We often see statistics about how important it is to have a social strategy in real estate. According to a recent NAR study, 91 percent of REALTORS® use social media in some way. With this much social noise, how can you stand out when consumers are scrolling through their news feeds?
If you search online for tips about increasing your social reach, you’ll probably find articles about posting useful information, following the 80/20 rule, and keeping your audience engaged by responding to their comments and questions. While these tips are important (content is always, always king), what are some new ways you can boost the number of people seeing your social posts? Here are five unique tips to help you engage with more social users and increase your social reach.
1. Offer to share or retweet your followers’ content.
How often do you ask your followers to share your content? Why not return the favor? Ask your followers if they have something happening in your local area they’d like you to promote socially. Maybe a local moving business is hosting a grand opening or a furniture company is having a special discount over Father’s Day weekend. Cross-promotional opportunities allow you to provide valuable content to your followers while connecting with new people through other companies. Plus, your followers will view you as a local expert since you’re able to share great content about your area.
2. Use hashtags to your benefit.
Hashtags are one of the best ways to optimize your social posts. Including a hashtag (for example #realestate) makes your post searchable so others can find it, even if they aren’t following you. By tagging your post with a keyword like #laliving, #newhome, #househunting, #openhouse, etc., your posts will be grouped with others that contain the same hashtag. This is a great way to engage with people who have similar interests and encourage them to follow you. We recommend using 2-3 hashtags on Twitter and Facebook, and 5-10 on Instagram to help draw in followers. However, keep in mind that too many hashtags can overburden your messages, so make tags relevant and use them when you think it’s helpful.
Another great way to incorporate hashtags into your posts is to create your own and use it whenever you post about yourself. For example, if you like to post new listings or properties that have just sold on your social profiles, create a hashtag that ties in with your or your company’s name. It might be difficult to find a hashtag that hasn’t already been used, especially if you have a common name, so consider things that would help define you as a brand. If your name is Jane and you work mainly with millennials, a potential hashtag could be #JanesMillennialListings. Brainstorm potential ideas before settling on one; remember, you’ll want to use this to group your posts together so people can see what you’ve done previously.
3. Create shareable content.
Increasing your social reach involves more than just your social pages. If you have a real estate blog, you’ve already created the perfect opportunity for more people to connect with you. Make sure you’re creating inspiring content on your blog, so readers will be more likely to share it with their followers. Articles that are reactive, informative, and interesting are most likely to be shared. When looking for content ideas, browse real estate industry news to see which hot topics are trending. Try writing a piece about how a trending topic has affected you or your business. For example, live-video marketing has recently become more popular. Why not use this technology by hosting a live tour of your newest listing, all while becoming familiar enough about it to write a review?
In addition to this, according to Entrepreneur, “people are more likely to share content that will help define themselves to others, while 68 percent of people share to show who they are and what they care about.” Do you regularly work with millennials or empty-nesters? Create content that you think they could connect with, such as popular problems these groups come across when buying or selling their homes. For even easier social sharing, embed a widget in your blog that will allow users to post snippets from your article on their social pages and link directly to your article. Doing so will help drive more people back to your blog, which will help to increase engagement.
4. Give credit to your sources.
Did you find a great, relevant article you wanted to share with your followers? Remember to give credit to or mention the original poster using an @mention. This is not just best practice, but it also helps to put you into the source’s line of sight. You could spark a relationship with this user, encouraging them to look back through your own content, or it could also inspire them to thank you publicly for your share, putting you in front of all their followers.
5. Stick with it and stay active.
As a busy professional, this can be the most challenging tip to follow. To help you stay on track, at the beginning of each month, create a content calendar. Look ahead to see which holidays are coming up or if your community is hosting any events that you should mention. Remember, you still want to post content that your followers will find relevant. If you’re struggling to keep up with your social pages or if you just want some help managing your posts, Homes.com Social is the perfect solution. With Homes.com Social, you’ll work with experts who will post daily content on Facebook, Google+ and Twitter (the social networks that today’s buyers, sellers and renters are using the most). It’s an easy way to be sure you’re able to take care of everything offline while still knowing that engaging content is being added to your social profiles.
While it can take time to see the results of your hard work, remember to stay consistent. Social media can have a great pay-off if you put in the effort but also give enough time for your followers to remember you.
For more information visit http://connect.homes.com.
