On This Date: Pearl Harbor Bombed (December 7, 1941)

On This Date → Pearl Harbor Bombed (December 7, 1941) pic.twitter.com/2Ec3fURlee

— Emmett Brennan (@sugarpinerealty) December 7, 2017

On This Date: Lincoln Issues Emancipation Proclamation

Follow us on Twitter → @blogboy2

On This Date → Lincoln Issues Emancipation Proclamation (September 22, 1862) pic.twitter.com/cmBIHKnDee

— Mike C (@blogboy2) September 22, 2017

Top Visual Tweets (Volume 13)

I have never seen a monument erected to a pessimist. #Quote #TuesdayMotivation pic.twitter.com/BPpeN8fLAl

— Mike C (@blogboy2) September 13, 2016

Go to the people and the places that set a spark in your soul. #Quote #QuoteoftheDay #ThursdayThoughts pic.twitter.com/JtSGkGOvQM

— Mike C (@blogboy2) September 8, 2016

Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it. #Quote #WednesdayWisdom pic.twitter.com/qQnnJkhSnS

— Mike C (@blogboy2) September 14, 2016

Top Visual Tweets (Volume 12)

A good listener is not only popular everywhere, but after a while he knows something. #Quote pic.twitter.com/EUMQ3T5Rxg

— Mike C (@blogboy2) July 26, 2016

Set a goal that makes you want to jump out of bed in the morning. #Quote pic.twitter.com/A2utphTiYo

— Mike C (@blogboy2) July 22, 2016

Things work out best for those who make the best of how things work out. #Quote pic.twitter.com/0Cdqvsab6J

— Mike C (@blogboy2) July 25, 2016

Top Visual Tweets (Volume 11)

Stop being afraid of what could go wrong and think of what could go right. #Quote pic.twitter.com/NNdbLJWYI5

— Mike C (@blogboy2) July 21, 2016

There are no shortcuts to any place worth going. #Quote pic.twitter.com/bFpgW0WpnP

— Mike C (@blogboy2) July 6, 2016

If you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid. #Quote pic.twitter.com/nBoARkbiPx

— Mike C (@blogboy2) July 20, 2016

The Best Time to Post on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram in 2016 [infographic]

(To enlarge via computer keyboard, hold ctrl key down while rolling mouse wheel forward/away from you)

Source: The Science of Social Timing Part 1: Social Networks

Top Visual Tweets (Volume 6)

Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go. William Feather #Quote pic.twitter.com/qHhq2xGWhF

— Mike C (@blogboy2) May 3, 2016

Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible. #Quote pic.twitter.com/D4n4hQk4Sq

— Mike C (@blogboy2) May 5, 2016

Don't judge me by my past. I don't live there anymore. Unknown #Quote pic.twitter.com/Qgw6eBiy4t

— Mike C (@blogboy2) May 6, 2016

Top Visual Tweets (Volume 4)

Don't believe everything you read on the internet. Abraham Lincoln #Quote pic.twitter.com/WEgBmqqPxN

— Mike C (@blogboy2) April 22, 2016

It is never too late to be what you might have been. George Eliot #Quote pic.twitter.com/ZqJgeOhhiQ

— Mike C (@blogboy2) April 21, 2016

The road to success is lined with many tempting parking spaces. Unknown #Quote pic.twitter.com/S1G9Y8djop

— Mike C (@blogboy2) April 25, 2016

How to Blog, Pin, Tweet & more (2 FREE eBook downloads)

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Social Media, Blogging, Pinterest

Facebook, Twitter, Infographics

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10 Mistakes People Make that Costs Them Retweets on Twitter (plus 1 bonus)

Lightning fast read meant to make you think...

10 Mistakes People Make that Costs Them Retweets on Twitter (plus 1 bonus):

1. Craft boring tweets versus compelling "headlines."
2. Create status quo content (on their blogs) and gain a lousy reputation because of it.
3. Forget that the greater the size of the audience, the greater the chance of retweets (build your followership).
4. Don't participate in chats.
5. Neglect retweeting others.
6. Neglect including relevant hashtags.
7. Are a poor speller.
8. Use obscenities.
9. Don't tweet regularly.
10. Forget to team up (make a pact with 3 or 4: you retweet them, they retweet you).

BONUS Abbreviate "pls RT" instead of spelling it out, "please retweet."

You might also be interested in: 9 Tweeting No No’s (Things You Should Avoid Doing So You Won’t Get Unfollowed on Twitter) 7 Ways to Get People to Follow You on Twitter (simple version)

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3 Things I've Come to Realize in 1000 Days of Tweeting

My 3-year birthday on Twitter is coming up. ("Happy birthday to you, Happy birthday to you...") It happens (happened) on November 14th to be exact. (You can still send presents.)

And I was thinking I should pop up a few quick thoughts on my tweeting experience these past 1000 (plus) days. And so this is what came to my mind...

3 Things I've Come to Realize in 1000 Days of Tweeting:

MORE PEOPLE START AND QUIT THAN KEEP GOING.

I think it's mostly because of not knowing what to do and / or not being able to break through what I call the "connection barrier." I remember in school (in Junior High especially) the challenge, if you weren't part of the "in" crowd, to connect in relationships. And then if you were kind of a nerd / had a personality flaw, etc, how much harder it was. Bottom line, I had no idea the wonderful connections / friends that awaited me in the Twittersphere. If I would have quit, I would have missed out.

SOMETIMES THE GURUS DON'T EVEN PRACTICE WHAT THEY PREACH.

Yeah, they'll tell you (harp on?) how important it is to engage with others, but have they ever talked with you? The truth is they may have (and many do) and they may not have. Bottom line, just like in real (offline) life, you can just have so many close-knit relationships as a single human being. Maybe a dozen (or so)? Maybe a tiny bit more (if you neglect your wife and kids)? And how do you measure "engagement" any way? Which of the elite decides?

YOU CAN'T / CAN MAKE PEOPLE ENGAGE WITH YOU.

That wasn't a mistake in typing. I really mean both. You can't make people engage (respond, interact) with you on Twitter (via social media) ~ and you can! Like anything else in life, you just get out there and be yourself ~ and some people will like it and some people won't. I've come to realize there are more of the first type.

Happy tweeting. :)

You might also be interested in:

• 10 Mistakes People Make with Twitter (plus 1 bonus)
• Twitter “Rules”

Is Anybody Listening?

Remember when you were growing up and your dad would talk to you about something and it would go in one ear and out the other? (Well, that's what happened with me any way.)

It's kind of the thinking behind the question (title) that came to my mind recently when I was watching my Twitter timeline and noticed a random tweet of an individual. I won't give the name, but they are known to speak at real estate conferences. (I am using the "plural" to hide the fact of a he or a she.)

And I guess my thought was they were tweeting as if they were speaking at a conference before a captive audience(?)

And so was anybody really listening to them (other than me)? The proverbial: If a tree falls in a forest with nobody around, does it make a sound?

Is that what much of social media has become?

(Did someone even hear what I just said?)

You might also be interested in:

• 10 Mistakes People Make with Facebook (plus 1 bonus)
• 10 Mistakes People Make with Twitter (plus 1 bonus)

10 Mistakes People Make with Twitter (plus 1 bonus)

Lightning fast read meant to make you think...

10 Mistakes People Make with Twitter:

1. Think it's supposed to make them money.
2. Demand that it makes them money.
3. Measure its worth on whether it makes them money.
4. Forget there are social media "seasons" (what I mean here is you will be popular and have a lot of interaction at times while there will be lulls in your popularity and lesser interaction at other times; there is an ebb and flow).
5. Think it's a game the one with the most followers wins.
6. Forget it's about people versus product-pushing.
7. Police (poo poo) other people's approaches.
8. Aren't themselves.
9. Forget it's supposed to be fun, too.
10. Give up too soon.

BONUS: Don't make use of the tools. (I use Hootsuite to automate, Twittelator on my iPod touch to be mobile, Tweepi to manage followers. Visit oneforty.com)

(Twitter Bird via pixabay)

You might also be interested in:

• 2 Thoughts About Twitter and Relationships from the Royal Wedding
• You might be a tweet-a-holic if (12 signs)

12 Twitter Conference Takeaways

I attended the 140 Characters (Twitter) Conference in Twain Harte yesterday (Tuesday, May 24, 2011). I thought it might be beneficial to offer a short recap of the things I learned. And so I've put together just a few of the overall theme points I remember off the top of my head (from the speakers who spoke):

12 Twitter Conference Takeaways: 

• If you don't learn the new media, you will be left behind.
• It takes TIME to make social media work.
• No one is (quote) "reading" anymore.
• Video is huge.
• All politics is local global.
• Don't rely on one media. (Diversify.)
• It is important to ENGAGE your audience (versus broadcasting to / spamming them).
• Sometimes we're too close to our business to see things as they really are.
• QR (quick response) codes offer endless possibilities.
• The online presence will never replace the personal touch. (Not an excuse to neglect the former.)
• Tutorials abound to help you get started. (oneforty.com; socialmediaexaminer.com)
• Sometimes you just need to jump in and see where it leads you.

You might also be interested in:

Twitter "Rules"
You might be a tweet-a-holic if (12 signs)

What If You Lost It All? (Social Media Meltdown)

What if you woke up one morning, turned on your computer, opened up your browser only to find you had no visitors to your blog or comments. (They couldn’t comment. They didn’t come.) Oh no. Then you went on over to Twitter to see your @ replies and, sure enough, no replies there either. And no retweets. And no direct messages. (That last one isn’t so bad. We all hate those auto DM's.) “Well, at least there’s still Facebook,” you think to yourself. And off you go. But there it’s the same story. No writings on your wall. No friend requests. Nothing. Would you be down? Would you be broken? Would you really be the worse for wear? We allow things (including social media) to define who we are and we’re not the sum total of our things (or our social media experience), let alone what we do (day-to-day wise) or our bank account balance. We’re more than that. Much more. (Flickr picture by Matt Hamm)

I Just Don't Get It

I just don't get it. Have you ever heard anyone say that? Have you ever said it yourself? I just don't get it ~ politics. I just don't get it ~ my weird neighbor across the street. I just don't get it ~ my boss or coworker or spouse, etc. I just don't get it ~ Twitter or Facebook or blogging. I just don't get it ~ this. I just don't get it ~ that. (Fill in the blank.)

And usually people (we) say that and it's an indication that they (we) really don't want to try and understand whatever it is that's the issue or new thing. Agree?

And what if the next time rather than turning the new thing off (or that person or persons) with "I just don't get it," instead we said, "You know. I'm gonna check this thing out. I'm gonna try to understand," or if it's a person or people group, "I'm gonna try to understand them"?

You might be surprised. It just might be a help to whatever you've got going in the long run.

Twitter "Rules"

If you've been on Twitter for very long you'll find out there's a mostly unspoken set of do's and don'ts - a "rule structure." (Be quiet. Don't tell anybody.)

And you won't know about it (for the most part) until ... you are in direct violation. If you break the (quote) "Law," don't worry. The Twitter "gods" have thunder and lightning bolts at their disposal and they will tell you. Pow! (Ouch. That hurt.)

All kidding aside, there's a bit of truth to what I just said. (Users of Twitter will agree.)

And this post really isn't so much about Twitter, neither is it about "rules" per se. Instead, it's about our treatment of people, especially the "newbies."

Of course, they're not gonna know the do's and don'ts just starting out (whether it's in social media or some other venue/area/career). Is there not a single one of us that can politely take them under our wings and teach them the ropes versus leaving them to fend for themselves and then yell at or ostracize them? (ostracize: "to exclude, by general consent, from society, friendship, conversation, privileges, etc.")

(Flickr image by andrewagner)

Mother Lode Real Estate "Must Reads" for June

This blog post is the next in a continuing monthly series where I'll pass on some information of interest that you may not get the opportunity to see otherwise. (Links to the other 19 posts in this series at the end of this one.) It won't take you long to check out the four articles covering real estate, social media and more.

How to Use Your MLS System for Growing Profits Every Week, Month and Year… from the Real Estate Marketing Blog. You've got your buyers set up to receive automatic email information about the latest properties. Why not do it with your sellers and sphere of influence, too? Some great ideas that you may not have thought of and the benefits of implementing them.

The Good and The Bad of NAR Cheerleading by Tom Royce on the Real Estate Bloggers site. A hard-hitting, no holds barred commentary on the National Association of Realtors' approach to communicating. A must read.

Own or Rent Your Roof by Maya Paveza. A great discussion on the in and outs of home ownership and what every potential buyer needs to know and may not always think about. Maybe you could put something together like this for your own consumer base and include it in an e-newsletter?

How Real Estate Pros are Using Social Media for Real Results by Erica Swallow at mashable.com. You'll find a number of examples here of companies using social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) to engage the online consumer.

More Mother Lode Real Estate "Must Reads":
May 2010
Apr 2010
Mar 2010
Feb 2010
Jan 2010
Dec 2009
Nov 2009
Oct 2009
Sept 2009
Aug 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
Apr 2009
Mar 2009
Feb 2009
Jan 2009
Dec 2008
Nov 2008

(The author of the Sugar Pine Realty blog does not necessarily endorse or disapprove of the thoughts included via the above links.)

5 Signs You Might Be Spending Too Much Time with Social Media

(Disclaimer: I have no understanding as regards the topic I'm writing about?)

Oh sure, I'm in charge of a real estate blog, a couple of Twitter sites (@blogboy2 and @sugarpinerealty) and a Facebook page (click here) (not counting my personal life). And, of course, I don't have to hardly do anything and readers, followers and friends just automatically appear like magic~thousands and thousands of them. Doesn't it work that way for you?

All kidding aside, if you want to enjoy the many benefits of social media it necessarily requires a reasonable investment of time and energy, thought and engagement. Right? And like anything else, if you're not careful you can begin spending too much time and energy, thought and engagement with social media. (Naaawww?) It's our natural tendency as humans.

And so where's the point that enough's enough and by passing it you're going overboard? How does a person determine that he/she maybe needs to take a break, step back and "smell the roses"?

Well, to help you consider your own life and whether or not you're out of balance in this area, here are...

5 signs you might be spending too much time with social media: (what would you add?)

Sign #1: You're up at 3 a.m. pacific time usa for an early start on #followfriday and to see how many shout outs/mentions you're getting. (You really couldn't sleep. At least that's what you tell your wife.)

Sign #2: You're wondering if it was something you said and that's why people unfollowed/unfriended you. (Are "unfollow" and "unfriend" words?)

Sign #3: For some unknown reason your twitter account got suspended and you feel like a close acquaintance or loved one just died.

Sign #4: Reading timelines and/or tweeting have made you late for an appointment (dinner, work, doctor, etc.) more than once.

Sign #5: It's 3 a.m. again (well going on 4:00 now) and you're finishing a post on spending too much time with social media.

The Social Media Revolution (video)

The business landscape has changed. And some will be left behind who don't consider including social media in their business approach and practice. The following video (thanks Socialnomics™) is really a call to action in this regards (in my view). Do you have a business presence on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc? And if you do, does it look like you're home? Is your bio complete and are you investing time connecting with people? Pretty soon much of the business done will come directly or indirectly from the relationships one has established online. It's where the people are. You need to be there, too. The video is a definite worthwhile for all. (FYI: At the bottom right corner of the player, if you click on the second button from the right, the video will expand to full screen.)