How to Increase Your CRE Twitter Following in 4 Steps

How to Increase Your Twitter Following in 4 Steps

Since it’s launch in 2006, Twitter has taken the social media world by storm. Part of the big four social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, LinkedIn), Twitter has become a means for easy connection between colleagues. Now more than ever, businesses both big and small are utilizing Twitter. CRE practitioners, like these businesses, can benefit from Twitter in several ways. However, in order to reap the benefits Twitter has to offer, you must first have a loyal legion of followers. This may sound tough, but obtaining followers is fairly simple once you know how. Below are four useful tips in increasing your Twitter followers:

1. Write an Effective Twitter Bio and add a Photo

Your Twitter bio is your elevator speech on what you do and why you are the ‘EXPERT’ in your commercial real estate business.  Although with only 160 characters, it is a very short elevator ride, so you have to be concise and to the point.   Here are some tips:  1) Represent yourself as the expert and with authority; 2) Write your bio in first person, and because you are limited in space, you can leave out phrases such as “I am the…”; 3)  Use search keywords in your bio.  Twitter users will search for keywords based on location and specialization.   Ensure these words are in your bio; 4) Include your picture in your bio.  If you don’t, a goofy egg head image shows up in place of your photo.   When I see this, I immediately discount that person as someone that does not understand how and why to use Twitter and am likely not to follow this person.   In fact, studies have shown that Twitter bios that include a picture have 10x more followers on average than those without a picture.  That’s 100 followers vs. 1000 followers for simply adding a photo to your bio!

If you would like additional help in writing an effective bio, there are a lot of resources online for writing a great bio on Twitter.  Simply Google, ‘write effective twitter bio’ for more tips and examples.

2. Provide Quality Content

Content is king. With its latest update, Google search ranks quality content above all else. If you post frequently with interesting content backing your tweets, your followers will slowly add up. Be warned—this process takes time. Posting quality content won’t grab you hundreds of followers overnight. However, you will notice steady increases. Keep posting content, and be patient.

3. Follow the Right People

With the simple click of a button, you can follow just about anyone on Twitter. But, be careful; quantity doesn’t substitute for quality. Follow people you know, current clients, future clients, local businesses, other CRE practitioners, or others who directly influence your business or agency. Following untrustworthy people can affect your profile negatively. Following reliable contacts not only makes you look well informed and professional, but also may increase your followers through word of mouth (or text, in this case).

If you are just getting started, a technique I used was to follow the “Followers” of associations I belong to as well as colleagues that share the same audience of customers that I have.   For example, as a member of the CCIM Institute, I followed many of those that also follow CCIM.   A quick review of the person’s Twitter bio should tell you their specialization and influence so you can choose good connections.

4. Interact!

The primary focus of businesses using Twitter is to connect to fans and followers of their product. I use Twitter to get the word out quickly to a broad audience of current events in CRE, highlight current promotions and to share trending facts and articles.   CRE practitioners can utilize this kind of interaction to address the needs and questions of potential and past clients, as well as other practitioners or anyone curious about the industry.  Communicate as frequently as possible. Positive, professional feedback can lead to more followers through word of mouth recommendations. Be sure to maintain those relationships!

If you follow the tips above, you’ll be sure to notice an increase in followers for your business or agency. Utilize Twitter to your advantage!

And, as a side note, if someone follows you on Twitter, it is simply good social etiquette to follow that person back.  With that said – Please FOLLOW ME on TWITTER!  

https://twitter.com/todd_kuhlmann

How ESRI's Revolutionary Apps Can Help CRE Practitioners

How ESRI’s Revolutionary Apps Can Help CRE Practitioners

In the world of commercial real estate, geographic data and statistics are a key factor in determining successful strategies. Luckily for CRE practitioners, ESRI, a geography-based business solutions company based in California, has developed a series of useful apps for smartphones and tablets. Fortunately for us CRE professionals, ESRI is also very familiar with commercial real estate as they are the information provider for the CCIM Institute and CCIM TECH in powering the Site To Do Business (STDB). 

The apps ESRI has created include the BAO (Business Analyst Online) app and the ArcGIS app, two tools proving themselves to be extremely useful in the field of CRE. So, what do these apps do, how do they work, and how can they help the CRE practitioner? Let’s break them down one at a time:

ESRI BAO App

            ESRI’s BAO (Business Analyst Online) is a free app that is able to access demographic info and market data for any location in the US directly from your smartphone or tablet. The BAO app has a variety of functions, including listing the types of people in a certain area, including their Tapestry or Lifestyle segmentation, the differences in demographics between two locations, displays a list of competition in a given area, and determines if a location is suitable for you based on specific criteria. The App is available for the iPhone, iPad and Android market.  The free version has limited reports and will allow you to obtain the market data within a 1-mile radius.  Power users and desktop users may find it beneficial to purchase a subscription, which is required to access further data.

Simon Thompson, Director of Commercial Business Solutions at ESRI, recently talked to me about their BAO App, and had this to say, “Getting BAO onto the iPad and other SmartPhones was like swapping a Mini for a Maserati. It freed people up, enabling them to drop the laptop and leave the office. Having all those reports available anywhere is important but what matters is that they’re on the device which is your essential work tool - alongside email, calendar, contacts, phone and all those apps that you can’t live without. It means you work how and where you need, on location or on the way to a site.”

ESRI ArcGIS App

            The ArcGIS App (geographic information system), can “extend the reach of your GIS from the office to the field”. It’s capable of mapping, organizing, and sharing geographic information and data directly from your smartphone or tablet. So, how can an app like ArcGIS help a CRE practitioner? In addition to a myriad of geographical features, ArcGIS can aid in the accuracy of GIS databases, seamlessly share enterprise data, manage future work tasks, and collect and edit data to share with colleagues. The ArcGIS App is a true all-in one, available across the Apple, Android, Windows, and Amazon platforms for free.

Simon’s parting comment to me on these ESRI Apps resonated as it applies to so many commercial real estate apps.  He stated, “Think about what it means to analyze anything from anywhere and then send the information that you and your clients need all from the one app. BAO’s and ArcGIS’s beauty is its simplicity. You don’t think about how vital, powerful and productive it is until you don’t have it. That’s the real test of an essential tool.” 

            The bottom line? ESRI’s geographical data apps will prove to be extremely useful to any commercial real estate practitioner. With features that allow for instantaneous data collection on the go, ESRI’s free apps are definitely worth a try.

Sources:

ESRI BAO App (http://www.esri.com/software/bao-for-smartphones-tablets)

ESRI ArcGIS App (http://www.esri.com/software/arcgis/smartphones)

ESRI ArcGIS Brochures/Articles/Podcasts (http://www.esri.com/software/arcgis/smartphones/brochures-articles)

ESRI What Is GIS? (http://www.esri.com/what-is-gis/index.html)

How the iPad Can Help Your Business

             Since it’s conception in 2010, the iPad has revolutionized the way both big and small businesses operate. Now more than ever, you’ll come across iPad wielding businessmen in your local café, or employees toting the handy tablet in a variety of big brand stores. In fact, businesses such as Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, United Airlines, and GE have already integrated it into their day-to-day operations. That’s right—the same device you’ve wasted dozens of hours playing Angry Birds on can optimize you and your business’ efficiency. So, how do they do it? Here are just a few ways the iPad can impact the way you run your business:

Convenience

            For the agent or owner on the go, the iPad is an invaluable tool. Rather than worry about finding the nearest wifi connection, or remembering to bring that elusive flash drive, newer iPads come equipped with the 4G LTE network. Also, with the help of the Dropbox app, all of your documents are at your fingertips. According to PCMag, Dropbox “is a superbly implemented, cloud-based, automatic, file-synchronization service”. Download PowerPoint presentations on the go, pull up that important document real quick, or find those listings mid-meeting. So, next time you’re running late to that big meeting and forget that cd or flash drive, don’t worry about it. The iPad has it covered.

Business-Friendly Apps

            Apple’s App Store is ever-growing, which means more opportunity for your business. Apps such as Evernote, DocuSign, and Quickoffice have made business easier than ever. Evernote, a note-taking app, allows you to not only type in and store various notes, but also allows notes in the form of pictures and voice. It’s a simple way to store business card info, or record important points in a meeting. DocuSign allows for instantaneous signature capture on uploaded documents. This means that your client can sign a document, even if you’re hundreds of miles away. You can even edit your Microsoft Office files while on the go with Quickoffice, a handy HD app with features such as power editing and advanced touch control. The best part? Quickoffice can be integrated with Dropbox and Evernote for a seamless sharing and editing experience. With new business-oriented apps added every day, the possibilities are almost limitless. Are you using the right apps for your business?

Integration

            The iPad allows for full integration. So, what exactly does this mean for you? The iPad is able to seamlessly integrate into your business’ network, allowing for easy access to documentation for you, and your employees or partners, under a secure cloud system. If you don’t have time to push out that e-mail, others can simply find the document you were going to attach. Likewise, they can share their documents with you, including e-mails, calendar events, contacts, and more.

The iPad has revolutionized efficiency for small and big businesses, and will continue to do so. With unprecedented convenience, a myriad of business-friendly apps, and seamless integration, the iPad is quickly becoming a staple in businesses across the country. Is yours ready for the future?

I'm doing trainings on technology and real estate across the country.  Check out my classes at:  http://cre-training.com

References:

PCMag.com (http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2343852,00.asp)

NFIB (http://www.nfib.com/business-resources/business-resources-item?cmsid=56094)

Apple (http://www.apple.com/ipad/business/)

Quickoffice Pro HD for iPad (http://www.quickoffice.com/quickoffice_pro_hd_ipad/)