Category Archives: Social Media

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My Tools to Manage Twitter in 15 Minutes a Day

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One of the most frequent questions that I get as I speak to groups is how I manage twitter.  No one believes that it only takes 15 minutes or less a day.

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Let me clarify.  In one of my previous posts – The Rule of Thirds – I shared the 3 types of tweets that you should be using:  curating original or other great content, engaging with others, and getting a little personal.  The key to the first category of curating original or other great content is getting the tweets done and scheduled at one time.

So without further ado, here is my list of time-saving tools.

Chrome – Chrome is Google’s web browser.  It is fast and has a simplistic elegance.  I also want Google to like me.  My favorite thing about Chrome is that it has a ton of add-on apps.  Two of them I will describe below – huge time-savers.  I also use the Chrome App on my shiny new iPhone 5.  All my bookmarks transfer – it is beautiful.  If you haven’t tried Chrome – download it now.  It is free.

Hootsuite – Hootsuite is a fantastic social media manager.  There are a number of others like it – tweetdeck, seesmic (just acquired by Hootsuite), and some others.  It allows you to do a number of things.  First, it allows you to automatically organize all the tweets out there.  You should set up permanent searches for mentions of your handle (ex. @bobarronccim), your industry, your city, etc.  Here is a screenshot of mine.  Note:  there are other set searches spanning to the right.

Hootsuite also allows you to post to LinkedIn, Facebook, and can manage multiple accounts of each.  It also allows me to schedule tweets.  This is key.  After I finish writing a post, I can schedule when it will be tweeted in the future – and on LinkedIn and Facebook as well.  Huge time saver!

Hootlet – Hootlet is a wonderful thing.  Find the Tools menu in Hootsuite and drag and drop the hootlet icon into your browser menu bar.  It allows you to easily tweet from any webpage.  If I am on GlobeSt.com, and I want to tweet out a great article, all I have to do is click the hootlet.  It generates the title of the tweet and the link.  Genius!

Google Reader – This is where the real-time saving happens.  Instead of bookmarking the websites that you regularly go to find great content, use Google Reader.  All those websites then send their new content straight to you.  Using RSS (really simple syndication) from your favorite sites, the new content gets sent straight to you.  Go to Google Reader and sign up.  It is free!  Here is how it works:

BufferApp – Buffer is my all-time favorite app.  It is essentially a queue that holds your tweets and releases them per a pre-set schedule.  This means that you can scan through Google Reader, pick out the 10 or so best articles, and simple click the buffer button.  It creates the content of the tweet just like the Hootlet, and puts it in the buffer queue.  This allows you to be tweeting all day long even though you simply spent 5-10 minutes filling the queue.  And it’s free!

Note that Buffer allows you to tweet it now or throw it in the queue.  So super easy!

Paper.li – Paper.li is a really cool app that aggregates the stories tweeted out by those your follow into an online newspaper.  Once a day, it sends a tweet for you and names some of the authors of those tweets.  They really appreciate “you” mentioning them, and Paper.li is completely automated.  And it’s free!

What do you use to increase your efficiency and save time?  What did I miss?  I can’t wait to learn something from your comments that will save me some more minutes!
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The Rule of Thirds: How to Build Your Tribe and Engage On Twitter

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One of the questions that I get asked over and over as I speak to audiences of Commercial Real Estate brokers is this:  how on earth do you use Twitter?

Here is some context.  The Commercial Real Estate Industry is notorious for being in the technological Stone Age.  I personally think this is for a couple of reasons.  First, the industry is dominated by really successful brokers that are my dad’s age.  These brokers are the ones asking me this question.  They became successful before the internet played a role in their business.  Why do they need it now?  I have a great answer for that…for another post.

Second, many of our clients are baby boomers who have been slow adopters of technologies as well.  Or at least slower than the Gen X, Y, and Millennial generations.

So for those in the industry just realizing the power of Twitter, here is how you build a following, engage, and benefit from the power of Twitter.

The Rule of Thirds

The basic premise of the Rule of Thirds is your tweets should fall fairly evenly into the following 3 categories:

First Third – Add Value By Tweeting Great Content.  You’ve heard over and over that ‘Content is King.’  This is true on Twitter as well.  People will follow you because you add value to their lives.  Think like a curator and a creator.  Example:  as most of my followers (currently 2,478) are in the CRE industry, I try to find great articles on Commercial Real Estate to tweet to my followers.  I also tweet out the content that I create myself.  Here is an example:

The 4 Blessings of a Down Market « theBarronBlog http://bo-b.co/QKfmV6 #cre

Notice the key parts of the tweet – the title of my blog post, the title of my blog, the link to the site, and then the hashtag identifying this is about CRE (or Commercial Real Estate).

Think add value to others!  And always include links.  Apps like Buffer and Hootsuite make this infinitely easy and efficient.  I will be reviewing both these apps in the coming weeks…so stay tuned!

Second Third – Engage.  Internet 1.0 was about static websites – think megaphone.  Internet 2.0 is all about engaging and sharing ideas – think telephone.  A third of your tweets should be connecting with others.  How?  Start with having manners.  Say ‘thank you’ when you get retweeted!  Comment on an article of value that was tweeted out.  Connect with people as if you are at a cocktail party.  I literally have real friends because I engaged on Twitter (@Michael_MBA, @BarbiReuter, @commsource, and many others).  This is the third where you will pick up loyal followers – where those connected with you will start retweeting you.

Third Third – Get Personal.  Be real.  Nobody wants to follow a robot.  You are a complete human.  Act like it.  Don’t just tweet out industry specific tweets all the time.  Allow people to know that you do other things.  I like to tweet out pics of me with my kids.  I want my followers to know that I’m a dad – and that I LOVE being a dad.  This engenders like-ability, and people help and do business with people they like.  Click here for an example.

A word of caution.  When using this Third, be smart.  Don’t tweet:  ‘Going to Italy for 3 weeks.  Please rob my house.’  Use common sense.

So how do you connect?  What are some of the guidelines you use that I failed to mention?  Let’s connect on Twitter.  You can follow me by clicking the Twitter button at the top right.  I will follow those that leave their Twitter handle in the comments.  I’m looking forward to learning from you!
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Commercial Real Estate Technology and App Review: Dropbox

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I have achieved mobile status and have a paperless, virtual Commercial Real Estate office.  I will be reviewing and sharing with you the technologies and apps that make this possible.

Dropbox

Dropbox is my first review for one reason only:  I love it!

I was in an airport a couple of months ago.  I received a call from a client that needed a copy of their lease ASAP.  I was able to access their lease from our files through Dropbox on my phone.  I emailed it to my client from my phone walking from the gate to the plane.  It took less than 30 seconds, and I was a hero to my client.  That is the power of Dropbox.  It makes you more efficient and more valuable.  To start using Dropbox – click here.

4 Uses of Dropbox

1.  Dropbox acts like the “my documents” on a PC or ‘finder’ on a Mac.  The files are actually on your computer.  This is key so that when you are on your laptop or desktop, you don’t need an internet connection to access or work on your files.

2.  Dropbox syncs up with other computers, smartphones, tablets, etc.  I have Dropbox on my PC, my Macbook Air, my iPhone 4S, and my iPad2.  When a document is created, edited, or changed in any way on one of these machines, it is synced with all the others.  That is the magic of the cloud.  When I have my virtual assistant draft a lease, she saves it to Dropbox for my review.  Any changes that I make are synced, and she has instant access.  This makes Dropbox great for collaborations.  It is also a great way to never have to go back to the office (if you have one!) for a file again.

3.  Dropbox allows you to share folders with anyone you would like to invite.  Simply send them an email invite, and that person has access to the folder.  It is that simple.  My entire paperless office is on Dropbox.  My assistant has access to pretty much everything.  Any advisors working with me have access to just what they need.  It is a beautiful thing.  This is how I collaborate with all of my coaching clients.  Drafts of their prospecting letters and marketing materials are all in their shared dropbox folders.

4.  Dropbox is accessible from anywhere with an internet connection.  I shared with you that a file syncs up with any machine/smart-phone/tablet.  If you happen to not have one of these devices on you, then you can get to all your files by logging on to www.dropbox.com.  My wife likes to joke that if I have forgotten my phone then I’ve forgotten my pants as well, but it can happen!  (The phone – not the pants).

A Word of Caution

Dropbox has some limitations.  I had a conversation with a friend recently who is in the Information Security business.  His comment on Dropbox was that it was not the most secure platform in the world.  I asked him if I should be worried, and he said no.  There is a trade-off between security and usability.

Another limitation is the user has little functionality when sharing folders.  Maybe I want to invite someone to a folder, but I don’t want them to be able to edit, change, or delete.  The ability to limit users is not there.  If you invite someone to a folder, be aware that they have free reigns on those documents.

Conclusion

Despite the caution, Dropbox is an invaluable part of my business.  It allows me to be mobile and efficient.  It makes me more valuable to my clients.  It allows me to easily collaborate with my virtual team.  It is easy.  And it is free (to a point)!  It can be all these things to you as well!

I know many of you are already using Dropbox.  What ways do you use it?  How has it simplified your life?  What are some of the benefits that I failed to mention?  Join the conversation!

 

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Twitter: The Commercial Real Estate Barometer

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Those who have been in the commercial real estate industry for any amount of time know it lags the business cycle. Nobody gauges the economy by what commercial real estate is doing. Commercial real estate brokers, investors, and principals watch the economy, knowing that whatever happens there will be coming down the pike a year or two later for commercial real estate. It’s a frustrating way of life, but commercial real estate professionals have learned to deal with it.

Savvy commercial real estate investors always seek advice and counsel when it comes to making investment decisions. That said, all “experts” are not created equal – Those investors who have access to better, more timely information provided by more sophisticated advisors simply have an edge. So here are a few questions to ponder: How broad is your sphere of influence? Who are the “experts” you’re seeking advice from? What if I told you that you could have real-time, 24-7-365 access to the world’s best practitioners in every aspect of commercial real estate, and that this unfettered access was free – would you be interested?
Want to get a better idea of economic trends? How about
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