CENTURY 21 MarketLink Realty - SMARTER. BOLDER. FASTER.

You are here: Home / Archives for Marketing

#C21Social: The Basics of Geotagging

March 31, 2017 By

On social media, geotagging involves “tagging” a geographical location in a status update, a photo, a video, or anything else you post online. Geotagging a location to your posts gives your followers, or in this case, your clients, a glimpse at where you are and what you’re doing. This can be especially beneficial for posts concerning new listings and open houses.

Each network’s native geotagging capabilities help provide necessary information in a convenient user-friendly way so that potential clients know where your newest listing or open house can be found. It will also offer them an opportunity to virtually explore the neighborhood before they decide to take the next step—saving you both time.

Read on to learn more about geotagging by network.

Facebook
When you post a status update or other media post on Facebook, you should be able to see a small location pin icon that you can click to “check in” to a place. Use the dropdown menu to pick a nearby town or place or search for a specific one. Your location will be posted alongside your Facebook post.

Note: To protect user privacy, Facebook will not allow you to post the exact address.

Instagram
Instagram is all about sharing while on the go. Every time you prepare to post a new photo or video, you have the option to add a location on the caption tab. When a follower sees the location, they are able to click on it and navigate to a map view where they can find the exact location and take a look at its surroundings.

Snapchat
Snapchat is another network that embraces an on-the-go lifestyle and appeals to a slightly younger audience. You can snap a photo or record a video and then swipe right on it to add an illustrated geofilter. Snapchat geofilters are pre-determined by the network and change depending on your location.

Let social media help you make that next sale by geotagging your location-specific posts.

Syndicated via Century 21®. Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/century21/wAvv/~3/ATwFMbb8Z2E/

Most Popular Real Estate Keywords of 2016

January 30, 2017 By

When it comes to online marketing, there is a very powerful tool right at your fingertips: keywords! Simple words can be one of your most important and valuable assets for reaching new audiences in the digital space. Think about what words potential clients might enter into a search field and use that information to help guide your marketing plan. You can even use keywords to create relevant hashtags for social media.

To help you get started, here are some of the most popular real estate keywords of 2016.*

The Buying/Selling Process

Estate Property

Property Search

Owner

Close

Price

Years

Plan

Office

Rent

Aspects of the Home

House

Kitchen

Bedroom

Living Room

Bath

Floor

Location Consideration

Location

State

Community

Park

Area

Development

University

*Top keywords provided by Infegy. Data has been filtered to remove keywords associated with the 2016 Presidential Election.

Syndicated via Century 21®. Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/century21/wAvv/~3/hAGe1oxTT4w/

Get the Most Out of Social Media as a Real Estate Agent

January 5, 2017 By

Be a better real estate agent by learning the benefits of key social media platforms. Remember, each platform provides a different function, and each platform has its inherent pros and cons. What may succeed on one platform may not on another. Whether you’re tweeting about an open house, or posting a new listing on Facebook, this infographic will help you determine how to use your voice as effectively as possible.

Syndicated via Century 21®. Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/century21/wAvv/~3/_NjipBUXA-w/

How to Be an Eco-Friendly Agent

August 9, 2016 By

Many people and industries today are taking a step back and considering how their actions impact the environment around them, and we believe that real estate and real estate agents should do the same. Join the trending conversation by practicing eco-friendly real estate marketing habits that may have a positive effect with your clients. Adjust your marketing efforts slightly with these tips and you may see larger results.
 

Enhance Email Marketing

Flyers can be effective when marketing open houses, but they’re just not enough in today’s technological world. Instead of relying on larger quantities of physical handouts, turn your focus towards email marketing. This waste-free option allows an instant connection with your clients, and opens up communication channels since someone can always reply back to you. Not sure where to get started? We’ve got some tips.
 

Utilize Social Media

Along the same vein of emails, social media is an online marketing tool that eases your impact on the environment. While we certainly don’t recommend tossing out your business cards, consider alternative avenues for networking such as participating in online communities and forums. Online interactions allow you to deliver information electronically, which not only reduces waste of notes or flyers, but allows your clients to retain information more easily. When you communicate on social media, there’s no fear of accidentally losing a slip of paper.

 

Encourage Public Transportation      

When advertising the location of your open house, don’t just list driving directions — include public transportation options as well when possible. While many clients may still choose to drive, giving other options subtly shows that you’re conscious about eco-friendly alternatives. If some clients do choose to take the public transportation route, their bus ride, train stop, or walk will be a great introduction to the area. It can even serve as a conversation piece about the neighborhood of their potential home.

 

Market Green Homes

Associate yourself with green homes whenever you can so that clients may see a connection between you and the environmentally-friendly. For example, if one of your listings has a feature or product that consumes less, don’t be afraid to point it out. Clients may appreciate knowing how solar panels, LED lights, or energy-efficient appliances can save both the environment and their wallets. Put features such as these first and they may stand out as more memorable.

 

Use your next open house to start aligning yourself with these eco-friendly practices. You may reduce your impact on the environment while increasing the efficacy of your real estate marketing efforts.

Syndicated via Century 21®. Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/century21/wAvv/~3/PA39XAUt-AE/

How to Use Social Media Groups

June 3, 2016 By

Think you’re a master at social media when it comes to real estate marketing? Think again. Even after you’ve created a profile, established a following, and learned how to hashtag, there’s still more to learn. Social media groups, or communities built around a common interest, are yet another invaluable facet on social media platforms. To ensure that all CENTURY 21® Agents are smarter, bolder, faster, here’s some insight as to what these groups are and how to use them effectively.

What are Social Media Groups?

As mentioned previously, these online communities are formed around those who share a common interest. For you, these interests may be real estate, professional organizations, or those living in a certain geographic location.

Where Can I Find Them?

These networks live on Facebook and LinkedIn. To search for them, simply type in key words in the search bar at the top of your page and suggested groups will appear. Note that privacy settings may differ per group. An open group means that anyone may join, while closed groups require either an invitation or permission in order to be a part of them. However, it may not be the best idea to join any group at random. Start by asking friends or colleagues for recommendations or referrals.

Why Should I Use Them?

Social media groups play a different role in your marketing plan. While a Facebook or LinkedIn profile may be the best place to promote you and your business, these groups function better as a place to network, build your reputation, and develop skills. Depending on which group you join, you may be introduced to agents or homeowners you may not have met before. You can also engage in conversation to offer and seek advice.

What are Best Practices?

Think of these groups as an ongoing relationship — you have to put in what you take out. Genuinely participate in conversation, don’t just fill up the page with your own thoughts, requests, or promotions. You may post about an open house or two if you think others in the group would be interested, but make sure that you actively share other users’ content as well. If you’re seeking advice, such as whether homeowners in your area prefer one thing over another, take criticism in stride. If you’re offering advice, make sure your comments are constructive and not belittling.

Join a couple social media groups today to get started. Observe how the particular community functions, and don’t be afraid to introduce yourself!

Syndicated via Century 21®. Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/century21/wAvv/~3/oeh0c2yfOzA/

Popular Real Estate Hashtags

April 18, 2016 By

When you have a new house to sell, you can maximize the momentum behind posting its listing through social media. However, posting can get complicated; you want the right people to see AND interact with your content. To target the right people, use hashtags. They’re an easy way for someone to look up a specific subject (in this case, homes for sale) and find relevant content all in one spot. So what hashtags do you use, and when? Here’s a breakdown.

  1. #RealEstate, #Realtor, or #Realty

Let’s start with the basics. These three hashtags are the most obvious, which means that you’ll probably be pulling from the largest pool of users. For example, #RealEstate has been used over 3 million times on Instagram alone. When using these tags on their own, your content could get lost in the sheer number of posts. So what should you add next?

  1. #ForSale and #NewHome

These two hashtags are very popular. #ForSale might just as commonly feature a home being sold as it could a car. #NewHome could also come from people who have just moved in. Their popularity leaves an opportunity for you – especially when using them in tandem. Add the two consecutively, such as in #NewHome #ForSale, and people may easily find your listing.

  1. #DreamHome

This hashtag essentially shows off the beauty of the home you have to offer. So, if you have a great listing, #DreamHome is the perfect hashtag to use – especially on Instagram, which focuses primarily on photography. People might search for this hashtag at any point in their process (because, who doesn’t like to dream?). Consistently post great photos with #DreamHome, and you may build up your following, attract some long-term clients, and potentially find buyers for other homes you’re listing.

  1. #OpenHouse

This is an essential hashtag for the event. Posting a photo and hoping that someone will make an appointment isn’t always a reliable plan, but putting that news out on social may improve your turnout. It’s also a good practice to add the neighborhood or city of the open house as a secondary hashtag, to make it easier to find for potential buyers.

  1. #Renovation, #HomeMakeover, #OldHouseCharm

These hashtags are getting more into a niche market. If you’re selling a home that is a fixer-upper, this is a great way to go. Many people look specifically for homes that need a little renovation help – either to save money, or to flip. This way, being upfront with your hashtags may help you in the long run.

  1. #MillionDollarListing

On the opposite end of the spectrum, agents selling expensive real estate can take a page from the luxury lifestyle when trying to land a deal in the seven figures. #MillionDollarListing consistently appears on lists of the best real estate hashtags to use – and for good reason. Photography of luxury homes performs well on social media.

Hashtags can be incredibly useful in real estate if done right. Do you have a favorite hashtag to add to your tweets or Instagram posts?

Syndicated via Century 21®. Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/century21/wAvv/~3/hSZ4ihh7TkE/

How to #Hashtag

April 1, 2016 By

The (#) is an ever-evolving symbol. Some may remember it as the pound sign. Others may think of it as the number sign. A small number may even know it as the octothorp. Today, you know the sign as a hashtag, a social media feature that may benefit your online marketing presence as a real estate agent. In this article, you’ll learn the basics of hashtag use, including which platforms suit them best and the difference between trending and custom tags. You’ll also hear about the dos and don’ts of hashtags such as the pitfalls of overuse and tagging without research.

What are Hashtags?
A brief refresher: Hashtags serve as keywords in a search function. You can identify one by the pound sign (#) followed by a word or phrase, as in #RealEstate. When used this way, hashtags group pieces of digital content on social media that share a common theme to create searchable topics. So, a search for #RealEstate on Twitter gathers all recent and popular content with that tag in one location for you to view.

Which Platforms Support Them?
Hashtags may be used on any social media post, but only on certain platforms. Instagram, Twitter, Google+, and Vine are all ideal because users can easily search for content and receive a list of posts containing a particular tag. Facebook has a similar search function, but doesn’t work as well due to a high number of private profiles. In turn, this makes tagging less prevalent on that network. Hashtags are not supported on Pinterest, Snapchat, or LinkedIn, so avoid using them on those sites altogether.

How Do I Label Content?
All hashtags should follow a certain format, and each platform has different guidelines for them. When using ones that contain multiple words, as in #RealEstate, do not separate them with a space, punctuation, or symbol. This means that signs like the ampersand (&), dollar sign ($), and even the pound sign itself (#) should not follow the hashtag. While there is no actual limit to length, six characters are optimal . Stay away from longer tags, as they’re harder to read. In terms of number of hashtags, you may find more engagement on Twitter with just two. You can add more on Instagram posts, since the platform allows up to 30. However, it’s not recommended to use such a high number because they may make your post seem cluttered. On Facebook, however, your content may actually fare better without any hashtags at all, due to their unwieldiness within the platform.

Which Hashtags do I Use?
Since the basic function of hashtags is to reflect the content of the post, consider descriptive terms. For example, a photo of a loft in Boston might have the tags #Boston and #loft in it. As a realtor, you may want to incorporate industry terms, such as #Property, #ForSale, #JustListed, or #DreamHome to reach others interested in real estate. Make sure to search for the hashtag before using it to avoid obscure or even controversial topics. A seemingly innocent phrase may not be so. Try a search for your local area (#Boston, #Springfield, etc.) plus #RealEstate in order to find popular local tags your potential clients use. You could also utilize tools to find popular hashtags in your area, but only use ones relevant to your content. Your loft photo won’t benefit from the popular hashtags #foodie or #love.

Now that you know the ins and outs of hashtags, you can start using them like a pro!

Syndicated via Century 21®. Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/century21/wAvv/~3/GOHetwHFZ30/

5 Tips for Email Marketing

March 9, 2016 By

As a real estate agent, email marketing can be an invaluable tool in creating and maintaining relationships. Well-executed emails can help secure new clients, communicate information to current ones, or even rekindle the interest of those from a previous time. However, there’s some strategy behind it. The following five tips may make your online messaging more effective.

1. Acquire an Email List

Collect a directory of clients’ contact information by asking them specifically for their email address. From there, email them with a choice to opt in to regular content. This method ensures that everyone on the list is interested in receiving your information. Unsolicited emails may tarnish your reputation as a real estate agent or come across as spam. To encourage people to opt in, use gated content, or content that can only be seen after entering an email address. For example, e-books, webinars, or virtual tools should be available only after a client has chosen to receive regular emails from you.

2. Provide Valuable Information

Send an email flyer about recent home listings and closings that may genuinely be of interest to the email recipient. Additionally, send a newsletter with data on the housing market or tips about real estate to demonstrate your expertise. Think: market trends, real estate how-to guides, and government initiatives for buyers and sellers. Make sure to send these sparingly though—no more than once a week—so clients have time to digest the information.

3. Be Concise

Short, digestible messages are optimal, since most emails are read on smartphones that make blocks of text intimidating. Subject lines should also be short, specific, and interesting enough to entice the reader. Aim to have them between 28-39 characters, and definitely no more than 50. The body of the email should take no longer than two minutes to read through. To fit this requirements, try cutting out sentences that don’t pertain directly to the crux of your email.

4. Be Personal

Your email should sound like it’s coming from a trusted ally, not a salesperson. Create this tone by asking questions and using the client’s first name. Focus on using the word “you” more often to shift attention towards your client. Also, always sign the email with your first and last name rather than just your company’s name, and provide additional ways for them to contact you.

5. Send Transactional Emails

Sometimes simply known as thank you emails, transactional emails can be a great way to show clients you appreciate their interest. If someone has opted into your mailing list or responds positively to your newsletter by requesting more information, send a thank you email. It will show that you care about your customers and that your email marketing is genuine.

Almost all real estate agents participate in email marketing, so don’t get left behind! Follow these tips so your efforts may stand out.

Syndicated via Century 21®. Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/century21/wAvv/~3/sg_IEiChNK8/

Email Etiquette for Real Estate Agents

November 7, 2014 By

Email is an essential component of every real estate career. It’s especially helpful in generating leads, in fact, 42% of businesses report that email is the primary source of lead generation. When you are using email for business, it is crucial to make sure that you are following the unwritten rules of email etiquette.

1. Subject: Always use a clear and concise subject line that clearly indicates the purpose of the email.

2. BCC, CC: CC stands for carbon copy. It is used when you want someone to receive the email even though the email primarily concerns someone else. BCC stands for blind carbon copy. When you use blind carbon copy the people you BCC can’t see each others contact information. BCC is a useful way to protect people’s privacy when you send an same email to a group of people who don’t know one another. A good time to use BCC would be if you are emailing a marketing email to all of your clients.

4. Edit: Always check your grammar and spelling before you hit send. Additionally, keep in mind that emails can be printed and saved. Email last forever. Make sure that you are representing yourself, and your company well.

5. Respond in a timely manner: Make sure to read and respond to email promptly. You may miss something important if you do not check your email often. Your clients may also have time sensitive decisions or questions that need to be responded to right away.

Email is going to be an essential form of communication in the foreseeable future. These tips will help you manage your email while maintaining a standard of professionalism.

 

Recommended Reading:

-5 Essential Networking Tips for Real Estate Agents

-6 Simple SEO Tips for Real Estate Agents

-Tech Talk: 5 Apps for Real Estate Agents

 

Syndicated via Century 21 Blog. Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/century21/wAvv/~3/pAzUpxa5Cxc/

Facebook Tips for Real Estate Agents

September 12, 2014 By

Facebook has become a worldwide social media phenomenon. As of June 2014, the network has 1.28 billion monthly active users. Use these tips to build your following and, ultimately, help generate new business.

1. Post helpful content: Some may think that a professional Facebook page would be used simply to promote yourself and your work, but similar to our Twitter tips, that’s not the case. Offer your followers something that they won’t get from another real estate agent. You are an expert in your field so show it; post helpful tips about buying and selling homes and other resources. This will show that you care about your followers and are a thought leader.

2. Complete your profile: Before a Facebook user clicks “Like” they will check your profile to make sure the page is qualified and worthy of appearing on their news feed. Don’t skimp on any section of your profile, from website and contact links to locations – it’s important not to leave anything out.

3. Use pictures and videos: Users respond better to photo posts; 93% of the most engaged posts on Facebook are ones that contain photos. Posting photos of a listing or posting infographics can boost your engagement and keep followers coming back to your profile.

4. Join real estate groups: Connecting with others in your field is always a good idea. Take advantage of the wide range of users and do some online networking. Join real estate agent groups to network and learn something new. The only way to grow and exceed your own expectations is to learn from others who may be more experienced. Networking through Facebook can lead to new clients, agencies or even a mentor.

5. Schedule your posts: You’re not always going to have time to be on your Facebook page constantly updating your status. Use the Facebook scheduler tool to schedule posts in advance. It’s reported that the highest engagement time is between 1pm and 3pm and that engagement is 18% higher on Thursdays and Fridays. Consider scheduling your posts for these times until your page has been up long enough to determine the days and times for the highest engagement.

Use these best practices to promote your business on the most popular social media network. If you want to learn even more about growing your social media following, read our best practices for Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest.

 

Recommended Reading:

-Tech Talk: 5 Apps for Real Estate Agents

-6 Simple SEO Tips for Real Estate Agents

-Home Office Essentials

-Productivity Tips for Working From Home

 

Syndicated via Century 21 Blog. Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/century21/wAvv/~3/pJxeR3nScB0/