Learning how to use social media is a lot like learning how to play golf. While the game looks easy, you’ll soon find yourself cursing, pulling your hair and breaking clubs. Ok, maybe not that extreme. But nonetheless, learning a new skill is not an easy task. When it comes to marketing your business through social media, there are many rules and tactics you have to master before you make a hole-in-one. And just like any sport, game or buying or selling a home, there are things you should and shouldn’t do. As real estate virtual assistants, we like to focus on the “dos.” But today we want to help you avoid the don’ts!
Automating: Recently we had a client ask us to setup an automated feature in Twitter that is setup to follow any user who follows them. While this is completely possible, we steered our client in the opposite direction. Automated following may seem like a good idea, but it’s not. There are a lot of spam Twitter and Facebook accounts out there and you don’t need this clogging up your feed. The best idea is to carefully monitor your followers and only follow those who are appropriate to what you are trying accomplish with your own Twitter profile. Another example of Twitter automation is sending a “thank you” message to new followers. The only reason we recommend to avoid doing this is because if the response goes to a spammer, the door has been opened for them to continue to spam you. All in all, the best strategy is to monitor your followers and send personal responses and follow others manually. It’s more personable and you can make sure you’re connecting with the right people.
Hard Selling: You know when you walk into a high-end clothing store and sales associates swarm you like a pack of wolves? Yeah. Don’t emulate that with your social media efforts. Instead, approach social media like you would to a potential client who walks into your office. Be casual. Be professional. Be personable. You don’t spam an in-person client with sale promo after sale promo. You first focus on establishing a nice conversation and relationship and ease your way in to how you can help them. Consider a laid back approach that consists of asking questions and sharing your own personal experiences.
Overposting: People who send out a flurry of tweets or posts all at once won’t see as much interaction as someone who measures their posts over a period of time. All too often I see a Facebook business page that has been bombarded with posts all within an hour’s timeframe – or less. I can only shake my head at this. The more you post all at once, the quicker they all feed to the bottom of your follower’s feeds. One or two Facebook posts per day at different times of day allow people to respond and won’t overwhelm them.
Inconsistency: I know I’ve said this before, but it’s important! Update your social media accounts on a regular basis. Whether this is every day or every other day – you need to be consistent in order for your online presence to grow. If there’s an event in your area or newsy material about the real estate industry, share it with your followers! If you’re finding that it is taking too much time to find the perfect post, then share a personal experience or ask your followers a thought provoking question. If you have a smart phone, snap a photo and post it on your wall or create a Twitpic. Don’t let your account sit idle for long periods of time – your audience WILL forget about you, especially if you forget about them.
These are just a few reminders on how to stay on top of your social media efforts. We know you are all awesome and will take this into account, but if you ever find yourself stuck or strapped for time, your real estate virtual assistant can lend you a hand.
Have a great day!
Lauren Wille
Account Executive
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