As a real estate brokerage, using social media to connect and appeal to agents and consumers is not as easy as it seems.
Simply posting or tweeting a random thought without a strategy behind it is a recipe for disaster, and a complete waste of time.
In order to make an impact, you must be willing to commit to a long-term strategy. This includes a daily content and social media plan, as well as an effective means for management and monitoring.
Knowing how to leverage the tremendous power of social media is a vital component to the online success of your business.
Keep your company ahead of the competition and in front of potential buyers, sellers and recruits by creating and encouraging conversation around your business.
Your Social Media Strategy
Before you pull the trigger on your social media strategy, know the how, what and why behind each social network.
Once you understand each network and each goal behind it, put action steps in place to move you towards those objectives.
Google+
With 540 million monthly active users, Google+ has firmly entrenched itself in the social landscape.
As real estate brokerages scramble to find a solution to Facebook’s negative changes to organic search, Google+ becomes a viable alternative.
With Google+ tied directly to search giant Google, the ability to increase reach, visibility and credibility is an exciting probability.
Use Google+ to raise awareness and create a memorable experience.
Begin by utilizing all real estate space made available by completing your profile, adding specific details about your brokerage, location, clients you serve and differentiating factors that make your company appealing to buyers, sellers and prospective agents.
Facebook
Facebook is the most active social network, boasting over 1.3 billion users.
Implementing a Facebook marketing strategy requires that you understand your target market, demographic and the results you are hoping to achieve.
For example, are you interested in:
Creating buzz around your brokerage?
Recruiting potential real estate professionals?
Increasing website or blog traffic?
Building local awareness?
Establishing brand equity?
Once you know the why behind your Facebook marketing, now create a strategic action plan behind it. Determine how you will:
Connect with consumers talking about buying or selling a home in your area.
Engage real estate agents interested in making a move.
Manage a consistent content marketing strategy.
Interact and educate your fans on a daily basis.
LinkedIn
If the potential of turning one connection into multiple targeted connections is appealing, then LinkedIn is the place for you and your brokerage to be.
LinkedIn is an opportunity to network and engage within a professional atmosphere. You can connect with the power players within your community and offer consumers the background information they seek.
Evaluate your current LinkedIn profile and business page to ensure accuracy. Fill out all of the necessary data and take the time to add appropriate details that give anyone visiting your profile an accurate portrayal of you are and what your brokerage can do for them.
Pinterest
Pinterest is an opportunity to share details around your brokerage in a unique visual format. Whether it’s a community event or your latest blog post, pin your content to offer insight into your business.
Build out boards that spotlight historical data about your company, photos around a recent conference, or a behind-the-scenes look into the inner-workings of your brokerage.
Twitter
Twitter can be a challenge for the even the most seasoned online marketer.
The way you can harness the power of Twitter is to craft succinct and compelling quips, tips and quotes about your business in 140 characters or less.
How to use Twitter to build your online presence:
Define whom you are looking to connect with. Is it buyers, sellers, recruits or all of the above?
Optimize your profile by completing your bio. Utilize keywords used by your target market, include a link to your website or blog and add connections to other social sites to make it easy to connect.
Design a custom background to create a consistent brand look and feel across all of your online properties.
Create Consistency
Creating a powerful online presence through social media will take a commitment to daily tactics.
Begin by prioritizing the steps you must complete on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. What pushes you towards your goals? Add that to your calendar and stick to it without fail.
Then organize your system. Who will handle what tasks and how will each person communicate? Identify the tools and services you will use to support positive progress.
Measure and track your success to keep you focused and on target. It’s easy to lose sight of your end goal when there are bumps in the road.
As the saying goes, expect challenges and eat them for breakfast!
Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net
About the Author:
Rebekah Radice
This monthly Social Media for Real Estate column is contributed by Rebekah Radice. Rebekah is a social media strategist, content developer and trainer that has been actively involved in the Real Estate and Mortgage Industries for over 17 years. Rebekah is the Manager of Industry Engagement for Better Homes and Gardens® Real Estate and serves as “the voice” behind the brand. As someone that manages social media on a daily basis, her goal is to help you stop those time sucking activities and maximize, prioritize and monetize your online efforts! +Rebekah Radice
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The post Steps to Take Today to Build Your Brokerages Social Media Strategy appeared first on Network Building Asia.
