Most agents hear the term “content strategy” and assume it doesn’t apply to their business, but you’d be surprised by how important it is when building your real estate foothold. If you want to dominate the digital landscape, you need to develop some sharp content and a thoughtful strategy to grow your business and brand.
What Is Content Strategy Anyway?
It’s straightforward: content strategy is the planning, creation and execution of content with the goal of building engagement and consistency for your brand. Think of it like real estate—your business is all about meaningful connections and your content strategy is Networking 2.0. Whether you’re new to real estate or a seasoned agent, content strategy can streamline your business and help you evolve.
Why Content Strategy Matters
Putting a little thought into the type of content you want to create and what you want your brand to be builds engagement, but it goes so much deeper. A solid strategy means less work. Gone are the days of wondering what you’ll post on Instagram or how often you need to write a blog post. You’ll be able to plan content in advance, know which benchmarks you want to hit and spend less time worrying about last-minute content needs. Even if your strategy is relatively basic, you’ll have accountability to help keep your online presence front and center.
Your Brand Is Your Business
When you’re building your content strategy, consider the big picture. Your aim should be to showcase your business in a consistent way. Think of your content as your business’s personality: potential clients should be able to scroll through your Instagram feed or website and get a feel for who you are. Your strategy isn’t going to be perfect from the start, so experimenting with what works for your audience and your brand is expected and encouraged.
Putting Your Strategy into Action
Start small when putting your new content strategy into action. The first step should be to make sure your website, social media and any other client-facing platforms have the same look and feel. If your platforms feel disconnected to you, chances are your audience feels the same way. Investing in something as simple as social media templates can take your business a long way to establishing your brand identity.
When it comes to social media, you must look deeper than just the caption. Put your best foot forward with high-quality images, decide on a list of routine hashtags and pay attention to your analytics. If you haven’t already, convert your Instagram and Facebook profiles into business accounts to take full advantage of their built-in analytics, this data is invaluable.
And don’t overlook the power of video. The cookie cutter days of video tours are gone, so get creative and take advantage of longer formats on social platforms or develop a series leveraging your professional know-how, the options are endless.
What it all boils down to is finding ways to use the technology available to support your business, and HomeSmart has perfected the equation. HomeSmart has always believed in a tech-forward mindset so agents can focus on taking their brands to the next level. With HomeSmart, agents spend more time building their foundation for success and less time sweating the details with the support they need and deserve.
Adam Bauer is the vice president of marketing operations at HomeSmart International. Bauer is responsible for maximizing the company’s brand presence and marketing strategies. For more information, please visit homesmart.com/join.
