Social media marketing: it’s nothing new. Yet it seems like this trend has only recently reached the real estate industry, but better late than never! More than half of internet users aged 25 to 34 use social media as a product-research tool and this key age demographic makes up 66% of homebuyers in the UK. This article explains why social media can be an impactful platform to promote real estate listings and how agents can use it to their advantage to boost reach and build connections of trust.
Why?
Specific Targeting
Social media platforms have access to a massive amount of data about their users: from household income, to spending habits and relationship statuses. Marketing on social media lets you identify your target audience and tailor your promotional efforts to their specific interests and needs. This allows you to access a wider reach and optimises the cost-effectiveness and efficiency of your marketing campaign.
Optimising Interaction
Social media marketing allows you to interact with your audience in their “natural habitat”. With millennials spending on average 2 to 3 hours a day on social media, it offers fruitful channels for direct communication. The possibility to instantly connect with your audience through commenting, posting and internal chats enables you to have a dynamic presence online and communicate with your audience more frequently. Being able to answer prospective buyers’ questions in a timelier fashion will contribute to high-quality customer service and will strengthen the relationship with existing clients.
Saves Time
Although having an active social media channel can be time-consuming, it will hugely benefit your business and will save you time in the long run. With access to comprehensive and relevant data on your clients and prospects, it is not always necessary to have initial in-person meetings to determine price ranges and needs. With direct messaging capabilities, you will save time answering enquiries and sending links to possible properties. Promoting listings on social media can also save you money on print and expensive advertising. Uploading videos and livestreaming property viewings can also help to broaden your potential buyer market, as it removes to need to be there physically, and busy prospective clients can look “on the go”.
Enhances Credibility
Buying a property is expensive. Therefore, people who are interested in such an investment need transparency and comprehensiveness. Social media marketing can help you to establish an image and enhance your brand credibility. Posting regular content and building camaraderie with clients through commenting and liking posts, can build a positive online environment for prospective clients. This is also important as it can be used to provide relevant information and advice to your audience. Posting content frequently allows you to attain the image of topical authority and shows that you’re an active player in the industry.
Improves Visibility
Social media is a major lead generator. Regular posts that link to your webpage and feature SEO friendly terminology will encourage more traffic to your page and boost your searchability on the internet. Moreover, social media marketing provides you the option to streamline content on different platforms which does not only enable you to extend your reach, but also enables you to interact with the same audience in different places. This helps to reinforce your message and visibility of your brand.
Builds a Network
Building a wider network will help you drive indirect sales. Posting relevant and informative content such as ‘How to Find the Best Mortgage Broker’ might prompt your followers to share it with their network and as a result, increase your visibility beyond your current audience. In addition, using social media platforms as part of your marketing strategy enables you to build a strong community with stakeholders other than just your consumer. It offers you the opportunity to connect with fellow real estate agents to gain insights on your competitors, see how they market their products, exchange ideas and get into collaborations.
How?
In short, social media marketing is a gold-mine ready to be exploited, but before you start crafting your marketing strategy, here’s a view tips on what content might help you optimise your efforts.
Be Comprehensive, Not Exhaustive
Your content must radiate confidence, so don’t be shy to post regularly and on multiple platforms to show your company milestones and list your properties. Consistent posting across different socials are noticed by algorithms as valuable information and helps to improves your SEO. Having an up-to-date feed full of your listings, and keeping on top of industry trends and providing tips and tricks on overcoming the struggles that come along with the purchase of property, reflects your expertise and know-how. However, the key is not to oversell! Use your social media to create an interesting and exciting presence that’s passionate about the real estate industry, rather than just use it a sales tool.
Be Part of The Community
Post about the neighbourhood! Share relevant content from locals, announce events in the area and feature neighbourhood walkthroughs to show the perks of the property and, thus, increase its value to your potential audience. Posting content like this radiates transparency and integrity and can be used to tap into the emotions of the audience and get them excited about their future home.
Engage Your Audience
Drive engagement by replying to comments, using and reposting user-generated content and inviting your audience to participate in contests. Try to keep content across different social media channels varied, so you’re not posting the same thing everywhere. Featuring success stories and customer testimonials will show audiences that you value their opinion and prioritise their happiness. This works extremely well with millennials as they are highly receptive to values of peers. Like and share buyer’s posts about their new property, and upload behind-the-scenes videos to give your audience a sneak peek into your properties and your business, triggering their curiosity and making them feel special.
Go Beyond Pictures
Posting high-resolution property photos prompts likes and engagement from people even outside your target audience, this is good as it helps to enlarge your reach and drive indirect sales. However, to optimise engagement you’ll need to post more than just head-turning pictures. In general, infographics and videos work well on social media as they represent information in a comprehensive yet digestible way and are often a striking way to catch your audience’s attention! Video content on most social media platforms play without the user needing to hit the play button, which is great for increasing audience engagement. Don’t forgot to sprinkle posts with hashtags, as these stimulate engagement and facilitate potential customers in the discovery of your brand.
Humanise Your Brand
Star in your own videos and let your personality shine through your social presence. Live-steaming and answering Q&A’s in a video will connect your brand to who you are, increasing your brand’s humanity, credibility and emotional value. As buying a house can be stressful, so a relatable and reassuring face can help strengthen the emotional connection between your brand and your (potential) consumer.
Optimise Your Profile
Make sure that your social media features complete and up-to-date information about your location, email address, phone number and website etc in order to drive (direct) leads. This also works the other way around. Feature your social media pages on your website, email signature and business cards to increase your searchability and improve your SEO. This will direct more traffic to your webpages and, thus, completes this circle.
Wrap Up
Social media marketing helps you find and engage with your target audience, optimises interaction with your potential clients, saves you time, enhances your brand credibility, visibility and searchability, and extends your network – which is vital in promoting your real estate listings!
If you have any questions or would like to talk to us about how Bold Content can create some impactful videos for your social media channels, please do not hesitate to give us a call. We love helping brands achieve dynamic and efficient marketing strategies.