For the past few years I have consulted with many marketing pros about how to best use social media to promote my real estate business. Without fail, the first thing each of them have suggested is maximizing social media. This is a great idea. I have looked at each of them and shook my head in agreement. Of course social media is necessary. As a motivated agent, I have implemented many aspects of social media in to my business plan.
I attended a workshop given by Realtor.com many years ago at the onset of the social media explosion. I remember this because it was the first time I was excited by the potential and how simple it seemed to do. At the time, it was simple. The “like” button was just introduced. Facebook was explained as a cocktail party. Those who were using updates to bombard followers were like that annoying person who kept on coming up to everyone and saying the same thing. This analogy was tremendously helpful and I learned the importance of using Facebook wisely in that moment.
I have profiles on the majority of sites and have a pretty good understanding of how these can benefit my bottom line. I have found that these avenues are superb for building a network and staying in touch with not only my sphere of influence, but also prospects. I have also found social media to be invaluable in providing information to potential buyers and sellers. One aspect that I did not fully appreciate was the ability social media has to help my branding, in other words, me. By avoiding being that obnoxious party guest I have had great success in communicating my personality on social media. You can be God’s gift to real estate, but if you are abrasive, annoying or obnoxious in how you present yourself to the public things may not go as planned.
By reposting things that let my friends, family and prospects know who I am, I am reaping the rewards. I have a business page as well as my personal page. I have found that I get more leads from my personal page than my business page. For my business page, I strictly post real estate related items and an occasional deep motivational quote along with how to get in touch with me. If I have new listings I will post photos and an occasional video as well if the property warrants it.
Much to my surprise, I am contacted more frequently by those who view my personal page. As Realtors, we are not only in the business of buying and selling homes, we are in the customer service business. We want people to contact us when they have a real estate need. If we are able to express who we are as individuals, whether funny or serious, those customers will feel a connection with us and be more apt to reach out to us. By posting small details about what happens to be going on with my family, humor only, and by keeping my status posts positive I am confident that when I direct new potential customers to my Facebook page that they will not go running in the opposite direction.
There are a plethora of other social media sites out there. I am still amazed by how social media has changed the face of real estate in such a short time. It is a very powerful tool in the Realtor toolbox. Growing comfortable with and trying new things is a challenge for those of us who may be tech resistant. It can seem overwhelming to maintain a presence on social media. Many companies now hire full time positions to handle social media only. I have found that I prefer some of them over others. I have had good experiences so far with Pinterest. I use Twitter and Linkedin less often but remain active on both. It is not enough to just have an account. By taking the time to understand the platform, benefits and purpose of each of the social media outlets we are able to decide which ones best fit our own personal models.
To read another blog about social media for real estate professionals click here.
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