There is no denying that social media is here to stay and, if managed properly, it can be a very powerful tool not only for promoting your real estate brand but for generating leads, building trust in your client base, and maximizing your efficiency online.
Here are 7 tips that will help you step-up your real estate social media marketing.
1. Location Targeted Pages on Facebook
Home buyers are looking for homes in very specific locations. You can easily create a Facebook page designed to attract only the people who are interested in buying or selling properties near you.
Just create a Facebook page that shows beautiful properties in your area, post to it daily, and occasionally post images and links to your listings when you need to promote them.
2. Make Local Pinterest Boards
Pinterest marketing offers an enormous opportunity for realtors to promote listings.
You can create a Pinterest board dedicated to your community, local DIY, events, teams, etc.
The goal is to get as many people to follow that board as possible.
Just remember to keep it local, to make sure your listings will be shown to the right people.
3. Twitter “Cold Calling”
Hashtags are often misinterpreted as a tactic with the sole purpose of increasing likes on social media posts. While hashtags do bring more engagement to your content, they also are a good way for you to find potential leads.
This is similar to cold calling. You come up with several tweets and then use twitter hashtag search (for example: #househunt #movingsoon #movingto #orlando) to locate and reach out to people who express an interest in buying soon in your area.
This can get you directly in front of clients looking to buy real estate in the near future.
4. Share your Client's Testimonials
When it comes to businesses (large and small), the success often depends heavily on word-of-mouth advertising. You can contact your previous clients and see if they are willing to give you any customer feedback. With testimonials, you can then use tools like Snappa to turn these quotes into social media content for your real estate social media marketing needs.
5. Time Your Posts Right
If you aren’t careful about the times you post on social media, then you aren’t reaching the largest possible audience. The best time to post depends on the type of social media page you’re using.
Facebook and Twitter posts get the widest circulation in the evening, later in the week. LinkedIn, on the other hand, gets the most traffic in the morning in the middle of the work week.
Many social media sites allow you to schedule your posts for peak hours, so your business can still have Social Media posts going even while the office is empty.
6. Promote the Town, not Just the House.
Home buyers want to know all the aspects of each town to which they're considering a move. Yet most real estate agents simply give buyers basic demographic statistics. Use your social media channels to give potential clients a richer understanding of the markets you serve, letting them know the pros and cons of each neighborhood.
Many cities have a "@CityOf ..." Twitter handle, which you can mention directly in your own tweets. Use these handles to promote properties you have listed in that city.
7. Make Use of Video Tours
Video Tours are a great option for connecting with your audience. They are dynamic and engaging, and typically perform well both in the algorithms and in engagement. Today, 45% of people watch more than an hour's worth of Facebook or YouTube videos a week.
It's tempting to skip the expense of shooting and editing a video, but online video is an important element of home marketing. Home buyers are visual buyers, and if done well, a video creates an emotional connection that you can't get from just a photo-based listing.