Are you just hoping for a decent-looking online presence so your customers won’t be turned off – or are you aiming for lead generation?
I want to get involved in social media, but I don't know where to start. I have Facebook and LinkedIn pages, but I don't know what to do with them. Right now, they are pretty much idle. I really don't have a lot of time to devote to the project, but I know I should be doing a better job because my prospects are online checking me out. Do you have any advice?
--Hank from Kentucky
We did publish a segment on social media recently which was authored by MGIC, but for this question, I want to get more specific. The first step is to determine what you want to use social media for. Do you just want a decent presence so that prospects are not turned off by looking at your pages, or are you actually focused upon lead generation at the other end of the equation? Obviously, the first goal is much easier to achieve than the second goal.
Whichever goal you choose, you need to understand that this is a relationship business. Social media is a vehicle for enriching relationships, but it is not a substitute for human contact. Therefore, the more automated your tools are, the better. Because your time should be spent calling and meeting with people – not merely waiting for social media to bring contacts to you.
Even if you want to get more involved, you need to start with upgrading your presence. I always advise starting with LinkedIn because that is where your referral sources are active. For example, before a real estate agent meets with you, they are likely to check out your LinkedIn page first and you might get an invitation to connect, if you haven't already initiated. What makes your page professional? We will cover this next week.
--Dave Hershman
Dave Hershman has been the leading author and a top speaker for the industry for decades with six books authored and hundreds of articles published. His website is https://www.originationpro.com. If you have a reaction to this commentary or another question you would like answered in this column? Email Dave directly at [email protected].
