Social Media is a Hot Topic For Memphis Investment Real Estate - Part One

Is it just me, or does it seem like Social Media and Social Networking are going to be the big buzz words of 2010? Every day I am bombarded with invitations to come hear the newest expert talk about how you can become the next expert too. There are a lot of tricks and maybe a few tips discussed about how we all need to be online and embracing the new tools for networking, marketing and PR.

I happen to agree!

I gave a talk two weeks ago (yes, I'm one of those "next experts") to the Mid-South real estate investors association in Memphis about the need to secure and take control of your online presence. Regardless of your line of business or situation in life, we are all in need of a web presence simply for the ability to control our image and the story that others hear about us.

My talk focused on getting online and getting involved to promote your brand, your image and stimulate activity for your company. Many on hand were Memphis area real estate investors that didn't have a particular company to brand or promote, but by the end of the evening they understood the need to get online. Protecting your image, your name and even your day to day story is more important than ever.

When the talk turned to real estate investors, I tried to impress upon the group the importance of not ony telling your story in your terms, but also weing aware of what stories your actions tell.  There are real estate investors in Memphis who constantly talk about thei competition and it's not always in glowing terms.  Talking about your competition in a negative manner not only makes you look bad in the eyes of those that may want to do business with you in the future, but it also distracts you from the positive message about you. At the same time, if your Facebook page shows you have a thriving little patch of green and are excelling at Mafia Wars, how much time can someone assume you are playing online and how much time are you working.

It is becoming more and more commonplace for banks, lenders, insurance companies, hiring firms, colleges, etc., etc. to run the names of those wishing to do business with them across several social sites and through an online name search, just to see what comes up. If you are not in control of your image and your message, then there is no telling what will come up. Whether it's having a presence on a simple media tool like Youtube or Facebook, or going elaborate with hosting your own blog; controlling the message about you personally or about your company, is going to be vitally important for 2010 and beyond.

In part two, I will list out what I guage as the 5 worst things you can do in Social Media and the 5 ways you can remedy those mistakes.