When you decide to up your game online you might ask yourself, "Where do I start?" What are my intentions?
Step 1 - Start with Google
What I usually tell people is start by "googling" yourself, your market area and any other way you think clients might search for you or your listings. How do you rank on the search results page? Is your website coming up? The main thing is people need to find you and if they can't, well then you know what most of the problem is.
Step 2 - Check your Website
Is it mobile friendly? It really needs to be these days. Is it clear and concise? Remember we are in the age of texting and social media. I like to say we are in the age of short attention spans. Is it "helpful?" By helpful I mean does it offer local area information, contractors in the area, community events? This establishes YOU as the area go to person. I could do a whole blog on websites, but go ahead and google "Tips for Real Estate Websites" and you'll get all the info you could possibly need.
Step 3 - Evaluate The Social Media Platforms
What platforms do I really need to be on? How can I manage these platforms and work as a real estate professional? What tools can I use?
The platforms I suggest you become a part of and why are:
The paid advertising let's you strategically get your listings out in front of those who need to see it. Much more precise than traditional advertising and Sellers today will want their homes displayed on the social media network they frequent the most. Also, Facebook is THE most popular social media network with 900,000,000 estimated monthly visitors. *reference - ebiz.com
Twitter
Twitter goes hand in hand with Facebook, in my opinion and it can be a great local and branding tool by using the hashtags in a strategic way. It is also #2 as far as the most popular social media platforms with 310,000,000 estimated monthly visitors. *reference - ebiz.com
This is an amazing platform for several reasons. It puts you in front of clients while showcasing your industry knowledge. It ranks high on Google search and so it is referred to as an online resume or rather, one of the first places people find you online. Finally, it gives you a database of colleagues across the Nation and the world where you can refer family, friends and clients. Also, let's not forget about company pages. Its membership is also growing at 255,000,000 estimated monthly visitors. *reference - ebiz.com
I believe Pinterest is important IF you use it. Don't just set up a page or presence and forget about it. The same goes for these other platforms. Pinterest is growing fast and yes it is mostly women, but who is the person who has a lot of weight in the home buying decisions? Pinterest is now #4 on the ranking with 250,000,000 estimated monthly visitors. *reference - ebiz.com Considering it was launched only 5 years ago in March, this is incredible growth. The membership actually began by invite only.
Google+
It may be behind the others as far as membership numbers, BUT it has many good business reasons for being a part of. First is the SEO factor and you guessed it. Google search = Google+ Business Directory = Being Found!! There's also a lot of tools for businesses to engage with. I love Google+ and believe it is not a platform to skip over. The ranking is #5 with 120,000,000 estimated monthly visitors - *reference - ebiz.com
YouTube
A branch of Google+ and VERY, VERY important! Video is king as far as content these days and YouTube proves this. Facebook is also weighing in with their own line on video, but for now YouTube ranks as #1 for video platforms. There are 4 BILLION video views on YouTube PER DAY!! *reference - expandedramblings.com
This is one of those if you jump on now you'll be ahead of the others. Instagram is owned by Facebook and integrates nicely with that platform. It is completely run by mobile devices. This is not a mandatory platform, but definitely one to learn about. The ranking is #7 with 100,000,000 estimated monthly visitors - ebiz.com
Hootsuite
This is THE tool I use and it is what makes it possible for me to manage the clients I have. If not for Hootsuite I'd be sunk. Check it out - Hootsuite.com
Step 4 - Plan
Have a plan of attack. What I would suggest is the following:
- Attract people to your website. Do this by blogging original content that you can promote on social media. You can even do video blogging if it is easier.
- Have a way to capture emails once they are there.
- Create newsletters to send to these emails/potential clients.
- Create relationships by visiting with people on social media.
- Devise a marketing budget for advertising your listings and even blog articles or videos.
- Hold a meeting with your team and try to have everyone participate, but remember to have the plan in place so it isn't haphazard.
The bottom line is whenever you are online start and end with intention. It is easy to get sidetracked if you don't do this.
Sarah A. Cole
Sarah Cole VA On Demand
Providing Social Media Assistance and Training
To The Busy Real Estate Professional
(315)399-6773 mobile (text)
(315)238-7068 voice
Services Nationwide
sarahcolevaondemand@gmail.com Email
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Too bad I missed these comments. Won't happen again!
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