photo credit: mkhmarketing via photopin cc

Here are a few of the trends he sees:

Image-centric networks are rapidly growing:

Photo-driven social networks such as Instagram, Pinterest, and Snapchat are increasingly gaining a loyal user-base. For example, Pinterest is boasting high retention rates of its users. The average female user on Pinterest posts only 42 pins in her first year on the network, but by her fourth year, she is sharing up to 152 other users’ posts, according to research by RJ Metrics. Facebook still has the largest user base, but sites like Instagram have seen the biggest rise in active user activity between the second quarter and fourth quarter of 2013.

The rise of micro-videos:

More companies are using micro-video platforms such as Vine and Instagram to get simple messages out to customers and prospects. For example, Saatchi’s anti-smoking campaign for World No Tobacco Day garnered 50,000 likes and 26,000 “revines” on its ads in just the first five days of the campaign.

Some social networks are losing favor:

Once thought of as game-changers, social networks such as Google+ and Foursquare may be gradually losing their fan base. Still, 61 percent of businesses say they plan on increasing their Google+ activities this year, making it a popular choice among marketers.

However, many businesses reportedly are struggling with how to make the platform work for them, DeMers notes. Google announced earlier this year that social signals are not part of its ranking algorithm, and it recently decided to remove authorship photos from the search results, which is what distinguished Google+ from other platforms for many marketers, DeMers says.

Foursquare may also be losing more of its share, but marketers aren’t writing it off completely. Foursquare recently split its app into two: the original Foursquare and its new app, Swarm, which allows users to find friends via neighborhood sharing and without the need to check-in. Foursquare’s new app, which will be re-launched later this summer, will no longer allow check-ins but is trying to become a direct competitor to Yelp by offering a resource for personalized recommendations for local search.

photo credit: mkhmarketing via photopin cc

The real estate domain is no exception. Professionals can use it in many ways, from creating boards with their listings to becoming a community leader who posts interesting content in a given area. This could be anything from pinning interesting real estate-related articles, tips and infographics, to sharing architecture treasures, gardening tips or splendid houses across the globe and so on.

If you’re new to Pinterest but keen to explore a new social media platform that can get your name out and possibly generate some sales leads. take a look at how the experts do it. What follows is RealtyBizNews’ ‘Top 100 real estate professionals on Pinterest’.

Our picks include a mix of agents who have profiles with an important number of followers or a significant number of pins. Sharing great content on Pinterest is just as important and relevant as having a big number of followers. We’ve also included some accounts owned by real estate companies as many have a huge number of followers and pins. We’ve also mentioned the type of content each profile focuses on, as sometimes an impressive number of followers and/or pins can be due to various topics covered by the boards each professional has.

Let’s not forget – in order to be successful on any social media network, it’s important to provide interesting content in different areas connected to people’s interests.

1. Irene Turner Real Estate Sonoma Style™, 65,342 pins. Mainly home and real estate.
2. Edith Jasser Realtor – Chicago, 21,455 followers, 52,469 pins; different topic covered, from fashion to real estate and more.
3. The Boutique Real Estate Group, 14,782 followers, 1,518 pins; boards covering various topics.
4. Bayley Falkenbury – Realtor, 13,046 followers, 10,631 pins; boards covering various topics.
5. Blanca Feldman, Nashville Realtor, 12,737 followers, 36,328 pins; boards covering various topics.
6. Susan Parker Real Estate Broker, 11,919 followers, 57,678 pins. Boards focused on various topics and interests.
7. Michelle Potter, Denver Real Estate, 7,455 followers, 26,950 pins. An account focused mainly on real estate, home and design.
8. HunterReed Luxury Real Estate, 7,622 followers, 12,880 pins; boards focusing mainly on home, design and real estate.
9. Brownstone Real Estate, 7,066 followers, 18,349 pins; boards focusing mainly on home, design and real estate, but not exclusively.
10. Renee Tompkins – The Results Realtor, 6,649 followers, 13,966 pins. An account focused mainly on real estate, home and design.
11. Patrick Wilson Destin 30A Realtor, 6,042 followers, 588 pins; boards covering various topics.
12. Erin Cestero, REALTOR®, 3,782 followers, 3210 pins; boards covering various topics.
13. Maggie Odle, Realtor, 2,634 followers, 26,507 pins; boards focusing mainly on home, design and real estate.
14. Christophe Choo Real Estate Group, 2,614 followers, 4,136 pins; boards covering various topics.
15. Jean Lawson, Realtor ERA Show Place, 2,298 followers, 3,527 pins; boards covering various topics.
16. ERA Real Estate, 1,726 followers, 7,080 pins; boards focusing mainly on home, design and real estate.
17. Robert Cianfarani Royal Lepage Realtor, 1,687 followers, 12,099 pins; boards covering various topics.
18. Debe Maxwell Charlotte Real Estate Agent, 1,560 followers, 1,213 pins: boards focusing mainly on real estate and homes.
19. Missy Caulk, Ann Arbor Real Estate, 1,549 followers, 1,499 pins; boards covering various topics.
20. United Real Estate, 1,511 followers, 3,599 pins; boards focusing mainly on home, design and real estate.
21. Dallas Real Estate Girl: Natalie Westbrook, 1,403 followers, 2,933 pins; boards covering various topics.
22. Denver Realtor | Patrick Murray, 2,252 followers, 2,803 pins; boards covering various topics.
23. Jennifer Michele-Realtor®, 1,680 followers, 10,924 pins; boards covering various topics.
24. Sharon Paxson Newport Beach Real Estate, 1,378 followers, 1,693 pins; boards covering various topics.
25. Valerie Fitzgerald LA Luxury Real Estate, 1,368 followers, 428 pins; boards focusing mainly on home, design and real estate.
26. Taylor Adams – Realtor, 1,310 followers, 2,547 pins; boards covering various topics.
27. WendiDana Las Vegas Real Estate, 1,267 followers, 13,984 pins; boards covering various topics.
28. Angela the REALTOR®, 1,241 followers, 7,108 pins; boards covering various topics.
29. Willis Allen Real Estate, 1,156 followers, 1,773 pins; boards focusing mainly on home, design and real estate.
30. Briarwood Real Estate, 1,116 followers, 18,059 pins; boards focusing mainly on home, design and real estate.
31. Style House Real Estate Group, 1,115 followers, 1,912 pins; boards focusing mainly on home, design and real estate.
32. Jennifer Egbert Real Estate, 1,108 followers, 4,426 pins; boards covering various topics, with an important focus on all things real estate.
33. Jlyne Hanback, Realtor®, 1,093 followers, 2,233 pins; boards covering various topics.
34. Lisa Herland-Realtor, 1,060 followers, 7,126 pins; boards focusing mainly on home, design and real estate.
35. Kate Ross-Realtor, 1,081 followers, 7,370 pins; boards covering various topics.
36. Real Estate Design / Ashley Petroske, 1,047 followers, 15,481 pins; boards covering various topics.
37. Oro Valley Real Estate, 1,018 followers, 3,222 pins: an account focused only on Oro Valley and Tucson homes.
38. Mike Hansell – Realtor, 1,012 followers, 2,072 pins; boards focusing mainly on home, design and real estate, but not exclusively.
39. #Estey Real Estate, #Benicia, CA, 923 followers, 7,652 pins; boards covering various topics.
40. Melinda Gunther Naples Realtor, 873 followers, 7,659 pins; boards focusing mainly on real estate and houses in the area.
41. Dallas Texas Real Estate, 866 followers, 1,533 pins; boards focusing mainly on Dallas and real estate.
42. Rebecca J Lewis, Realtor, 845 followers, 801 pins; boards focusing mainly on real estate and houses.
43. Debbie Kirkland, Realtor, 838 followers, 323 pins; boards covering various topics.
44. Julia King, Everything Real Estate, 791 followers, 7,213 pins; boards covering various topics.
45. Ashley Deskins, REALTOR®, 781 followers, 2,742 pins; boards covering various topics.
46. Anita Allen, Realtor, 779 followers, 4,241 pins; boards covering various topics.
47. Roger Morris Real Estate, 774 followers, 939 pins; boards covering various topics, many focused on Seattle or real estate.
48. Carrie Nenonen, REALTOR, 741 followers, 4,890 pins; boards covering various topics.
49. Holly @ Fusion Group Real Estate, 740 followers, 1,963 pins; boards covering various topics.
50. Darla Briggs Realtor, 731 followers, 1,045 pins; boards covering various topics.
51. Jane Mak Real Estate-Solutions, 712 followers, 695 pins; boards covering various topics.
52. Amber Sanders, REALTOR, 679 followers, 27,448 pins; boards covering various topics.
53. Bond New York Real Estate Real Estate, 667 followers, 6,755 pins; boards focusing mainly on homes, real estate, and New York area.
54. Rhonda Miller, REALTOR, 662 followers, 6,757 pins; boards covering various topics.
55. Style House & Homes Real Estate, 657 followers, 5,182 pins; boards focusing mainly on home, design and real estate.
56. David Peterson, Houston Realtor, 646 followers, 708 pins; boards focusing mainly on homes and real estate.
57. Live Urban Real Estate, 628 followers, 1,816 pins; boards focusing mainly on homes, real estate and Denver.
58. Cassie Gonzalez, REALTOR®, 606 followers, 3,337 pins; boards covering various topics.
59. Lisa Richardson Dallas Realtor, 599 followers, 1,045 pins; boards covering various topics.
60. Donna Yates Real Estate, 591 followers, 6,297 pins; boards covering various topics.
61. Betsy Ferguson Real Estate, 591 followers, 4,258 pins; boards covering various topics with an important focus on real estate and houses.
62. Michael Tessaro REALTOR since 1984, 570 followers, 593 pins; boards covering various topics.
63. Alicia Lagarde Craig-Realtor, 566 followers, 1,027 pins; boards covering various topics.
64. Annie Balcerzak-Top Realtor, 562 followers, 5,449 pins; boards covering various topics.
65. Susanna Haynie, COSprings Realtor, 549 followers, 2,329 pins; boards covering various topics.
66. Kathy Ellis, Realtor, 546 followers, 7,072 pins; boards covering various topics.
67. True Sarasota Real Estate, 545 followers, 327 pins; boards focused mainly on real estate.
68. Carey Rivers, Realtor, 538 followers, 7,471 pins; boards covering various topics.
69. Lourdes Tudela, Realtor, 538 followers, 4,026 pins; boards covering various topics.
70. Kira Mead San Francisco Real Estate, 521 followers, 3,365 pins; boards covering various topics.
71. Miami Real Estate, 519 followers, 551 pins; boards focused mainly on real estate.
72. Lee Marlow,REALTOR, 515 followers, 405 pins; boards covering various topics.
73. Kimberly V. Williams Realtor Timetobuya, 503 followers, 2,357 pins; boards covering various topics.
74. Diana Foster-Realtor, 501 followers, 1,306 pins; boards covering various topics.
75. Crystal Boudloche, REALTOR, 492 followers, 4,107 pins; boards covering various topics.
76. Laura Duke Augusta’s Realtor, 491 followers, 3,885 pins; boards covering various topics.
77. Kim Gartner, Texas REALTOR®, 481 followers, 3,009 pins; boards covering various topics.
78. The Ashby Real Estate Team, 473 followers, 719 pins; boards covering various topics.
79. Crystal Edwards-REALTOR®, 473 followers, 2,178 pins; boards covering various topics.
80. Phx Pike-Realtor, 470 followers, 10,516 pins; boards covering various topics.
81. Anita Clark Realtor, 455 followers, 1,708 pins; boards covering various topics.
82. Sonya Allen-Realtor, 448 followers, 3,209 pins; boards covering various topics.
83. Kay Horacefield, REALTOR, 444 followers, 1,653 pins; boards covering various topics.
84. Tessa Dempster-realtor, 443 followers, 1,909 pins; boards covering various topics.
85. Renée Pellét, Realtor, 437 followers, 3,246 pins; boards covering various topics.
86. Cressy & Everett Real Estate, 427 followers, 794 pins; boards focusing mainly on homes and real estate.
87. Julie Dillard Nolfo- Realtor, 416 followers, 8,128 pins boards covering various topics.
88. Marisa Whitaker, Realtor, 412 followers, 3,552 pins; boards covering various topics.
89. Robyn Porter, REALTOR, 400 followers, 3,065 pins; boards covering various topics.
90. Kelly Kneeland- Realtor, 395 followers, 1,220 pins; boards covering various topics.
91. Lainie Ramsey-Realtor, 392 followers, 1,681 pins; boards covering various topics.
92. Siesta Key Real Estate, 391 followers, 136 pins; boards focused on real estate.
93. Smith & Associates Real Estate, 387 followers, 1,620 pins; boards focusing mainly on homes and real estate.
94. Gottesman Residential Real Estate, 372 followers, 3,219 pins; boards focusing mainly on home, design and real estate.
95. Tony R. Green, REALTOR®, 382 followers, 1,062 pins; boards covering various topics.
96. Kimberly McCampbell, Realtor, 361 followers, 5,026 pins; boards covering various topics.
97. Becky Roenspie – Realtor, 360 followers, 1,726 pins; boards covering various topics.
98. Sinden Harum- Wenatchee Realtor, 375 followers, 1,308 pins; boards covering various topics.
99. JADE & Co. Real Estate, 351 followers, 1,687 pins; boards covering various topics.
100. Lori Thompson- Realtor, 358 followers, 6,267 pins; boards covering various topics.

Do you know any great real estate Pinterest accounts? Send us your recommendations and we’ll add them to our list!

Later edit: I am always happy to see your comments and recommendations so, in addition to the list above, I am also suggesting you to add on Pinterest:

• Lynn Pineda,  2,235 followers, 4,751 pins; boards covering various topics, but with an important focus on real estate.
• Bill Gasset, 5,352 followers, 4,739 pins; boards covering various topics.

photo credit: Rosaura Ochoa via photopin cc

“While I’m all about using social media automation the right way to get your messages out there, make sure you are taking time to engage on social media in real time as well,” Leiter writes in Social Media Today. She notes that there are certain shortcuts that will cause people to disconnect from your social media persona. Here’s what she suggests you should avoid:

Automatic “Thank you for following me” messages on Twitter: Many brands and identities on Twitter will set up a message to arrive in the inbox of anyone who follows them on the microblogging platform. These messages usually thank the person for deciding to follow them and direct the follower to seek out the handle on other social networks, such as Facebook.

“They aren’t personal, they aren’t affective and if you’re like me, they really make you want to UNfollow that person right away,” Leiter says.

Being unresponsive to social contact from others: Don’t just spew your content out; make sure you’re listening, too. “As a small business, I know you probably don’t have as much time for social media as you wish. If you’re keeping your social media in-house, a good rule of thumb is to immediately respond to any fires that need to be put out and then respond within at least 24 hours to any other types of engagement,” Leiter writes.

Cross posting the same messages on every platform: You should tailor your messaging so that it fits the location where you’re posting it. “Every social media platform is different,” Leiter says. “Don’t just post a blog post with the same title across multiple platforms. This tends to make you appear as robotic and generally doesn’t spark good engagement.”

Simply retweeting/sharing other people’s content: It may seem easier than taking the time to add your own voice, but you need to give people a good reason to follow you. “Don’t do what everyone else is doing. Create your own unique content. Be your own person!” Leiter says.

Given its demographic skew towards affluent professionals, LinkedIn is a great place for commercial real estate agents to connect with a very valuable target audience. However, professionals buy and sell their own houses and properties too. That means LinkedIn is also a great tool for residential real estate professionals to build relationships that lead to sales.

Of course, some realtors are better at leveraging LinkedIn to grow their businesses than others. Here are 10 creative ways realtors use LinkedIn to get better results from their efforts.

Profile Development & Community Participation

The first step to effectively leveraging LinkedIn to build a realtor’s business is creating a profile and getting involved. The most successful realtors invest the time and energy to create a 100-percent complete profile, and they prioritize two important activities.

1. Recommendations: As realtors connect with other people on LinkedIn, the most successful among them understand that LinkedIn recommendations are equivalent to testimonials. Since the vast majority of a real estate agent’s business comes from referrals, LinkedIn recommendations are a critical piece of the agent’s profile.

2. Company Page: There is no doubt that people can be more powerful as part of a team than alone, so it makes sense for realtors to make sure the brokers or firms they work for are included in their profiles. Realtors should also make sure that they appear in the employee lists in their employers’ LinkedIn Company Pages. Every extra piece of exposure helps!

LinkedIn Apps

The most successful realtors know that there is more to LinkedIn than a profile and updates. They know there are additional apps to help them get even more benefits from the time they spend connecting and communicating with people on LinkedIn.

For example, realtors can feed their blogs and Twitter updates directly to their LinkedIn profiles and share videos and images too. Here are several useful apps that realtors can use to generate more business.

3. Company Buzz: With the Company Buzz app, real estate agents can monitor keywords related to their business or local market used in Twitter updates without leaving their LinkedIn accounts. When keyword matches are detected, the realtor can jump into the conversation in real-time. For example, a realtor could enter keywords like “realtor,” “sell,” “house,” along with his or her town into Company Buzz and monitor local tweets from people who might be looking for a realtor.

4. Polls: The Polls app offers an easy way for realtors to interact with their own LinkedIn networks or to gather information from the entire LinkedIn network. Asking a question to all LinkedIn members offers an opportunity to get in front of a broader audience while gathering useful market research information at the same time.

5. SlideShare: For realtors who know how to make PowerPoint presentations to creatively offer tutorials, house tours, and so on, the SlideShare app is a fantastic way to share that content to the LinkedIn audience. The SlideShare app adds another multimedia experience to further engage the realtor’s audience.

LinkedIn Features

The most important thing that a realtor can do to stand out in the crowded LinkedIn community is to be active and use the many built-in features that LinkedIn provides to connect with a broader audience.

6. LinkedIn Groups: LinkedIn-savvy realtors know that when they join a LinkedIn Group, they can connect with every other member of that Group. Therefore, joining local LinkedIn Groups, and Groups that a realtor’s target audience belongs to, is a great way to communicate with key individuals that could ultimately lead to new business. It’s easy to search for Groups by keywords, location, and more, and often the realtors who have the most success on LinkedIn are members of many different Groups.

7. LinkedIn Ads: An affordable and effective way to advertise a realtor’s services is through LinkedIn Ads, which can be targeted by location and a variety of other criteria. Success with LinkedIn Ads comes with patience and testing. Realtors who find success advertising on LinkedIn are usually the ones that don’t give up after a single attempt.

© vladgrin – Fotolia.com

• Cost effective- One of the best things about using Instagram is that it allows you to promote your services and/or homes for free.  There are no limits when it comes to the amount of pictures or posts.  Whether you have sold millions dollars of real estate or an agent who is just starting out- you can save a significant amount of money by using Instagram.
• Photo sharing- As a real estate agent, you know how important pictures can be.  Photos have the ability to evoke emotional responses from your clients.  Visual marketing is becoming increasingly important and the main purpose of Instagram is to share photos.
• High visibility- Photos and posts that are shared on Instagram get a high level of visibility.  Every single post will end up on the news feed of your followers.  Unlike tweets on Twitter, your photos on Instagram do not get archived.  This means that your posts and pictures will live on forever.
• Aesthetically appealing- You can make your pictures and page aesthetically appealing by adding a picture frame or use color photo filters.
• Online search- Believe it or not, the majority of people who are looking for a home start their search online.  People like looking for homes in a no-pressure sales environment.  Having a presence and posting pictures on Instagram can help you reach those buyers.
• Rise in popularity- Instagram is a social media site that is rising in popularity.  In fact, they are growing faster than Facebook and Twitter.  Over the last couple of years, a couple of million users have signed up for Instagram.  As Instagram’s popularity increases, you and your site will receive more exposure.

Tips on using Instagram

• Experiment with angles and lighting- Real estate agents can promote their properties by experimenting with angles and lighting when they take pictures.  Seeing a home in a different light can make a big difference.
• Add a filter- Agents can add a filter that fits and enhances the property perfectly.  Agents can use the Lo-Fi filter to add some color and warmth to a photo.
• Take close-up shots- Agents should take close-up shots of special features on properties.  This will give your customers a chance to see the details.
• Be active- Agents can keep clients excited about their page by staying active on Instagram.  You can stay active by keeping your website updated, posting pictures every week, and increasing your followers.  An easy way to increase your followers is to like and share other people’s pictures.  People are more likely to follow your page and look at your pictures when you make the initial connection.
• Connect with your other social media sites- You can connect your Instagram account with your other social media sites in order to increase your exposure.

Jeanette Swan is a Realty Biz News Contributing Writer

The primary reason why REALTORS need to be using the platform is that Houzz is where REALTORS can find a bounty of prospective homebuyers from all over the country. Once REALTORS set up their own personal Houzz account, they can market and share pictures of the homes they’re selling then monitor what other users are talking about, what their interests are and what is important to them when looking for a home to purchase. Bring up Houzz in a group of homeowners or prospective homebuyers and you are sure to get someone’s attention; Houzz now has more than 12 million users! Houzz is the perfect platform for REALTORS to get into the mindset of today’s homebuyer, discover what they need and influence their buying decision.

To get started on Houzz, set up a free account and spend time browsing through pictures of homes, room, colors and ideas from around the world. Save images to “Ideabooks,” find local pros for expert advice, start a discussion then begin to share photos of listings, which can be organized into albums.

After the initial setup process is complete, it’s important to provide details for the photos and give Houzz users a reason to call and inquire about other listings. Any and every detail can be included, from the paint color to cabinets or the brick, for potential homebuyers to see up close. If they don’t find the information they need, Houzz users can leave a comment and REALTORS should answer promptly. A home’s amenities as well as its community and nearby school districts can be advertised as well.

Ready to be a part of the Houzz community? Visit Houzz to start gathering inspiration and connecting with local, prospective homebuyers as well as other REALTORS. Houzz makes the process of listing a home a lot more enjoyable.

MetroTex Association of REALTORS® represents more than 13,000 real estate professionals involved in all aspects of the real estate industry. Established in 1917, MetroTex represents the entire North Texas region as the areas largest REALTOR association. MetroTex is an advocate for the real estate industry, the real estate professional and private property rights.

Social media can help you a suitable roommate, provided that you know how to search. Posting a status update is not always enough – depending on your network, and privacy settings, your message may fail to reach the right audience. Although the infographic below is designed to help you find a college roommate, some of the rules apply to finding any roommate, in general.

On Facebook, you have RoomSync, a roommate matching app, which allows you to browse through potential roommates based on lifestyle preferences, academic majors, mutual friends and more. The app even suggests roommates by their interests listed on Facebook.

In addition to the tips provided by the infographic, we also suggest the following tips.

Look for Facebook groups and post your message there too. Many universities have Facebook groups where students can communicate with other students, on several issues, not only finding a roommate.

To amplify your message, you can consider paying to boost your Facebook status update about looking for a roommate, or even creating a targeted ad. Facebook ads are highly customizable, affordable, and can be targeted to reach only the demographics (gender, age) you are looking for.

Even Twitter can be a good platform to find a roommate. A search for #roommate on the social media, however, reveals a lot of results, many irrelevant rants from bored users, relating day-to-day roommate details at random. Your message may get lost in the clutter. Refine search by adding the name of the city where you want to find the roommate.

Both Facebook and Twitter allow (and encourage) the use of hashtags to cut through the noise. For additional tips, see the infographic below.

It doesn’t cost anything to join Poplar, and members are able to create profiles to promote their work experience, education and professional credentials. In addition they are able to connect with anyone on the Internet through interactive questions and answers. Members can also choose to receive e-mail alerts when new information is posted on green building topics and interests.

Rob Freeman, founder of Poplar said, “After releasing our Beta site at the Greenbuild Conference in San Francisco, it’s great to formally launch and start to roll out our LEED and green building education products and partnerships. We just getting started delivering the highest quality green building training available.”

Poplar offers a full LEED Green Associate training curriculum.  Members gain access to free practice tests for the LEED Green Associate and NAB CEP solar photovoltaic exams. Members also received other tools such as a comprehensive LEED Credential Maintenance Program guide. LEED professionals who are enrolled in the LEED credential maintenance can become contributors and are able to submit guest posts about green building or L EED that can be published in the Poplar News section. They can claim 3 LEED continuing education hours for each article published.

Poplar is in partnership with GreenStep Education to offer LEED AP exam preparation tools and access to the LEED Project Experience Program. This offers the professionals the opportunity to work on an LEED registered project from almost anywhere as it is 100% online, and it provides eligibility for the LEED AP exam. Alex Spilger, founder of GreenStep has years of experience overseeing high profile LEED certification projects for companies such as Skype, Twitter, Google, Oracle and AirBnB.

Anyone interested in learning more about Poplar, or in creating a member account can visit their website.

photo credit: Rosaura Ochoa via photopin cc

Many websites out there that include these sharing features use a handful of platforms like AddThis or ShareThis, which provide not only a way for website viewers to share your content, but also a variety of great analytic and developer tools that enhance your website and  web marketing capabilities. And if you’re familiar with AddThis or Share This, or have seen these tools on your favorite real estate websites before, there usually always seems to be links to Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and even Google+, which seems to slowly but surely gaining momentum. However, often times, there might able be an additional “Share” button that populates dozens of other, more obscure, social media sites that many of us [probably] don’t recognize.

If you’re like me, perhaps you’ve always been curious about what some of these sites are and who exactly uses each one. Most of us waste enough time on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest as it is, so who really has the time to update even just a few more social media sites, let alone a few dozen?

In any case, the fact that this many social sites actually exist is still fascinating to me, so without further ado, here’s my list of 10 social media sites you likely don’t recognize or have never used:

Keek: The best way to describe Keek is that it’s basically like Twitter, but for video.  You’re all familiar with the word “tweet” and how it relates to a 140 character (or less) post or status update on your Twitter account, right? Well, “Keeks” are basically 36-second (or less) video status updates that you can upload from a webcam, computer, or smartphone.       

BizSugar: BizSuagr is basically the place to share all your content, blog posts, or videos about small business news, tips, tricks, and trades of the small business world. What makes BizSugar unique is that it allows users to share their content while simultaneously make new connections and network with other small business owners and professionals.

Squidoo: This user-generated website allows users to create their own web-pages, called lenses, for their specific areas of interest. Those pages can then be used to sell products or promote their business, charity, or organization. Page (lense) topics range from food, hobbies, and art to travel, music, and entertainment.

Kaboodle: The Kaboodle platform looks a lot like Pinterest, but instead of being able to post random photos of anything, Kaboodle is basically a social shopping website that allows users to post photos of itmes and products for sale. Shop or share anything from home décor products to books, clothing, or kitchenware using Kaboodle.com.

Newsvine: Based in Seattle, Newsvine gives users the ability to stream and publish articles for topics they’re interested in and comment on such articles right from their Newsvine account—as opposed to commenting on each specific news site that originally published the article.

Bebo: Launched in 2005, Bebo is just like your typical social networking website. Users can post blogs, photos, videos, music, and questionnaires—which other user can answer—and many find it to be very similar to Facebook.

Dudu: Looking for a way to communicate with internet users who speak different languages? If so, join Dudu.com—the multilingual social network with unique and state-of-the-art translation technology. Currently, English, Russian, and Arabic are supported by Dudu.com, but Turkish, Chinese, and some of the widely-used European languages should be added shortly.

Camyoo: Camyoo is described as a picture and video sharing site that’s specifically for all the photographers, videographers, and critics out there who love seeing new images and video people create. Upload all your videos and photos from your computer or even through your smartphone.

Blinklist: Have you ever come across a cool or useful webpage and then days later want to access it but can’t find it? There’s no denying it—this has happened to all of us. If you’d like an easy and effective way to avoid this problem again, check out Blinklist—a great way to share and save links for later. With BlinkList.com, save a copy of any webpage or link and access it from any computer in any place. Also share these links with friends in just one simple click.

Quora: Need an answer to a question? Join Quora. Ask any question and get real answers, from real people. Simply put, Quora is basically the Facebook for questions and answers.

The RSIMedia article asked whether Pinterest is a worthwhile use of time and energy to market a real estate practise, as it is essentially a social network. Pinterest is centered on the construction of a personalized virtual pinboard that allows users to ‘pin’ content such as images and videos.  The article also cited recent reports that Pinterest had more than 11 million users in the States, with more recurring traffic than Google+ and nearly as much as Twitter. Twitter is already a staple in most real estate agents online toolbox. The article concluded that Pinterest should be explored as a tool for real estate practises, and also pledged to follow up with discussions on how to use it successfully in later writings.

REMI fully supports efforts by real estate businesses to use Pinterest and other pinning sites in marketing campaigns, and believes such sites can be successfully used in a number of different ways. These sites are easy to maintain and can include listing pictures or postcards, as well as unrelated images that could help to not only paint a picture of an agent’s catalogue, but also of their life outside real estate. However some agents will prefer to stick to using these sites purely for listing properties, and there are a number of realtor specific sites already set up for this purpose.

The Real Estate marketing Insider has published a statement on its opinions to the usefulness of Pinterest and other pinning websites for real estate professionals. It does support Pinterest as a marketing tool, but advises agents to explore other pinning sites that are specific to real estate as well.

The Real Estate Marketing Insider is an online journal for realtors, investors and homeowners. It offers market analysis, breaking news and advice for today’s real estate market.