There is no doubt that social media can create a “black hole” if not watched carefully.
You understand that there are several social media web sites where you could spend an enormous amount of time mindlessly reading and commenting on other peoples' posts.
And even though you know you aren't being productive, you can't help yourself.
But after reading this post, you will learn how to spend your valuable time on social media with the clear purpose of marketing yourself and growing your real estate business.
Why You Need Social Media
It's not uncommon for me to talk to agents who aren't on social media. As a matter of fact, they detest all things related to social media.
"I don't want to see what someone is eating for dinner."
"I don't want to read those motivational messages."
"I'm a private person."
These are just some of the things I hear agents complain about and use as justification for not being on social media.
But here's the thing, social media is not going away. It is here to stay and will only grow.
You have complete control over what you post and what you read. If you don't like someone's post, simply scroll past it. It's just that easy.
Social media is a great way to reach potential clients and it's FREE!
Start with One Social Media Platform
As I mentioned earlier, there are numerous social media sites vying for your attention. If you are just starting out or feeling overwhelmed by the prospect of posting to social media, simply focus on one platform.
The platform you select will depend on your age, as well as the demographic you are looking to target.
The most widely used social media platforms are:
What to Post
Regardless of the platform you select, your goal is to engage people. Know that it will take some time to gauge what your "Friends and Followers" like to read.
When you begin posting, take note of the content your post and day and time you post it. You'll quickly discover what content generates the most comments.
It has been my experience that people love pictures and videos.
If you're having an open house, try doing a quick video and walk the viewer through the house and ask them to come visit you.
If you're showing property and see a quirky feature in a house, take a picture and post it.
One thing you'll want to keep in mind is that it is called "social media" for a reason. Be social. I like a ratio of 90 - 95% personal and 5 - 10% real estate.
Even when you post real estate related information, keep it fun or interesting.
Be Consistent
Consider social media to be another one of your prospecting tools. And just like all of your other prospecting activities, you need to be consistent.
Put together a social media calendar where you post different content each day. For example:
Monday - Motivational quote
Tuesday - a picture of a cool house you saw
Wednesday - highlight a neighborhood in your market
Thursday - post an old picture (Throwback Thursday)
Friday - highlight some of the weekend events happening in your market
Saturday - ask a question...any question
Sunday - take a video of your open house
The main thing is to have fun with social media. It doesn't have to be a chore. Once you get into the habit of posting, you'll understand the power of it.
There was one year where I received five solid leads from social media and all of them were from people I knew who were out-of-state.
There was no amount of marketing I could have done to get those five leads.
Don't Go Down the Black Hole
To keep track of your time on social media, I recommend setting the timer on your phone for 15 minutes.
You may want to check in with your "Friends and Followers" first thing in the morning, around lunch time and again in the evening. That's a total of 45 minutes a day.
You can set up Groups within Facebook so you can check on certain people quickly on a daily basis without scrolling through your entire Newsfeed.
Comment on their post.
Wish them a Happy Birthday.
Answer a question to the group.
Take the time to engage and you'll find that your engagement will increase.
If you feel you still don't have the time to be on social media, look into using one of the many third party sites that allow you to schedule your posts.
You can upload all of your articles and posts on the weekend to have a presence throughout the week.
Stay Top-of-Mind
The goal of all of your marketing activities is to stay top-of-mind.
You must continually remind people that you are a real estate agent because they will forget. Even those you feel could never forget will forget.
One of the biggest mistakes real estate agents make is to assume that people they know will remember they are a real estate agent. But part of your job is to remind them in subtle ways.
Social media is a great way to remind people that you are an active real estate agent.
What other tips do you have for using social media?
Be prosperous!
Enjoy less stress by having smoother transactions by implementing these simple strategies today!
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