It’s no secret that in 2022, a good business strategy must involve social media marketing - the real estate industry is no different. Home buyers are searching the internet to find answers to their homebuying questions. A carefully-crafted social media strategy can help position a real estate professional as an expert in the field. This helps agents reach their desired target audiences and aids in lead generation efforts.
Which platforms should I use?
The social media platforms you use depend upon your target audience. You wouldn’t launch a Snapchat campaign to advertise commercial real estate. Check out where your competitors are online- it could be helpful in deciding where you plan to advertise.
A recent study from the National Association of Realtors noted that Facebook (90%), Instagram (52%), and LinkedIn (48% ), are the most used platforms for realtors.
Facebook for Business allows you to book appointments, curate reviews, and respond directly to your customers. You can also utilize Facebook ads to target potential clients.
With thousands of industry-related groups, LinkedIn is a great platform to network with other realtors and strengthen your online presence with your online resume.
Instagram’s visual tools allow agents to show off properties and create short videos (Stories) to educate your clients.
What kind of content should I post?
Content that is “all sales all the time” can potentially put off your audience. Your real estate content should contain a mix of personal and business topics and aim to provide real value to your audience. How can you educate buyers and sellers on topics they might not know everything about?
Creating great content will help position you as the “go-to” expert to call when they need help or have questions.
Here are some specific ideas for your social media posts:
- Virtual tours/videos promoting various open houses
- A blog talking about a personal experience you had that helped you grow
- Testimonials featuring success stories from previous clients
- Invite a colleague or industry partner to guest-star in a video talking about the real estate market
- A white paper designed to generate leads in which a potential client provides you with their contact information to receive access
- A gallery of property photos (Instagram’s carousel feature is great for this)
- A video educating people about a specific neighborhood you are selling in
- Company milestones
Above all, be sure to post consistently. Posting on a regular basis makes sure you are top-of-mind and lets people know that your business is doing well!
OK, I am active on social media. Now what?
It’s not enough to just make posts without evaluating their success. Pay attention to the types of content that generate the best audience response. Are you getting more leads from Instagram over Facebook? Do people seem to engage more with your videos over your blog posts? These kinds of important observations are essential to altering your strategy so that you are maximizing your social media efforts and doing more of what works.
To ensure you continue to gain followers, make sure people know where to find you online. Here are a few ways to keep your social media channels front and center:
- Add your social links to your e-mail signature (Try Hubspot’s free generator)
- Make sure you have social media links on your website
- If you have an e-mail newsletter, be sure your social media pages are linked
- Put your social media handles on your business cards
- If you have a blog, be sure to have a sharing mechanism so that people can easily share on social media
Finally, make sure you are actively engaging with your followers. Respond to comments, good or bad. Tag and give shoutouts to business partners and other thought leaders in your industry. Ask your followers questions to create engagement. After all, what is social media without the “social” aspect?
With a little effort, creativity, and the help of free or low-cost editing apps, your personal real estate social media strategy can really benefit your business.