Realtor Craig Oshrin takes a sociable approach to social media
It often seems that social media should be called “hostile media,” especially when the talk turns to politics. But that kind of behavior doesn”™t work in B2B messaging. This interview with Craig Oshrin, a Realtor in the Darien office of Coldwell Banker, was adapted from an episode of the No Quit Living Podcast.
You are heavily and successfully involved in social media ”” not only in what you put out there, but how you connect with people and how influential you are with all the people you connect with on a daily basis. Where did that come from and how did you get to the level you are today?
“My saying, which is very simple, is, ”˜Be social on social media.”™ It sounds very plain and simple, but at the time, what I want people to view their social media as is this big phone book where you can create the In Real Life (IRL) relationships. On my Oshrin.com website, I have a thing called the Oshrin Blog, and in there I had a titled blog called ”˜Are We Facebook Friends?”™ There is a difference between being in real life and being on Facebook or Snapchat or Instagram. I want you to use this every day to connect with new people and build IRLs.
“So, being social on social media means that you have to connect. It”™s great to post something, but you have to do a direct call to action, which gets people to engage with you, which shows and grows your value because people want to know that you can reciprocate when they”™re giving you an opportunity to grow your business.
People on social media all know that you have reach and you have engagement. The engagement is the most important component to it, and that”™s your likes, your comments, and your shares. Use your rating fans, as Tim Ferriss says. Your rating fans are going to be the people that will like your posts, will comment, will share it on their page. That creates that greater reach, so that way you”™re connecting with people you might not even know.”
One thing I”™ve noticed online, especially on all your social media sites, is that you”™re always adding value to others. And I think the biggest thing you do really well is you make real connections, not only for yourself, but others. So, do you have any advice for those looking to increase their social media footprint and maybe ultimately those actual connections of likes, comments, and shares?
“It is important to come from a place of abundance. Don”™t come from a place of just asking for something, but come from a place where you can offer value. For me, I like to engage business owners and entrepreneurs through Facebook live, through my coffee and espresso chats… I want to provide value and a platform where they can grow their business, because when you”™re helping others, they”™re going to help you in return. It”™s just an automatic give, and it might not be today and it might not be tomorrow, maybe it”™s next year. You have to be patient in whatever you”™re doing to grow your business long term.”
Were you always successful with your social media or was it a trial and error?
“Spaghetti against the wall, my friends, spaghetti against the wall. When you try something and it doesn”™t stick, you go back and you analyze it. When you try something and it doesn”™t stick, you go back and you analyze it. You”™ve got to try for mediocrity and then you can come back the next day and do it better and better, and better until people look at you and go, ”˜You”™re nailing this, you”™re doing something so incredibly great and unique.”™”
Can you attribute any of your success to something specific that you”™ve done out of your comfort zone?
“Every day, something that I think about is: “If I”™m comfortable, I”™m bored and if I”™m bored, I”™m not growing. Every day I want to be uncomfortable. I want to create so many tasks that at the end of the day, there are one or two tasks on my list of eight tasks or 10 tasks that I did not do, so I can come back the next day, perfect the other prior eight tasks, and then hop on to the two new tasks. Every day, if I”™m uncomfortable, I”™m growing; if I”™m growing I”™m in a position for long-term success.”
Christopher J. Wirth is the host and producer of the No Quit Living Podcast.