Katie Lance, CEO and founder of Katie Lance Consulting focuses on social media for real estate, believing it to be a significant opportunity for agents and brokers to communicate with potential prospects, market themselves and their listings and build their business.
Social media puts everyone on a level playing field, she adds.
Lance’s #GetSocialSmart handbook helps those trying to hone their strategy while her #GetSocialSmart Academy allows member agents and brokers to receive the latest training on social media trends, strategy and content.
RealTrends asked Lance for tips on getting more social media engagement.
RealTrends: Why would potential real estate customers use social media to find a real estate agent?
Katie Lance: Buying and selling a home is one of the largest financial decisions someone can make. A lot of people don’t want to reach out to someone they don’t know. They trust friends and family. It’s easy for them to post on social media that they are looking for a real estate professional.
They can search on social media to see who in their area is active on social media. A seller especially is going to want to know the real estate professionals they hire is going to market their property well, including using social media.
RealTrends: What is the most effective social media platform for agents?
Katie Lance: An agent needs to be on platforms their customers post on and engage in. Agents don’t have to be everywhere, but pick one or two platforms and go from there. If you’re isn’t sure, send an email to your database that reads, ‘We’re looking to improve serving you through social media. We are curious where you are spending time online – Facebook? Instagram? LinkedIn? None of the above? Thank you for your feedback!’
How can a real estate professional get more likes, shares and comments on their own social media platforms?
Katie Lance: They have to show up consistently. They can’t post and run, automate it or have someone do it all for them. Social media is social – a big part of social media is taking time to like, comment and interact with other people’s content. You have to give to get.
Set aside at least 15 minutes a day to do this. Original content wins. Video content is best. Getting on camera and sharing helpful real estate tips, lessons learned, market insights and more is key.
Social media is rented ground. We don’t own it, so I am a big believer in creating content you own no matter what. Create a library of content, repurpose your content, cross-post it, be intentional and show up consistently.
What are the biggest mistakes real estate agents make using social media?
Lance: Just doing the bare minimum, such as posting the same generic content a lot of other Realtors are posting. Stand out in a sea of sameness by putting your own content out there through video content. Create four to six new videos monthly. Publish them each week on your social media platforms. Create evergreen video content that you can repost three, six, and 12 months down the line. Here are some additional tips: https://youtu.be/HhX_NYr4vQI
Don’t just post promotional posts such as open houses, ‘just listed’ or ‘just sold’. Testimonials are great, but they should be just a part of your strategy. Use a content grid to get started: https://katielance.com/contentgrid
While social media doesn’t replace meeting clients face-to-face or on the phone, it’s one more way to stand out, Lance points out. It also is a launching point for a continued relationship after a transaction by connecting on a client’s favored platform to stay in touch – and potentially generate more leads.
