Editor’s Note: Social Skills is a bi-monthly feature in RISMedia’s Daily News focused on social media and digital marketing tips, trends and solutions for agents and brokers.
Being a local expert in real estate is not just about knowing the ins and outs of your market, it’s about being a pillar of your community. You have to be a trusted figure that locals feel they can rely on. This pre-existing trust will help you gain more and more clients that feel they already know you and will want to work with you.
One of the best ways to be a pillar in your community is giving back through charity, and there’s never a more important time to give back than during the holiday season. Helping with or running your own charity events are a great way to give back to your community and position yourself as a trusted figure, plus they are also a great way to keep in touch with past clients through annual events.
Here are a couple ways to give back this holiday season:
Organize a food collection
Food banks are always in need of resources, especially during the high-need holiday seasons. Organizing a collection of food to donate to your local food bank is a great way to give back to your community and demonstrate your commitment to being a trusted community pillar.
Contact your local food bank to see their needed items, and put out advertising through your usual channels (social media, print, signs, etc) to ask your community to bring donations to your office for organizing. Going through the items first also takes some weight off the food bank’s shoulders by giving them what they need without having to sort through it all.
This also gives you an opportunity to go volunteer at your local food bank, another way to give back and build trust locally.
Sponsor Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners
While food banks are a great resource for those in need to make their holiday dinners, not everyone has the ability to prepare a whole meal. This is where mutual aid services, like community kitchens, are important, especially for the holiday season.
A great way for you to give back to your community is to sponsor a mutual aid dinner for Thanksgiving and Christmas. This can involve sponsoring your local community kitchens through momentary or resource donations, or organizing a community dinner of your own to give out free holiday meals.
You can reach out through your usual advertising channels, especially on your social media, and contact past and present clients to volunteer or donate, as well. This can also be a volunteer opportunity if you’re not running your own event to appear and help out at whatever event you choose to sponsor.
Sponsor a gift drive
While food and meals are one of the most important needs when it comes to the holidays, gifts also mean a lot to many families in need. Christmas gifts are core memories for many children, and every family wants to be able to provide that.
You can give back for the holidays and help families achieve this by sponsoring gift drives to collect items for children in need. This can be running your own gift drive event, or sponsoring a local one through a library, fire department or non profit, like Toys for Tots.
If you’re running your own event, this is also a chance to hook up with local businesses to partner for the drive and involve yourself in the business community in your market. If you’re sponsoring an event, don’t forget about making a volunteer appearance to make your charity efforts all the more meaningful.
Whatever you choose to do this holiday season, be sure to promote it across your social channels, and don’t forget to include some pictures from your events, highlighting your business and your community.
