How to Make Friends and Influence People
As AAOA explores opportunities to serve our members, we are looking into ways to create a social networking platform just for you.
AAOA has the power to drive traffic to the site so others will find your business or your listings.
Some options for the site include:
- a place to host your business profile page, which allows you ample space to advertise what you do and the option to update the profile freely to keep the information current;
- a platform for your private blog, where you upload your content (articles, news stories, announcements) for others to review;
- a forum to post questions to get advice from other landlords;
- or, a space to list classified ads.
You could share referrals on tenants, form or join a group of like-minded landlords, access landlord information and tools, or have a space to advertise your rental on the Internet.
If a social networking site hosted by AAOA interests you, please take a moment to click yes on our member survey.
The Social Networking Phenomenon
- A real estate broker scored six referrals in a day.
- A Cub Scout earned a corporate sponsorship and raised money to feed hungry children.
- An investor found private funding to purchase an apartment building.
And they each did it without ever leaving their home or offices. How? By Social Networking.
Social Networking — connecting with other people like you on the Internet, is a growing phenomenon that has even the experts scratching their heads and asking “why is this so popular?”
In their primitive forms, social networking platforms simply allowed people to connect on the Internet: schools could find their alumni; spread-out families could share pictures; singles could find that certain someone; and information seekers could get a recipe for cheesecake or discuss medical treatments.
Many of those sites are still familiar. Go on Facebook and hook up with someone who likes to play the same video games, share photos, or ask a question. Similarly, MySpace is popular for posting videos that family and friends can link to.
But a genesis in social networking occurred when businesses and professionals caught on that these platforms opens up new horizons to advertise what you do, share advice with others in the same field and offer support or exchange leads. Members learn, network and make deals in a fraction of the time it takes to attend networking functions.
Successful social networking sites have a few commonalities. They:
- protect the privacy of the members and make sharing information safe
- reward the active member
- offer some organization of content or goals like grouping like-minded members
- integrate communication methods – for example, a way to email a specific contact or find out who’s available when you log on.
Your key to success on a social networking site is two-fold: sell yourself or your business through a profile and earn search engine placement by blogging about relevant subjects.
There are many options for social networking platforms, but however you do it, everyone agrees – nothing works better for making contacts than social networking!
Please take a second to visit our social networking member survey and let us know what you think. Would a social networking platform help you? Your vote matters” so please weigh in!
American Apartment Owners Association offers discounts on products and services related to your commercial housing investment including REAL ESTATE FORMS, tenant debt collection, tenant background checks, insurance and financing. Find out more at www.joinaaoa.org.
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