The 4 Bad Reasons You Aren't On YouTube That Cost You Business

 

 

YouTube reaches U.S. Millennials (those 18 - 34) more than ANY cable network (sorry Bravo/The Real Housewives of ____ (fill in your guilty pleasure location) and HBO/Game of Thrones producers).  Beyond Millennials, YouTube's website and video viewers include an international audience (those outside of the U.S.) of 80%.  YouTube has 1 billion eyeballs reaching it monthly.  Those numbers should not be ignored as you grow your real estate sales business.

 

 

You may think, That's great but I don't have the time, money, etc. to post to YouTube.  Well, I want to challenge your objections in this post to show you that you can and should be a YouTuber vlogger (video blogger - meaning you post more than a random video every once and awhile).  I have been vlogging at least once a week for only 2-3 months and I am already hitting views in the thousands and working with new clients as a result.  With time, this can easily be the most effective way for me to generate leads at the lowest cost and I believe if you get started you will say the same thing.

 

1. "No one will want to watch my videos". 

 

Did you know that 73% of home sellers more readily list with agents that promote their home using video but shockingly only 4% of agents can be found on YouTube?  Home properties with videos receive 403% more inquiries than those without.  Brand awareness (meaning you leave the sphere of being just another real estate sales agent to a specific, identifiable Agent+) is increased by 139% through video enjoyment. This means that by you starting and consistently loading videos to YouTube focused on a specific target market, you will create and gain a competitive advantage.  (Check out our free webinar replay of creating a competitive advantage for more tips on this.)

 

Did you know that 51% of those viewing real estate videos view them on YouTube (as opposed to a realty firm website) with these numbers only expected to grow with time?  Accordingly, it is not an issue of if someone will want to watch your videos but rather if you know how to market your videos to the right audience the right way. Catch our no fee webinar on "5 Ways to Get Eyeballs to Your YouTube Videos for Real Estate" to help you position your videos for more views.

 

 

Really?!  Come on real estate agents - our industry is notorious for our photos being splattered on EVERYTHING.  EVERYTHING.  Let me say it again - EVERYTHING lol!

 

Our photos can be seen on our business cards, websites, billboards off I-75, shopping carts, bus stations, lawn signs, open house flyers mobile apps and so much more so our trepidation to be on YouTube needs to fall by the wayside.  We have already exposed ourselves for both mockery (have you ever seen a billboard of an agent that has been defaced?) and client generation.

 

Plus, YouTube videos can come in all forms, shapes and sizes.  The video does not have to feature your face or video - it can feature your clients, actors, cartoons, the property being advertised for sale, community events and hotspots or whatever else is appropriate for your real estate business' model.  Here is an example of a video that I received 10,000 views within the first 24 hours of posting (keep in mind I have only been consistently doing this a couple of months) and it is a cartoon with a voice-over by me, proof-positive that your video can take all forms!

 

 

 

 

This is the YouTube generation folks.  This means that your videos to not have to cost or look like they should be on network TV (although network TV has a few reality TV shows that have shaking cameras, blurry images, etc. to give it that YouTube, "made on my cell phone" look).  "But this is for my business!", you exclaim and rightfully so.  But business videos can be produced with a nice, acceptable (not perfect but acceptable) quality using simply your webcam or smartphone (if you have one of the newer models with the latest "bells and whistles").

 

You can literally record and upload a quality YouTube video in less than 1 hour (less than 30 minutes once you really get comfortable with YouTube videography) using several apps and tools but here are a few of my FREE favorites (there are paid versions of these but stick with the free versions while you are learning and honing this):

 

WeVideo mobile app | This is great if you want to edit a "raw" video you just recorded and then post it to YouTube)

 

Magisto mobile app | This is great if you do not want to feature any talking but maybe the best points of your latest listing, a new home community or events in your community

 

Hi-Q MP3 Recorder or any mobile voice recorder app | This is great for voice-overs that can be recorded in minutes and uploaded quickly

 

YouTube mobile app and website | This is the final destination of your videos and YouTube offers a great editor that will allow you to make last minute changes to your final production

 

 

My simplest answer to this is to start keeping a journal of what ails your clients as well as what leads to them having a superb experience.  You can feature questions that buyers, investors, sellers, etc. have during the process.  And as mentioned earlier, these videos can feature you but also your clients, your family/friends, community members and even other agents if you work well together.

 

Another way to have a flow of topics is to setup Google Alerts for your target clients (i.e. Millennials, Boomers, Luxury Sellers, etc.) or target neighborhood (i.e. Sandy Springs, Marietta, In-town, etc.). With Google Alerts, you can receive a daily email with all of the things that are newsworthy. From there, you can create a short 1-3 minute video at least once a week on those notable, hot topics.

 

 

I would be remiss to write a post on vlogging without featuring one of my entries.  I chose this one to show you because it is a video I created using my cell phone (see my app list above) that I personally despise but it was shared the most - go figure that the time I am the most self-conscious, the video features the best information.  Check it out and remember if Lee can do something this simple and grow her business, so can I!

 

 

 

 

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