (Be careful to stay close to this formula; going too far in either direction could hamper your efforts.)

3. It’s a conversation. Make sure you are not just talking with no one listening. Commenting on what others are saying is as important as what you say.

4. Don’t stress over it. If you get into a mode where you “MUST GET BUSINESS,” you’re going to push people away. Just relax.

5. Use your mobile device. None of us has the time to simply stay in front of the computer. Learn and make a habit of using your mobile device to maintain your connections.

I want to give you a few more ideas that you can use to help you stay connected.

I, for one, don’t always have creative status updates to post. Use photos and videos. Each of these can be conversation-starters. And, in the end, that’s your goal: Start a conversation. Most of us take numerous photos on each inspection. Most of these photos can be used on their own or as good topics for a blog post. Carry a video recorder, either on your phone or separately, at each inspection. You can gather a lot of social media gold at almost every inspection. Don’t forget not to take yourself too seriously. Inject some humor into what you do. You’ll have a much better day and so will those who see your posts.