Social media marketing has its roots firmly set in almost every sector, especially real estate, and it continues to grow in popularity at an unprecedented pace. More and more real estate brokers, agents, and firms are using Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Google +, and other social media networks to display and provide information about the houses on sale and market updates.
Maintaining an active social presence is vital in this digital age. According to the National Association of Realtors’ latest report, about 99 percent of millennials search for homes on the Internet. This presents a huge opportunity for realtors to market their products and offerings, and bring their brand to the forefront to capture a larger target audience. They can easily track clients using analytics, participate in social engagement, drive traffic to their listings, and generate real estate leads. Using different social media marketing techniques, real estate agents can develop concrete relationships with clients and evaluate their needs to offer exactly what they are looking for.
So, if you are a realtor or real estate agency looking to add numbers to your clientele, you should consider including social media networks in your marketing strategy. Here are a few do’s and don’ts to help you create a highly effective, well-rounded strategy for your real estate business.
DO’S
1. Know Where Your Clients Are
Some realtors think that they need to maintain an online presence on all social media networks. However, juggling between different platforms can make it difficult for you to effectively reach your target audience online. While devising your social media marketing strategy, be sure to do your homework and determine which channels your clients are using.
According to Pew Research Center, about 79 percent people now use Facebook, while Twitter accounts for 24 percent of online adults, and 32 percent of adults online use Instagram. Each social media network offers a unique way of interacting with people and businesses, and has a specific user type. For example, LinkedIn is designed to connect professionals from all walks of life – you won’t find a lot of people looking to buy houses.
Since real estate is a visual market, you are likely to find your target audience on platforms like Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, and Facebook. These channels will help you analyze and monitor user engagement, and use insights to develop a thorough understanding of potential clients that are viewing, engaging, and sharing your posts.
2. Share In-Depth Insights of the Housing Market
Homebuyers, especially millennials, want to know all aspects of the housing market they want to buy a home in, including pros, cons, and special features. When sharing information about properties on sale, be sure to impart a richer understanding of the neighborhood and surrounding areas, instead of basic demographic statistics. Be honest, share your expert opinion, and become the real estate agent clients can rely on to get reliable information and guidance. By continually providing valuable advice, your followers will eventually establish trust and be willing to work with your based on your credibility.
3. Use Visuals to Showcase a Property
Visuals, like images and videos, give homebuyers a general idea about a property, and help determine whether it is a fit for their specific requirements. Platforms, like Instagram and Pinterest, can allow you to better highlight artful details of a property, which may not be apparent in photos on a real estate listing page. For example, you can take pictures in a way that shows how much natural light and air a home gets to provide the buyer with an idea. If possible, make a video and post it with the other information about the property. Videos can create a higher impact for social media marketing, as a single 30-40 second video can present a home in a better way than a slideshow of pictures.
4. Be Responsive, Always
One of the best ways to engage with your audience is to respond courteously and promptly to their comments on your posts. Some people may inquire about details of the property, while others may seek your expert insights – be sure to cater to your social media followers accordingly, as they might be your next client. A few people – like online bullies – may post abusive comments and try to badmouth your services. Don’t feel offended or be provoked of whatever they are saying, because if you respond to them in the same manner, it’s only going to affect your image. Instead, maintain your composure, inquire about the reason for their negativity, and try to resolve their problem.
DON’TS
1. Avoid Posting a Lot
No one likes posts of a single business popping up on their newsfeed all the time. Whatever you do, don’t post too often that it may become a nuisance for your followers. Opt for a quality-over-quantity approach, and couple it with testing out the best time to post on your social media page to determine when you get the highest number of views, likes, shares, and comments. Facebook and Twitter offers excellent insights about each posts, allowing you to assess their performance in terms of engagement. You can even use scheduling tools to streamline the posting process, so that you don’t have to worry not being able to post on your page when you are out showing properties to clients.
2. Never Tamper the Property Info and Listing Features
Posting information, pictures, and videos on your social media page are important to help potential buyers get an idea of the home. However, some realtors tend to exaggerate about features and add a few things on their own to make the property appear more appealing to the clients. This is in direct violation to the Code of Ethics set forth by the National Association of REALTORS®. It clearly states that changing information and media of listings can hurt agents’ reputation and credibility, and will only land them in hot water. It is advisable to steer clear from any such practices and provide your followers with unaltered media and true information.
3. Not Posting Fresh Content
Real estate agents tend to circulate their old posts over and over again, in hopes that it will capture more attention. Your audience needs something different and new to stay engaged and come back to your social media page. Finding and sharing relevant content from authoritative sources, such as from real estate bloggers, brands, experts, firms, and organizations, can keep your audience engaged for long. It is a good change to provide informative, interesting posts every once in a while instead of just posting about properties on sale.
Whether you are crafting your social media marketing strategy or already have one in place, be sure to keep these do’s and don’ts in mind to ensure you get maximum exposure and genuine leads from your social media pages.
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