As an Internet marketing specialist I work with Realtors on a regular basis. Generally we focus on developing a comprehensive Internet marketing plan that will maximize exposure and generate leads. Today a strong Social Media Marketing plan is essential to any Internet marketing campaign-especially for Realtors. Of course one of the most popular social media sites today is Facebook. So I have to ask the question-are you really maximizing your marketing efforts on Facebook? If not you should be-it is a proven tool for reaching consumers, getting leads and is an invaluable tool for networking. I am beginning a series of Social Media Marketing Guides for Realtors and I have decided to start with Facebook. Below I have compiled a list of some essential marketing tasks that will get your real results on Facebook.
Facebook Marketing Guide For Realtors:
1.Start with what you already have. Contacts. Go through your email contacts, your CRM software, your blackberry, or whatever else you use for storing contact information. Encourage all contacts including past clients, and new clients to ‘friend' you or ‘add' you to their networks. Include links to your profile in your marketing materials, business cards etc. This will help you begin your network online.
2. Create a Fanpage for your Real Estate Business- this is an essential task for any Realtor. Create a business page for your Real Estate Business-then invite all of your contacts to become a fan. This is a great viral tool-because it updates their status when they become a fan, which is also shared with their networks.
3. Share.Share.Share - You can use Facebook to market properties to a select group of contacts or share your properties with all of your friends. Make sure you add external links to your posts. You could add a link to a property from your own site, or you even include a vFlyer page or Postlets listing, etc. *For those who are using Market Snapshot from Top Producer-you can now add your properties with an application on Facebook.
4. Create Groups - This is the most obvious way to use the site. Create a targeted group featuring your niche market such as "Baldwin County Homebuyers" group for example and help buyers with their questions or offer free market reports. Influence members by offering free advice or posting resources. Everyone loves free information & advice. For example you are reading this guide right now. (wink.wink)
You could also try to create a Unique Peer Group-this is also a great way to keep in touch with business networking contacts you meet - maybe it's at a local Chamber of Commerce meeting or even a real estate conference you have recently attended. You can engage in post conference discussions, and share information in a neutral environment.
4. RSS Feeds-If you're a blogger, add your RSS feed to your profile. Facebook lets you add a Blog feed to your Notes. You could find new readers and even drive traffic back to your blog by sharing your posts with your network.
6. Twitter-If you have a twitter account link it to your Facebook profile. This nifty application automatically updates your Twitter account when you post a status update on Facebook. It saves you extra time posting updates in both places.
7. Flagging Friends- If you upload your property photos into Facebook-you can flag contacts in the picture. This is a way to provide some viral exposure for your listing because it automatically posts an update on your friends' page which all of their friends can also see. Be careful not to be abuse this function-if you do it to often it could become more like spam instead of sharing.
8. Modesty is the best policy. While it might seem like you need to spend hours a day posting and sharing to get results, which is not always the case. It is much better to post fewer significant posts than to blast useless updates all day. Avoid being overly aggressive with your posting and avoid spam messages. A good way to gauge whether you should post something is to ask yourself if you would actually read it yourself. If you wouldn't find it worth reading the odds are no one else will either.
9. Linking-It should probably go without saying but always remember to add your Facebook links to your personal website, blogs and other social media sites online.
These are some of the essential steps to successful Facebook marketing that we include as part of our Social Media Marketing plans for Realtors. I think that maximizing your exposure on social networks like Facebook is going to be increasingly important to the real estate industry. In order to stay relevant and to have real success with your Internet marketing strategy you simply must include Social Media Marketing. This may seem like a daunting task to those Realtors who are unfamiliar with these networks or to those who are already working longer each day than they would like to. In either situation we recommend utilizing a service provider to complete these tasks for you such as Virtu-Assist, a virtual assistance firm that offers marketing support and consulting for Realtors.
Follow me to continue with our Social Media Marketing Series.
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