So, you took the plunge and decided to market your real estate business with video. But what do you do with your videos once your videographer delivers them? Here's a list of places where you can put your marketing videos--including listing videos, agent bios, broker videos, and more--to work for you.
The MLS. Many agents don't realize that they can post listing videos or video links to the MLS. Just keep in mind that each MLS has its own set of video requirements. Make sure that you know your local MLS' requirements ahead of time and that your videographer can comply. At HouseLens, for instance, we provide every client with both a branded and an unbranded webpage to host their video because some MLSs don't allow agents to link to branded pages.
Your website. Many agents set aside a page of their website to highlight their current listings. It's a great way to draw buyers who aren't already working with an agent. A page like this is a perfect place to post listing videos along with photos and property descriptions. Your website is also a great place to post a video bio, a recruiting video (for brokerages), or educational videos for clients.
YouTube. According to NAR/Google's 2013 study of digital house-hunting, YouTube is the top video research destination for home buyers. So why not set up your own YouTube channel and upload your videos there? You can even set up playlists to organize videos by criteria such as neighborhood, home size, or price range. Or create separate playlists for other kinds of videos, such as video bios and neighborhood profiles. (Our marketing coordinator wrote a great post for InmanNext on these kinds of videos.) Bonus: YouTube is completely free, and you can even monetize your videos to generate revenue!
Facebook and Twitter. Once you have a YouTube channel, sharing video on Facebook and Twitter is super-easy: just paste the YouTube link into your status update or tweet. If you don't have a YouTube channel, you can still upload video directly to your Facebook page. Just make sure you're using your Facebook and Twitter accounts for more than listing videos – buyers, sellers, and homeowners usually want to see a range of content from these sources.
Your blog. If you have a blog, it's a great place to post the occasional video. If you post to your blog daily, a good rule of thumb is to post a video about once a week. If you maintain a weekly blog, post a video about once a month. This is a good way to highlight properties that deserve some extra fanfare or share educational videos that help establish you as a trusted real estate expert. You can use the narrative portion of the blog to elaborate on the video content (e.g., if it's a listing video, provide a written description of the property), provide additional information, or just write a few lines to summarize. Just make sure you include some text with your video--Google is likely to overlook it otherwise.
Other social media. There are many other social media sites that accommodate video. Some require you to link from a site like YouTube, while others allow you to upload video directly. These sites include Pinterest, Instagram, Tumblr, and more. Look for ways to organize your videos so buyers can easily find what they want (e.g., you can organize Pinterest videos by “boards”), and remember that potential clients will respond best to a variety of content.
Where's your favorite place to post listing videos?
Come back over the next couple months for step-by-step instructions on how to post to the most popular video sites.
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