The real estate industry is one that is often clothed in the hand-me-down gentleman’s smoking jacket of conservatism and tradition. There is a formula to selling houses, some will say, and the reason it is done in a particular way is because that way works, and has always worked.
The reality, however, is that the real estate industry is none too different from any other commercial enterprise. Sure, the sums transacted might be of a significantly larger value. And sure people aren’t going to be flicking through internet feeds and stumble across an impulse-purchasable house, as they might a pair of shoes. But you may be pleasantly surprised at exactly how effective a well-managed marketing campaign can be for your real estate business.
By firstly having a presence on social media, then making that presence work for you, you’re maximizing your exposure to your ideal audience by potentially putting yourself in front of their face whenever they scroll through their social feeds.
And the best part? If you choose it to be, social media marketing can be 100 percent free. Whether it’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or LinkedIn, a swathe of new marketing avenues are just click away.
So let’s have a look at ways you can build your social media marketing up, brick by brick, from sturdy foundations. Let’s also see how many bad house references I can insert into this article. My guess? A shedload. Does that count? I don’t know.
Use Your Listings As Posts
You’ve got houses to sell. Sell them. Using social media will get more eyes on the property, and using the paid ads system of sites such as Facebook, for a small investment you can get whatever post you want in front of a hand selected group of people.
But be aware – posts on social media aren’t print ads, and can’t be treated as such. You want to keep it super light, and make sure the feel of the post keeps with the overall feel of your Facebook page. Remember, engagement is the key, so keep it engaging.
The old business rule of 80/20 should also be kept in effect here. Only 20 percent of your posts should be a direct sell. As for the other 80 percent, keep it reserved for sharing relevant articles, posting fun updates, or you could…
Post About Your Area
The first thing you need to know about engagement – people are looking for posts that they can relate to. In real estate terms, this means posting about your local area.
A fun “where is this?” image game (image related posts perform far better than text only), a series of “welcome to your new house” posts, updates on local events; creativity is what will get people talking about you and your business.
Run Competitions
A time honored way to make your social media posts pop is to run an online competition. Competitions give you unfettered access to your audience, and will allow you to develop relationships, get to know customers’ likes and dislikes, and even subtly market your available properties.
A voting style contest that gives you feedback on a listing is a great way to leverage social media. Holding a photo competition on a newly listed house will give you a lot of material to use in advertisements. And by offering a weekend away or a sweet set of steak knives, everybody comes out a winner!
Don’t Forget Hashtags
A particularly pertinent tip for Twitter and Instagram accounts, using hashtags is vital to making your posts viewable to the general public. In search terms, posts without hashtags on Twitter and Instagram are the equivalent of Google trying to find a blank webpage. You haven’t given internet wanderers anything to grab a hold of.
Whether it’s a hashtag that identifies the area you’re in (e.g. #Brooklyn), or one that is related to your post (e.g. #newhometips), hashtags allow you and your posts to be hunted down by the masses.
The world of social media marketing is a new one, and one that is nowhere near an exact science. But by getting involved in social media now, and really spending time and effort in building an active presence, you’ll be right on the crest of this fresh and exciting marketing wave.
I’d put my house on it.
