Video is an incredibly powerful medium and its value to the real estate industry is only increasing. By 2022, online videos will make up more than 82% of all consumer internet traffic — 15 times higher than it was in 2017, according to Cisco. That is because video is more engaging, more memorable, drives more traffic, and holds almost every other advantage over text.
Real estate professionals who are eager to harness the power of video to increase visibility for both their property listings and personal brands should consider the following tactics when creating and posting videos to social media.
- Use Instagram Stories to Broaden your Network.
Post content via Instagram Stories to reach new audiences and build stronger connections with existing ones. Instagram Stories provide an opportunity for agents to showcase their personality and tend to be less intimidating than posting videos on other platforms since the stories disappear after 24 hours.
Consider posting more personality driven video content here, versus property specific videos, and be sure to tag relevant people and locations in each story to broaden your network and drive audiences back to your profile page. Consumers love seeing the personal side of agents, and Instagram Stories allows you to connect with audiences in an up-close and authentic way.
- Create a Variety of Video Themes to Engage Audiences.
Create a variety of videos to keep your social media content pipeline fully loaded. For your sellers, create a library of five to 10 bite-sized videos to promote throughout the life of the listing; Just Listed, Virtual Open House Today, Special Features, Neighborhood Tour, Just Sold, among others.
Remember to also think beyond property videos. In a relationship business, video is a powerful medium for building and maintaining client relationships. Showcase your personality and unique expertise – aka your personal brand. Agents need to find new ways to grow and nurture their personal brands underneath the umbrella of their brokerage by creating personalized videos for their social channels. Videos might include a “meet the agent” introduction or an agent’s thoughts about a specific neighborhood or property or overall take on the market and current trends.
- Always Add Text on Screen.
Add text overlays to videos to allow users to watch the videos on their mobile device if they are in a place where they cannot or do not want to turn on the sound. A study performed by International Data Corporation (IDC), found that 85% of Facebook users watch videos on silent. Agents seeking a user-friendly solution to create videos with text on screen, as well as agent contact information, should sign up for access to the Vuse App. With Vuse, real estate professionals and marketers can create pro-quality branded videos on the go.
- Capture Attention with Bite-sized Videos.
Keep your videos short, simple, and engaging. Statistics point to users watching the first three to six seconds of a video and then determining if they will watch more. While agents should experiment with different video lengths for various platforms, the below lengths are a good rule of thumb for optimal engagement:
- Facebook – under two minutes.
- Instagram – under 60 seconds.
- IGTV – over 60 seconds
- Instagram Story – 15 seconds or less.
- Identify the Best Platforms for Posting Videos.
Social media platforms tend to have slightly different audiences so it’s imperative to identify where your target audience is more likely to be and tailor your videos for each platform. The Pew Research Center’s social media fact sheet shows interesting trends in demographics and usage for each platform. Facebook tends to be the go-to platform for posting property-specific videos. A networking powerhouse, LinkedIn is a place to demonstrate your market expertise, repost industry articles and remind people of your experience and successes. Instagram Stories, Reels and even TikTok lends itself to more personality, comedic or even cause driven video content.
- Remember to Tag Your Stories.
One of the quickest and easiest ways to leverage social media and increase your network, is to tag a location or neighborhood in your video post in addition to tagging relevant brands and people. For example, if you post a video featuring a specific neighborhood as part of a property listing campaign, tag the location and all the brands and places highlighted in the video. These may include restaurants, retailers, coffee shops, gyms, parks, museums, etc. Tagging brands in your video, allows them the opportunity to repost the content so that you reach an entirely new audience.
Julie Leonhardt is a 15-year luxury real estate veteran and former Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates COO, and Leanna Creel is an award-winning filmmaker and storyteller. Julie and Leanna are co-founders of Vuse, an intuitive video mobile platform and virtual marketing assistant that empowers real estate professionals and marketers to create captivating, pro-quality videos on the go.
