As social media continues to become more intertwined with our ecosystem and everyday way of living, it’s becoming more perilous to not use it for business means. 90% of millennials (ages 18-29) use social media, which is nearly everyone. In September of 2015, Instagram hit 400 monthly users, surpassing Twitter. Not only does social allow you to reach new audience members (in particular the Millennial audience) and create awareness in your community but it’s also effective in driving traffic. While there are many advantages to using social media to help sell homes, finding the time to do it effectively, can be a task.
To the newcomer, entering the social media arena can be overwhelming. RealtyONEGroup is here to give you the basics and share a few pointers.
Spend Your Money Wisely
Every social networking platform has a litany of advertising options from the Pin It button to paid YouTube ads. Depending on your target audience and demographic, take a close look at which platform is best to spend a few bucks on. You might reach more people on Facebook but find that Twitter gives you better leads. No matter where you spend your advertising budget, track everything and see which yields the best results. There’s no reason to not be advertising somewhere on social. Social is now viewed as the second-most effective digital tactic for customer retention, behind only email. Many continue to hop on the bandwagon and the strength of social only continues to grow with time. Whether you’re trying to recruit more agents or sell more homes, take social media advertising seriously when you’re planning your marketing budget.
Provide Something Unique
What makes you different from other realtors in the area? Is it your experience, your understanding of the area or something else? Social media is the place to let other people see that and get to know you personally as a realtor! Selling or buying a home is one of the biggest decisions a person can make in their lives. Opening the window on how you do your business and what separates you from others gives you a distinct advantage when people are deciding who to go with. Considering that 60% of buyers google their agent, it’s good to be on the safe side and build a social media repertoire that shows off your business acumen and personality. Just remember to keep it pg.
Make Sure Your Content Matches Your End Goal
This is probably the easiest aspect of your social media marketing plan to get wrong. If your goal for your real estate business is to sell more homes, all the content you share should align with that. Pictures of homes, home decor tips and pictures of homes sold with happy customers all make for great content that aligns properly with that goal. A picture of your dog...not so much. The most effective social media posts are ones that connect and resonate with your audience.
Use Appropriate Visuals
The key to building successful word of mouth campaigns is to use visuals that really sell it. Ditch blurry photos with bad lighting. If you’re equipped with a smartphone and a photo editing app, there’s no excuse not to have great photos to pair with your social media. Looking to go the extra mile? Use video. Facebook now sees 8 billion average daily video views which is pretty impressive.
Want to jump start your social media for real estate? Post a picture using the hashtag #RealtyONEGroup of a fantastic home you’re trying to sell.
