True, it took me a long time to get to grips with and to understand how it can be used properly for business purposes, but a bit of perseverance is now paying off.
Of course, there are many detractors and technologically inept people who continue to see social media as a waste of time.
But, with anything new and different, as philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer said: “All truth passes through three stages: first it is ridiculed, second it is violently opposed, third, it is accepted as being self-evident…”
Those who do not embrace social media as a way of communicating to and learning from the very clients you aim to attract, risk being left behind in the future.
Not only has it helped Coreco with our PR, but it has also given us some enquiries and a fully signed up introducer.
Leaving the B2C part aside for a moment, it is the B2B side which I have really been blown away by.
People within the property industry as a whole, not just mortgage brokers, but lenders, solicitors, estate agents, journalists and property investors, engage with comments you have made and before you know it you are part of a wider conversation, with many interesting people you would maybe otherwise not have met.
It was during one such “conversation” that we picked up an estate agency introducer who has since passed us more than a dozen leads. During another, admittedly very late at night, the idea of the TweetMeet was developed by myself and MortgageForce’s Lea Karasavvas.
At its simplest, we just thought we had been conversing with many people we had never met and we should put that right over a few drinks.
However, after a while it began to take on a deeper significance and the idea of trying to unify brokers, lenders, solicitors, surveyors and agents became a more far-reaching purpose.
After the pressures that our industry has faced over the past few years, and continues to face, it is important that everyone connected to the industry, from those at the coal face to those running businesses, come together to discuss these issues openly and honestly.
So far, around 100 people have signed up and it would be great if there were many more. With the kind sponsorship of Tiuta to help things along, I hope it will be an enjoyable event.
As with anything like this, there are some simple rules:
1. The first rule of the TweetMeet is that you must talk about the tweetmeet.
2. Please make an effort to chat to everyone there, at the very least to introduce yourself; no cliques.
3. The event is Chatham House rule, so anything you say cannot be directly reported as having been said by you without your absolute agreement, which should help promote free discussion.
4. Enjoy, drink and network, but no direct selling or poaching/recruiting on the night please.
5. Feedback, so we can improve the event for next time.
The event is totally informal, with no long speeches or seminars, so feel free to wear what you like, relax and enjoy.
As my mate Lea Karasavvas stated: “This gives us an opportunity to remind each other we are all striving for economic recovery and that, by working together and not against each other, we can ensure it happens.
“It’s a chance for an industry brainstorm, done in a social environment, between influential business categories within the mortgage industry. Hopefully, it will encourage extremely positive working relationships that will benefit us all.”
The event takes place in London on Thursday, 23 June, 2011 from 7pm at The Alchemist, 133 Houndsditch, London. The evening is planned to be an informal networking event, under Chatham House rule.
Andrew Montlake is communications director of Coreco
