Social media marketing for estate agents
Admission time… I’ve developed something of a niche, a passion and five estate agents are now using, not abusing, me. It’s social media marketing.
I’ve done a lot of reading and research and experimentation with primarily 6 social media platforms:
Google Plus.
Each one has its advantages, its pros and its cons. That’s why with my own website I use a “blended” marketing approach and for estate agents, I recommend the same approach
In terms of engagement, Instagram wins hand down in analytics but it has limitations – URLs in photos aren’t clickable and it’s time intensive in terms of providing great written content with a great photograph along with up to 30 hashtags (I kid you not).
Tied in with a Facebook business page though, sponsored posts on Instagram, if set up correctly, have phenomenal reach.
Which brings me to Facebook, the behemoth of social media, but one whose algorithms frustrate.
Here’s why: add a URL to a Facebook post and reach diminishes because Zuckerberg doesn’t want users leaving the site, but staying and engaging with sponsored content on there. Makes sense commercially. There are other subtleties about Facebook marketing that I’ve picked up on in the last year to expand reach without reaching for the paid Boost Post option.
Pinterest is used primarily at weekends and has the major plus of being able to organise properties to let, properties for sale, estate agency blog posts, office shots, around town, etc on distinct boards. Pins attached to each board can also have the URL added on (unlike Facebook) driving traffic back to your website and that enticing FREE ONLINE INSTANT VALUATION banner you want everyone to engage with.
Twitter is a rolling news feed with each tweet reckoned to have a shelf life of one hour. You need to attracting the right followers and following appropriate Twitter users, who you can engage with.
Google Plus, the ugly duckling of Social Media Marketing, is apparently due a rebirth as the current platform where Followers +1 your posts seems to be doing a slow death.
LinkedIn pays my mortgage – as nearly all my commissioned freelance work is from there. It is not a place really to post links to properties for sale – unless they’re distinct and unique – but is a place to demonstrate your thought leadership as an estate agent or CEO to a vast audience of connections and the public.
Social media marketing is not about publish and pray, it’s not about publishing, it’s about participating in a conversation on a social media platform.
It’s about promoting your brand, your product, your service in an engaging way.
That’s difficult to do if you’re out listing, valuing, or entrenched in a difficult sales negotiation.
That’s why these estate agents outsource.
Written by Stuart Walton stuart@getprocopy.com
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