The most successful real estate agents have earned the trust of their clients, and it doesn’t happen overnight. These relationships are built over time on friendly discussion, helpful advice, and thoughtful demonstrations of expertise. On all counts, social media can be an incredibly useful tool.
If you’re ready to start making the most of your social media accounts, here are a few tips for doing it right…
1) Create a Roadmap
One of the biggest marketing mistakes agents make is neglecting their existing social media presence. By planning ahead of time, you can help ensure that you always have something informative, entertaining, or just plain beautiful to post. Start by brainstorming what type of content you’d like to create — from video tours to team photos to blog posts. Be prepared to track your results using analytics to see what works.
2) Be Consistent
When it comes to social media marketing, the idea is to build credibility over time. In order to do that, you’ll need to create a schedule — and stick to it. The best posting times and frequencies can vary from one business to the next, but consistency is always key. That’s going to mean carving out time to work on content, and delegating when appropriate. Above all, make sure the schedule you create is sustainable.
3) Find the Right Tools
As a rule, you’ll want to post on platforms like Facebook and Instagram at least once a day — and far more often for Twitter. When things get hectic, these daily tasks are easy to forget. Fortunately, there’s a wide variety of technology available to help you stay on track. Tools like CoSchedule and Buffer allow you to auto-schedule your posts, among other features.
4) Harness the Power of Images
One of the most powerful marketing tools that real estate agents have is beautiful images. From high-quality listing photos to vibrant neighbourhood shots, pictures really can be worth a thousand words. It’s why Instagram has become such a popular platform. To capture the imagination of your audience, consider investing in professional photos and design.
From detailed neighbourhood guides to small business shout-outs, community content is great for real estate agents. It helps showcase your local expertise, and buyers leads are always searching for it. It also gives you one more excuse to post beautiful pictures — and make buyers want to get out and explore the areas where you work. To make your content more easily-searchable, be sure to add location hashtags where appropriate.
6) Use What You Have
You won’t have to dig too deep to find social media inspiration. From your listings to your testimonials to fun photos of you on the job, you likely have a wealth of potential content at your fingertips. While it’s true that some posts will require more work than others, don’t discount what’s immediately available to you. Your followers want to see what’s on the market — and they want to get to know you, too.
7) Be Authentic
You may use social media for marketing, but that doesn’t mean it should be impersonal. The idea is to build credibility over time, and to become a part of your followers’ lives in a way that feels natural. You can only do that if the voice you’re putting out there is uniquely your own. In other words: be genuine. Your followers will know if you aren’t.
Most real estate agents are social people, but interpersonal skills don’t always come through on social media. The good news is that like any skill, you can strengthen it over time. By planning ahead and using your accounts in the right way, you’ll gain new insights into what your clients need, and build connections that last.
Interested in learning how Harvey Kalles Real Estate Ltd. can help you take your business to the next level? Reach out to learn how we can support you as you advance in your real estate career.
