Table of Contents. Supplemental Materials

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2 Table of Contents What is Twitter? 3 Twitter Basics 4 Benefits of Using Twitter 5 Creating a Twitter Account 5 Twitter Rules 7 Who Should You Follow? 7 Getting People to Follow You 10 Marketing Your Twitter Page 10 Tracking Your Twitter Stats 10 About the Author 13 References 13 Supplemental Materials Are You Ready for Twitter? 15 Content Ideas 16 Twitter Rules and Regulations 16 Marketing Your Twitter Page 16 Tips and Tricks 17 Useful Applications 17 Twitter Glossary

3 What is Twitter? Like Myspace, Facebook, and LinkedIn, Twitter is a social networking site that lets you connect with people for free online. The site was launched in 2006 and now has over 19 Million users across the globe. Last year Hubspot.com estimated that over 5 thousand accounts were being opened on Twitter each day! In the past year the types of people using Twitter has shifted; in 2007 it was being used by mostly year olds, but now year olds make up over a quarter of the Twitter population. Unlike other sites where you can post photos and videos, Twitter only allows updates containing 140 characters (although you can link to photos and videos in the update box). Twitter updates are 140 characters so that tweets can be sent via mobile phone as SMS text messages. Figure 1: The Number of People Using Twitter Worldwide

4 Twitter Basics There are a few basic things you should know about using Twitter before you jump into the Twitosphere. Here are a few vocabulary words to help get you started: Tweet: an update posted to your a way to identify Twitter users in your updates #Topic: used to identify the topic of conversation and aids in Twitter search when people search for specific topics DM (direct message) : a private message sent to a Twitter user, similar to an RT (re-tweet): you can re-post updates from other users by using RT before the message (make sure to include the user s name to give credit to the original author) Figure 2: Twitter Home Page The Twitosphere includes all Twitter users who are currently active in a conversation

5 Benefits of Using Twitter There are several benefits to becoming a regular user of Twitter. Being connected to online conversations lets you build relationships over time, expand your sphere of influence, and share your knowledge and expertise with millions of Twitter users. You can also use it to stay connected with other real estate professionals in your area (without being bombarded with their marketing!), stay current on industry trends, and share local news and events. At the very least you should use it to drive traffic to your website, blog, and other social networking sites. Creating a Twitter Account Creating a Twitter Account is relatively simple, but before you start working on your account be sure to complete the Are You Ready for Twitter? worksheet included in the supplemental section of this e-book. The worksheet is designed to help you come up with a purpose and audience for your tweets, so you can tailor your content depending on the type of people you want following your updates. After completing the worksheet it s time to get online and click the Get Started- Join! button on Twitter.com. In order to set up your account, you will need to enter your full name, a user name, a password, an address, and some security letters (a Captcha phrase). You want to include a profile picture or logo, a one-line statement about yourself, and the URL to your website at the bare minimum. Take extra care when choosing your user name; if you decide you want to change it later on it will be a major pain (although it is certainly possible). Choose a user name that represents you as a person, but something professional enough to build your online reputation. For example, AgentAmy, SailorDan, and RealEstatePro are all perfectly good names, while you ll probably want to shy away from BuckTheDrunk, TheKingPin, or FrankTheTank. Once your account has been created, you ll want to start customizing your account settings; just click Settings at the top of your profile page. On this page you can change your login information, change your time zone, and change your language, and update your one-line bio. Let s briefly explore the other tabs that are available within the Settings area. Figure 3: Setting Up a Twitter Account Password: The password tab lets you change the password you use to access your Twitter account Devices: This page allows you to enter your phone number so you can receive tweets via text message (SMS) on your mobile phone)

6 Notices: Allows you to change your preferences Picture: Lets you upload a new picture or logo to your profile Design: Allows you to change the theme of your profile page; you can customize the background and the color scheme. You can see your profile at any time by clicking the Profile button at the top of the screen on the menu bar on the right. Figure 4: Twitter Account Settings

7 Twitter Rules Although anyone is allowed to use Twitter and you can tweet about pretty much anything, there are some guidelines that users need to abide by. Twitter has strict rules against spam, and using HTML code in your tweets is not allowed for security reasons. You can have multiple Twitter accounts (assuming you can keep up with them all), but I recommend not opening more than 10 because you will start to attract attention as a spammer. You can t impersonate other people obviously, and you should never post personal information (full birthdates, social security numbers, financial information, etc.) anywhere on the Internet. Twitter (and each of the other social networking sites) has the right to cancel your account at any time at their own discretion, so it s always best to follow their rules. A complete list of rules can be found below. Twitter Rules and Regulations Tweets must be 140 characters or less! Pictures posted on Twitter must be 800K or less, and can only be.jpeg,.png, or.gif formats. You can not make any tweets threatening violence or other offensive behaviors; check your public replies often and delete any that are inappropriate. No impersonation: Make sure you are who you say you are! If you are creating a business account, make sure you are authorized to do so. No risqué or pornographic images can be posted to Twitter. Remember that people of all ages use Twitter (including children) and content is not actively monitored, so behave with your public comments. HTML code is not allowed in the Twitter update box for security reasons. Text and links only! No spamming: Do not add thousands of random users just to spam them with your updates! If someone starts harassing you on Twitter, you can block that user from following you. Twitter automatically shortens links that are over 30 characters long. Don t worry; they will still work just fine! Don t tweet copyrighted information! Quote your source or use the RT tag (re-tweet) if you are copying another user s tweet. Pictures cannot be uploaded to Twitter directly; you must you a third-party application. Who Should You Follow? Now you ve got your marketing plan for Twitter and your account is all set up who do you follow? The answer to this question will depend on what type of updates you want to receive; after all you only want to follow people who give content that you re interested in. Since you can add people with their addresses, it s a good idea to start with your sphere of influence; they already know who you are and if you have their address you know they are already online. Other real estate professionals should be added next, because you ll want to know when they have discounts and promotions running so you can pass savings along to your clients. One insurance agent

8 had a fantastic blog and offered 5% off his products a few times a year. With Twitter I could stay up to date without having to call and ask him every month. Professionals to Follow: Real Estate Agents and Brokers Mortgage Professionals Appraisers Home Inspectors Title Agents Repair Men and Contractors I need to mention here that there are several ways to add people to your Twitter network. You can have Twitter connect to your account and pull your address book(s) and then automatically add everyone who has a Twitter profile (this works for AOL, Gmail, and Yahoo). Twitter also allows you to enter in addresses manually (this is probably the best way to enter current clients and people you ve met recently). You can also find people by entering their first and last name, or their Twitter names into a search box (this is the default). Finally, Twitter has a section where it recommends high-profile people to you if you just can t think of anyone else. Figure 5: Find Twitter Users Automatically

9 Figure 6: Find Twitter Users Manually Figure 7: Search for Twitter Users by Name Building a local network in particular keeps you updated on the activities of other professionals in your area, keeps them aware of what you re doing, and shows buyers and sellers that you have a solid network of professionals who are able to help them (there is value in your network!)

10 Getting People to Follow You Now that you re following other people on Twitter, how can you get other people to follow you? Answer: provide relevant content. Promoting your Twitter profile will get people to visit your page, but relevant content for your chosen audience will keep them coming back long term. The topics you address will depend on the people you want to reach, but some good ideas are listed below to get you started. Twitter Content Suggestions In the beginning, coming up with things to tweet about (with only 140 characters) may be very difficult. In the event that you do experience writer s block, here are a few good topics to start with: Updates in your local mortgage market (new credit requirements, lower interest rates, new loan programs) New listings and recently sold properties Promotions, specials, and discounts for home warranties, inspections, contractors and handymen, home improvement stores (i.e. tweet a link to the Lowe s special so your clients can get a 10% discount through NAR s REALTOR Benefits Program!) Keep everyone updated on home maintenance topics (cleaning your dryer vents, refrigerator coils, fixing leaky faucets, etc) Tweet about community events that people moving to the area may not know about (festivals, attractions, restaurants, and other hidden gems). Mention hints to potential clients about the buying/selling process (e.g. how to pre-qualify for a loan, what to do at the final walk-through, how to keep credit score high until closing, etc.) Be absolutely sure to tweet about new services and areas that you cater to! You can always re-tweet earlier tweets from other people in your Twitter network using the command. Inspirational quotes Marketing Your Profile Having a Twitter profile isn t going to do you any good if no one knows about it of course, so you ll have to include it as part of your overall marketing efforts. A few simple ways to market your profile are to add a twitter widget to your website and blog, add a link to your profile in your signature, and add a Twitter badge to your other social networking pages like Facebook and Myspace. Make sure the URL to your website is listed in your Twitter profile! If you have a blog that uses RSS (most do) you can have the headline of your blog topics automatically fed to Twitter. More ideas for marketing your new Twitter profile can be found in the supplemental section of this e-book

11 Tracking Your Twitter Stats Having a Twitter account to market yourself and your listings is also of little use if you can t tell how effective they are; you need to have a way to track your stats! Basically you want to know how many people are following you, how many people are clicking on the links you post in your updates, how many times your name or business has been searched for on Twitter, and how many times your name is mentioned in tweets (i.e. how many people are talking about you). There are a variety of applications that are used to track Twitter stats, and my favorites are listed below. You can also find a comprehensive list of applications on the Useful Applications page of this e-book. Figure 8: Using the TwitterCounter Website

12 TwitterCounter: allows you to track your followers, predict your growth rate, compare your stats to other Twitter users, and ranks your profile based on popularity. HootSuite and TweetLater: let you track multiple Twitter accounts, pre-schedule your tweets, and displays your link statistics. TweetBeep: helps you keep track of other people who mention you or your company by sending you alerts TweetVolume and TweetGrid: a quick and easy site that lets you compare how many times a word or phrase currently appears on Twitter. Figure 9: Using the TweetVolume Website Integrating social media marketing into your marketing efforts can bring fantastic rewards over time, but don t expect a rush of leads over night. Social media is about making connections with people, and using it properly will allow you to build strong relationships with members of your community, effortlessly keep in touch with your sphere, and build your online presence and reputation

13 Don t forget to on Twitter to receive updates on new features, the free webinars we offer, and other industry news! About the Author Andrea Atkins is a Technical Content Writer for AgentAdvantage, a subsidiary of Dominion Enteprises. She is also a licensed real estate agent who has been a part of the real estate industry for the last three years. She has earned the epro, AHWD and RFS designations, has a Bachelor s degree in Computer Science, and holds a Master s Degree in Business Administration with a concentration in E-Commerce. References Get Elastic: The Ecommerce Blog Tracking Twitter Links: Twitter Analytics Tools and More The Official Twitter Blog Twitter Fan Wiki (Apps) MyTechOpinion: Technology for Real Estate Twitter for Real Estate Twits Twitter Support: Frequently Asked Questions Twitter Support: The Official Twitter Text Commands Chris Brogan: Community and Social Media 50 Ideas for Using Twitter for Business

14 Supplemental Materials Are You Ready for Twitter? 15 Content Ideas 16 Twitter Rules and Regulations 16 Marketing Your Twitter Page 16 Tips and Tricks 17 Useful Applications 17 Twitter Glossary

15 Are You Ready for Twitter? It is best to prepare the look and feel of your Twitter page before you sign up (and if you already have an account this can be useful for periodically updating your page as well). To get started, answer the following questions and keep this page for future reference. Name: Date: Username: Is this an agent page, a team, or a page for an entire office? (Note: if you are a broker, be sure to have all of your agents follow your updates!) What photo will you use for your profile picture? Do you have a copy of your logo on file? What is your tag line or motto? What will your biography say? (Note: This is where your distinguishing features go that make you stand out from the crowd! Take your time and make sure your best traits are highlighted here.) Who is your target audience (i.e. millenials, 1st timers, seniors, FSBOs, or something for everyone)? What areas will you target? (Note: If you have more than one area, you will need to post updates that are relevant to each area periodically.don t leave anyone out!) Do you have a list of people you would like to follow on Twitter? Do you have listings online that can be linked to? Do you need to tweet from your desktop or tweet for multiple accounts? (if so, be sure to check out the Applications page included in the materials section.) Start with a list of five topics to tweet about (i.e. short sales, loan approval, home staging, etc.) That s it, you re ready! Go ahead and register at Twitter.com!

16 Twitter Content Suggestions In the beginning, coming up with things to tweet about (with only 140 characters) may be very difficult. In the event that you do experience writer s block, here are a few good topics to start with: Updates in your local mortgage market (new credit requirements, lower interest rates, new loan programs) New listings and recently sold properties Promotions, specials, and discounts for home warranties, inspections, contractors and handymen, home improvement stores (i.e. tweet a link to the Lowe s special so your clients can get a 10% discount through NAR s Realtor Benefits program!) Keep everyone updated on home maintenance topics (cleaning your dryer vents, refrigerator coils, fixing leaky faucets, etc) Tweet about community events that people moving to the area may not know about like festivals, attractions, restaurants, and other hidden gems. Mention hints to potential clients about the buying/selling process (e.g. how to pre-qualify for a loan, what to do at the final walk-through, how to keep credit score high until closing, etc.) Be absolutely sure to tweet about new services and areas that you cater to! You can always re-tweet earlier tweets from other people in your Twitter network using the command. Inspirational quotes Twitter Rules and Regulations Tweets must be 140 characters or less! Pictures posted on Twitter must be 800K or less, and can only be.jpeg,.png, or.gif formats. You can not make any tweets threatening violence or other offensive behaviors; check your public replies often and delete any that are inappropriate. No impersonation: Make sure you are who you say you are! If you are creating a business account, make sure you are authorized to do so. No risqué or pornographic images can be posted to Twitter. Remember that people of all ages use Twitter (including children) and content is not actively monitored, so behave with your public comments. HTML code is not allowed in the Twitter update box for security reasons. Text and links only! No spamming: Do not add thousands of random users just to spam them with your updates! If someone starts harassing you on Twitter, you can block that user from following you. Twitter automatically shortens links that are over 30 characters long. Don t worry; they will still work just fine! Don t tweet copyrighted information; quote your source or use the RT tag (re-tweet) if you are copying another user s tweet. Pictures cannot be uploaded to Twitter directly; you must you a third-party application. Marketing Your Twitter Page There is no point in having a Twitter page if no one knows about it! Marketing will get users to

17 your page, and content will keep them coming back. Here are a few ways to get the word out: Use Twitter in your daily communications; add a Twitter widget to your website, HTML signature, your Myspace/Facebook/LinkedIn pages, and on your blog! To find the right widget go here and log into your account when prompted. To save time, you can have your tweets automatically sent your Facebook account. Install the Twitter Facebook application here DO NOT forget to put the URL to your website in your Twitter account! Otherwise people who meet you initially on Twitter will have no way to find it! Tweet URLs to your listings using individual property pages (small websites made for each individual listing), links to your virtual tours, photo slideshows, Homes.com listings, online flyers, etc. Be sure to tweet each time you listed a new property, or when one of your properties sells! Use hash tags (#subject) to have your tweets appear in Twitter and Google search results. Use the Find People on Other Networks feature on Twitter to send invitations to contacts in your accounts. Twitter will import contacts for you if any of the addresses belong to registered Twitter users! Out of ideas for tweet? Re-tweet updates from people in your network using the command. Do you have a blog? By setting up an RSS feed, you can send a Tweet automatically every time you update your blog. For more information visit entries/15361 Twitter Tips and message This directs a tweet to a specific person, and saves the message in their replies area. Send more info on this listing please! NUDGE username Reminds a friend to update their twitter Ex: NUDGE andrea STATS This command returns the number of followers you have, the number of people you re following, and your bio information INVITE This feature will send text message (SMS) to a specific phone number to ask them to follow your twitter account WHOIS username quickly retrieves basic profile information for any public user Get Tweets sent to your mobile phone by going to Settings>Devices. To reply to a person s tweet privately, use the Direct Message feature. To shorten a URL before tweeting it (to maximize the number of characters available in your update box) try using Use #FollowFriday to recommend a special user to follow from your network each week! Useful Twitter Applications Desktop Applications TweetDeck a desktop application that lets you slip users into groups and view your updates in several different panes. PeopleBrowsr similar to TweetDeck, PeopleBrowsr lets you see your updates, direct messages, and replies in separate panes. Not compatible with earlier versions of Internet Explorer (supports

18 IE 8 only). Twitter Web Analytics HootSuite allows users to maintain multiple Twitter accounts, pre-schedule tweets, and track web analytics. TweetLater upload tweets in bulk and pre-schedule them, manage multiple accounts, automatic spam control, schedule recurring tweets, and track keywords and shorten links. TwitterCounter track your followers and compare your stats to other users. TweetBeep keep track of conversations that mention you on Twitter with hourly updates. TweetVolume enter words and phrases to see how many times they appear on Twitter. Real Estate **TweetLister post and reuse listings with your Twitter account; schedule listings in advance and view a list of prospects for each listing! Free Twitter Page Designs Twitbacks allows users to brand themselves online by creating Twitter backgrounds. MyTweetSpace.com free customizable Twitter backgrounds. FreeTwitterDesigner.com - free Twitter backgrounds using professional-looking templates. Socializing TwtVite an event manager for Twitter users that allows you tweet invites. PollDaddy create free surveys and polls for use on your website, blog, or social network. (...continued from prior page) TwtPoll a site made specifically for Twitter that allows users to create polls. It works for other social media sites as well. Mr. Tweet helps you locate relevant users to follow on Twitter based on location, interests, industry, etc. TwitterLocal lets you search for twitter users within your geographical area. Other TwitterFeed feeds your blog to Twitter and other social networking sites. com/ For more information about the many applications available for Twitter, check out the Twitter App Wiki page at

19 Twitter Glossary Twitter a social networking site where users can keep in touch for free by sending short updates to a microblog. Users can connect by following each others messages. Tweet - a short message that is added to a user s blog to be viewed by other users. Tweets must be 140 characters or less, and are searchable using the Twitter search function. Followers people who subscribe to your twitter page so they can read your tweets RSS Feed (Really Simple Syndication) allows you to have content from your blog fed directly to your Twitter account Re-tweet tweeting a message originally posted by another Twitter user (i.e. Come to our webinar Wednesday!) Block You can use the block feature to keep certain people from following your updates. Profile your profile contains information about you and your business: your name, a short bio, a background design and your profile picture Link shortening - a service that allows you to enter more characters into your Twitter update box by shortening the length of your URL links Twitter Analytics a way to measure the popularity of your Twitter page by following link clickthrough rates, the number of followers you have, and the number of times your name is mentioned on Twitter Hash tag (#) symbol used to denote a topic of interest (i.e. #RealEstate) Twit/Twitterer/Tweeple registered Twitter users with active accounts TIF (Tweet It Forward) spreading goodwill on Twitter by tweeting about charity events, good causes, etc. Twitosphere/Twitterverse The entire realm of Twitter users (the Twitter community) Twitterstream/Tweetstream The timeline of your updates and all of the updates you receive; basically all of the public communication between you and your network Direct Message - (DM) a private message sent from one user to another, similar to an