With all the buzz about the different social media platforms these days, it’s interesting to me just how many businesspeople don’t realize the value of having accounts with them, yet.

I have to admit, when MySpace first hit the scene, I didn’t rush right out to create a page. Same with Facebook and Twitter.   However, I started to catch on, and now I’ve seen the light.



I was speaking with a real estate agent the other day, and his view was similar to mine, in the old days. He thought all this social stuff was for teenagers with a lot of time on their hands. He likes to get out, shake the client’s hand, and build a relationship – which is exactly what you should do. But what if you’re in Missouri and the client is in Minnesota? Physical contact is a bit harder and a lot more expensive.

I agreed with him that what he was doing was correct, but the times they are a-changin’. If you can get acquainted on the Internet, talk about common interests and/or business goals, and decide you can work together, that’s a good thing. And you are completely unhampered by distance.

One thing that stops a lot of people, though, is the sheer amount of new stuff to learn and implement. How are you going to do that with a business to run? You have to sleep sometime. Unless you can take the time to figure out each platform, it’s probably a better idea to hire a social media manager. Ask around and find someone you can trust. They can help you build Internet relationships while you take care of daily chores.