Speeding Up Your Social Media Growth

When the National Association of Realtors (NAR) surveyed their members, over half reported that social media was of central importance to their business. Yet, 82% said their social media presence needed improvement. Because most people today do a significant portion of their home searches online, a strong social media presence and following is a crucial part of any realtor’s marketing plan.

With that in mind, we’ve got some helpful tips that will speed up growing your social media following. Through implementation of the following savvy, efficient, proven techniques, you’ll be able to speed up the growth of your social media presence.

The Basics

Through social media marketing, you’ll use social media platforms to connect with customers, generate leads, promote your brand, and network with other realtors within your niche. Even if you have no plans to make social media the cornerstone of your marketing efforts, we urge you to become familiar with effective social media use to enhance your preferred marketing strategies.

NAR conducted a survey in which realtors indicated that their best customer leads came from: social media (52%), building and strengthening customer relationships (31%), and various listing service websites (28%).

In the same survey, realtors also reported using Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn to connect with fellow realtors. If you don’t have professional profiles on each, it’s time to get started.

Creating or maintaining a social media profile is just the beginning. Social media marketing is an ongoing, evolving process that requires you to put in work several times per week to reap the full benefits.

What to Post

With each post, your goal is to invite your audience to choose your business. Keep your niche market at the forefront of your mind and create content that you expect to meet the needs of your ideal customers.

Social media users want to see high-quality photographs, enjoyable video tours, and occasional behind-the-scenes peeks with you. Remember that blurry or dark photographs, shaky video footage, and awkward “realtor caught in the mirror” shots will have the opposite effect, turning viewers away.  

When you’re on-camera, the key is to remain natural, personable, and engaging. If you need help loosening up in front of the camera, imagine that you’re speaking to a good friend, favorite client, or your mentor. Your clients want to see your personality shining through.

Where to Post

Each platform is best suited to slightly different types of content. Facebook and Facebook Messenger are great ways to make yourself available for longer conversations. Facebook’s format makes it ideal for sharing longer articles, going live, and scheduling automatic posting ahead of time.

Instagram is all about the visuals, so keep your IG content short and punchy. Showcase gorgeous photographs of properties, crisply edited (brief) video tours, and quick videos speaking directly to your audience. Instagram does offer a live interaction feature as well.

On Twitter, each tweet should contain a link to your own website or blog, a link to someone else’s engaging content, and a brief sentence or two discussing business or sharing your own content. On the heels of your tweet, stay available to interact with your clients. Small talk, networking, commenting, and business-related interactions are all appropriate and expected on this platform.

Use the following techniques to encourage engagement across your social media channels:

·   Reply to each comment and message you receive

·   Follow your followers

·   Like and comment on their posts

·   Use features like polls

·   Ask open-ended questions your followers will want to answer

·   Field questions during your live broadcasts

·   Stay professional, but let your personality shine through

Share Great Content

Not everything you post on your profiles needs to be original. In fact, you can gain followers more rapidly by promoting another realtor’s content, because they’ll likely reciprocate and share your content with their audience. Periodically, showcase businesses in your area, and (with permission) clients who are showing off how much they love the home you helped them purchase.

Strategically use your platform to create the best experience for your audience. As a reliable source of relevant information, appropriately themed entertainment, and clickable shared posts, you’ll likely see more interaction from your followers. Better engagement will boost your standing within a social media platform’s algorithm.

Hashtags

In the aughts, any casual Twitter user would have been forgiven for assuming hashtags were a flash-in-the-pan, a trend that would be gone overnight. However, the truth is that hashtags have been used to organize computer data since the late 1980s!

Today, hashtags are essential components of a social media post. Use hashtags that are common within your industry, your area, and your real estate niche. Pay attention to trending hashtags and use them when they mesh organically with your own content.

Hashtags will boost engagement, making it easier for new clients to find your content. You can also use hashtags to find and reach out to buyers and sellers alike.

Share Your Successes

Your social media can be more than a constant search for new business. Take time to celebrate your successes as well! Your clients will love having a moment in the spotlight as they enjoy their new home, and potential clients will take such posts as the glowing testimonials they are.  

Stay In Touch

Social media is a perfect place to stay in contact with your existing client base. Add them as friends, follow their profiles, and add supportive comments when they share updates and content. This will help you build organic connections with your clients, stay current with their lives, and remain fresh in their minds when they’re asked to recommend a real estate agent.

Real Estate Social Media pros, we know you’re among our ranks! What tips and tricks would you like to add? Let us know in the comments below.