A 2018 report from the National Association of REALTORS Research Group reports that 77% of real estate businesses use social media. The vast majority (97%) use Facebook. Other popular platforms include LinkedIn (59%) and Instagram (39%).
Using social media, however, doesn’t necessarily mean that agents know how to make the most of their interactions. The following crash course on social media marketing for real estate agents will provide some essential tips that agents can use to grow their client lists, attract interest in properties, and close more sales.
Research Your Target Audience’s Needs and Motivations
Social media marketing for real estate agents works best when agents understand the needs and motivations of their target market. If your clients want to buy multi-million dollar homes, it doesn’t make sense for you to post content about affordable housing.
The more you know about your clients, the more effective you can make your social media campaigns. Take time to learn about your audience or you will waste time and energy sharing posts that don’t motivate your clients.
Take a Strategic Approach by Setting and Adjusting Goals
Social media accounts let you track how many interactions and impressions your posts receive. Taking a strategic approach to social media marketing for real estate agents will help you determine what types of posts work best for you. Over time, you may decide that you want to adjust your approach to publishing content.
If you have a professional website or blog, you can use data from your publishing platform to decide which posts drive traffic to your site.
Make data a priority. Ideally, some experimentation will lead you to a social media strategy that helps you sell more properties. When you don’t get the results you want, take a step back to decide whether you need to change your strategy or stop wasting time on social media.
Learn What Types of Content Perform Best on Different Platforms
Different social media platforms excel at sharing certain types of content. Generally, you should:
- Share curated content (article summaries, guest posts, etc.) and videos on Facebook.
- High-resolution photos of houses, commercial properties, and land on Instagram.
- Thought leadership content intended to attract attention from other real estate professionals on LinkedIn.
Trends can change quickly, so pay close attention to the ways that successful real estate agents use their social media accounts. Don’t hesitate to follow a strategy that works well for someone else.
Use Hashtags to Help People Find Your Posts
Hashtags play an important role in helping social media users find posts that interest them. For example, a person who wants to buy an apartment in Los Angeles might search for the hashtag “#LAapartments” or “#LARentals.”
Plenty of online tools can help you research trending hashtags. You don’t have to spend money on a hashtag research service, though. Before you publish a post, read the tending hashtags in your market. You should also look at the hashtags your colleagues and competitors use. Who says you have to create an original hashtag for every post?
Write Captivating Copy That Will Encourage People to Click Links
Don’t share boring content on social media. With the wealth of information available online, no one will pay attention to lackluster posts. Social media marketing for real estate agents should include beautiful photographs of properties, calls to action to visit property profiles, and engaging descriptions of property amenities.
If one of the homes you want to sell has a stained glass window with an interesting history, share a picture of the window and tell its story. The combination will captivate people and encourage them to engage with the post. You might find the right buyer for that property online.
Respond to the People Who Interact With Your Posts
Real estate is an extremely social industry. Successful agents know how to get along with diverse people, read body language, and pay attention to subtle communications.
You need to bring that same perspective to social media. When someone interacts with your posts, you should repay the kindness. You don’t have to provide a full reply, but you should at least “like” the response. It shows that you pay attention to your account and take an interest in other people.
Use Tools to Schedule Your Social Media Posts
Consistent posting can help your social media account attract a larger following. Since real estate agents spend a lot of time working outside of their offices, they can’t always think about making content and posting it at times when their audiences are online.
You can make consistent social media marketing for real estate agents easier by adopting a tool that lets you schedule when your posts get published. Popular options include:
Explore plans offered by these services to find the prices and features that appeal to you. Once you sign up, spend some time one or two days per week creating social media posts and scheduling when they will get published.
Post Content About Emerging Trends in Your Area
As local trends evolve, social media marketing for real estate agents should also change. ProspectNow can help you stay ahead of emerging trends by giving you predictive analytics about residential and commercial properties. The database and its tools can help you focus on the latest properties to hit the market.
You can also predict which properties owners might want to sell soon. Reach out to them so you can get ahead of your competitors. ProspectNow includes the contact info of owners, so you won’t have to contact government offices.
Learn more about how ProspectNow can improve social media marketing for real estate agents by signing up for a free trial. If it works for you, you can choose a membership that makes social media more effective and leads to higher revenues.