Using Google+. While it has not been as widely embraced as other social media sites, Google+ can be a very powerful networking tool to connect with potential buyers and sellers, as well as others in your field. Unlike Facebook, where most users have adopted strict privacy settings, Google+ users often make their profiles and posts public to promote networking and interaction. Also, there are far fewer posts and distractions on Google+, so it can be easier to be heard. Moreover, Google+ has search engine optimization (SEO) benefits, since content is indexed by Google quickly.
Using Pinterest. Since its launch in 2010, Pinterest has become the fastest-growing social media site. In fact, Pinterest has surpassed LinkedIn® and Google+ for referral traffic. Because Pinterest is so visual, it can be a great fit for real estate marketing. You can post visually appealing pictures of homes for sale, gardens, before and after photos, neighborhoods, as well as “how-to” videos, etc. Follow your clients on Pinterest to learn about their dream homes and their styles and preferences, which can help you identify potential homes they might be interested in. It can also be very helpful to partner with local businesses, such as painters, carpenters, landscape architects. Pin their most appealing images to your pinboards and promote them with comments. Don’t forget to include a link back to your website.
Using Facebook. We’re all quite familiar with Facebook by this point, but not all of us are using it to grow our businesses. Ideally, establish business pages, rather than using your personal pages, to promote properties, invite clients to open houses, and share relevant content with “friends” and clients. This might include articles, links to your blogs posts (note that you can set blog posts automatically to link to your Facebook account), photos of house tours, new listings, etc. If you are using your personal page to share information about your business, it’s essential to make sure your page creates the image you want conveyed to your clients. Facebook’s privacy settings can be helpful and filter which content different groups are able to see, but it’s best to keep it professional and appropriate across the board.
Using Twitter. Plan a strategy to provide relevant, interesting and timely content to engage your followers in a conversation. You can also share good content from others that reinforces your message. This can include invitations to an upcoming open house, comments about the industry or homebuying experience, or links to your own website that features your newest blog post or video about, say, how to buy a short-sale home. You can write multiple Twitter posts at one time and then schedule them to be released at set times, using a tool such as HootSuite.
