EXPERT TIPS AND TRICKS FOR CAPITALIZING ON A CONNECTED SOCIETY

Social Media changed the world. In fact, it is still routinely changing it. While many professionals do not use SnapChat and Instagram personally, much less for work, there is an upcoming generation who will be much more inclined to make business happen across a multitude of platforms. To ignore the implications of Social Media in business, you risk losing touch with not only the future, but also with opportunity that exists today... opportunity that can significantly impact YOUR business. This is an account of my journey with social media along with tips and strategies I see working beautifully for the world of CRE!

LINK UP, NOW! The first-place and most impactful social platform for CRE professionals is, by-far, LinkedIn. Everyone, and I mean everyone is on LinkedIn. You can follow the breadcrumbs of periodicals such as BizNow and the Business Journals to see the amount of content they publish on the platform and know that there is a strong CRE professional audience actively watching. But what does this mean for you? Well, for those of us looking to gain audience within the CRE world, it means LinkedIn is the captivator for our target group. Whether you are pushing properties or pushing your CRE services, the right eyes are on LinkedIn. You just have to grab their attention. And, here's how...

First: connect, connect, connect. The good news is that the CRE industry loves to be connected. There is not the stigma with reaching out for connections within the CRE world that exists in other professions. That is because we all know that every connection could lead to an opportunity of some kind for both parties. So, don't hesitate to hit that connect button for anyone you come across that you feel it would be beneficial to be connected with. Think of it this way, the larger your connection base, the larger your audience when you post content. If you are pushing space, make efforts to connect with those CRE professionals who are courting the tenants and vice versa.

If you meet someone in person, make it habit to connect with him/her on LinkedIn. If you receive an email with persons on copy that you may not know, connect with them! Build your audience... it will pay off, I promise! Second: share and re-post quality content. The gold rule applies in spades in the world of social media. When you come across another professional promoting his or her cool new development, share it! Do this daily. Not only will you aid your fellow CRE professional by sharing his/her content with your connections, you will repeatedly appear in your connections' daily feed as a promoter of quality information. Win-win.

Third: This tip involves more preparation and strategy and a bit of research, but it can be extremely powerful. When you have a something that you are marketing, the first step is to create quality content. This could be visuals, video, articles, press-releases, etc. The key is to think like your target audience and produce content that appeals to their needs, wants, and pain-points. Imagine yourself as your target prospect scrolling through your LinkedIn feed, and ask "what would grab my attention?" Then create that. Once you have content, posting to your feed is a good step, but you can go much further. To do so, you have to know and use the @ tagging function within LinkedIn. You must be judicious to not annoy with repetition, but a well placed tag on your post can get the right eyes on your content immediately. It can often prove more effective than a direct email because we all know inboxes are full.

Imagine tagging the top tenant broker in the area of your listing. Drop him/her a friendly line in your post like, "Hey, Sally. Thought you would appreciate these killer views for your clients!" It's non-intrusive, it validates Sally as an astute tenant rep, and it gets her eyes on your content!

The same applies when you are trying to win business. Tag your target in an article you create that gives them insight into something that effects their world. Tagging is powerful. It is direct, provides value and benefit to the recipient, and gets your content infront of the right eyes without being intrusive.