From the very start I have been very open about Room4Rent.co.nz. I spoke to as many people as I could and shared my idea with everyone. This went against the traditional entrepreneurial spirit where the entrepreneur tries to keep their idea to themselves until they have secured funding and made the product, so that others don’t steal it from them. The Distiller has taught me that this old school thinking limits the potential for a new start up. Because I have spoken to such a varied audience about Room4Rent I have been asked every question under the sun. Many questions have been repetitive and it is frustrating answering them, however some ideas have been amazing and really shaped the future for this company. I am confident that Room4Rent would not be where it is now if I had kept the idea a secret. The business plan is much more streamlined and our revenue models are more efficient.

Room4Rent’s social media strategy highlights the new age thinking of how to develop a company. Within one week of coming up with the idea I had created a Facebook fan page and a Twitter page for Room4Rent. Within 2 weeks I had 170 followers on twitter and 150 fans on Facebook. This may seem like small numbers but when you think of it relatively it is huge for a startup company. Facebook and Twitter allow Room4Rent to let people know exactly what is happening with our development and how we are doing things. We are creating a vital relationship and a community as people watch us grow. The power of the word of mouth comes into its own now. Once we release the website instead of starting from a stand still we will hit the ground running.

How exactly am I using Facebook and Twitter? I have the room4rent.co.nz Facebook page linked to the room4rentnz Twitter account. This means that every time I post something on Facebook it is updated on Twitter as well. This strategy is useful because most people who are fans on the Facebook page do not use Twitter yet, so this saves me time and I am not repeating myself to people. As well as letting people know what Room4Rent is doing I am also trying to educate people. I have chosen 3 specialist areas to concentrate on, similar to what these blog posts are about: The Rugby World Cup, Tourism in New Zealand and using social media. I post links to articles which relate to these issues on Facebook and Twitter in a bid to become a leader in these areas and give back to the community.

A few tips I have for using social media:

1. Do not try and oversell your product on Twitter and Facebook. On Twitter, at most 1 in every 20 tweets should be related to trying to sell your product. Try and grow your following based on your product, not by advertising it, but by educating people about issues which relate to your product. For example: If you are an automotive mechanic educate people about the latest cars that have come out. This will attract people to listen to you and from there you can give them the opportunity to look at using your product or service.
2. Be consistent. Do not lump your information at once, otherwise people will get overloaded. Try and keep your posts evenly spaced, ensuring your information becomes valuable.
3. Stay positive. If something negative happens to you or your business let people know about it, but try and keep a positive spin on things.

Do not expect things to happen with lightning speed when using social media. It is a gradual process when you are beginning, however when you are established word of mouth can spread faster than any form of traditional media. Remember, the more you put into social media, the more you will get out of it. If you have any questions about social media just send us a message via the Contact Us tab.

Sam Janett