Social engagement and why it is all the buzz

If you have been around the commercial real estate marketing industry in the last 6 months then you have heard the three major selling points of social managers and that is content strategy, posting schedule and increased engagement. While these are the fundamental terms used to showcase the power of social media using Facebook and Twitter, engagement is the least understood (strategy and schedule are terms used in our everyday practices) but is the most influential, so what does it really mean? With the internet and social media came the exchange of information at a rapid rate and allowed everyone access to the same information. This gives the consumer the ability to talk to the sales person rather than to be talked at. This change to the core principles of marketing; being to inform and provide the solution through your products or services came a new wave of marketing, a conversation to be had with the clients so well informed through their prior research done on the internet. So again, What is engagement and how to get more of it? Engagement can be broken down to a two step process. First, talking to your followers about the information you are sharing by creating a conversation by asking questions or making statements at the end of your posts. Secondly, going through your newsfeeds whether on Facebook or Twitter , join conversations or start them on the posts of those you follow. It becomes easier for others to engage with you knowing that you are engaging back with them. This provides them with the knowledge that you are open to discussions on shared topics of interest. Well executed and strategized engagement is what makes you a thought leader, and that is what we the social superheroes strive for. By sharing your thoughts and adding insight to others content you can change your industry one conversation at a time. For more #CRE news you can follow Eric Wilson on twitter @EP_Wilson Eric Wilson is special projects director at The New England Real Estate Journal, Norwell, Mass.