Since late May, Google has started including tweets in its search results, which would mean higher rankings for brokers and brokerages who regularly post on Twitter.
The partnership currently applies only to American users who search on mobile devices, but it will almost certainly be rolled out to other countries and to desktop browsing.
Sandra Pigram from Social Media Business Boosters said the new partnership is just another reason why brokers should use Twitter more.
Ms Pigram said brokers should focus on building followers who are interested in the industry.
“Start engaging better, sharing others’ content, and then use Twitter to broadcast your blogs and other content from your website,” she told The Adviser.
Ms Pigram said brokers should also remember that many people use Twitter purely as a news source, and not as a place to tweet.
“Approximately 50 per cent of users are under 35, and I think that brokers would want to be in front of this sector – who are probably buying and financing homes and investment properties – with their news.”
When it comes to posting on Twitter, Ms Pigram said brokers must contribute things that their customers will find valuable, and should not be afraid to have an opinion.
“To become a thought leader or to build your brand digitally, you have to stand for something, be passionate about it, and have confidence to share it,” she said.
“Too many times I see brokers post ‘Interest rates have been decreased by x per cent’, and that is it – no commentary at all. What does that mean for families, home owners, renters, the economy? That piece should be in the commentary along with the actual state of the monetary policy decision.”
Matt Mitchener, channel marketing manager at Vow Financial and Yellow Brick Road, said Twitter is also a good place for brokers to listen to their audience.
“Two to three posts a day is plenty. You don’t need to tweet five to 10 times a day – it’s there more for you to listen and learn, and communicate with your customers and jump in on their conversations,” he said.
“You don’t even have to do it personally – you just have to get it done. Someone else can do it for you.”
Mr Mitchener told The Adviser that brokers who have not already connected their Twitter profiles to their websites should do so to remain “fresh”.
“The broker needs to use their website as more than just a ‘virtual business card’, and integrating Twitter is one of the best ways for them to do that and remain current,” he said.]
