Combined, social media networks have over 3.7 billion active users. That’s 3.7 billion out of the 4.5 billion global internet users. Over half the global population, which currently stands at 7.8 billion, is on social media, presenting modern-day Realtors with the unique opportunity to reach massive audiences or target niche local markets.
As a Realtor, taking advantage of social media is an elementary step to success. However, you shouldn’t blindly jump onto the bandwagon without a clear plan of action. You need clear strategies to succeed on social media.
The 5 Best Social Media Strategies for Realtors
It’s not enough to have a social media presence. That is a luxury that the pioneers enjoyed, who had a decidedly easier time connecting with an audience that was eager to make use of the nascent technology.
That’s not the case anymore. Audiences have grown wary of online salesmen, and they don’t take kindly to sales pitches of any kind. Already, that puts Realtors in an unfavorable spot as they first have to overturn modern era stereotypes before they can go about chasing leads and conversions.
Therefore, to succeed on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other social media platforms, Realtors must adhere to the following best practices.
Adopt a Value-First Approach
Most people already have a vague idea of what a Realtor does. That means no one will be impressed with your job title. They’re more interested in the raw value that you’re offering, which is often why Realtors must adopt a value-first approach.
In several cases, your success will depend on how clearly and concisely you can lay out the value that you’re bringing to the prospective client’s life. Don’t just give an overview of your job description; go in-depth and talk about your strengths, your familiarity with market trends, and why you’re the best fit for their real estate needs.
Perhaps you can explain commonly used but misunderstood phrases, such as buyer’s and seller’s markets. Show off your local Utah real estate knowledge on the average cost of houses in your area, or how long it takes to sell a house.
The best way to learn how to provide value before anything else is to put yourself in your audience’s shoes. What would you want to see on a Realtor’s social media page?
True success lies in your ability to see your services from your client’s perspective. Make sure your emphasis lies on the people you want to serve.
Research your Audience
Reaching out to people through direct messages is highly recommended for Realtors, but your imperative is to know who you’re reaching first. Blindly forwarding messages to people is a surefire way to get reported as spam. Therefore, make use of this resource if you want to know the appropriate audience for your services: social media profiles.
Don’t send a single message before checking out their account for a few minutes. Imagine pitching a new home to a recent homeowner or to someone who is about to retire and spend their savings traveling.
Wrong moves like this can be avoided by scanning your prospectives’ profile. If, for instance, they’ve recently posted about crime in their area, they may be looking to move elsewhere, so your services may be required.
However, if you reach out to a person that’s recently just lost a loved one, you may come across as insensitive, and apart from losing their business, your reputation may take a hit too.
Play the Numbers Game
One thing you should be prepared for is a lack of response from the majority of your contacts. Don’t take it personally. There will always be people that won’t have time to respond or simply don’t care. That’s why you need to increase your chances by reaching out to a large number of people.
Out of 50 people, you can get 10-15 responses. That’s ten new contacts to convert into leads or sales. So, don’t be shy about sending direct messages if you don’t get a positive response (or any response for that matter); keep at it, because eventually, someone will respond.
Learn to Personalize Messages
People hate insincere, robotic, copy-pasted messages. You won’t get much of a response with a “Dear Sir/Madam” headline. To get someone’s attention online, you need to personalize your messages.
Ads are everywhere these days, and the last thing a busy mom needs is another cookie-cutter Realtor in their inbox talking about the same “marvelous properties” she’d heard about from another Realtor.
Enhance Messages with Visuals
Social media is becoming a highly visual platform, so to enrich your messages and grab attention, you have to use visuals. Sure, you can describe all the properties you’ve sold or go into detail on what a house has to offer, but pictures will always have a greater impact than text alone.
Images are more engaging. They also allow you to show off your business/company, which can help you build credibility as a new agent.
Bottom Line
The level of success you can achieve with social media depends on one thing: whether your efforts are based on a simple strategy. The right strategy keeps you moving in the right direction. It is tailored for your specific goals, no matter what they happen to be.
The wrong strategy will have you running in place, wasting resources, and losing credibility. The importance of social media strategies for Realtors, therefore, cannot be overstated.