Twitter is an integral part of Chicago’s real estate market, but how can you harness it for your business? Alyssa Mattero shares three essential steps.

A basic search on Twitter reveals that the Chicago real estate industry has a strong presence on this social platform. Real estate companies, magazines and news outlets are all actively using Twitter as a marketing technique. There’s a social conversation going on in Chicago about real estate and if you aren’t a part of it, you could be missing out on a big opportunity.

There’s no debate that companies are using Twitter as an integral part of their online marketing strategy, but is Twitter useful for real estate agencies? How do you create an effective twitter strategy?

These three crucial steps will guide you on your way to a strong Twitter presence for your Chicago real estate agency.

1. First things, first. Claim your brand on Twitter! – Your Twitter handle and your Twitter name are two different things, but both are important parts of your Twitter profile. For example, my Twitter handle is @Alyssa_Chicago. This is what people type in their tweets if they want to tweet at me or mention me in a tweet. Tweeting at someone allows you to directly connect with that Twitter user. If someone tweets at me, I will be notified and the tweet will appear in my “connect” section of Twitter.

Then there is your Twitter name. My Twitter name is Alyssa Chicago SEO. This is the bolded name that people see when you tweet something. Both names are important, so choose them carefully. Also, always include your brand and keywords in your Twitter handle and Twitter name.

The next important part of your profile is your description. This is what people see below your Twitter name. This is often the deciding factor of whether or not someone chooses to follow you. Your description shouldn’t promise anything you aren’t going to deliver. Be honest, informative and maybe even a little witty in your description. Give users an incentive to follow you. And finally, always include your brand and your company link in your Twitter description; and remember, no false promises!

One last tip on the set-up process: if possible, use a photo of yourself as your Twitter profile picture. Twitter is about making connections. People are more willing to connect with a person rather than a company they know nothing about. If you don’t have the option of using a photo, use your company logo.

2. Determine your goals – What are you hoping to achieve on Twitter? Who are you trying to reach? Your twitter goals should consist of 3 parts: a metric, a targeted audience and a deadline. Example goals: I want to receive 10 retweets from Chicago news publications by October; and, I want to generate 30 website visits from Chicago twitter users by September.

These goals may seem a little farfetched when you are just starting out, but they demonstrate a long term Twitter strategy. Here are some goals for starting out: I want to be followed by 10 moving companies by the September; I want to tweet 10 real estate articles each month.

3. Get started with tweets and followers – When you’re just starting out, the best thing to do is follow other people. Who should you follow?

-Follow people similar to you. See what your competitors are doing. What are they posting? How many followers do they have?

-Follow people you want to follow you. The easiest way to get people to follow you is to follow them first. However, if you don’t tweet as promised in your description, you will likely loose that follower.

-Follow accounts that interest you. It’s always good to show a little personality on social media. People appreciate that. Bring your brand to life with personality by following and retweeting things that interest you.

When tweeting, every tweet should have at least one link and one #hashtag. Hashtags are similar to tags or categories on blogs. They organize your tweets into categories so that other people can find them through searching on Twitter. Here’s a great #hashtag tip: include #Chicago in your tweets to reach a local audience!

It’s always great to link to your company website in a tweet when relevant. If you are promoting a blog post on your company site, absolutely link to that post. If you are tweeting about company news from a recent press release, link to the press release. The link must to relate to the tweet. You shouldn’t include a link to your company’s homepage if you are tweeting about last night’s game.

Here are some ideas for tweets: company news; company blog posts; industry news, trends and events; local events and news; quotes, memes and videos that you find interesting.

Retweeting can be just as effective as creating your own tweet. Retweeting is essentially reposting someone else’s tweet so that all your followers can see it. Retweeting is also a great way to connect with other Twitter users and gain followers.

Hopefully by now you have a basic understanding of how Twitter can be used to market your real estate business online. Twitter is all about connecting with people and engaging customers.

Once you establish your brand’s voice on Twitter with clear, realistic goals, your audience will do all the work for you.

Alyssa Mattero is the senior relationship manager at Perfect Search Media. You can contact her at:

Phone: 877.655.8227 (x708)
Email: Alyssa@perfectsearchmedia.com
www.perfectsearchmedia.com
www.perfectsearchdesign.com