How Social Media Helped Me Get Moving

In a recent blog post, I shared my experience diving into the world of social media. It really has made such a positive impact on my life! Here’s another example of how social media has helped make a complicated task more manageable: a move to a new home.

Twelve years ago, I moved into a new house with my husband, a two-year-old and six-month-old. The plan was to move into a neighbourhood with lots of kids, good local schools and a real sense of community.

Since then, a few things became very clear to me. Most notably, our kids go to a school a little outside of our immediate area, so I spend a lot of time driving them to and from school and their friends’ houses nearby. I wanted to send the kids to a school close to our home so we wouldn’t have to spend so much time in transit. The answer was to move! So much for saying “I will never move again.”

And so, our family decided to move. Of course, I was tasked with finding a place, researching neighbourhoods and fixing up the new house. I don’t know what I would have done without social media in my toolkit!

Researching neighbourhoods and real estate agents

I set to work researching houses and neighbourhoods. I went on realtor.ca and took the time to learn about the different neighbourhoods. I also found a real estate agent on LinkedIn. Lucky for me, a good friend of mine is a real estate agent and was highly rated on the site. She emailed me several examples of houses that sold in the neighbourhood to give me some indication of prices.

The perfect house in the perfect location

After a few years of searching, I found a house! While it took time to find the right home, it really hadn’t required a lot of work. Our new home is in an area near the school we want our kids to attend.

When we told them the news, my children were overjoyed! My teenager told me excitedly that the high school she would be attending was exactly a 10-minute walk and she could pick up her friends along the way (how did she know that? Google Maps, of course!). My son (who is nearly a teenager) told me exactly how many minutes it would take to bicycle to his friends. And my seven-year-old was excited about being closer to her friends and school. I felt like I had won the lottery!

Help with the move

Now I had to find a mover. Facebook is truly an incredible tool, and not just for keeping in touch with friends and family. Within a few minutes of posting my need for a mover, 10 people responded with contact information for movers they had used! Many tagged the person they used in the post itself, or the company Facebook page. The amazing thing about having a network of over 500 friends is that allows many people to see my posts and respond almost immediately. Additionally, these are also people I know and trust. I read through the comments and helpful reviews. Then, I go to the company Facebook page to see what they’re up to there. Seven friends recommended the same mover with very positive feedback, and a decision was made.

Fixing up our new place!


Next on the list was finding a contractor who could help make a few changes to the house. Again I went to Facebook to seek advice from my trusted friends and was rewarded with rave reviews about the same contractor by four different people. I contacted him to set up a meeting and then I went on Instagram and Pinterest to get some ideas for the renovation.

As you can see, local businesses can really benefit from getting active on social media. Their presence on Facebook, Pinterest or LinkedIn could make or break a decision. These online recommendations (or online word-of-mouth) are only amplified by a customer’s experience checking out the company page themselves. I am so grateful for these tools, and the impact they have had in helping me to plan a smooth move! I’ll be sure to add my comments to their social media feeds if and when I have a good experience to help spread the word a bit more.



At Schmooz Media, we understand that customers are your best brand ambassadors. That’s why we’re excited to create custom social media marketing strategies for small businesses, and take advantage of what their customers are already saying on social media. Schmooz Media is a Full Service Social Media Marketing Business, helping small-mid size businesses get the most social ROI possible. We’re passionate about giving your business actionable, measurable and meaningful results. Learn more about what Schmooz can do for you, or contact us with your inquiries today.