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CENTURY 21® Social: Marketing at Community Events

May 29, 2017 By

Community events are a great way to connect with potential clients in the area you serve. For years, real estate agents have set up booths and collected contact information in hopes of finding their next lead. Luckily, social media has provided new ways to make these events even more valuable for both sides. Below are a few tips for using social media to make the next event you attend an even bigger success.

 

  1. Upcoming Events

Follow town organizations on Facebook and Twitter to learn about upcoming events. Nowadays, many local groups and chapters have their own social media accounts (including the town itself). Aside from traditional outlets like the town website or local paper, social media is a great place to not only learn about upcoming events, but to learn about the residents attending. You can also use social media to advertise your participation at local events and invite others to join you.

 

  1. Social Network Prep

Before any event, make sure your profiles are up to date and engaging. As you’ll read further down, asking people at events to connect with you through social media is a great way to acquire and maintain contacts. It’s important to make sure your profiles contain accurate information and that the content you are sharing is engaging. Remember, your social media pages should always provide value to your followers (not just around events), but these times can serve as “checkups” to make sure everything is up to par.

 

  1. On-Site Technology

Use a portable device to share photos of listings, display your social networks, or collect information. Having a tablet or other portable device is an easy and efficient way to to do a variety of things. Using it to display listings allows people to effortlessly browse through multiple homes with your guidance. You can also access your social networks and ask people to take out their phones and follow you right on the spot. Finally, you can use an app on your device as a virtual information sheet—visitors can enter their information easily and you can seamlessly convert it to your database.

 

  1. Social Connections

Ask visitors to connect with you via social media. As previous sections have alluded to, asking visitors to find and connect with you on social media can help provide more meaningful connections. The key is to choose one network (even if you promote your business on several) and give them clear instructions on how to find you. If possible, politely ask them to do it on the spot to avoid the risk of them forgetting once they leave.

 

  1. Digital Follow Up

Take photos at the event and post them to your social networks during and after. Posting photos of the events you attend allows current followers to see that you’re actively involved in the community and reminds new followers about the event, and more specifically, your interaction. Photos may also be an additional conversation starter within your social page.

 

Use these tips to make the most of your next community event.

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CENTURY 21® Social: How To Leverage Your Social Networks

May 1, 2017 By

It’s no secret that social media can be a very powerful tool for a real estate sales associates when used in the right way. However, with every social network comes a new set of rules and best practices. To help navigate each one more easily, we’ve created the following list of quick tips specifically for real estate.

 

Network: Facebook

Overview: Facebook is your best resource for reaching the most clients. On it you can share various types of content and reach a more localized audience with the network’s extensive geotargeting capabilities.

 

Quick Tips:

  • Post Your Listings: Tell fans about the home, highlight its major selling points, and post pictures. When sharing a listing on Facebook, it’s important to give it some personality and to make sure you’re not overdoing it. While many people who follow you will enjoy seeing listings, they don’t want their News Feed inundated with them. Your posts can also serve as a place for fans to ask questions about the listing so make sure you are ready to respond.
  • Use Photos: Images on Facebook are much more engaging than text-based posts. The more likes, comments, and shares your posts get, the more they will appear in your Facebook fans’ News Feeds.
  • Share Neighborhood Events: Show off your city. Post about local events in your town. If you’re going to or know about a neighborhood event, tell your fans and invite them to participate.
  • Take Advantage of Geotargeting: Facebook lets you target your ads very specifically. You can use Facebook Ads to give your most important posts some added exposure among users in a desired area. To learn more about Facebook Advertising and geotargeting, check out this blog post.

 

 

Network: Twitter

Overview: Twitter is the best place to share news and updates. Users are looking for quick and digestible information so try your best to keep things concise and to the point—if you can’t say it in 140 characters or less, maybe you shouldn’t say it on Twitter.

 

Quick Tips:

  • Tweet Tips for Buying, Selling, and Moving: Offer advice to your followers by sharing helpful tips about the buying, selling, and moving processes. These tips can include everything from good articles and videos to short and simple ideas.
  • Use Hashtags: On Twitter, using hashtags gets your tweets seen by an audience beyond your followers. Use relevant hashtags to be discovered by those looking for a particular subject matter. For example, use specific hashtags that pertain to your location and more general hashtags that pertain to the industry (e.g. #movingtips).
  • Share Local News: Twitter tends to be a great place for news. If there is something exciting happening in the neighborhood you serve, tweet about it. It will be attractive to potential buyers and keep you up-to-date on local happenings.
  • Use @Mentions to Keep in Touch: Twitter lets you send tweets to specific people. Instead of using the direct message feature, send out a Tweet to congratulate a new homeowner, to thank a local merchant for assisting you, etc.

 

 

Network: Instagram

Overview: Instagram users are drawn to beauty and inspiration. Use this network to show off striking home photography. You can add a few lines in your caption, but try not to say too much and let the images speak for themselves.

 

Quick Tips:

  • Post and Geotag Listings: When posting listings on Instagram, make sure the pictures are appealing and sized accordingly. You can also geotag the location of each listing to make it easier for clients to check out the area on a map.
  • Show Off Your Favorite Homes: Post pictures of some of your favorite homes you’ve sold to give clients an idea of the type of homes you work with—whether that’s a variety or a very specific type.
  • Highlight the Neighborhood: Sharing pictures and information about the neighborhood you work in markets the area to prospective residents and also shows your passion and knowledge of where you are selling homes.
  • Encourage Engagement: Include questions and other calls-to-action in your photo captions to encourage followers to comment. Be prepared to respond and have conversations there.

 

 

Network: LinkedIn

Overview: Aside from being a social network, LinkedIn is a valuable professional networking tool. Save the listings and promotional content for the other networks and focus on marketing your own personal brand to other professionals.

 

Quick Tips:

  • Join and Participate in Local Groups: LinkedIn Groups allow you to use the platform to communicate with other professionals who share interests, work in specific areas, or have other similarities. Use them to communicate and be sure to provide value—remember, this is a network for selling yourself, not your listings.
  • Ask for Referrals: Ask clients and colleagues to give you a referral on LinkedIn. Similar to a traditional referral, this will help potential clients make an easy choice when they’re looking for an agent.
  • Share a Detailed Description of Your Experience: Again, this is the place to sell yourself as a professional. When filling out your profile, be sure to use the Summary section to include relevant education and experience as well as a few facts that will add a personal touch.
  • Network: LinkedIn is a great place to network with other people in the industry. Take some time to see what others are saying and don’t be afraid to share your valuable insight with your network.

 

No matter which social networks you choose to focus on, social media is a great way for you to connect with both clients and peers. What works for some may not work for others, so don’t be afraid to test the waters and see what works for you!

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