Social Media Marketing for Real Estate: A Guide to Reaching Millennials
In the world of real estate, social media marketing has emerged as a legitimate way to promote your business and establish your personal brand. The reason is simple – millennials form the largest market for real estate services currently and are expected to remain so for years to come. Considering their love for social media, it makes perfect sense to leverage this platform to reach them.
It’s not a fleeting trend or a passing fad either. Social media marketing is a powerful tool that can help you connect with potential clients who are most likely in need of your services. As such, it’s time to take social media real estate marketing seriously and make the most of this opportunity.
During a recent webinar titled “Gaming the System: Your Guide to Social Media for Real Estate,” Alex Camelio, a seasoned specialist in mobile marketing strategies for the real estate sector, shared his insights on the topic. He revealed three key “secrets” that can help you execute a thriving social media campaign specifically tailored towards effective real estate marketing.
Secret #1: Post at the right times
It seems painfully obvious, but you need to be posting when your followers are actually online—not when it strikes you or you “have the time.” Admittedly, pinpointing that time isn’t always easy, but adopting software, such as SproutSocial or Crowdbooster, can make the task a little easier.
Most important, though, is that you post consistently and frequently. One or two posts a week won’t accomplish much; you need to be posting daily.
Secret #2: Post content your followers want
Effective social media real estate marketing may seem like a basic concept, but surprisingly, many agents and business owners fail to execute it properly. It’s common to see agents sharing content that only appeals to other agents, such as industry updates or news. Sometimes they get too political or express opinions that are best kept to themselves. Worst of all, some agents flood their feeds with listing after listing, which can be downright annoying for those who follow them on social media. To avoid being an annoyance and become a master of social media real estate marketing, it’s important to create compelling content that engages your audience while balancing SEO optimization and conversational tone.
You want to be sharing content that is relevant to past and potential buyers and sellers in your town or city. While everyone is not looking to buy or sell right now, you still want those people to follow you and engage with your content. The more they do, the better the chances that they will share your content, which could lead to new followers and potential clients, or that they will refer you.
Along with property postings, mix in other content, such as neighborhood news, home maintenance, design and repair tips, and advice for buying or selling. Most experts suggest following the 80/20 rule, so for every two promotions you share, post eight pieces of informational or educational content.
Secret #3: Make the most of hashtags
They aren’t just some cutesy way to elicit a chuckle. Hashtags are a valuable marketing and discovery tool. They allow you to quickly see what topics are trending so that you can turn topics or phrases into clickable links that will drive people back to you. They make it easy for potential clients to find you and current clients to connect with you. Plus, they allow you to find the relevant content you can share or conversations you can join. Finally, you can post about events you’re hosting or sponsoring, such as open houses or charity events.
Examples: #Your target neighborhood” (e.g., #LakeAnna ), #JustListed, #“Location + the style of home you’re listing” (e.g., #TopsailBeachfront), #DreamHome #StarterHome, #Investment.
