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Real Estate Agents, Stop Making These Social Media Mistakes
Most real estate agents have never taken a social media course. Most don’t have experience as social media marketers. Many started working in the industry before the words tweet, hashtag and selfie even entered our vocabulary. In spite of all that, agents have made social media a key part of their marketing strategies, learning it out as they go along. But “figuring it out as you go” and “doing it well” are very different ideas. Successful real estate social media marketing is about knowing what to do and what not to do — and sticking to it. In today’s blog, we’re focusing on what not to do. Read on for a list of social media mistakes Realtors should avoid.
1. TOO MANY PROMOTIONAL POSTS
Don’t use your social media as your personal billboard. The 80/20 Rule should be followed for all your social media posts. For a marketing reference, this means 80 percent of your posts is not promotional. Instead, it directly engages your audience, it drives followers to talking and commenting, and gets your name out. For example, link to a pre-shoot check list or discuss staging strategies. You want to offer valuable information to readers, or at least post something engaging, rather than posting your newest listing repeatedly. The other 20 percent is promotional content – house listings or services your office offers.
Marketers refer to this as the “BuzzFeed Approach.” Red Bull doesn’t just smear their energy drink across social platforms in every post. their audience want to see extreme sports. Red Bull provides videos, images and blogs of skateboarders pulling off tricks and daredevils gliding inches away from a cliff in wingsuits.
2. FORGETTING VIDEO
Today, more than 45% of people watch over an hour's worth of social media videos a week. It's easy to skip the time and cost of shooting and editing a video, but online video is a significant component of home marketing. Think about it: Home buyers are visual buyers, and if done well, a video creates an emotional connection with them that they might not have from just a photo-based listing. YouTube videos also increase your website's ranking in search engines like Google -- a common place where home buyers and renters start their search for a new home.
3. ASSUMING YOU’RE ONLY CONNECTION WITH FIRST-TIME BUYERS
Social networks like Facebook are great places to engage "fans" and learn what they're looking for from their real estate agent. According to a recent report by the National Association of Realtors, 36% of home buyers in America are 37 years old or younger. About 66% of them are first-time buyers. Now here's an even more compelling stat: More than 80 million Facebook users today are 45 or older. The conclusion is that not all users following your social media platforms are not all new to the buying process. Have content suited for all levels of home-buying experience ready to serve up to your fans and followers -- you never know whom you'll be connecting with.
4. GIVING SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNT ACCESS TO THE WRONG PEOPLE
Gossip on social media accounts, poorly thought-out status updates, or offensive tweets can happen to agents’ accounts without their awareness. The reason? They have an assistant operate things or share accounts with other agents who make errors and that results in problems for multiple people. That means you have to unconditionally trust anyone you give your social media login info to. You are much better off managing your social channels yourself instead of assigning others to help you keep up with publishing content and answering questions or comments.
5. IGNORING YOUR EXISTING CLIENTS
Invite your previous buyers and sellers to join you on social media. That way, your sites becomes richer communities of shared experiences and objective advice from those who recently completed the home buying/selling journey. At the end of the day, your followers might prove themselves to be your strongest property advocates.
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