Facebook 'friends' vs. the real thing
Realtor Notebook
By Teresa Boardman, Thursday, October 15, 2009.
Flickr image by 4_EveR_YounG.Online social networks are not just for Realtors and they are not just for business. It is hard to imagine that I would make such a claim considering they were not invented for marketing or for real estate in the first place, and that everyone seems to use them.
There is a personal side to social networks, and as time goes on it seems to be getting lost in the shuffle. Things have changed and I find myself doing some digital fall cleaning to get myself back on track.
One of the biggest changes is that the definition of "friend" has changed. Many are people I don't know at all and whom I have never met. There are more people who are trying to "engage others," but they don't allow themselves to be engaged so I can't really get to know them or have a conversation with them.
There are people who I am connected to on social networks who were friends. Maybe they still are friends but I have so little contact with them that they are more like acquaintances than friends.
I lurk on their pages to see what they are up to, and then move on. Over the months the contact is infrequent, and eventually I forget to check their feed, blog or Facebook page.
On Twitter I follow about half of the people who follow me and have started "un-following" some who have a lot to say but who never seem to say it to anyone in particular.
It is possible that I don't understand social networks. I see them as a way to engage in conversation, and as a news source.
But as the number of relationships I have increases and the number of relationships that my social network friends have increases, the quality of those relationships diminishes. They don't seem like relationships at all. They are more of a distraction that has to be filtered out when I look at my feeds.
It is a widely held belief among the experts that businesses must have Facebook pages if they are to survive. I am not sure I believe it, but I started a page just in case. I question the long-term viability of trying to create a sense of community with a business-related Facebook page that no one really cares about. ...CONTINUED
All rights reserved. This article may not be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever, in part or in whole, without written permission of Inman News. Use of this article without permission is a violation of federal copyright law.
You must login or register to post a comment.
Submitted by Carin Arrigo-Zimmer on October 15, 2009 - 1:31pm.
Carin Arrigo-Zimmer
Referral Real Estate Services, Inc.
Orange, CA
Teresa, your words ring true. Currently I find myself wrapped up in this (somewhat) hysteria, driven by my desire to somehow make sure I don't get left on stage within the vast choices of online social networking. I may be newer in this new land, though I understand your message. Perhaps the ease in which it takes to add a friend or follow on Twitter has made us "feel" part of a so-called community or are these communities only an illusion at this point? Okay, another subject entirely...
More thoughts... Why do I follow Teresa Boardman on Twitter? Forget about the guy you barely remember in high school biology class! How is it that I'm "friends" with Kris Berg when, as you accurately stated, "The only thing we have in common are a real estate license and a Facebook account?" Simple answer, really. Because I like you. I really, really like you! (much more than Sally Field, please) I like that what you write is real; no pretense, none of that arrogant nonsense, only Teresa and her keyboard, sharing what's on her mind, always with a healthy dose of humanity thrown in every piece.
Keep on filtering. Keep on writing. I applaud you and your common sense. In the meantime, think I'll do a bit of my own, now that you mentioned it. Thanks. =)
Submitted by Kristal Kraft on October 15, 2009 - 7:13pm.
Your words ring true T. With all the social media hype, people are jumping into the stream without any sort of plan or restraint. The objective seems to make as much noise as you can so you will be noticed. Enough is enough already!
It's being to look like another good thing gone bad.
So sad.
Kristal Kraft
Selling Denver Real Estate
Submitted by Alexis Eldorrado on October 15, 2009 - 9:28pm.
Eldorrado Chicago Real Estate LLC
www.Eldorrado.com
Bill Gates shut down his Facebook last month...too many friends, too out of control, so to your point Teresa, you hit it on the head.
Alexis Eldorrado
Managing Broker
150 N. Michigan Avenue, Suite 2800
Chicago, IL 60601
773-588-7777
Alexis@Eldorrado.com
Submitted by Ken Lampton on October 16, 2009 - 7:13am.
Thanks so much, Teresa, for your candid comments.
I am still in the stage where I am trying to get more involved in social networking. There has been such an excess of hype about Web 2.0. I find it annoying. But like everyone else, I don't want to be seen as one of those agents who "just didn't get it."
I find it is very difficult to get practical step-by-step training in the purely mechanical aspects of using Facebook and other applications. Did you figure things out for yourself, or did you attend formal training?
-----------------------------
Ken Lampton, CRS, CDPE
RE/MAX About Dallas
www.mstreets.com