Social Media Tips for Real Estate
The end of the year kicks off a slow period for real estate agents. According to the National Association for Realtors (NAR), November through February typically has the lowest home sales. Fewer people list their homes during the holidays and buyers tend to wait until the new year to start looking.
The good news is, this is a great time to focus on your social media efforts by playing with new content to generate leads through your social platforms. Not to mention, spending more time on social media during the slow season will allow you to build your community and create a stronger brand presence to make your busy season even busier.
Use these five social media marketing tips to end 2021 on a high note while preparing for 2022.
1. Create video content now
Consumers continue to drive demand for video content year after year. In fact, according to Wyzowl’s 2021 data, 84 percent of respondents have been convinced to purchase a product or service after watching a brand’s video. There are many ways to use video content as a real estate agent:
- Home tour
- Strategy or tip video
- Expert interview
- Client interview/testimonial
If you’re creating videos with just yourself—no clients or experts—but aren’t sure where to start, use the 4-step script for crafting perfect selfie videos:
Step 1: Share a compelling hook. Entice the viewer to watch.
Step 2: Share something about them. “Talk briefly about an issue that may positively or negatively impact your viewers, preferably something topical.”
Step 3: Share something about you. Make it personal.
Step 4: Share a strong call to action. Tell them what you want them to do next.
Once your video content is filmed and edited, you can release the clips over the course of the next few months. This way your social media pages stay active even when you are busy.
2. Update your leads infrastructure
Social media can be a powerful lead-generation system for your business. However, you have to build the pipeline that turns engagement into qualified leads and then leads into customers. Just because you keep broadcasting through the internet doesn’t mean you will bring in new clients.
To do this, there are two important factors to take into account:
- Outreach: Don’t just passively share on social media. Use active outreach to connect with potential clients on a regular basis. For example, connect with potential clients on Facebook Messenger or Instagram Direct Message to start a conversation.
- CRM: This is a critical aspect of your sales pipeline. A customer relationship management (CRM) system makes it easy for you to keep track of every lead that comes through. Close.com explains that a CRM makes it easier to send nurture campaigns, follow up with lapsed leads, and schedule calls and meetings.
Set this social media sales system now so you can focus on effectively generating leads, even during the slow season.
3. Repurpose old content
One of the hardest parts of marketing a business is constantly coming up with new posts and ideas to share. However, being consistent is key if you want to reap the benefits of social media marketing. Showing up here and there when you have time isn’t going to drive results.
If you need help keeping up with new content, turn to your old social media posts. To repurpose them, ask a few questions:
- How can I rewrite this to focus on a timely trend?
- How can I make this seasonal?
- How can I tell a fresh story about an adjacent topic?
Don’t forget to look at content from emails and blog posts, in addition to social media posts. You can reshare and expand on old content with new ideas—there’s no need to reinvent the wheel when you’ve already done so much work for the content you already have.
4. Speak to your niche
It’s not uncommon for new realtors to want to appeal to every potential buyer or seller. However, appealing to everyone makes it hard for you to speak directly to the people you can help most. For example, working with millennials who are mostly first-time homebuyers means you’ll speak a different language and share different content than if you were working with seniors who are looking to downsize.
If you’re struggling to speak to your niche, ask yourself these questions:
- What type of content does my niche need from me?
- What types of questions can I answer for my niche?
- How can I incorporate the language they use into my posts?
When you have these questions answered you can better speak to your niche. When you do that, you can more effectively connect with potential leads and generate more business.
5. Explore new trends and opportunities
Social media is constantly changing, with new trends and channels that allow you to promote your business. If you’re still following best practices from 2015, it’s time for a refresher course on what’s cool and how to engage your audiences.
Spend some time researching top social media trends for 2022 and identify new opportunities for your brand. For example, if you’ve never tried making a Reel on Instagram, now might be the time to play with this new feature and see how your followers react.
Don’t forget to invest in courses, to help you master your strategy as you incorporate new ideas and trends. With extra time on your hands, now is the time to invest in learning.
Stay on top of the trends to decide what works for your business and how you can better connect with your audience.
Create an Off-Season To-Do List for Your Marketing Efforts
If December is a slow month for your real estate business, use this time to focus on social media marketing. Create content ahead of time, build new processes, and research trends to better understand how to market yourself effectively. The steps you take today will set you up for success when the next busy season hits—so don’t let this time go to waste.
Reprinted with permission from – score.org – By Jessica Thiefels
