Social media isn’t just for social uses. It’s also a business essential; it’s a networking and marketing platform all in one—and shows no sign of going away. The platforms that people use, though? That’s more flexible.
Last year, RISMedia published a story about the dysfunction of Twitter under its new owner, Elon Musk, and the impact that could have on real estate professionals who have built a brand on the platform. While the site hasn’t shuttered as some predicted, the mismanagement has continued, from a confusing rebrand to “X” and the recent removal of article link headlines in tweets. The lesson? Don’t put all your eggs in a single social media basket.
Akenmisire “Moose” Musa, an agent with YellowBrick Real Estate in Milford, Connecticut, is the No. 1 male agent in the state on social media (a ranking he proudly displays on his Instagram account, “yourfriendlyneighborhoodmoose”). Drawing on his experience as a teacher and behavioral therapist, he used humor to build his online persona. In turn, that made him stand out.
“It’s helped (me to get clients) a lot, honestly. I could very easily have a conversation with someone when they’re laughing. And there’s a lot that we go through in real estate just throughout the process of jobs. I don’t want to say everyone’s depressed, but everyone’s busy, everyone’s tired as hell, everyone’s dealing with everyone else’s issues minus their own. So it wasn’t a hard niche to configure into.”
It’s not all funny business though; Musa is also the creator of “Monday With Moose” videos, where he explains facets of the real estate business. Come for the charm, stay for the knowledge.
Knowing your appeal is crucial to building a following, especially if you’re working on a growing platform.
Threads
Threads is an offshoot of Instagram (itself owned by Meta, né Facebook), designed as a text-based app instead of one that revolves around photos (the user interface, with posts displayed in a vertical “timeline,” emulates Twitter). Threads accounts are linked to Instagram; users have their sign-up number listed under their Instagram username. Going by that, Threads has over a million users signed up (whether they’re active is another story) following a marketing push when it launched in July 2023.
Musa is one of those millions, though he admits he hasn’t taken full use of it yet compared to Instagram, despite plans otherwise.
“Now that the integration is very simple, I might as well. You could floss and also brush your teeth. You should just do both, because the floss thing’s right there, Threads is right there. So I’ll certainly be diving more into that as well.”
As a new platform, Threads naturally carries a smaller potential audience. Some users might be reluctant to ditch the more familiar Twitter, after all. That carries the double-edged sword of less competition, though, which Musa argues is the sharper edge.
“Isn’t (less people) what we want? We don’t really want massive amounts of competition. Let’s say you’re the only person posting real estate content on this app, then you immediately become the guy who posts real estate content.”
Sometimes, a more exclusive audience is more useful for cultivating connections than a larger, more anonymous one.
BlueSky Social
Threads isn’t the only “Twitter killer” out there. There’s also BlueSky Social, the most recent project of Twitter Co-Founder/CEO Emeritus Jack Dorsey. In my experience, the platform has been viewed as something of a haven for Twitter users dissatisfied with the changes there. So, if you have a following on Twitter, it’s tempting to think you can just hop over to BlueSky and reconnect.
However, it’s not that simple. The platform currently requires an invite code (supplied by a registered BlueSky user) to join. When I researched this piece, I found no real estate professionals who had built a following of note. You might be thinking, “There’s my opening.” However, this is where the newness and exclusivity of BlueSky could be a drawback; if the audience isn’t there, you can’t build a marketing strategy.
Other potential drawbacks include BlueSky’s general inhospitality to brands and advertisements and the current lack of a direct messaging feature, a useful way to talk to colleagues and leads with some privacy.
Key takeaways
- Being early can help build a following.
- Know about a platform before you center any strategy around it.
- Discover your niche and embrace it.
