We all know social media is a huge part of today’s marketing, and is a medium that can’t be ignored. Yet, as real estate agents, finding the time to stay on top of your Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and other social media sites can seem daunting! When it comes down to it, you’d rather focus in on your clients daily needs, listing appointments, getting that home sold, and all the other real estate related tasks about which you find you’re passionate.
This is why many real estate professionals are turning toward hiring an in office person or company to handle their social media. It allows agents to focus in on what they do best and delegate to a person who’s been trained in the field of social media marketing. But not everyone who knows how to post to Facebook or Twitter is qualified for this task!
Recently Mana Ionescu, President of Chicago Digital Marketing company Lightspan Digital, pointed out five things to look for in the person you hire to take over your social media. As a team of Real Estate Virtual Assistants, we thought these tips were insightful and can help you narrow down who you trust to tackle your online marketing. Take a look at what she has to say!
1. Find a true marketer. Marketing is a discipline and a trade. Too often, businesses believe that anybody with a Facebook or Twitter account can do social media marketing. But while anyone can write a Facebook post, not everyone understands a company's marketing needs. Find someone with proven experience building an audience, promoting a brand and working with a team or agency to acquire and retain customers.
2. Get a critical thinker. Good marketers analyze, test, take risks and balance new hypotheses with proven strategies. They know that marketing is an ongoing test-and-learn cycle and don't expect results overnight. They also realize the marketplace is competitive and that today's strategy won't be a winner forever.
3. Execute to perfection. An idea is only as good as its execution. Social media, being so tactical in nature, requires someone who has that patience, focus and know-how.
4. Don't look for social media celebrities. That's not to say you don't want to hire a social media influencer. But you need people who aren't so focused on their personal brand that they can't adapt their voice and tone to yours. Look critically at their personal feeds to see how they've built engagement and kept followers, but check their professional work, too, to ensure they can be loyal and represent a brand first.
5. Once you've hired, be involved. Since social media isn't magic, so expect to spend some time translating the culture of your company to your new employee. You have all the stories that would make you attractive on social media. They don't. So, once they're hired, help them with those stories, as well as with the content and images. Don't expect them to make miracles happen while you're off playing golf.
There’s a lot of truth here in what Ionescu points out! Finding the right social media marketer to handle your social media is key to its success!
If you’d like to learn more about our experienced social media specialists on our team, or about our social media strategies that can take your social media to the next level; please contact us today!
Allie Coyle
Blogging & Copywriting Specialist
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