Growing your Social Media Audience to Increase Business

Estate Agency Social Media

I often get asked either ‘how did I build such as big social media following‘ and ‘what business value is there from owning a large following on social media‘. Both questions certainly deserve to be answered so let’s start off with these:

How to build a big social media following: Simple I say, either you put a lot of thinking and time towards it, you throw a bucket load of money at it or you use what is already out there and leverage yourself up on the back of others.

I built groups upon groups and created many accounts across all social media platforms to include those no longer with us today such as Vine and GooglePlus, I captured key user and page names / URLs and I connected with everyone I could do within the sectors I worked in (at the time digital media / wine / property). I quickly realised the platforms that I worked best with, we can not be the master of all, and most importantly I concentrated on sharing content.

In the early days of social media, the take up was slow and the opportunities were vast for those who could envision what they were to become. I soon saw social media as the future of marketing and an excellent way of building audiences for free. I remember the day Facebook opened up the option to secure your username (as opposed to a unique number ID) and thinking of property and selling property on Facebook I chose my username to be FB.com/houseforsale as others were securing their birth names! When groups were an option to be created on Facebook I secured relevant keywords of which many I have given away or sold, though some I still hold of which have grown to a credible size for instance FB.com/groups/EstateAgency – I also made sure that I secured all my business names across social media which sees me today owning countless accounts / groups / pages!

Today, within property / real estate, I still run and own several large social media groups which are up for sale and as understanding of social media increases they are not only growing in size, but those thinking about ‘leveraging themselves up quickly‘ chose to purchase them:

Facebook Page – Estate Agency UK – 1,056 followers – £2,112

Facebook Group – Interior Designers – 3,030 members – £6,060

Facebook Group – Real Estate Page – 14,676 members – £14,676

LinkedIn Group – Women in Estate Agency – 407 members – £814

Twitter Account – LAUKNetworking (Letting Agent Networking) – 8,423 followers – £8,423

You can also leverage your profile on social media by joining larger groups and engaging, though you can be limited re direct marketing as most group owners / admins do not allow others to profit from their hard work.

What business value is there from owning a large following on social media: Social media today has a whole different meaning to what it held only a few years ago. During the birth years of social media, ie 2005 – 2010, the understanding of these platforms was in its infancy by both users and those running them, it was a ultra fast journey with many twists and turns. By this I mean they evolved quickly and their numbers grow intensively where internet legends were being created daily and new updates were being constantly added so to adapt to user demands.

As the user numbers grew and most of the internet using population globally where active with fast adapting hand held appliances making for further ease of use and increased time spent using social media, the power they held grew to even a point where presidency elections were altered by posts / tweets / account suppression etc.

From grandparents to A list celebrities, there was and continues to be no limit to who can use social media, other than for age restrictions. Businesses spend millions to grow their audiences, increase their engagement and build brand awareness. Even in the property industry, there is continued popularity on social media in marketing with more and more creativity that even the likes of negotiators / agents are becoming personalities and dare I say even celebrities within the sector.

Groups are key to social media success: I stand by this with success thanks to groups where I have created brands thanks to them and grown client relationships. Owning the likes of themed groups and especially locally themed, is similar to owning a local newspaper in that you can control several thousand local members and deliver daily updates. Being clever with content is key also, you will be required to share engaging, entertaining and enlightening updates daily in tune with the target members interest and only in amongst such posts you can randomly sell your service / display homes for sale / rent or entice valuations. An example of a local community group on Facebook that is ideal for Estate / Letting Agents to acquire and build brand awareness (PS: for sale £16,302) can be viewed here: Haverhill, Suffolk community page

 

If you are interested in any of the above groups / pages / accounts or want a list of further for sale, please email propertywine@gmail.com

Christopher Walkey

Founder of Estate Agent Networking. Internationally invited speaker on how to build online target audiences using Social Media. Writes about UK property prices, housing, politics and affordable homes.

You May Also Enjoy

Breaking News

Popping the Asking Price Bubble

Where in the Uk Can Buyers Snap Up Property Bargains and Where Properties Go for a Premium Above Asking Price   New research from fast selling property company, Upstix has uncovered the UK’s most surprising postcodes for snapping up a property at bargain prices this year, highlighting a widening gap between sellers’ expectations and the…
Read More
Rightmove logo
Breaking News

Highest demand to lease office space since pre-pandemic

The latest insights from the UK’s number one commercial property website Rightmove, reveals that the number of unique enquiries to lease office space is at its highest point since pre-pandemic, as businesses look for spaces that meet modern requirements. Demand to lease office space is 19% higher than the same period a year ago and…
Read More
Planning disputes on new build land
Estate Agent Talk

Planning consultations for major infrastructure to be streamlined

Robert Bruce, a planning and infrastructure partner at law firm Freeths LLP, said he: “Welcomed the change as a significant step to speeding up the DCO process and the focus on the quality and effectiveness of the consultation, rather than box ticking and a risk averse approach to pre-application consultation due to the current legal…
Read More
Breaking News

‘The property ladder pulls further away’ warns Open Property Group

For many first-time buyers across England, the dream of homeownership continues to slip further out of reach. Despite rising wages, soaring house prices are making it harder than ever to get on the property ladder. A leading UK professional house buying company ‘Open Property Group’ based in Buckinghamshire UK, has raised concerns over the ongoing…
Read More
Estate Agent Talk

How Long It Takes to Buy a House in the UK: 5 Common Delays That Can Slow Down Your Home Purchase

Wondering how long it takes to buy a house in the UK? The average timeline ranges from 8 to 22 weeks, but even that can stretch significantly due to unexpected delays, especially if you’re a first-time buyer or caught in a chain. That’s why working with experienced professionals like Belvoir — one of the UK’s…
Read More
Love or Hate Rightmove
Breaking News

Rightmove to host Renters’ Rights Bill webinar with Guild of Lettings

Rightmove is hosting a live and interactive webinar session with the Guild of Lettings to help agents get Renters’ Rights Ready. The webinar will take place from 10:00am – 11:00am on Wednesday 23rd April. Susie Crolla, Managing Director for the Guild of Lettings, will be joining Rightmove to help agents with questions they may have about…
Read More