How can an Estate Agent use Social Media?
Over the last couple of years you will have heard a lot about social media and how important it is for businesses and their marketing. You only have to look at the some of the valuations placed on these companies to realise that there is some truth in this. The number of users on a platform like twitter reaches into the hundreds of millions, similarly with Instagram and Facebook, but the key question you need to ask is ‘How can I use these platforms to benefit my business?’. I think everyone can agree that social media isn’t a tool that you would rely to sell a house, however it does have other beneficial uses, for example:
1) Brand awareness
Brand awareness is one of the most costly forms of marketing because you don’t see immediate results from it and it can take a very long time to ingrain you brand into the minds of the consumer. Social media allows you to operate on a platform that has access to millions of your target market, at no cost. You can completely control the image that you give off to the general public and post whatever content you want, however frequently you want. You can advertise your properties, put out new posts about your latest activities, post reviews or directly interact with your customers. This all adds to your brand awareness, especially with a younger generation of first time buyers.
2) Show your clients you are using every avenue possible to advertise their property
Instagram, Facebook and Twitter and all highly used free advertising platforms for businesses and it is a great place to advertise your properties. Obviously anyone starting a property search with either go to the agents site or a portal but by adding social media to your advertisement channels you can increase your scope. It is unlikely anyone will buy a house based on your twitter posts but it will increase the number of views to that property on your site. Not only does social media increase the advertisement scope but it also allows you to show off your stock of properties to potential clients. This can raise your profile and influence the perception people have of your business.
3) Good place to share content
Twitter especially is great for sharing blogs and content from your website. If you operate in Hampstead for example, and you write a piece on the local market and how you see it changing in 2016, this might be something your clients are interested in. You can pin this bit of content to the top of your twitter page so anyone can see it as soon as they access your page. Social media allows for quick sharing to other sites which might mean your blog getting featured on a popular news site. This all adds to brand awareness and helps to build trust and reputation with your end users.
4) Appeal to younger buyers
A bit of a cliché that by being on social media you will automatically appeal to a younger generation however it is definitely a good place to start. Most of the largest companies in the world use social media to appeal to the millennial market. Tesco for example are very humorous on their twitter account which helps improve their public image from a large corporate PLC to a company that offer a service for the general public. Many milenial’s will use platforms like social media to profile a company and find out about their company personality. Tweets are also starting to appear in Google search results now so if you are posting content regularly you can get important content posted right at the top of Google.
Instagram is also a great way to connect with a younger generation. If you are advertising high end property you can quickly gain followers on Instagram and get a reputation for being a luxury property agent. Ideally you want these images to be professionally taken as your Instagram page is all about imagery rather than text heavy content.
5) Shamelessly show off your accolades
You should never be afraid to show off your accolades to your clients, it will make a difference to them. If you have raised a large amount for charity you need to be announcing that on your social media pages, similarly if you have won awards for your service, your website and social media are great places to constantly remind your clients. Sending direct emails every time you do something is a bit over the top and it will probably get on your clients nerves however social media allows you to post all of the positive things you have done and leave them there to lets your clients see at any time.
Conclusion
As i said earlier you shouldn’t just rely on social media to sell a house because it really isn’t a particularly useful tool for that, however it will help you increase your brand awareness, improve the public image of your company, allow you to advertise for free and increase your appeal to a younger section of the marketplace without segregating your older clients. Social media is something that every agent should be taking advantage of no matter where you are. It’s free and easy to use and will allow you to share the content that you should be generating for your website. I would recommend starting with twitter and venturing onto Facebook and Instagram if you think you have the time to keep them updated!
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