Social media is supposed to facilitate truly social interactions between real people - in other words, it's supposed to build real relationships. Amy Chorew, my guest on this episode, says that if your use of social media is not facilitating a real social relationship with people, then you don’t understand the purpose of social media. Amy is a former real estate agent now working with Better Home and Gardens Real Estate. Her role there is specifically aimed at helping real estate agents better use social media to foster social relationships, with the hope that those relationships lead to sales. You’ll enjoy hearing Amy’s enthusiasm and perspective, so be sure you listen to this episode.

Why you have to be the same person online as you are offline.

One of the key things to using social media wisely is that you make sure you are not putting on a facade or face to the digital world. It’s vital that you represent yourself honestly and accurately if you want the watching world of social media to take you seriously. It’s the “know, like, and trust” factor that you’re aiming for and you can’t do that if you’re being dishonest about who you really are. But that doesn’t mean you post everything that comes into your head - you’ve got to be strategic, and my guest on this episode of Real Relationships, Amy Chorew helps us understand what that looks like and how each of us can do it wisely.

It’s vital to choose what you will talk about online and what you won’t.

There are so many opinions and rants posted on social media, and many of us are immediately turned off by them - especially if they bring up a negative memory or experience. Amy Chorew says it’s easy for real estate agents and other business professionals to fall prey to their own lack of discernment about what is appropriate and actually helpful to share on social media and what is not. On this episode, she describes how she went about choosing exactly what she would and would not share on social in order to build the kind of social relationship she wants with others. She also tells us what went into making those decisions. It’s a very helpful tip, so be sure you listen.

Any social media tool has to bring things back to the relationship you have with people.

When I asked Amy Chorew how we should go about choosing the social media tools that we use to foster relationships, she said we should first keep in mind that every social media tool has to be effective at highlighting the real relationship we share with each person rather than simply blasting out content. It’s a distinction that’s not immediately intuitive but I believe it is very helpful, so be sure you hear what Amy shares on this episode.

If the social relationship you’re pursuing isn’t aimed at the real relationship, you’re missing the boat.

Every social relationship has its own unique set of characteristics - from the background you share with the individual to the online conversations you’ve engaged in together. It’s in those distinctions that you find common ground and are able to build a real relationship that lasts over time. But too many business people are building relationships online for the sake of gaining leads or adding numbers to their stats - and that misses the point of how business and social media fit together. My guest on this episode, Amy Chorew helps us understand how to focus on the real relationships behind our social interactions - and reveals why it has such a huge impact.

Outline of this great episode

• [0:34] My introduction of my guest today, Amy
• [1:28] Amy’s focus on educating real estate agents to be more effective.
• [7:50] Learning how to be scientific about your social media approach.
• [11:10] Does the industry suffer from shiny object syndrome?
• [13:16] How to choose the best tools and approaches to make connections.
• [18:40] How can real estate agents remain consistent in their social relationships?
• [22:06] The best ways to facilitate relationships with personal coaches and mentors.
• [25:46] How to become more disciplined for the sake of nurturing social relationships.
• [29:50] The most important but non-obvious tips for moving forward.
• [32:01] How to connect with Amy.

Resources & Links mentioned in this episode

• Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate
• Amy(at)AmyChorew(dot)com
• Connect with Amy on LinkedIn
• Connect with Amy on Twitter
• How To Use Social Media As A Realtor
• The Digital Landscape Graphic
• Evernote
• The Work Life Performance Program