Did you know that a quarter of all the time spent online is spent on social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest?(source: Experian) Which is why social media property marketing really is a must for estate agencies.
While many agencies have dipped their toes in the in the social pool, creating Facebook pages or Twitter accounts, many have yet to come up with a truly cohesive social media strategy that can help boost all areas of their business.
Successful Social Media for Estate Agents
One of the reasons that estate agents are failing to create successful social media property marketing campaigns, is their failure to see social media management as a big part of the bigger picture.
Estate agents need to understand that no social media strategy can exist in a vacuum – practices need to be interwoven into all areas of business to ensure efficacy, for example:
– QR coding on hard copy advertising materials pointing to online content for social sharing.
– Using #hashtags at source (in the office, in on and offline marketing materials, on stationary) to focus online conversations and facilitate feedback monitoring.
– Selection and release of relevant materials for social sharing standard practice for all departments. For example high quality property photography should be forwarded to or signposted for social media account managers for use on instagram and Pinterest accounts, while web video area guides and virtual tours uploaded to your own YouTube channel should be signposted through social profiles and not just from listings.
For agents with little time and only a passing acquaintance with social media property marketing techniques, the thought of creating a cohesive social media strategy can be daunting, but managing your online presence is really only as complicated as you choose to make it.
Social Media Real Estate Marketing – Pick Your Profiles
While there are a wide range of sites offering access to sharing and bookmarking services that can help any social media property marketing strategy, agents need not spread themselves too thin.
Choosing the sites that are most relevant to your market, and focussing efforts in these areas to build a loyal following can be more effective than attempting to keep fingers in every pie. Popular sites where other agents choose to maintain a presence include:
-Facebook – large market share, familiar format for many
–Twitter – loyal user base, great for building niche relationships
-Google+ – growing audience, image led platform
–Instagram – fashionable and image-led, also good for feeding content through to other sites
–Pinterest – popular and aspirational, large number of active home-focused users
–YouTube – massive market share, feeds into Google rankings, provides baseline content for many other social sites.
Starting with just a couple of sites that sit well with your social media property marketing strategy’s aims and intended audience is an effective way of creating a credible online presence – and is always preferable to a scattergun approach where multiple poorly-managed profiles can have an adverse effect on consumer confidence.
However, for agents who prefer to concentrate on their core business, there are other options – why not consider outsourcing social media management to experts who can help you craft an online identity that will boost and benefit your business?
