14
Oct
Are social networks replacing search engines?
Social media is everywhere.
There are even references to Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and
Wikipedia on TV and in movies. There will even be a Facebook movie
called 'The Social Network' due to be released next year
starring Jesse Eisenberg, Justin Timberlake and Andrew
Garfield.
A new report has emerged underpinning the concept of estate
agents connecting to new and existing customers through social
networking. By Nielsen Wire, the report surveyed 1,800 people
on the acquisition of content through social media.
The first question started off the survey with 'When looking for
new information online, on what type of website do you start your
search?' Out of the 1,800 participants, 37% used search engines,
34% used portals such as AOL or yahoo and 18% of respondents used
'social media' which includes Facebook, Twitter, blogs, Wikipedia
etc. That is almost one fifth of people using social media for new
information.
This information will vary greatly from person to person,
depending on their situation, but what is certain is that some of
these people will use social media to look for new property.
Wikipedia and blogs can be ruled out, leaving social networking as
the primary way for people to look for new properties online
through social media.
The report concluded that it is very possible that social
networks will replace search engines and portals in the future.
Respondents found there is too much information on the internet to
take in so the next step is to trust peers, relatives and other
online 'friends' to ask them for their opinion.
How can estate agents benefit from this? Troy Stanley, CTO of Resource Techniques comments,
'Embrace social networking and implementing it into your marketing
strategy. By communicating to online property searchers, estate
agents are able to directly influence where property searchers are
looking online. '
'Services such as posting the latest property or building a
portfolio of users that you contact directly online will all help
towards creating a desirable service that will keep property
searchers coming back again and again.' - Troy Stanley.
Do you want to find out more about social networking? Read our
other articles, 'Estate agents, who are you more likely to
communicate with on social networks? Men or Women?' and
'Damn good reasons why estate agents should invest
time and effort into social networking.'
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