Two tips on social media for commercial agents

Any commercial agents or chartered surveyors just about to start a LinkedIn or Facebook page, planning to Tweet about retail space or maintain a blog about industrial, here are two quick rules to ensure you get the most out of your social activity.

Stop The Hard Sell and Give A little

Although social media should be integrated into your overall marketing mix, you have to remember that it is a very different marketing channel than the others you may use. In simple terms it’s not a channel to broadcast your sales pitch.

I’ve heard some experts saying that as little as 5% -10% of your activity on social media should be promoting your own commercial services.

Social media is a subtle channel, primarily about building relationship and then creating an on-going dialogue with these followers, contacts and friends. But then isn’t relationship building what being a successful commercial agent is all about? So social media is ideal for the commercial property sector.

Consider also that the aim of your social media activity is to establish yourself as the font of all commercial property knowledge in your area. By answering their questions and providing a commercial property insight into the area you will in turn gain their trust and respect.

A good social media strategy will pay off in the end. Perhaps that is why companies like Knight Frank have embraced social media so heavily?

It’s About Good Manners

Its important to remember that it’s not all about you, so don’t keep talking about you. Don’t hog the conversation and don’t try to talk louder than everyone else. If you do you will not engage with people, you’ll actually drive them away.

In fact you just become akin to one of those self-obsessed bores that everyone tries to avoid at a party. You need to be generally interested in what other people have to say and not simply so you can pump your sales pitch.

On a practical level, try to respond to as many of the people that post on your wall as possible. Share content with your peers and wider audience. If you have a blog (that would be a first for a chartered surveyor!) make it easy for people to leave their own comments.

It is about making sure you ask questions, show an interest and most of all…listen.

Philip Burrows, Marketing Consultant