Effective marketing has always been one of the key challenges for any real estate business. Yet, it’s undeniably an essential component to success. Fortunately, the rise of the digital landscape has provided realty businesses with some great tools here. Chief among them at the moment is social media.

The reasons for social media marketing’s popularity tend to come down to accessibility and reach. It’s among the more affordable and practical marketing methods. Not to mention the fact that 7 in 10 Americans utilize social media to some extent, meaning there’s huge potential for engaging with your demographic. Neither of these elements necessarily mean it’s easy, though. As with any marketing tool, you have to use it actively and strategically. 

We’re going to examine some of the key aspects of utilizing social media marketing for your real estate business.

 

Optimize Your Content

A social media marketing campaign isn’t just a case of posting your listings to your profiles. As with any type of marketing, you need to pursue it with an awareness that there is significant competition for engagement. Therefore, one of the most important activities in your social media marketing strategy is to optimize the content you post.

This begins with performing some market research into your target demographics. You need to understand the types of social media content your target buyers tend to most engage with. You have to establish what times of the day and week they are most active on their profiles. There are plenty of general resources for this type of information. But as your sales are likely to be localized, it can be wise to work with a consultant to gain specific geographical insights here. You can then start to plan your content around these data.

Another important part of optimizing your content is concerning its quality. Social media audiences are quite discerning in this regard and they need great visuals that compel them to engage. Don’t just post the usual house exterior shots. Audiences love to see and share well-staged interior photographs. This can be achieved with a smartphone and some simple design touches. Utilize natural light to really show off the space and include just a few statement decorative pieces.

 

Embrace Video

Video is among the most popular forms of online content on social media at the moment. It is the perfect medium to tell stories and drive engagement. The most practical way for you to incorporate this into your social media marketing campaigns is by creating a dedicated YouTube channel for your brand. This is a relatively simple process, involving creating an account on YouTube and personalizing it with your company’s brand visuals. From there, it can be a powerful hub for editing and uploading content, sharing it on your profiles, as well as drawing organic traffic.

There are a couple of ways you can embrace this approach to social media marketing. Some virtual house tours are a good start. Though, wherever possible, utilize one of your agents to talk to the camera during the tour. This can give a personality with whom the audience can connect. Utilize various types of shots here, too. Drone footage can be particularly impressive on large properties.

Don’t be afraid to be creative with your video content choices, either. If you have some particularly unusual properties in your portfolio or that you can gain access to, create some interesting tours for these. Talk about the strange history or its place in local folklore. This content isn’t necessarily designed to sell these properties. Rather, it’s about driving views and shares to draw your target audience to your website and engage with your current inventory.

Remember, though, that these videos also have to be designed for use on your social media channels. Most platforms — particularly Snapchat and Instagram — favor videos in a portrait format. Indeed, YouTube also has a short content tool called Stories, designed to follow this portrait aspect trend. Keep this in mind when planning your video shoots.

 

Encourage Engagement

The social media marketing campaigns for your real estate business can’t be passive. This tool is at its most effective as a way to actively connect with audiences in a meaningful way. Unlike most other forms of marketing, you need to treat your campaigns as a dialogue with the public, whether or not they’ll be the final buyers. The more you can encourage active engagement with your audience, the more positive visibility you can gain.

This starts simply enough by taking time to interact with audiences on more than just sales topics. Provide them with quality information on the industry and home design in general. Reach out to your followers and encourage them to ask questions or put their concerns to you about the market. In many ways, this is as much customer service as marketing. But the point is you’re showing your openness to interact in a meaningful way. You’re also showcasing your expertise and demonstrating your value beyond simply closing property sales.

Another way to encourage engagement here is with user-generated content. Enlist former clients and buyers to offer testimonials on their own social media channels. This could take the form of short videos of them settling into their new homes or images showing before and after renovations of the property you sold them. This not only provides more varied social media content that you can share. It also can be seen as trustworthy and authentic because it was not created by your business.

 

Conclusion

Social media is a cost-effective and practical tool for your real estate business’ marketing campaigns. Nevertheless, it’s important to approach it strategically. Optimize your content utilizing strong market research and high-quality visuals. Embrace various types of video content that both grabs attention and draws buyers to your portfolio. Remember, active engagement can be key to improving your reach, so lean into methods like user-generated content. It can take some planning and a little investment, but social media marketing can be instrumental in raising the profile of your real estate business.

Looking to learn more? Check out my blog post: How Social Media Has Become a Priority For Real Estate Agents

 

Author: Adrian Johansen

Adrian Johansen is a writer and marketer in the Pacific Northwest. She sees life as an opportunity for learning, and loves to share knowledge with others. You can find more of her work here.