Lets give thanks to social media

Thanksgiving is coming quickly and an increasing number of people are taking to social media to share what they are thankful for each day in November. I thought now would be a perfect time to share my gratitude for Twitter. When it comes to marketing websites, the events I attend, and keeping my finger on the content pulse of our industry, I find no better tool than the Twitter platform. There's an intrinsic simplicity to Twitter that makes it so user friendly. That ease of use and a simple system has equaled great success for me personally and for the New England Real Estate Journal (NEREJ). Our NEREJ Twitter followers know that they can expect to see our Daily RE Cap, Digital Edition and expert articles on a consistent basis. This information not only increases traffic to our website, but gains our contributors exposure as well. Twitter also has a great give and take - allowing us to interact with our followers on a personal level, and retweet their industry related articles. Twitter is a wonderful tool for events. It's a great pre-promotion tool, allowing everyone to know what events are on the calendar, why they should attend and how to register. During an event or tradeshow, following the event hashtag makes it easy to keep track of any photos, updates or special information. Following events, Twitter makes it easy to thank sponsors and link to an event photo album or wrap-up. I'm also thankful that Twitter lists keep me organized. After taking a few minutes to set up lists, I can track hashtags, specific topics and companies that keep me in the loop of what is happening in each of the specific fields that make up the commercial real estate industry. Eric Wilson is the director of social media at NEREJ, Norwell, Mass.