The most significant comes from moving Notifications to the News Feed. Notifications – and now News Feed – are highlights of actions taken by your friends that Facebook believe will be of interest. This move has allowed Events, which include birthdays, to become more visible, as it was in the previous version of the Home page.

Why is that important? Any marketer worth their salt would understand that wishing someone a happy birthday is a great way to reach out and create a connection. And now there’s less likelihood of missing one.

The second feature that works for marketers is Live Feed. This is a return to the old Live Feed and makes more actions visible. Now you can see when your friends are tagged in on photos, join groups and Pages, and RSVP to events. All of these actions are displayed in real-time providing opportunities to build connections through Likes and Comments.

As Facebook change and respond to user feedback it’s important for marketers to adapt and look for opportunities. Have you found any other opportunities in the new Home page layout?

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But there is one integration I think can work and that’s between a Facebook business Page and Twitter. The setup only takes a few minutes and works well to deliver the content shared on a Page to a Twitter profile. Here’s a short video that explains the setup process.

The reason I’m not a fan of tweets becoming status updates is that what is said in a tweet usually has a context. For example, an @ reply is a direct communication to another Twitter user and often relates to a previous tweet. Put that @ reply onto your personal profile and it loses its context and quickly turns into meaningless noise. Your signal to noise ratio degrades quickly and people become deaf to your message.

The same is not usually the case when a Page feeds to a Twitter profile. An update on a Facebook Page is always new material, a mini blog post if you like. It’s generally designed as a conversation starter, not as the body of the conversation, which takes place within the comments attached to the post.

In my view automation within a social media environment is best adopted slowly and only after careful consideration. Relying too heavily on automation turns social media into old media; a means for thrusting a sales pitch onto a disinterested audience. And if that’s what you’re hoping to achieve it might be better to look for another platform.

But if you’re like lots of people in management your time poor. The temptation is to delegate setting up a Page to someone that knows their way around Facebook. Often that’s someone young, perhaps a receptionist, junior member of the team or perhaps even a social media consultant.

Which is a great idea. They’ll get the job done quickly and without fuss and they often make choices that are bang on the money. But don’t be too quick to take this short cut because there’s a small anomaly with the way Facebook handles Page administrators.

You see for some reason Facebook has decided, at least for the moment, that the person who creates a Page should be the permanent administrator. What that means is, if the person who creates your Facebook Page decides to leave they’ll always have administrator access. Always. Even if they’re removed from your Page’s fans they’ll still be an administrator. And there’s nothing, and I’m talking nothing, that can be done about it.

What’s the solution? My suggestion is to get someone senior to create and publish the Page. The more senior the better. The bigger your company the greater the likelihood that your Page will become a significant resource so, just like you would with the ownership and registration of a domain name, it makes sense to entrust the asset with someone in a position of responsibility.

This doesn’t mean that a more junior member of the staff can’t be entrusted with the job of being a Page administrator after it’s created and published. They can. Safely. Page Administrators can be changed quickly and easily and you can have more than one. It’s just the first step that needs a little more care and attention.

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In years gone by agents worked off the 5:15 rule. If you did something well 5 people would hear about it, but do something wrong 15 people will hear. With the advent of email this rule was thrown out. The potential for the spread of a bad news story was magnified by the ease with which photos, videos and text could be distributed to email lists.  Social media has changed the rules again. Whereas email is essentially private sites such as YouTube, Facebook and Twitter publish the same content so that it’s viewable by anyone with a web browser.

And this is the problem for Hookers. Today, when people get upset with Hookers they post their upset and anger onto Facebook or Twitter, often to a worldwide audience. Take a look at these examples.

Someone hates LJ Hooker

This status update was found by performing a Facebook search using the term LJ Hooker then applying the Posts by Everyone filter and the Status Updates and Wall Posts sub-filter.

These next examples are from Twitter.

There's no "thank you Mr Hooker" happening here.

A study in being concise, although not overly polite

I accept that a couple of tweets and a Facebook rant don’t make for a full-scale PR disaster, but what is interesting is the ease with which these examples can be found. And what is more disturbing is the vitriol that’s aimed at the organisation. These aren’t people expressing mild disappointment. Rather they contain passion and feeling; a sense of deep-seated resentment toward the franchise.

To provide a further outlet for anger a Hooker employee (I gather) has set up an invitation-only Facebook group called I used to work at LJ Hooker Warrnambool. From the looks of the logo the group is designed to convince prospective employees that working for the Warrnambool office is not a smart move.

Someone doesn't want you working for the Warrnambool office

Then there’s the Facebook group LJ Hooker – The worst Real Estate for RENTING!! (admittedly only 8 members strong) set up “for People who think that LJ Hooker is the worst realestate (sic) to go through when renting properties”.

Of course these groups are small and relatively inactive. Their minimal influence must be balanced against the significant positive steps made by Hookers including the many Facebook Pages set up by individuals and franchise offices. But, as Horizon Realty Group know, a single tweet can quickly turn into a public relations nightmare.

The question then is how much effort is LJ Hooker putting into training their franchise owners and staff on social media? If just one of these tweets or status updates flashes over into main stream media Hookers may find themselves answering some tough questions staring down the barrel of a Current Affair news camera.

One of the key social media skills for real estate agents is listening to the web. Creating and subscribing to Google Alerts and Twitter searches are simple steps that can provide an agent with the advanced warning of a potential PR storm.

To demonstrate the importance of this skill I subscribe to a number of alerts and searches containing combinations of the words “property” and “real estate” and which include various agency and franchise names. I subscribe to these searches using Google Reader and check them frequently. One saved Twitter search returned a result that was far from complimentary to a Perth agent. It’s shown below and, out of respect for both the client and the agent, I’ve deleted names.

On noticing the tweet I immediately called the agent and brought the tweet to their attention. (Of course my recommendation is not to leave these things to chance but rather appoint someone to be responsible to perform this monitoring function – a story for another day.) To their credit the agent took immediate action. Instead of issuing a lawsuit, as Horizon did, they quickly posted an @ reply. The reply was simple, direct and assertive. Knowing they were dealing with a tenant disgruntled over an often-contentious tenancy  bond disposal their tweet acknowledged the complaint and clearly outlined a course of action that would resolve the situation. A copy of the tweet, again suitably anonymised, is shown below.

The result? Overnight the tweet was deleted and the tenant and agent entered a productive dialogue to finalise the bond disposal.

What lessons can be learned from this example? First, listening to what is being said about you and your business, especially on Twitter, is an essential skill for anyone concerned about their reputation. The albeit accidental speed in which this tweet was identified and handled in no small measure influenced the outcome. Leaving a negative tweet unacknowledged invites trouble whereas a problem addressed is a problem solved.

Next, acknowledging a negative tweet in a respectful and assertive manner works in two ways. It shows that the business is listening and is willing to enter into a productive dialogue to resolve an issue and it also shows the business understands how Twitter works and is willing to use it to open up a line of communication to resolve a problem.

Finally, a response is part of a creative communicative process. In this case the agent sent an @ reply but, equally, they might have sent an email or made a call that referenced the tweet. Whichever the chosen course of action, speed and a willingness to solve a problem in a very public forum is paramount.

Many agents are making extensive use of Facebook. It’s fun and frenetic and it’s where the big numbers are. But having a Facebook profile isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. Enter Facebook Business Pages.

Facebook Pages provide a way to quickly and easily create a business presence within the massive Facebook community. They have many of the powerful applications found on personal profiles but allow administrators to remain anonymous. Whereas personal profiles are ideal for sales people, Pages are perfectly suited to companies wishing to build a brand.

Agents and brokers who aren’t taking advantage of this opportunity risk gifting sales to the competition.

To help make sense of Pages I’ve written an e-book entitled How to build a vibrant business community with Facebook Pages. It’s a free, step-by-step guide to creating and maintaining a Page and provides tips on everything from building a Page to creating a loyal community of fans.

If you find this e-book helpful please consider sharing this post with your friends.

On May 12, 2009, Amanda Bonnen, a former Horizon tenant tweeting as abonnen, sent an @ reply to a friend stating:

“You should come anyway. Who said sleeping in a moldy apartment was bad for you? Horizon realty think it’s ok”.

According to the Chicago Sun-Times Horizon’s response was to file a lawsuit against Bonnen “claiming one of her alleged Twitter posts “maliciously and wrongfully” slammed her apartment…and the company managing it.”

Mashable claim that, at the time the abonnen account was deleted from Twitter, it had approximately 20 followers and, in any case, “wasn’t a particularly heavy Twitter user“. In threatening to sue over a single tweet Horizon’s actions are akin to cracking a nut with a sledge hammer. But the story gets more bizarre. Quoted by the Sun-Times Horizon spokesman Jeffrey Michael boasted, “We’re a sue first, ask questions later kind of an organization.” Clearly Horizon want to be known as a company not to be messed with.

Friends of Horizon might point out that their actions caused the offending tweet to be deleted; and they’re right. The $50 000 tweet no longer exists. Indeed they’ve shown themselves to be a tough, single-minded business without care for favourable public opinion.

But these are short-term wins more than offset by long-term losses; a matter of winning the battle but losing the war. A quick internet or Twitter search for the term Horizon or Horizon Realty Group reveals a vast amount of unfavourable articles and comments about Horizon and their business practices.  Typical of the tone, from @timmmorgan: ”Horizon Realty Group. What a shite company. http://www.horizonrealtygroup.com.”

By any reasonable assessment Horizon’s actions have been an outstanding failure. In threatening to sue over a paltry tweet then bragging of a “sue first, ask questions later” policy they have provided the community in which they live rightful cause for a public expression of outrage.

So how might Horizon have managed this scenario better? In the first instance Horizon should have been actively listening to what was being said about them on the web. Had they been listening they would have been aware of, and could have acknowledged the existence of, the offending tweet. A Twitter @ reply or direct message, an email, or a phone call would have served to let the tenant know that they took her concerns seriously. The mere act of acknowledging a tweet is sometimes all it takes for the process of resolution to begin, and often the tweet is removed voluntarily as a result. Next, Horizon should have placed the tweet in perspective. As Mashable’s Pete Cashmore points out, Bonnen had just a few followers. It was highly unlikely for her message to achieve any sort of traction. Threatening to sue over something so trivial only served to demonstrate the company’s thin-skinned insecurities. Finally, the spokesman should not have made such glib, ham-fisted remarks to a reporter. They served to inflame the situation and provided a perfect quote for a myriad of tweets and blog posts.

Horizon’s mistakes serve as a powerful reminder of the new rules faced by all real estate businesses. These rules aren’t made in courts of law but through millions of inter-connected conversations occurring on Twitter and Facebook and blogs the world over. To ignore them is to court disaster. Just ask the team at Horizon.

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When a customer mentions you favourably it’s nice to say thanks. They took the effort to be a public advocate, they deserve some appreciation. On the flip side if someone is mad enough to air a complaint it’s smart strategy to respond. Dell does this all the time on their Facebook Fan Page. People complain, Dell responds in a professional, courteous manner. Clever.

Listening to what the web is saying isn’t difficult. Most agents need just a few resources. First you’ll need an RSS reader. Web browsers often include a built-in feed reader. I use Google Reader which is web-based. Second, you’ll want to set up a Google Alert. It’s a simple process. Alerts can be delivered to either email or an RSS reader. The reader option allows you to check on the alerts whenever suits and keeps your inbox free of clutter.

So what sorts of terms might you include in an alert? There are plenty of options. Start with your name, the name of your business, and possibly the names of your sales and property management staff. You might also create alerts for the terms “property” and “real estate” in combination with the names of the suburbs in which you operate. Google allows you to create up to 1000 alerts, so experiment.

Some alerts may produce no results and this may be due to using overly restrictive search terms or misspelling words. Google have an excellent Alerts help centre.

Finally, you’ll want to set up and subscribe to a number of Twitter searches. To set one up perform an advanced Twitter search. There are a number of options available so be prepared to experiment until you get the most relevant results. For example, a search using the “All of these words” field for “real estate Balmain” might produce no results, but changing the search to “property balmain” may be more fruitful.

It’s important to subscribe to the RSS feed of the search even where there are no search results. Just because there are no mentions today doesn’t mean someone won’t tweet about you in the future. It’s best to know.

Listening and responding is a great way to build your network and improve your brand. Do it right and you’re set to achieve some great results.

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But these benefits amount to nothing if they create a threat to a person’s safety. The chances of a property manager being sacked for the contents of a poorly thought out status update are great enough to warrant concern. Too, female property managers in particular risk being stalked by a client; and this can be compounded by over-sharing photos and videos.

Facebook provides several privacy settings to which a property manager should pay close attention.

Add your Friends to a list

To maximise your privacy, Facebook allows you add Friends to lists, which can then be used to determine who can view your photos, videos and the various sections of your profile.

It’s best to keep the lists used for privacy purposes simple. If you go overboard and create lots of lists you may find editing your privacy settings complex and daunting.

As a suggestion consider your Friends as falling into four broad categories:

• The Inner Circle. These are the people you like and trust and might include your family and those with whom you socialise. With this group you might share everything on your profile, including photos and videos of happy fun times involving too much alcohol
• The Outer Circle. These are people you know personally but wouldn’t be counted as your closest friends. They could include some, or all, of your work colleagues, clients, and business contacts. As your relationship with members of this group isn’t as deep as your Inner Circle, you might consider sharing a more cultured or professional version of yourself.
• The Future. There are some people you don’t yet know personally but think you may want to know. These might include clients you’ve never met, people you don’t know that have sent you a friend request and people you know of that you’d like to work or play with down the track. Until you’ve met them face-t0-face you might want to restrict what they can view on your profile.
• The Past. These are people you just don’t care to know. It’s kind of a ‘dump bin’ category that might include ex-es of all kinds, people you felt compelled to add, and ‘creepy’ colleagues that you don’t want to offend by deleting them as a Friend. With this group you would only share the most benign of pictures (or none at all) and might not allow them to view your contact information and status updates.

By treating the Outer Circle category as the default privacy setting for Friends, only three privacy lists are necessary: The Inner Circle, The Future and The Past. The Inner Circle get access to everything, The Future get access to a more guarded you, and The Past get access to very little.

(As a side note lists have other cool benefits like letting you manage the order in which your Friends show in your news feed.)

Edit who can find you in a search

There are many reasons why a property manager may not want to be found in a search, therefore adjusting your Search Visibility privacy settings makes sense. On the other hand, property managers using Facebook as a networking and business development tool can create a public search profile. This type of profile will be picked up by the major search engines and displayed in search results.

Edit who can see pictures in which you’re tagged

On Facebook anyone can publish any photo they own.  If that picture happens to be of you displaying less than perfect judgement, bad luck. And there’s nothing to stop one of your friends tagging you in on the photo. If you haven’t adjusted your privacy settings this action will be displayed in your friend’s friends’ news feed. Pretty soon you could become an unwitting cause celebre; and possibly without a job.

To avert this problem head to Privacy/Profile/Photos Tagged of You and modify the settings so that only the people you want are notified when a picture of you is tagged. Clicking the Customize link allows you to further limit who can see photos tagged of you. You can choose either individuals and/or lists to be included or excluded as you wish.   This action will leave the photos tagged but, when someone clicks on the photos tab in your profile, they will only see photos of you, if you’ve given them permission.

These settings don’t delete the photo. If you want to do that you’ll need to ask the person who uploaded the photo to remove it.

Adjust photo album privacy settings

Often people make the effort to adjust the privacy settings of photos they’ve been tagged in on, but leave the privacy settings on their own albums wide open. Each album has its own privacy setting but the default leaves it visible to everyone.

Undoubtedly, there are many photos that you’re quite comfortable sharing with the world at large. You might consider placing these in an album visible to everyone. Other photos may be better suited to an album with a more restrictive privacy setting.

Adjust what people can see on your profile

There are privacy settings that allow you to control access to each part of your profile. Consider both what you reveal and to whom you’ll reveal it.

In your basic information be wary of including your birth year, particularly if you decide to have very open privacy settings. Your birth date, along with other information such as your email address, pet’s name, and your mobile phone number, could be enough for someone to steal your identity.

Finally, there’s an excellent article on All Facebook entitled 10 Privacy Settings Every User Should Know. It’s well worth the read.

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