Social media can transform the way you market your real estate business. It’s an excellent way to reach the audience that would bring the most value to your business all while spending far less money than traditional advertising would cost. If this sounds like a magic bullet solution, now is a good time to be honest.
It’s very easy to make mistakes and not get much value out of your social media efforts.
Before you get discouraged, know that there are solutions to these common mistakes and your strategy can be tweaked to yield results more in line with the success stories that so many other businesses have experienced thanks to social media marketing.
Real estate is a particularly difficult industry to make real headway in when it comes to social media because the field is so crowded. There are so many real estate agents looking for the same business and using the same marketing strategies to try and stand apart. However, if you’ve been trying to make inroads with social and you’re not getting the results you want, chances are good the competition is running into the same problems.
Let’s identify what some of those common issues are and then address how to correct them.
Common friction points for realtors
Probably the biggest issue that realtors face when it comes to social media is the perception that nothing that is being posted is actually leading to meaningful conversions. SEMRush, who are leaders in the field of SEO and analytics, have tackled this with great detail.
The biggest question to ask yourself when wondering about conversions is “is this content really not converting, or is it falling on deaf ears?” When you reframe the question like that, the thought process becomes more constructive. Rather than focusing on social media being “a failure,” you can now take the necessary steps to reach the right audience.
[clickToTweet tweet=”Rather than focusing on social media being “a failure,” take the steps to reach the right audience.” quote=”Rather than focusing on social media being “a failure,” take the steps to reach the right audience.”]
Another thing to keep in mind is that you have to think of social media as an online community to foster rather than an echo chamber. Communities can be both good and bad depending on what kind of interactions you get, but that comes with the territory. That could be why so many realtors play it safe by using social media just to blast out advertisements.
Ultimately, if your social media isn’t getting much engagement, it could be because you’re not doing enough to stand apart from the crowd. And there’s a good chance that crowd is making the mistake of producing content that doesn’t give its intended audience any real value. So, by making an effort to better understand your audience, you can leave that crowd behind.
Understanding your audience
If you aren’t familiar with the concept of social listening, then it’s time to start engaging in it. Listen to what people are saying about your business, to your business, and about your industry in general. Find people that are having conversations about home buying or selling. By being able to identify what real people are searching for and talking about, you can come up with content that will actually meet their needs.
Here are some important things that every realtor needs to understand about their audience on social media:
The first is that your audience is not made up of experts in your field. While you, as a real estate agent, are a subject matter expert when it comes to property, your typical buyer or seller is not. They just want a home they can enjoy living in at a price they can afford.
Second, you have to develop an understanding of the different segments of your audience and then cater to each. For example, some people want to know more about areas that they might want to live in. They haven’t really decided, but they can be persuaded because some initial interest is there.
Finally, you have to recognize what these potential customers actually need from a real estate agent. This could be anything from a better understanding of the school system to property taxes. Listen and find out what the most common questions are and then capitalize on that.
Auditing your content
Now that you’ve refocused your efforts to better meet your audience’s needs, it would be wise to do a content audit. In the world of social media, generally speaking, what’s done is done. You don’t necessarily need to go back and delete posts because they probably aren’t getting much traffic now. But, for the future, you need a new game plan
Ask yourself these questions:
- Is your content relevant to non-experts? Some of the least trafficked content on social media consists of posts that are of interest to narrow audiences of professionals. In real estate, that won’t help.
- Do you use a lot of photos and video? You need to. Visual content gets far more engagement than simple text content. Also, real estate is a field that relies heavily on visuals. Video tours of a house will garner far more interest than a text description, no matter how floral your prose is.
- Finally, ask yourself what your value proposition is. Frankly, your social media shouldn’t be about you. Churning out listings won’t get traffic. People want to engage with genuinely interesting content that requests feedback. You have to develop a voice that sets you apart. What makes you unique?
Roadmap for turning around dull profiles
This is where you have to really put the work in. It’s at this point that many realtors find they simply don’t enough time to devote to getting their social media off the ground. You may even consider hiring a social media manager at this point or partner with an agency to handle your various social accounts for you.
No matter what route you end up taking, these are some of the steps you’ll need to take to revitalize your social media profiles.
Developing a content bank ahead of time that you can then pull from over the course of a month or two to create posts will save you time and headaches. Running out of things to post can derail you quickly. Because you want to post on a consistent schedule and not have huge gaps of silence, it’s important not to create content as you need it. Always have reserves to pull from.
Additionally, think outside of the box when it comes to content. By all means, invest in high-quality videos and photography. But, also think about other kinds of media. Perform interviews with school officials. People want diverse content. They consume it all quickly while multitasking. On demand, easy to access content that you can absorb while at work is very popular.
People want diverse content. They consume it all quickly while multitasking. On demand, easy to access content that you can absorb while at work is very popular.
Focusing on professionalism and establishing trust will eventually lead to success. Sprinkle in more “ad-like” content like listings amongst the more interesting and interactive content. That’s when you’ll start to see conversions.
We can help
If the prospect of having to establish and execute a content strategy like that has you reeling in the face of your already heavy daily workload, the team at Steady Demand is here to help. Contact us today and our experts will help you find the solution that makes the most sense for your business.