I recently had a conversation with a top real estate agent with a significant Facebook following. She said going beyond posting listings and open houses is the key to successfully leveraging social media and growing your business. Agents must regularly offer their followers valuable content.
Agents can achieve success and drive interest from individuals outside their typical social sphere by putting a greater focus on sharing quality, relevant content on social media.
To effectively leverage social media to grow your business, your goal should be to connect on social with the 10,000 people you have locked in your database, not just your old friends from high school. The key is finding the content that will engage this audience and keep them interested.
Another industry leader said that social media is a type of marketing that involves creating and sharing online material — such as videos, blogs and social media posts — that does not explicitly promote a brand but is intended to stimulate interest in its products or services.
Here are 4 advantages to building and sustaining a meaningful social media presence with valuable content.
Build a brand that connects with your audience
Consider that the audience you are trying to reach is about to make the biggest purchase of their life — they need a trusted resource to help guide them. Create a brand that actively offers rand thoughtful tips and tricks to help in the overwhelming home buying and selling process to engage your audience and position yourself as an expert. And don’t forget about past buyers and sellers. Ask them to like your page and offer a testimonial to underscore your value as an agent. These go a long way to building your brand and demonstrating value!
Video is also an effective and dynamic way to enhance and personalize your page. By creating relatable posts that showcase your areas of expertise as well as who you are as a person, you help potential buyers and sellers understand who you are and what you deliver as a real estate professional. Once comfortable, you can consider starting a YouTube channel. This will only help you grow your presence online.
Increase conversion opportunities and rates
Traditional conversion rates in the U.S. from lead providers are very low, somewhere around 3-4%. With the right social strategy in place, you will attract and convert high-quality prospects faster. They will be interested in what you are posting and responding to you directly, giving the prospect confidence in your knowledge.
Establish yourself as a subject matter expert
Find new ways to expand your engagement on social media beyond your own page. Join relevant Facebook groups and answer common industry questions regularly. This will not only enhance your brand but expand it beyond Facebook to Google and other search platforms. Once others see your value, they will share your posts and refer friends to you to answer direct questions. By consistently showcasing your expertise, you build trust driving prospects to your site when ready to act.
Don’t be shy. Ask customers to share your posts and offer your recommendations to those embarking on the home-buying journey. This will help quickly expand your sphere of influence.
Measure engagement to gain competitive advantage
By tracking the results of your postings and ads, you can easily identify the locations and demographics of your target audience. Understanding that demographic data gives you an advantage over your competition, helps you engage your audience and grow your book!
Buying and selling a home is one of the most important financial decisions consumers make in their lifetime and most people have questions and concerns when they decide to make this kind of commitment. There are many agents and brokers to choose from in all markets so making yourself stand out is essential to a successful career in real estate. Buyers and sellers want their agent to be a partner in this journey, one who will protect them and help them achieve their dreams. They must be confident in their agent to ensure a mutually positive experience. This is how social media — and the content you post — can really make an impact.
Stuart Sim is head of industry development at Chime Technologies.
This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of RealTrends’ editorial department and its owners.
To contact the author of this story:
Stuart Sim at stuart.sim@chimeinc.com
To contact the editor responsible for this story:
Tracey Velt at tracey@hwmedia.com
