What Moves Her is helping you level up your business and brand through smart social media marketing.
In the relative short time since it has become widely adopted, social media has already become a powerful tool that is used in multiple ways. What started as a way to connect with family and friends has morphed into a method of research, source of inspiration, quick and easy way to shop, and so much more.
Social media has also become an essential tool for business and networking. It is one of, if not the single most powerful way to build your personal brand, grow your sphere of influence and promote your business. As a real estate professional, having access to social media marketing brings endless opportunities – but how can you best utilize it without becoming overwhelmed?
Today, we are going to examine some best practices for using social media to promote yourself and your real estate business.
Social Media is a Critical Tool for Real Estate Agents and Brokers
Think about what you want to accomplish with your social media feed. Ideally, you want to showcase your business and properties, demonstrate your expertise in the industry and/or your territory, and let prospective buyers and sellers know you’d be enjoyable to work with. Try to make sure every post is furthering one of those goals.
In their article “Why social media is more relevant than ever for agents” Inman said, “Is social media really worth the time and effort required to do it right? The simple answer is yes. It’s a direct, reliable, and accessible link to current and emerging audiences of luxury real estate consumers. But it requires routine and rigor to do it well.
Here are some ways you can make social media work for you.
- Routine: The occasional post about a new listing or sale is not going to get you the results you desire. Instead, try to keep to a regular schedule of posts, at least three times a week. Don’t have any new listings to showcase? Share your endless knowledge & prove that you’re an industry expert by providing helpful tips for homebuyers, or home sellers. Or talk about something exciting happening in your territory. The idea is to be consistent, so your followers get used to seeing your posts on a regular basis.
- Rigor: The best social media communications take some time and effort to bring to life. You’ll have to go beyond the usual “Just sold” post to create the kind of content that shows potential clients that you’re a great person to work with. On social media, that means making sure your personality shows through. It’s an instant differentiator, and one that nobody else in the world can replicate.
Level Up Your Social Media Presence
We’re sharing personal advice from some social media superstars within the What Moves Her community. Today we’re hearing from Christian Barnes, President and CEO of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Kansas City Homes.
We hope these insights will inspire you to try something new on your own social media!
Tell us a little about how you’ve built your personal brand to promote your business.
Authenticity! Connecting with your circles on social media is all about being real and showing your authentic self. We tend to want to post the ‘highlight reel’ of our lives, but showing a little vulnerability and your ‘real life’ resonates far behind the glossy highlights. To that end, make it personal! Social media give us an amazing platform to tell our story in a unique way. Personalizing that story is what your followers will appreciate seeing. I use the 80/20 rule: 80% personal/20% business.
How has the importance of social media impacted your business?
Social media has allowed me to stay in contact with people I might not see as often IRL (in real life). It allows me to see what is going on in their lives and then connect on a much different level. It’s so fun to call an old college friend and congratulate them on a big achievement that they shared on social. It’s such a no-brainer way to stay in touch and connected with your sphere of influence.
What are your favorite ways to use social media to promote your business and your personal brand?
I love being able to show my personality and some humor. It goes back to authenticity. I feel like social media allows us to show off who we are as a person as opposed to being just a name to someone we haven’t met.
Another favorite is connecting with my peers from all over the country (and world). I get to see, instantly, what is going on in other markets and can apply that to my own business and bring some creative, innovative ideas back to our company.
It’s also a great way to connect with referral partners. If you plug into some of the specialty groups on Facebook, you’ll see firsthand the amount of business that is being done amongst members of the group. What an incredible resource and value to provide to our clients!
How do you empower your team to try new marketing techniques and embrace social media?
Challenging our own limiting beliefs is the key to social. For example, using video. For years, experts have been touting the benefits and reach of video but so many are fearful of actually doing it. I try to lead by example and do the things that others might be fearful of (ie video!).
Are there any top tips or resources you’d like to share with our community to help them level up their social media presence?
Get outside of your bubble. Follow some people in other markets, in other industries to see how they are interacting on social. Then take that and put your own personality/spin on it.
The biggest piece of advice I give my peers on social is to be SOCIAL! Don’t use it as a one-way marketing platform. The whole concept of social media is connecting and interacting. Make sure you aren’t just blasting your message but rather interacting with those in your circles.
Now it’s your turn
Do you have any social media strategies you’d like to share? What platform has been the most successful for you? What would you say is the number one thing to get started on social media for real estate professionals?
Let us know. Email us at WhatMovesHer@anywhere.re or share with us on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn. We want to hear your thoughts!
Subscribe
JOIN OUR LIST