I have to admit when I first signed up for twitter about 2 years ago I just thought it was plain stupid. Back then I just did not realize the power of twitter.
I always say that we tend to ignore what we do not know. I thought as many other people think now about twitter that everyone posts about how they got a new dog or that I went to lunch today or even how they needed to go to the bathroom. People love to follow celebrities and people believe that they can kind of be a sort of paparazzi by seeing what celebrities do.
I made up my mind before I dismissed twitter as being stupid, I wanted to find out more about it. So I did. Read a couple articles, started to contribute. I follow a few people and wow did I learn the power of twitter.
Twitter is not many of the things people perceive it to be. It is basically a huge source of information instantly. I learned of Osama Bin Laden's death an hour before it was presented to the public. How, twitter. I learned of Skype's sale well before many through twitter. Information is shared through this forum instantaneously.
Now to the very important part of why real estate agents should use it. I was searching twitter for Boca Raton and found a person who tweeted how they were in the area the first time and went to this great movie theater in Boca Raton. I proceeded to tweet him and say that place is great. You should definitely try the upstairs premier. We had a couple tweet conversations and he mentioned that he noticed I was a real estate agent and he was unhappy with his current agent and would I be able to talk. I messaged him my phone number and last week he just made an offer of 1.4 million on a property. That one did not go through as of yet, but we are still negotiating. That is the power of twitter.
Twitter is about creating relationships. Contributing news, and helping people. Isn't that why we got into the business? That is why I got into the business.
Another example of how twitter works is that you basically become a reporter or journalist. I heard of Jim Mandich's death and immediately posted it to twitter. For those of you who do not know who Jim Mandich is he was a former Miami Dolphin player, and radio announcer many people in South Florida and around the nation respected. I was one of the first few that tweeted of his death. Because, Jim inspired so many people I was getting messages all over the world telling stories of Jim Mandich. It was really great to hear from people you did not know who shared that same common bond of inspiration.
As I said before, we tend to ignore what we don't know, but do not be one of those people who is stubborn and does not adapt to change until you will have no other choice but to join twitter.
Did we all think we would be texting today back in 2000? Did we all think the internet was a fad in 2000 or something that it has turned into today?
Do not be short sighted. Learn about twitter and start getting back to why you originally got into the business that is to help people.
David Serle
Vice President/Managing Broker
RE/MAX Services
561-912-3500 Office
561-912-3502 Direct
561-756-3104 Mobile
I had felt the same way about Twitter. I couldn't IMAGINE someone would care what I had to say about real estate here in Richmond. And yet, I gave it a try. I usually write my blog here on AR and then make a short URL link and put that on twitter. Each time I get about 20 hits within a minute of posting it. Then I go back to old posts and recycle them on twitter trying to capture people who are on at different times. Twitter really is worth the time. And it only takes seconds to post...you already did the work on AR!
I admit, I'm still a hold-out. I have an account but haven't tweeted anything. Sound like I should reconsider that!
We are in a sea change of how we communicate and use the net, mobile technologies and social media. I began microblogging before even being here on Activerain. People do business with people they know, like and trust. Good post about being open minded and changing! (suggested)
Twitter works when you know how to incorporate it into your business. Great post!
I use it selectively (just started to do so recently) so your experience has encouraged me to stay the course!
David, good post about the value of Twitter. Good luck with your transaction.
David:
I do hate Twitter! I don't care about how to use it for marketing; I understand it is possible. But it annoys the crap out of me, what with the spastic posts and character limiting rules.
This one's for you!
I was paranoid and confused by Twitter at first. I think I joined Twitter in 2007 and forgot about it for months at a time. Then I started loving it at some point. Jeff Turner taught me how to use Twitter to listen in 2009 (?) and I love that....
I have two of my three ActiveRain Outside blogs set up to go to their own Twitter streams, sometimes I think that is wrong... mostly because some one will tell me I am tweeting wrong... but overall I am not going to worry about doing it just like everyone else does it.
Going through natural disasters or political events can really help you "get" Twitter I believe. I think the next time something big happens if people who do not "get" twitter hop on and listen they may appreciate it more and discover they can hear things from far away and right under their nose with Twitter.
Or some may never acquire a taste for Twitter...
Many people still think Twitter is stupid, but that's because they haven't learned how to use it. I joined Twitter over 4 years ago because I had the benefit of learning about it from someone who saw its value as a broadcast medium early on and passed that knowledge on to anyone who would listen with an open mind. Like anything though, it's not going to magically make your dreams come true. It's just another tool in the tool chest, and it takes time and effort to see results from it, but it's definitely a tool worth looking at. Used in conjunction with a program like TweetDeck or Hootsuite, it can be invaluable in your daily social media plan.
By the way, your Twitter icon in your signature points to your Facebook page, just thought you'd want to know!
Shannon thank you for your comment. I also get quite a number visits and do it exactly like you copy and paste the short url. Thanks again.
Kathleen, definitely get on board. If you sincerely go on and contribute and you still do not like it than dont do it, but I think you will be pleasantly surprised.
Emily, thank you and 100% agree with you
Mike, thank you for your comment
Andrew, it is not instantly, but you will find that you check your twitter account more than you check your email
Michael, thank you for your comment and good luck to you as well
Aaron, that is hillarious. You must be one of those people who had a hard time getting into texting and the internet as well. I love the humor.
Maureen, excellent comment. I agree that big news stories will help you get twitter. Thank you again
I have it set up for tweets on my smart phone. I don't use it as much as I should, but I may start now.
Pat, thank you very much. I just changed my twitter link. Thanks again for the heads up. I agree with you using a social media manager like tweetdeck is essential
Tom, thank you for your comment.
I admit there are some amazingly strange things on Twitter, but if you treat it as a communication tool it really can bring leads and build relationships you might never have come across!
I have to admit, I thought Twitter was stupid and annoying for a very long time, too. Not until recetly did I begin using it. I'm way far off what I should be using it for though. Thanks for the post and congrats on the well deserved feature!
David, I knew there was value in twitter somehow. Thanks for specifying some ways in which you found good ways to use it.
I have a Twitter account, but never log in. Everything I post on Facebook automatically posts on my Twitter account. You've convinced me to log in, David!
I use Twitter the same way #1 uses it - to tweet blog posts. I also love setting up the Tweet Grid and "reading" stuff instantaneiosly on subjects I want to be in the know about. It's more powerful than we think.
I hate Twitter because it provides so much useless information on things I could care less about! I signed up a few years ago and have not been back in a couple of years.
Great post. Twitter made no sense to me also and for the longest time. But then I applied the Carnegie "be interested, not interesting" approach to it and it started to reveal itself. Whenever I meet someone now and exchange business cards, I look him/her up on Twitter as soon as I get back to the office (or on my phone). If they're on Twitter, I follow them. And true to Carnegie, more often than not I usually get followed back, thus completing a part of the circle of being connected in a world based on connections.
Like everything else, Twitter is another tool. It's free and it should be in your toolbox. Don't use it at your own peril.
Sharon thank you for your comment. You are exactly correct. Use twitter for what it is intended for and you will be successful
Thank you Greg for your comment and the kind words.
Brian thank you for your comment
Steve, i started using facebook a lot less. Less of an audience and sometimes too time consuming. I like the idea of the possibility of getting your tweets out to millions of people instead of just who you are friends with on facebook
Margaret 100% correct. I never thought I would be a twitter addict, but it certainly hooks you and is very powerful
Barbara, you may not have used it correctly. The great thing about twitter is it creates a newsfeed for everything you like and nothing you don't. Whatever your interests are that is who you start to follow and read stories on only what you are interested in.
Rob, great comment. the way we do business is changing and that is a great way to continue your relationships with people and clients.
I must admit other then send my AR blogs to it , I've haven't learned exactly how to use it as a search tool in my local market !!! What's the first step ???
@ David- I thnk ppl dislike how #twitter has changed our vernacular and made some things #lesspersonal if u know wut I mean. Was that under 140 cont'd here
Get my point? =)
I am just NOW beginning to like Twitter. I just followed you! :O)
The nice thing about Twitter is that it also post your comments to linkedin.
good nudge. sounds like quite a few of us are going to give it another try and be "interested, not interesting". Thanks for the post.
Actually David your initial impression of Twitter is still correct. It is stupid. That being said you accurately pointed out that it is instantaneous news, voyeurism on celebrities, and of course you can make the occasional connection. You can make connections from hundreds of other ways too. It is a passing fad like many other things that you can opt in or not. It has more downside than upside if you Twitter something stupid. Then it is REALLY stupid. Spend your time where it is meaningful. If you get an occasional deal out of Twitter then it is meaningful. If you can make tons of money doing something else with your time it is massively stupid and wasting your valuable minutes of your life.
David...
Until our market starts using Twitter it serves no purpose. They're just now getting the whole FaceBook thing. We gotta break 'em in slowly in these here parts :)
TLW...ROAR!
As a person with very little "internet saavy," I have had much difficulty in learing how to "tweet" and blog, but I am very interested in learning how to communitate and utilize these tools. Thanks for your encouraging blog.
great post David. I believe the majority of us are trying to figure how Twitter works and how to use it properly. Congrats on getting a client from Twitter!
Twitter, like Facebook, is just another social media tool. How it's used and to what extent, differentiates the innovaters from the casual users and the time wasters.
God stuff David, thanks for sharing it.
twitter is distracting, I have given up the need to feel like I am missing something if I am not constantly glued to my phone or my computer.
I have tried 3 times to seriously get interactive with twitter and it just annoys me and most of the self serving garbage that you have to sift through to find interesting people or people just pretending to be interesting.
I pipe my blog to Twitter but that's it. I decided not to post updates about my location and activities because the feedback I've heard from many friends is that they don't want to know my every move. So, Twitter is good as an information source but I think the frequency and content have to be managed tightly.
I agree with you. Though I must admit I've been off the tweet-wagon and only use Twitter to post new listings and open houses. I used to post cowboy sayings daily and a link to various listings each day of the week. It was a bit too much like heavy advertising commercials, I overdid it. I did find Social-oomph to be quite helpful at the time. I've thought about re-creating that Oomph account (if they still exist) to post automatically on my behalf for sayings and listings but maybe only once a week or every couple. Let the rest of the week be for real news regarding the area. This can be good, especially if the community you are farming is having a community garage sale or fund raising event. It adds to your "being in touch" with your community and over time you might just build a reputation of being "in the know." I only read what messages come to me and have actually gotten one or two clients through Twitter....of that one purchased the other found a lease via CraigsList.
Twitter was a waste for me a couple years ago, I'm rethinking it again.
I've been trying to use twitter - I have the link between facebook and twitter set up - I just have always felt so limited by the character limit. I usually have more to say and sort-of don't like having to cram keywords into the first 120 characters of my post so people know what I'm talking about. I blog like crazy and use Facebook on occasion, I just haven't gotten too much into twitter due to the length limitation.
So far I use Twitter for all my blog posts & some listings that I think have great values. You inspire me to find out more ways to utilize Twitter.
I use it, just not sure if I am using it to its full potential
Great post, David. I'm using Twitter also and have had a good experience using it, especially the last 6 months. I connected with one motivated seller who I as able to help out buy buying a house he inherited that needed a lot of work to bring it up to market condition.
David - thank you for an excellent post on twitter. As you can see it is a divisive topic and many people will not get it, but those who do, have an amazing tool. As you noted, it is used to START conversations and connect people as you well illustrated! Once the topic needs more than 140, then take it elsewhere. I have connected with some amazing people and found listed a whole resource library full of articles that I just would have not seen otherwise. I (@techzmx) am now following you on twitter.
"...last week he just made an offer of 1.4 million on a property."
Well, shut up and keep talking blogging! {southern dialect} I used to feel that way about Facebook. When I finally took the time to find out about FB I left Twitter. But, I am finding out you don't have to choose one over the other. I am slowly getting back to twitter by linking by FB page to twitter. Next I need to work on building my following.
Social media is just that...SOCIAL! People are more likely to do business with you when they like and trust you. Social media helps close that gap. We could learn lessons from international business. Most deals are pleasure before business...or the business doesn't get done.
SUPER post!
Sorry, but I'm still you (two years ago). I think Twitter is only appropriate for two types of people: Celebrities and Politicians. If I were obsessed with a celeb, I'd want to read every tweet they sent out; where they are, who they're with, etc. If I were political, I'd want to hear everything my candidate or party had to say all the time.
I did sign up for it and stayed for about a week. In that time I got to hear things like: "Going to the gym" and "Meeting friends for sushi".
Guess what: I DON'T CARE. That's it. I don't want to know when you work out or what you're having for lunch.
Maybe I was just following the wrong people...
Thanks for the article David. I still struggle with it and am leaning more towards my own inexperience with it than its lack of usefulness. I've recently hired a social media consultant to help me optimize my Twitter effectiveness. So many people swear by it.....could they all be wrong? I doubt it. Your post certainly brings to light the potential of Twitter and I hope to improve my usage of it in the coming months. Many thanks!
Twitter is one of those tools I just haven't gotten around to using. However it is another tool that I will have to play with a little at a time to see if I get results. Thanks for the post.
David - I think we've all learned not to be so quick to ignor the latest media 'thing'...especially since the speed new forms take hold can be breathtaking. I had the same first impression about Twitter as I had about Yahoo, Google, and Amazon: 'what a stupid name'. Now they're all part of the language!
I think you're on to something! Keep it local! I am so overwhelmed with the non-essentials from following those who follow me. I think I'll clean up my act!
David - First off I don't hate twitter... I have been on since the earlier days, maybe not understanding all it had to offer but I was there... Still there and keep posting but probably not like I should be. I too went on following the likes of Jeff Turner and others here in the Rain. I should learn more about it and how it can benefit me and my business and I thank you for reminding me of this powerful tool.
This is a great blog post! I was pleasantly surprised when I tried Twitter & found out how much I like it!
David:
Thank you for letting us know about your success with Twitter. I haven't used it much but may try again using the local angle.
Lots of changes - so much to learn!!
Mike, thank you for your comments. The first step is as you are browsing the web and you see an article or some information that would be beneficial to someone else. Tweet it. Look at following people that you think are interesting. See what they are doing and create your own style from it. If you want to use the search tool you can use it any number of ways. Easiest is http://search.twitter.com
I admit, I struggle to tweet. I have it set up but so far I really struggle as there is so much online nowadays to do. Facebook and Twitter are my weak spots.
J Phillip the problem with new technology is many people resist it until it becomes a neccessity. You have to really be interested in twitter and use it for your benefit. You must contribute like you contribute to this forum. I would disagree in the impersonal nature of twitter.
What do consumers want? They want instant attention. They want to be acknowledged and they want to be appreciated. You are creating relationships on twitter. It is all personal relationships.
Don't make up your mind or give up on twitter until you sincerely use twitter and go 100% in. If not then you will be using twitter 3 years down the road when it is a neccessity.
Joni, thank you for your comment and the follow. I will be following you as well.
Ed, I like that as well. Syndicating everything to all the social media platforms is truly great
Colleen. I like that quote. Don't be interesting, but be interested. Thank you
Gary, let me ask you a question? How long did it take you to start texting? How long did it take you to get on facebook? Many of people were extremely stubborn including myself. I thought the internet was a fad. I thought texting was really stupid. Why can't I just email? Yes you are correct there are some people that just won't get it. Won't care and call it stupid because they don't understand twitter. Don't be that guy. It really is the wave of the future. Twitter and many other informational forums are the way to go. I truly believe that. Some believe it to be a waste of time. I don't believe anything you do to create more relationships can be a waste of time. Thank you very much for your comments.
Broker Bryant's wife, yes we as real estate agents are so slow to change. Did you know that a huge percentage of buyers last year were 30 and under? Do you think they still look at our postcards we send out? Probably not. Many of these kids do not even know what a newspaper or magazine is.
I use Twitter and find it very useful in Real Estate. In fact, for some reason I've gravitated more toward Twitter than Facebook - just my personal choice. Thanks for the post!
Well said..thanks for sharing..I had posted a twitter blog today to and I was happy to read up on your success..continued health and happiness ... the more we share the more we care; the more we care the more we share...cheers....
Hello David. I too, just started using Twitter and I like it a lot. It's certainly easy to use. And I've been pleasantly surprised by how quickly I picked up followers. I just went to tweet an older blog post though, and Twitter was "Over Capacity". Haven't seen that happen before. They're obviously doing something right though. Congrats on the feature, and have a great weekend.
Helene, thank you for your comment
Dave, thank you for your comment
Anthony, you are right on. like the old adage "what you put into it you will get out of it"
Michael, you are right. Many people on twitter is self serving, but there is a market for someone like yourself who is looking to be interesting and contribute. Look for likeminded people and look for those who contribute to what you are interested in.
Bryan you are absolutely right If you continually check in and post updates that are not contributing to the community than you will not have success on twitter. Always think how a consumer feels and what a consumer would like.
Make sure you develop a theme for twitter as well
Elizabeth, you do have to be careful about promoting yourself and your listings as it is perceived sometimes as useless information.
Rob, thank you for your comments
Eric, many people say the same thing. However, I think we have a lot to say, but many consumers don't want to hear what we have to say. The reason why twitter has been so successful is because of the limiting of the 140 characters. I do not know about you, but when I am shopping online you have about 5 seconds to grab me or I am on a different website or post. You may want to rethink how we market as it is not about you or I. It is about the consumer and what they want.
Ann, thank you for your comments
Brenda, thank you for your comments.
John, great job and thank you for sharing your story
Craig, i think i also follow you because i found your tweetss interesting. At some point the light will come on and they will start to get it. Some take longer than others.
Toni great comment. You are on the ball. Be social. Create relationships and you will be successful
Adam, you are following the wrong people. Try following the big news services like nytimes or espn. They do it right. Also follow @mashable. Great info
Dave, what a great idea. Instead of an assistant hire a social media consultant. Good job by you. Good luck
Phil, thank you for the comment.
Mitch, excellent point. We all have including me said this wont be successful or this is just a fad. Kind of like gold will never hit 1000
Vickie and Lisa thank you for your comments
Christine, Evelyn and Gina, thank you for your comments
Stefan, good luck with social media. Embrace it and be interested and you will find it very rewarding.
David, thank you for your comment
Jay thank you for the very kind words. I wish you much success as well. It is amazing how just be acknowledged and saying kind words can create a great attitude in someone you never met so thank you.
Mitch you do the same. Good luck tweeting. Look forward to seeing you tweet
I gotta admit that I didn't care much for it either when it first came out and only used it to catch up on some obscure baseball games. Now I'm addicted.
David,
I'm clearly one that does not "get" Twitter. With so many "new" things available almost daily, and most interacting with a whole bunch of others, I find it, confusing, difficult to sort out what's important to work on and just finding the time to learn... Your article & the comments give me hope and let me know I'm not the only one not up to speed. Thanks,
Bruce
David, good subject that I think a lot of us need. I have a Twitter account and I post too it through AR and Facebook but I have yet to implement it as an effective strategy and I'm not sure I understand the best way to use it. It's one of those things I do because I know I should but I dont think I am using it to its full potential.
Again, another prime example of something we should all embrace should we truly want to take our business and sphere of influence to the next level. The first great thing is that it is free...something we should all love.....second, we should not overdo it--take time to tweet a bit but not too much, as social networking sites can consume our time when we could be prospecting. Basically, embrace these things with ease and schedule small bursts of time during the day to take advantage of being able to reach folks we could not otherwise reach....thanks for the post!
David -- I like what you said... "we tend to ignore what we don't know" I can say that about Twitter but also about blogging. I have tried to get others to blog, but they just don't want to take the first step. So they just ignore it and sometimes ignore me talking about it! lol
I'm still getting the hang of it myself, but I'm hoping it's worth the investment!
David,
Thanks for the post and also, there are so many helpful comments at this point. I rarely go on Twitter. So, I'll have toc change that.
Brian
I agree with your original comment that Twitter is stupid. Unfortunately it maybe necessary if your are an real estate agent. There is an article in Fortune about trouble at Twitter so I would not bet the farm on it just yet!!!
I use it to post my short URL for my AR post...still have a hard time adjusting to it compared to Facebook but I am trying.
Great post - it inspired me to at least sign up - now on to learning it! Thank you!
I don't hate twitter but I don't like it either. I do use it and notice a big difference in blog traffic but if I had a choice I would never go back on there.
If used correctly twitter is an excellent listening tool, especially if you have select tweets texted to your cell phone.
Great points David, I enjoy twitter - locally -> we are alerted to traffic situations, weather conditions, business specials etc.. globally => I asked a question to our followers and learned about bin ladens death 2 hours before the official announcement by the president. Business wise -> we got a listing and a buyer from twitter in the last year. I am by no means an expert at it and like blogging and facebook am self admittedly inconsistant - yet see results, so we will keep tweeting :)
@safrin - we follow back!
These are great ideas of how to use twitter. I am glad you posted them because just yesterday I got on my twitter account to try and get back into it. I signed up years ago and never did much. Now I have a good place to start!
David, I love technology, actually. And I am a former IT person, so I know my way around the web. I just don't like Twitter. I like Facebook OK as a personal outlet, and I have a business page and run several local pages there, too.
I am with you. I also thought it was stupid at first: eating sandwich. Mmmm. Good. Off to appointment. Going to see my mom... but now I GET IT.
I thought Twitter was kind of stupid too a few years ago. I do see the value now. It is funny to me to hear the "old timers" say that Twitter will die off and go away in a few years. I don't see that happening.
great, informative post.
I will try Twitter again.
Hi David,
you must have tweeted about Muvico in Boca !! Gosh how I miss Muvico, I obtained my real estate license in Boca Raton we lived there from 2005-2007 and I was associated with Samina Real Estate back then. We moved back home to Lake Charles in 2007. I miss Highland Beach it was such a beautiful spot with condos lines on Fed Hwy!!
I am trying to master all the social media techniques and am trying to tweet more and see the power in Twitter but I am stuck on Facebook!
Twitter is one of those tools I've never used. I was under the assumption that everyone knows what we're doing 100% of the time....that's not me. I'll have to check it out again.
I have hundreds of followers on Twitter and I'm rarely there. People keep following it - it's crazy! So when you have 730 people you are following and 682 following you back, everything gets jumbled together. Do you have lists and stick to them for seeing what people are saying? Otherwise, you would have to be glued to the screen 24/7 to keep up with and find the interesting people. Do you recommend unfollowing most of them? Also, like TLW, our market isn't quite up to speed on Twitter.
Sharon
#imustbemissingsomething
I think I am. Thanks for the post, I'll check it out more thoroughly.
I'm with you -- I joined about 2 years ago and just didn't get it. I tried it again a year later, but it was just a lot of one-way tweets, and not any real connections or conversations. Finally, on my third try, somethin just clicked and I sold my first home in April from a twitter lead!
Excellent post!
David,
THanks for sharing. I have a twitter account that I have done nothing with. It's on my to-do list to .get started. Thanks for the little kick in the butt
I felt the same way at first but tried it, learned to use it and was amazed at the response i got to my tweets, i wish i could get more to sign up as followers, but Rome wasnt built in a day, thanks for sharing
WOW David! Look at the comments you've generated.
Your coincidence is difinately inspirational.
All the Best!
Twitter is one more way to connect through social media. And even if it's not big in a local market, it can still lead to referrals or vacation home buyers and sellers. Better to get involved today than try to catch up later.
Twitter, like everything else has a learning curve but it can be fun as well as annoying. I enjoy Twitter although I do not live on it I do tweet. You can never tell where your next sale will come from so I say Open The Door and let that little bird sing....Tweet!
Nice post David - you can re-write that for say... door knocking or something else - there is always someone who does not want to be doing the work to get the business.
It's just another tool to me.
David, I will not deny Twitter is another hook in the water with bait to catch a certain demographic fish. But results tell the proof in the pudding. If you are getting business with more efficient means without Twitter, then this tool is a distraction from better focus. If it works for you use it. If not, put your eggs in other baskets. BTW people that don't pick up a hard copy newspaper or magazine to complement the online versions are doing the same thing I am not doing with Twitter. They are missing out. Hard copy has stuff that online doesn't. And is much faster to read and is so much more portable. That same argument could be used for Twitter I suppose for those who don't use that fishing method. You're missing something. Some would argue who cares that you're eating Sushi at lunch? I've always hated texting BTW as too short to say anything meaningful compared to email. Facebook seems much more social than blogging but at least you are not limited to the 140 character string.
This is a real wake up call for business owners, realtors and others who really would like to connect and help more people. Thank you for sharing. This article was truly inspirational.
Just curious. Unless you were following the 1.4 million dollar person on Twitter how would you even know what they tweeted? And if you do like some people and follow thousands of people seems like all you get is thousands of posts from strangers in your blog roll. Were you searching for Boca Raton or something in the Twitter feed?
WOW! My highest accolade for a post that stimulates my neurons and point me forward to the tools I'll need to keep working successfully in real estate!!
Thanks for the post. I created a Twitter account last week and was not sure what to do with it. Now I do!
Twitter is awesome for driving prospects to your websites and individual web pages.
Why to people hate twitter? Because it's a time suck when compared to other marketing options.
I'm one who still hasn't figured it out. How do you find enough hours in the day to be there and see what other people are saying if they reply to you?
I do tweet my own blog posts and others that I find interesting, but at the same time wonder if I should, because I don't follow all those thousands of links. Maybe because I have Wild Blue - which means I have to wait a while every time I go to a new page. If it isn't actually interesting, I've wasted a lot of time.
I suppose if I had high speed Internet, I wouldn't mind following links to check out what might be interesting.
Awesome article, David.
Twitter also presents an amazing opportunity to learn about practicioners and experts in whatever field you're interested in. By following a few individuals in that field, you can in turn learn of countless others in the same space. Afterwards, if not through Twitter, you can connect through LinkedIn, their own website, or by just picking up the phone.
My problem is I find it so fascinating I quickly exhaust my follow capacity! :)
http://twitter.com/AGreaterTown
Thanks for post sounds to me that I should give it a try..
Dave, Great post. I set up a twitter account, I think a couple of years ago. Needless to say I have done nothing with it. I think I will take a second look now. Thanks.
David,
I just recently got back into Twitter after a lengthy abscence. I got my original account when it first came out along with Facebook. I didn't get it then and thought it ridiculous. After being gone, so much has changed about Twitter. It is taking me a while to get back into the swing of things, but I find it refreshing and much better than Facebook. I haven't been on Facebook actively since 2009 and really don't miss it. Facebook is good for business I guess, but it too is a place where people tell you what they are doing every second of the day, but with more characters. On Twitter, I have found a wealth of information from following PR people and journalists, people that offer great information on how to get press coverage and the like. All very useful. I still follow the occasional celebrity just for kicks but I also follow businesses for discounts and new product information.
Can it be a huge time waster if you let it? You bet. But I think the wealth of REAL information available that you might not otherwise be aware of is pricesless. I'm still learning all the new protocol for Twitter, but I love it!
You REMAX guys are always Ahead of the Curve. It's No wonder REMAX has 100,000 Agents in 72 Countries.
Worldwide Knowledge & Exposure for a Global Community
"Twitter is about creating relationships."
Though for me...it has been less about business and more about fun and meeting a whole new group of folks both locally and in other parts of the country with shared interests. And I am just fine with that!
Twitter, Is basically turned into a spam machine.
Congrat's on your success, unfortunately I can name you 1000's of people who have never came close to a deal on twitter.
It is a great place to get back-links to your post;article or video.
That's where I would concentrate my effort is on Blogs; Articles; Facebook and Video's.
Your big internet Guru's hardly even mention Twitter any more, but they are getting really big on Facebook!
I tweet, but I haven't established the relationships you are talking about. I should probably work on it a bit more. A client who wants to purchase a $1.4 million house is a great reward for tweeting and staying interested.
I'm a little perplexed by people who are promoting the fact that they've used Twitter for YEARS and "just recently" got a lead. No offense intended, but why should anyone get excited about that?
Twitter's function is a platform to distribute information in short burst, quickly. It was built specifically for that purpose. If you have nothing important or useful to tweet (related to your business offerings), then you shouldn't be tweeting. That being said; for those of you who are scouring Twitter to "find leads", you're using it wrong. Be useful and get people follow you based on the substance of your tweets.
Business + Twitter = Bitter
In today's modern age of instant information, business is supposed to be happening at the proverbial "speed of light". Problem is services like Twitter have actually made us LESS PRODUCTIVE because we spend too much time trying to "figure it out" and getting distracted by the non-productive fodder that requires constant filtering.
Let's be honest here. The people who are really excited about Twitter don't use it exclusively for business. They use it to connect about personal interests, political interests, and other things. Conducting business on Twitter is a footnote to the other distractions it offers. In a real-world business comparison, that's like trying to have serious board meeting with a football game playing on the LCD in the same room. How "productive" is that?
To join Twitter as a means of filling your leads pipeline is like joining a church to do the same. If you join Twitter, then do so to lead or follow; but for Heaven's sake, DO NOT ADD TO THE FODDER by telling the people who've decided to follow you that you are "eating a ham sandwich while watching Mork and Mindy reruns". It's cute, but nobody really cares. Sorry.
In the immortal words of Forest Gump, "That's all I have to say about that."
By the way, I'm about to eat a Boar's Head turkey sandwich on Publix wheat bread and watch HBO after I visit the head.
;-p
David,
The world it's a changen. Twitter, Twitpic, 4square, Facebook......... the list goes on and on. I'm not sure any of this existed two years ago besides Facebook. With the power of the new phones you are now carrying your new computer in your pocket.
Great post!
Gerald
We have an account but have never used it. I guess it's time to pursue that angle. Thanks
I signed up for twitter when it first came out because one of the REO listing agents who had a ton of listings used it to update the listing info. She would list each house and then state how many offers, when the offers were going to the bank, if the house already had an offer in front of the bank etc. It was a great way to keep abreast of her listings. However, she isn't doing as much business and they let the twitter info slide - it isn't updated anymore. Since I have the account, I use it now and then but my time could be better spent calling prospects and past clients.
Aloha David
Great article, I also just found out the power of Twitter and conected it to my facbook business page, so it makes it easy.
But I did find it ironic that you talk about todays technology, and that of 2000 - then I get to the end of the article and in your signature line, your using this BIG, old, bulky, black and white QR code from the 90s. It time to fast forward to 2010, and start using the Microsft "tags" - far smaller, customizable, trackable, changeable, and far cooler looking.
Anyway, I did enjoy your twitter article, good advice, and have a great weekend
Aloha
Twitter should be used to communicate with others. Twitter should create a two-way conversation. Unfortunatelly though I see quite a few agents that use Twitter just to post their listings. If I'm not buying a house right now, why would I follow them? But if they posted interesting tidbits about local real estate, or restaurants or happenings in neighborhoods than I will follow them and possibly ask them questions about real estate when they come-up.
Another Twitter no-no: canned DM's saying "Thanks for following me. Check-out my blog at..." It especially makes the user look like an idiot when they followed you first and all you did was return the favor.
Great comment #113, Robert.
So true. Why don't Realtors understand that, and disregard all the pundits' hype of it's effectiveness.
Where are all the success stories! And, what is the payout in terms of earnings per hour of work?
Go for it for social and cursory information bytes, but our advice to Realtors is to spend the time contacting your spheres of influence and making real connections.
Thanks again for mentioning that there is an "elephant in the room".
Very best,
Perky & Jody Mageed
I like your explanation of Twitter...but still doesn't seem to be worth the trouble. I'm glad you got a lead, and that's great, but that's a lot of tweets and time for that one lead. I don't know....I try and remember to use it to advertise my site and blog...but not regularly....I find it boring.
I love Twitter. Not sure how I would operate without it.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Wishing you continued success.
Dear David,
Loved how you explained Twitter in your post.
I live in Atlanta and was going to be in Chicago for three days. I saw the tweet from my niece who lives in China that she'd be in Chicago two of those days. GOt to see her for the first time in years. YEAH Twitter.
Have a happy day -
Lynn
I shied away from Twitter for the longest time. However, I must admit when the BronxZoo Cobra got loose and began Tweeting, I knew it was time to sign up:-)
I love twitter because I love people. It's where I find the news generally, breaking news about things in my industry, and where I find people whom I might not otherwise meet. I particularly like the people who are wearing their heart on their sleeve or spilling their guts or tweeting while giving birth. It brings everyone a bit close. I love twitter.
Why people hate Twitter? Maybe because of the stupid name... Send a tweet? OK... I really don't think the name helped with people accepting it... And I have certainly not fully embraced it, since we already have blogs (eg:AR), websites, facebook, texting, and so on.. However, many sites, such as the blog in my website, allow me to tweet my blog, and post it to facebook, so I would say the process is being streamilined, but I think it is all a little silly and cluttered... Personally, I don't find twitter to be all that useful. I follow some friends, the technical developer at my website, and a few realtors, but only stay in touch a little better with people I don't have a texting relationship with... I would still rather phone, email, or text.
I have, however, found that one agent using it heavily in my area has his twitter page showing up in google searches for words that I am trying to rank for, so it certainly it is worth while for that point, but his posts are not generally relevant to pretty much anything, ... just babbling about a wide variety of topics... With some focus, it could help with exposure, but I still think it is a waste of time, and I don't waste much on this one.
I have had a hard time starting twitter. After your article I will give it another chance. Thanks for writing.
I have not had the time to develop it or learn about it yet. BUt I am not dismissing it.
What's the best way to use tweekdeck? Do you get tweets to your cell or simply check out Twitter online? When I first signed up, I let tweets come to my phone but I found it really annoying. Now none come to my phone but I don't regularly go to the site to read posts either. Is there a way to have tweets running on your desktop or something so it's incorporated in simply being online and you can interact as you want to?
David, thank for an informative post. The comments were equally as interesting. I recently created a Twitter account. I primarily follow news and motivational quotes - as time permits. I may check it only once or twice a day.
You've given me/us the best suggestion that heard so far as how to make it work for our real estate business.
I suppose I need to learn how to respond to someone's tweet next.
Good post.
David,
great post and some of the responses that I've been reading some people still don't get it. I'm starting to meet people who are moving away from Facebook and towards Twitter. Twitter is fast, Free SEO, great posting tool and which people don't have to friend you to read your content. (if you don't protect your tweets)
I can hear the wheels turning slowly........
David,
Thanks for the POSITIVE words on twitter. I admit that I don't use it very often. I think my main issue is that I can't read/understand what most people have written! Thus I just pass it by! Because of your blog, I'll give it another try....
I've heard of some people who get results from twitter while others don't. It can be overwhelming with all of the information constantly being put out there but if used properly, I can see how it can be beneficial. Congrats!
Great post and I like your specific example of how it helped you in your business.
Twitter IS a great vehicle for getting business which is why I wrote the Home Stager's Guide to Twitter: Building your home staging business one 'tweet' at a time.
There are so many advanced strategies that can be used to find the right people to follow, and to help the right people find you. It is a great source for driving traffic to your website or blog. I have been using Twitter for more than 3 years.
Personally I love the 140 character limit to force people to be succinct. Lack of limit is one of the things I like less about Facebook.
NEW USER TIP: Don't set up an Auto DM (direct message) to thank people for following you. Auto DMs are really just sp@m and they make the DM function within Twitter virtually unusable for real communications (especially once you have thousands of followers). Advanced users will unfollow you for using Auto DMs.
EXISTING USER TIP: Check out how well you're doing on Twitter with this free service, TwitterGrader.com. You'll actually find out your performance "score" out of 100 and your rank. which is a reflection of your influence on Twitter. This is not a simple measure of number of followers -- followers who actually listen to you is more important than having thousands who don't -- it's about how ofen you get @replies and @retweets, and more.
I'm proud to say that @stagingdiva has a grade of 98.4% which I've maintained for 3 years now, despite the astronomical growth in the number of Twitter users over that time.
David, I have to admit, I felt (and due to my ignorance still do feel) twitter was stupid, but then again I felt the same way when AR was introduced. Your post has made me rethink twitter. Thanks for sharing.
OK, you like it because you might make a nice pay check off it. Who wouldn't? Twitter, for the most part is useless, however I finally did see twitter used for something life changing which were the millions of tweets concerning Bin Laden's death. Finally a purpose. I think it is great when you have a meaningful message to get out but otherwise, who ever thinks they need to know when a celebrity is having dinner needs to find purpose in their lives.
Russell Benson, Realtor®
Prudential Alliance Realty
Great post!
Twitter is an excellent way for you to offer information you find important to your clientelle. Whether you are a short sale specialist, an expert condo seller or a first-time home buyer pro, you can let your knowledge and experience show in the information you share. This builds up great brand recognition and also can be used as a great tool to drive traffic to your website or other social media outlets, which raises you in organic search engine rankings (relevant linkage).
I admit when Twitter first came out it was inundated with tweens tweeting about every time they have used the restroom (okay and there are still some of them out there), but with businesses adding their presence into the mix, it can be a great place to network. You not only mingle with clients but you also are in touch with other professionals related to your industry. Its fast, quick and easy - and the best of it is that you can easily tweet from your mobile phone.
Thanks for a great post on Twitter!
Christine Barber / Targeting Pro
Sold me on it. I'll give it a look.
WOW.....I honestly think this might be THE most controversial subject on Active Rain. Really!!!
For those of you that don't "get" Twitter, I understand. When I first signed up back in 2007, if you could find 300 people on Twitter in Atlanta, that was it. I said, "it's a West Coast thing...will never happen here...." I'm enjoying my lunch eating those words on a DAILY basis.
Is stupid stuff said in Tweets? Heck ya. But I've heard/read a few good ones on Active Rain too. I don't see you running from here now do I? But you have to realize....you manage every bit of the info you DO, or DON'T get on Twitter. If you are getting tweets about Justin Bieber, I suggest you edit your following list. I have probably 10 requests a day of people that are following ME. That does not mean I have to follow them back.Period. If I look at their profile and I don't feel like we'd have a meaningful connection, I don't follow them back.
I use Hootsuite and Hootlet (by products of Twitter) with the amazing ability to get my blog posts and OTHER useful info out to people. I can tweet about a great restaurant and someone just coming into Midtown might end up there. Who knows?
Our private security service in part of our neighborhood now uses Twitter to get out alerts about suspicious activity and people in the area. It's pretty amazing how quickly the word spreads.
Do I sit on Twitter hour after hour? NO! Not because it's full of useless information, but because I could read really GREAT articles about a host of subjects from gardening to blogging to auto repair to.....well the list could go on and on? And those subjects are of my choosing by how I manage my Twitter Feed.
For those of you that have mentioned that you have auto feeds from for your listings and Open Houses, there's the biggest part of your problem. That's kind of like you walking into a cocktail party, standing up on the bar and screaming "HEY, I'M JOHNNY REAL ESTATE AGENT DO YOU WANT TO BUY 1234 MAIN STREET?" You are going to be quickly ignored if that is all you have to add to the conversation. My tweets range from a great NYTimes article I just read about history, to a review of great Chardonnays to a homeless dog that needs a new home.
But, everything is not for everybody right?
I'll keep tweeting....anything and vehicle I can use to get my name and knowledge in front of people is a winner for me. But if there are any of you naysayers out there that want some help with what Twitter can do.....hit me up! I'd be happy to "convert" you!
Ok, understood that twittering is wonderful source for socializing and some immediate, very limited bytes of information.
But wasn't the thesis of this AR entery that we had better stay up with the modern world, improve our marketing, and not be left behind in the rapidly moving world of technology by "tweeting"? It's tone was overly sententious, and we feel wrong.
Our challange is: if "tweeting" is so great as a career enhancer, where are the comments from Realtors who have made any substantial money from all their efforts. Of the 120+ comments, on two or three have mentioned earning anyhing from their efforts - and they only mentioned one transaction.
Let's hear from the success story comments; and we aren't interested in anecdotes, the lone transactions, but the building up of well established clienteles from which you are making money!
David,
I'm a big fan of Twitter. We have 3 accounts. I'm not into how many followers we have... it's who follows that matters.JMHO
Best,
Steve
Used properly, twitter is one more avenue of generating traffic to where you really want. It is both a net and a sieve.
David, I have to admit, between Facebook, blogging on AR(just got serious about it), Twitter and all the other on line marketing I am a complete twit and have a lot to learn. Thanks for sharing an insight as to how it can be used.
I'm too busy to tweet or Facebook, so if I wasn't busy, I could do it too. I'm thankful for staying busy.
Love Twitter! Thanks for the great post.
@Debbe_Perry
David, done properly Twitter can be a useful tool. If you follow a large group of people aimlessly and don't thin out the spammers, it can be a total waste of time.
I have been trying to do more with Twitter. Thanks for your post.
Oh, great, David, now I have to go back and check that out...So many social networking tools... O.K. J.K. I will go back and check it out. It was overwhelming for me for a while there.
Nice post, David. Enough comments have been made to cover what I was going to say.
So let me just say, Thank you for the Great Blog!
I joined, but have done little - I have gotten HOT leads from my blogs, and I'm too busy now to tweet. I'll try again when I am slower..... But a good post!
David, Like you, I initially thought Twitter was a waste of time. In the last month or 2, I've just begun to see the potential of it.
I used to use Twitter - spent months building up a massive targetted following, strictly using original, quality tweets. Looking at ROI on time invested, the results were pretty uninspiring. Then my site was hacked and before I was even aware there was a problem, Twitter froze my account.
Numerous emails to support were ignored and my ticket kept being "closed". Months went by, as I continued to post tickets. Finally around 6 months later I got a response from Twitter saying that my account was open again, but when I went in I saw they had wiped every last one of my followers and I was on zero.
When I enquired about this Twitter support declared that this "is not a problem because you can start building followers again".
My view of Twitter is that it is not a good use of time because other online and offline strategies are more effective. It is also not a good use of time to build an asset which can evaporate in the blink of a "support" person's eye, with no recourse whatsoever.
I have redirected much of my online networking energies to LinkedIn because it delivers a much bigger ROI, is more professionally run, and is so much more pleasurable in terms of interactions with fellow members.
Good post and something to consider ~ I have to admit that I have an account but do not tweet...
This post did get me thinking. I had posted in here yesterday, and commented that I felt it was largely a waste of time, but could be useful with some focus. I feel more strongly now that it can be put to use. One of my points was that an agent in my area has his twitter posts appear in google quite frequently, and almost in real time. If the post is very recent, his picture is also there. I decided to experiment with a posting for a statistics market update for my area to see if I can get some results, and found that it in fact was already above the blog that I was tweeting abouts just hours after posting to twitter. For my post's title, it was in postion 4 in google, one position above my website blog page that I was tweeting. The indivual blog posting is not showing up in searches yet, but the page itself has always been strong in google... The individual twitter posting was crawled and displayed almost immediately.
I had previously felt that without a large number of followers, that I would not be able to reach a lot of people, but twitter appears to do so well in google, that you prabably don't need to focus on followers... just make good posts with good keywords that you want to rank for, and link it to more detailed information on the subject, and google will get it to the masses.
Considering this, and with the new methods of being able to post to twitter and facebook directly from a blog, it is probably less of a waste of time than I had felt just yesterday.
David,
You make a good point about getting into real estate to help people. I receive lots of gratification from people coming to me for help and from actually being able to help them. The mistake I made when I started Twitter was to follow a bunch of people who only want to sell stuff. I need to go through and delete those people and concentrate on the people who I really want to communicate with.
David Wallner - Ann Arbor, Michigan
I made my first tweet this year. I was surprised that I developed five people who followed my tweet. I don't know who's responsible for this , but three of the five appear to be sex industry employees. My tweet was real estate industry related. Who in the heck are these people who would respond to my innocuous tweet with a response that is obviously designed to arouse one's prurient interests? Is anyone else getting these kind of Twitter following? No wonder our kids are being assaulted at every turn with these types of messages. I understand that the sex industry is a Billion dollar industry, but dammit, they've got their tentacles on Twitter too!
How Tweet it is...yours is a great story and I just have to Tweet more.
I use social media as a strategy of marketing not to be consumed by it so I do not utilize my time properly. Being online becomes addictive. I try to use medium that I can duplicate my time as well. Twitter allows good use of time and is replicable.
Thank you all for your comments. I do have a comment to those who have said they are too busy to tweet or use social media.
For your information, I have a family with 2 young children, I do about 7 million a year in business with no assistants, and run the RE/MAX Services with 50 agents under me. I do not believe anyone can be busier than me.
I am too busy is a very easy excuse. Think about how much time you actually waste in talking to coworkers, friends and family a day. Do you check your email? How frequently? Do you know I only spend a total of an hour a day on twitter. There are many things you can do to incorporate this into your business.
If you however refuse to change or embrace social media you will find yourself out of the business.
Why would I say such a harsh statement? It is because the people that are going ot lead us to a housing recovery is Gen X and Gen Y. Do you think they are out there and care about that you have been a top producer for 10 years running? Do you think they care about you being on apark bench and on billboards for many years? No they care about you caring about them.
If you can't do that you will not have their business. All I am asking is for you to think differently. Do not always think about what is at the end of the tunnel, but think about how to get there. This is important and for those that refuse to listen I feel sorry for. Wishing everyone a whole lot of success going forward.
I love twitter! It is vibrant and instant. Twitter has made me better known as a local expert in Indianapolis. I am connecting with people that I never would have met on my own.
Like David, twitter has been a source of outgoing referrals, two listings and a buyer so far. $40,000 in commissions. It does work!
The most important realization for me has been that I need to be authentic, a real person on twitter and a Realtor second or third (or fourth)! Building a following takes time, but it is worth the effort.
If you Follow me--I will follow you back @talktoDiane
Twitter is LIKE OMG! BTW this post ROCKS!
In general I say 2 thinks to folks they refuse modern technologies and media.
Well I like Twitter a lot.
My partner (& husband) is a master on twitter. He has develped relationships that are positive for our business. Late in 2010, we sold a home to a Gen Y couple & that was a direct twitter relationship he made with the buyer.
Great post! I also had twitter acct for yrs and haven't really use it until just recently. I'm much more used to the Facebook platform so Twitter didn't make sense to me for a long time. Your post gave me more confidence and make me glad that I've made the right call for returning to Twitter. Thanks for sharing, and I just became your follower too :)
Hi David, Congrats on your $ 1.4 buyer. Doesn't matter where you find them at that price. I'm moving toward more of the social media but still not crazy about Twitter.
David, glad you changed your mind because I've already referred 2 clients to agents I have met through Twitter :)
I continue to push on to understand the appropriate way to use Twitter, but it is frustrating that most of my "friends" are selling their social media or SEO services. @StagingHouston
David,
Congratulations on the feature! Twitter is great. I haven't made that huge connection like you did but it's going to happen.
Hi David,
Excellent post and I couldn't agree more with the last comment you made about the new generation. I actually did a $500,000 deal almost completely through email, facebook and texting because my clients whom were in there mid 20's preferred it. This was two years ago and at first I was baffled and then I loved it because my communications were to the point without any unecessary wasted time. They would text me a question and I would text them and answer. They needed to do something for their offer and I sent them a text and they did it. I decided then that I would not let technology hinder my performance so I got in gear and learned Twitter, Facebook, and Linkedin and I am now a Blogger too. Love it!
Amy Drinnon, LEED AP - AccessUsa Realty. Inc - Tamarac, Florida
P.S. Look at how many responses, that tells the story!
Still skeptical, but I really like the example you gave about suggesting a place for someone in your area to check out and then turning that lead into a buyer. Congrats! And keep us posted if/when that buyer closes. I really like facebook and I have my facebooks posts go to my twitter. But, so far, it just seems like everyone following me wants to sell ME something. I'll try to work it a little more and see what happens. Thanks!
Did you tweet the link to this blog? It's excellent! I am a fellow tweeter and your blog is bang on.
Wow, too many comments to read them all. I've bookmarked to read everything later tonight. I am on Twitter but I haven't tweeted as of yet. I guess, I need to get on that.
David, I am not sure why you use the word "hate" for those who choose not to "twat." It's just not for me. I have my own smaller but very loyal tribe... we're kinda loyal to each to each other. When we talk... we actually communicate face to face.
David, I have to admit I'm a hold out too. Maybe it's time I learned to use Twitter. You make it sound so relevant, which I'm sure it is.
Elyse in #176: Twitter is relevant to some folks, and to others it is not. I think it is silly, and very superficial. I refuse to be goaded or embarrassed into using something like Twitter. But, that's just me.
David, once again an AR posting opens my eyes to a possible way to better improve my use of technology, I think it is time to do some self education on the the practical uses of Twitter, thanks for the eye opener
David: this is a very open minded post, and I LOVE it. I too believe we ignore (and can I add are sometimes afraid?) of what we do not know about. Thanks for pointing this out and sharing about your twitter experience.
Thanks for the post. I've had an "on again, off again," relationship with Twitter, and am currently trying to make it "on again."
I can't say I care for twitter. The limited characters and sifting through mindless chatter does not seem interest me. But... I had never considered using it to meet new clients. I am curious how many other agents who support using twitter have created a transaction through the use of twitter. I'm just saying, I met a new client in the airport bathroom once... but I am not going to recommend hanging out in the John. Great post.
#ILOVETWITTER I might be #addicted to it. Follow me @valentineomine, that's http://www.twitter.com/valentineomine
Diane, thank you very much. I just followed you. Wow thats great success. Keep up the good work.
David, thank you for your comment. U rock too.
Timo, awesome comment. You are dead on. People continue to be stubborn when it comes to technology. I remember when there was only less than 5% of realtors texting. What percentage text now?
Pat & Steve, thank you for sharing your story. Keep up the good work
Martin, well said
Cecilla, thank you. The power of twitter is something we can't quantify. It is not how many followers you have it is how you contribute and the relationships you develop.
Thank you all for your really incredible comments and passionate opinions. Now we can #tweetalong
I'm the same as you David. I signed up about two years ago, but didn't do much with it. Followed a few people to see what it was about. Most of the people turned me off it because they were the ones who would tweet 30 times a day about any and everything. If it wasn't for @AngelaAlbright posting interesting ads and content I never would have gone back. I have now come to realize what its about and how valuable it can be. I haven't done a transaction directly related to twitter, but I'm sure it will happen in the near future. Great post!
I am indifferent bout twitter, though now that i am just learning about it its becoming more of a business tool than i could have hoped for. Don't get any business from it, but its good to be 'out there'
Nice post - very interesting read
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