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5 ways real estate professionals can use different social media platforms

— Weichert Franchise

It’s been 15 years since Facebook became available for the public user, changing the world forever. Most likely social media in some form is a regular part of your every day. Because of the current real estate market booming during a time of decreased physical interaction and increased digital connection, it’s important for brokers and agents to keep their social media game fresh.

No matter what platform you use, though, there are established, effective social media strategies to use to drive success. And just like making connections in person, it’s important to be yourself, know your audience, and stay engaged—all core values in the Weichert system—when it comes to how you conduct business in the digital world.

Read on for ideas to mix up your social media approach to your potential clients on these top five platforms.

For Instagram: Try using different location tags

The old adage location, location, location takes on a totally modern meaning with this idea. Instagram makes it simple to add a location when you post, so take advantage of all the different angles you can take here which may grab the attention of potential buyers. To do this, tag different areas of interest nearby that are related to what you’re posting; this could be anything from the well-loved café on the corner to the latest buzz-worthy neighborhood in your real estate brokerage footprint. You’ll create an opportunity to strike common ground with Instagram users who are browsing posts tagged to the locations that interest them the most.

For Facebook: Join or lead local community groups

Using a hyperlocal sales strategy includes being a part of the conversations going on at the ground level of your smallest target areas or demographics. The Groups feature on Facebook offers thousands of opportunities to connect with people with shared interests. Listen to what’s happening in the community and seize opportunities to chime in. You can answer questions about the housing market, lead people to resources and tips, and even host a group of your own to establish yourself as a local thought leader.

Although it may seem like there is a new social media platform popping up every day, Facebook remains a popular resource, especially for an older demographic.

For YouTube: Attract potential clients to your personality and expertise

Don’t overlook the power of YouTube to help you generate leads. Being authentic about how you do business will bring clients to you, and creating videos about your values, listings, and real estate expertise is a great way to do that.  It’s easy to make and upload videos to a YouTube account, and people actually prefer and trust amateur-looking content on this platform more than professionally shot videos. Plus, unlike videos shared on Instagram or Facebook, YouTube is designed for users to search for the content that they want. This means that when someone watches your videos, they most likely are there because they are looking for specific information—and if they like what they see, they are likely to give you a call!

For LinkedIn: Talk business where people are in a business mindset

Unlike other social platforms that are often used to unwind, LinkedIn was designed for business networking. People using the site are usually in a business mindset, so it’s a better time to strike a conversation that requires professional guidance, like buying or selling a home. They’ll take you more seriously, and they can easily see your credentials and larger professional network. In fact, they may see something they have in common with you in your network, like being an alumni of a common organization or having similar professional interests, that will help to build a strong, trusted connection. This is a great place to build out your referral network or connect with potential recruits.

Your content on LinkedIn also stands to get more quality engagement than it does elsewhere. Because there is less competition for attention on LinkedIn than the more “personal” social media platforms, posts don’t have to work so hard to fight to the top of the feed. Learn more about how you can use LinkedIn’s low “signal-to-noise” ratio to your advantage.

For TikTok: Highlight new listings to trendy music

It’s almost like MTV’s Making the Video, except no need for hair and makeup when your property is the star! Every week there are new pop music clips that are trending on TikTok, and creating a highlight reel of your listing set to clips that match the style of the property can be an attention-grabbing way to get leads.

It’s surprisingly easy to make a TikTok video; just upload short video clips of your property’s best features to the app and select a trending music clip, and then the app will do most of the editing work itself to make the post look fun and seamless. Plus, you now have a video you can repurpose on other social channels like Instagram and Facebook. Check out how engaging this technique can be.

These ideas merely scratch the surface of what is possible with all of the options that social media provides brokers and agents these days. However, don’t make keeping up with every trend or tip you see out there your main priority. Besides being an overwhelming goal, it can distract from being one’s authentic self.

At Weichert, we believe that being authentic is always a best practice, both on social media and out in real life. We can help you focus on marketing strategies that are competitive while customized to your needs. If you’re unsure on how to start the right conversations on social media with your market, try starting one with us first!

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