Think about your social media accounts. Let’s take Instagram, for example. Who do you follow? Of course, your friends, family, and celebrities you admire. And maybe a couple real estate influencers.
And then there are those people who are famous simple because of social media; some might call them “social media influencers.” What makes you like following them?
It’s not out of nowhere you’ve taken an interest in a random human on the internet. They’ve marketed themselves to be engaging, interesting, and relevant amongst their followers. And while your end goal isn’t necessarily to become one of the real estate influencers, these four lessons can help you make the most out of your time on social media and learn how to properly use social networking for your business.
Lesson #1: Have a loose strategy
While it’s great to have a social media content calendar or a monthly goal for your social media, don’t forget how you like to consume social media. Do your friends ever share photos with text going across their images in big cursive letters? Or… are they sharing mostly candid photos with a fun and personal caption. Chances are the latter.
Just because you’re using your social media as a tool for your business, doesn’t mean you can’t incorporate more personal content. Show your followers who you are, what you do for fun, how you spend your time outside of the office. Keep it professional but allow a potential client to get a sense of who you are.
Of course, you’ll post real estate content too. But when doing so, let’s not have the traditional “Just Listed!” cursive writing overlayed onto your photo. Instead, do a live video of you walking through the home, talking about why you love the space. Or maybe create a reel with engaging music added to it! It’s good to take your social media business account seriously, however, know that it’s called social media for a reason. It’s to engage with others and grow a connection by sharing real content.
Lesson #2: Don’t be shy to share
Compare your friend’s personal social media accounts with those of an influencer or someone who has a large following on social media. Chances are, your friends might post once or twice a week, while your influencers are posting every day (and throughout the day on their stories!). Why is that? Probably because your friends have a job to go to… but also, real estate influencers know that the more they post and share their lives, the more invested their followers will be, and the more the algorithm will favor their content.
Remember, unlike your friends, you’re trying to grow your business. So don’t be shy to share all the content, not just your “new listings”. Here are some ideas:
- What your day looks like as an agent (take them step by step and film your day!)
- Show them your home, why you chose it, and your personal experience with buying/selling
- Show them tips/tricks on how to understand the real estate industry (it’s an industry mostly everyone is interested in, but very few fully understand!)
- Share where you went out to dinner, your favorite local coffee shop, and secret hole-in-the-wall bar you love to go to
- Share what your home office looks like, and tips on how to stay focused while working from home
The world is your oyster when it comes to content so don’t be afraid to test and try new methods of content and see what performs well.
Lesson #3: Put the ‘social’ in social media
Social media was created to be social – and it’s not very social to log into your business accounts, create one post and then log out again. You can’t expect others to engage with you if you aren’t engaging with them.
- Ask questions: Nothing gets dialogue rolling like a simple question. Asking a question can instantly invite your followers into the conversation and engage their interests. Questions can be broad or specific. Either way, they allow for great insight into the minds of your audience and capture their attention.
Pro tip: If someone sees others are engaging with you, they are more likely to. Ask a question on Instagram stories and share all their responses back onto your story! This will allow you to keep the conversation going, and encourage others to join in.
- Have a timely response: When someone asks you a question via social media, not only is the answer itself important, but the time in which you answer is also important. When people are on social media, they want an immediate response. And if they message you a question, they’re expecting an answer in less than a few hours. Make sure to keep your notifications turned on and respond in a timely manner.
- Take a Poll: Allow your audience to express themselves. In the same way posing a general question encourages interaction, polls can garner attention on social media. By giving them options to choose from, you help your audience craft their responses quickly – making it even more convenient to engage. Don’t take these polls too seriously… Throw in some serious ones, fun ones, weird ones, thought-provoking ones. Remember you’re a real estate agent, but all your content doesn’t have to centered on selling houses.
Here’s a fun idea: Run a this-or-that poll with different home styles, different interiors, etc. Let your followers have fun choosing which dream home they would prefer, and then comment on what you would choose if you could!
- Utilize the Hashtag: Hashtags were created to bring people together. They help keywords stand out in the post itself, in addition to helping track the discussion regarding a specific topic and connecting with people using that hashtag.If the hashtag matters to your target audience, be sure to include it in your post. Effective hashtags are memorable, unique, and relevant. Make sure your hashtag isn’t too broad (#home) that it’ll get lost in the mix, but not too specific (#homeinseattleonlincolnstreet) that no one would ever think to find it.
Here’s a fun idea: Each time a client of yours sells with you, start a hashtag (#officiallymyhome) or a catchy hashtag that you can use on your social media. Eventually, you’ll have a whole collection of clients that have used this hashtag!
- Run a Contest: Everyone likes receiving gifts! Think about something that your audience would have significant interest in. Perhaps it’s tickets to a local event or a gift card to the best restaurant in town. Giveaways can be a great way to educate people on your brand, and you can ask people to tag their friends on your posts to increase brand awareness.
Lesson #4: Get Creative
Creativity is one of the most important pieces of a successful social media account(s). Whether you are the aesthetic agent with a curated feed, the hilarious agent that shares humor about your job and the real estate industry, or the educational and inspiring agent that teaches your followers about the industry, get creative with what makes you, you.
Step outside of the agent norm and find ways to express yourself and your personality with creativity. Look at the real estate influencers you follow, and you’ll quickly be able to identify their creativity in their posts.
While we aren’t trying to become real estate influencers, there is something we can learn from influencer marketing. Social media is an amazing tool if you put the work in. Get creative, get social, and get to posting!
Oh, and by the way, feel free to follow MoxiWorks on Instagram, LinkedIn and other social media channels for more tips, tricks, and content.
Happy posting!
