Social Media Manager Todd Carpenter and Katie Raynolds, associate counsel for NAR, spoke to MLS communications executives about the how-to’s and cautions of social media. Topics included why social media is important, the type of content they should be posting and where to find it, protecting themselves from liability, and blog operations. While specific to Realtors, the topics and tips are useful for anyone dabbling in social media.

“With Facebook less is more,” said Carpenter. “People go to Facebook and get a stream of stuff – some is with friends, some that they subscribe to. In the case of NAR we have just under 49,000 subscribed, up from last year’s 20,000 and growing quickly. We now get more than 100,000 impressions on what we post there.”

Carpenter said as well that a recent study showed that more than half of NAR members are on social media.

“Go where your members are – Facebook, Twitter and so forth,” he told the audience. “Use social media as a listening tool. Look at comments good and bad – there might be something that you need to fix or just a miscommunication.”

About finding content, Carpenter had several suggestions, including duplication of content already produced for magazines, newsletter and MLS websites; and one or two good posts every week of the “best you can offer.” These posts could be about events, industry news, real estate discussions and association announcements.

“Make a plan for your social media,” he said. “Make a list of evergreen content you can post today, tomorrow or whenever. ” He said that if there are particular events or announcements, or news items that come out regularly on a given day, scheduled that, knowing what days you’ll have to fill with other content.

“You can come up with a big list of this [evergreen] stuff,” Carpenter said. “You could even put that same information out a couple of weeks later.”

Katie Raynolds addressed the liability and legal issues of social media and blogging. She named several potential risks, such as defamation, copyright infringament and anti-trust violations.

“Create a policy and stick to it,” she said. She then talked about the best practices and experiences of overseeing the NAR Realtors Property Resources blog.

“Website operators are generally immune from liability if they are merely providing a forum and not editing or encouraging the content that causes the liability,” she said.

Terms of Service should include a list of the kind of language that is acceptable, and this should even be included on your group’s Facebook page, she advised.

Addressing the issue of employees using social media, Raynolds said that a written policy should clarify the kind of activity you will monitor, whether it is work-related only or personal as well, and whether it only includes that conducted at the employer’s office or during work hours, or off-hours too.

“NAR doesn’t have a set-in-stone social media staff policy,” said Carpenter. “I think it’s important to look at how you’re spreading your presence. We allow  limited personal use. So much legitimate NAR social media access is going on that we wouldn’t consider blocking any usage. Even if he or she is talking about Lady Gaga he might be talking to a member and creating a relationship. That’s more powerful than a discussion around a water cooler.”

“If you’re going to enforce your employee social media usage policy, do so consistently and across the board, with a regular monitoring schedule not targeting specific individuals,” said Raynolds.

NAR provides a field guide to social networking, as well as a best practices guide with TOS check list.