Remington Begg
All real estate agents are noticing two major shifts: homebuyer aren’t getting any younger, and even the shrinking number of older homebuyers are connected on the internet. The savviest real estate agents are creating social media accounts to generate leads and maintain relationships with both past and prospective buyers. We detailed 5 of our best tips to help real estate agents increase social engagement and create more conversions.
Pick the right social media outlet
Choosing the right social media account is a matter of finding the right balance for your business. Although each has its own benefits, most social media platforms are optimized to help businesses succeed.Choosing the right social media platform to drive your real estate business will depend on your specific strategic needs.
Facebook is the most popular social media platform with 71% of US adults using it at least once every month. It is also the most popular with real estate agents because it’s used by 20-somethings buying a home for the first time, and older people looking for a place to retire. Linkedin is popular with business professionals, and often used by real estate agents to cultivate their professional network. Twitter is popular with larger businesses, but its nuances have caused embarrassing moments for major brands. If you love featuring beautiful photographs or flyovers for your listings, Instagram may be a great way to showcase your property.
Mix personality and business
In a real estate market dominated by the big names like Zillow and Trulia, social media allows agents to present what online listing services lack: a human face. Use your account to share your personality, your (non-controversial) interests, a meal at your favorite local restaurant, or a picture of your family enjoying a day by the ocean. By mixing your personality with updates on your new listings and sales, you allow prospects to get a sense of the positive experience you will provide.
Share Customer Reviews
Sharing customer reviews is the easiest way to build your online reputation. To begin, simply ask a few of your former clients to post a short review of your superior service. Use the tag and share features (available on every social platform), to share the post with your social community. If you use Facebook for your real estate business, your professional page already has a specific place for your customers to leave a review.
Always engage commenters: good or bad
“Engagement” is a bit of a buzzword in the marketing world, but for good reason! Engagement is the process of inviting your current and former clients to shape your brand with their participation. Although this term is usually associated with large businesses, it’s equally important for real estate agents to invite such participation. By engaging with client feedback, you learn what your customers really loved about their experience, which allows you to shift your focus to replicating that positive experience for future buyers. This customer-centric focus is the key to building and a strong and active community around your business. If you’re dealing with unwarranted negative feedback, engage the client by cordially explaining your perspective, experience, or policy. You cannot really control what people will say, but you can control your reaction.
Post original content
If you already have a social media account, chances are you follow other real estate professionals, experts, publications, brands, mortgage brokers, or business organizations. Although sharing articles from these different companies can be beneficial to growing your social media account, it’s important to focus on producing and posting your own original content. Creating and posting your own content is the best way to build demonstrate your expertise and build credibility; not to mention prospective clients will enjoy reading pieces you’ve actually authored. (If you are having trouble generating content ideas, read our post (link))
Beyond Social Media
Social Media is just the beginning of an effective marketing strategy. Download our free ebook, the Beginner’s Guide to Inbound Marketing for Real Estate Agents, to learn how to expand your marketing campaign far beyond social media. Download it today and you’ll learn new growth concepts like search engine optimization, analytics tracking, and mobile friendly user experience.
