Check out our interview with Brandon T. Adams on Social Media and Video Marketing then use the article below to get started!The advent of technology, especially social media has changed marketing dynamics for a lot of realtors. Social media has taken over and improved life for all involved – realtors, brokers, and buyers. One can reach a wider audience with more property offers and at less cost. Real estate agents are finding that social media marketing has indeed come at an opportune moment and is simplifying the entire buying and selling process. But to what extent is social media really being used by realtors?
Are real estate brokers really using social media to market?
According to theNational Association of Realtors, as many as 77% of real estate professionals are now using social media in their marketing.55% of realtors describe themselves as ‘comfortable’ using social media, 26% say they are ‘somewhat comfortable’ and 10% are ‘uncomfortable’. And just which social networks are mostly used? Facebook takes the lion’s share with 79% use; Twitter comes in second with 48% use, LinkedIn places third with 29% use. What’s clear to see is that social media marketing is fast becoming an integral part of reaching out to prospective buyers. Here are three ways you can use social media in your own marketing campaigns.
1.Create demographic-specific ads on Facebook
Social media is not created equal. Some platforms are just inherently better suited for marketing than others and provide features not available on the other mediums. Take Facebook for example. Apart from being one of the most preferred apps, it gives you the opportunity to target your ads to a particular demographic. This is an excellent option as you can pay for your ads to be shown to people who are house hunting and ready to purchase.
2.Use Instagram to draw attention to success stories
95% of people are emotional buyers. Clever use of social media marketing can help you tap into people’s emotional side. Who doesn’t love a heartwarming success story? Instagram is a picture-based platform which gives you free-reign to post as many pictures as you want. However, instead of simply showing staged property photos, you can use the app to document the stories of families who’ve found their dream home and the process. People are more likely to connect with you and reach out to use your services if they see other peoples’ success stories.
3.Use outsourcing platforms to keep marketing costs low
Creating social media profiles doesn’t cost anything. It’s free to create a LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, or Flickr account. However, opening an account is only the beginning of social media marketing as one of the key elements to this type of marketing is the need for constant engagement and interaction with people as you build your following. Now, if you don’t have time to grow your profiles organically you can outsource this aspect to freelancers. Online marketplaces like Fiverr.com and Freelancer.com will provide you with plenty of freelancers you can work with. You can get your marketing done at a fraction of traditional marketing fees.Want more advice on marketing and growing your real estate business or brokerage? Contact us today to see if we can help!
It’s that time of the year again. Lights, turkey, stuffing, family, songs, and business opportunity. If you’re a real estate agent, you know your gift obligations go beyond friends and family. Christmas is the perfect time to remind your clients you’re there when it’s time to sell and a good potential referral source when their friends visit, see your gift, and ask, “Where did you get that?” There are four characteristics you should aim for when getting your client a gift that will keep you at the forefront of their mind, and more importantly, their future business:
Unique
Unique gifts will stand out amidst knickknacks and the cornucopia of articles of clothing, gift cards, and other standard gifts that have come to be expected each Christmas, resulting in their recipience being less than memorable. A unique gift has a greater potential of leaving an impression, as well as inciting questions from any friends or family members, resulting in your name being mentioned to the benefit of both a potential referral and a reminder to your client.
Boutique
The gift you get your client should be a reflection of the hands on, white glove concierge service you provide them. Clients will likely conflate the value and craftsmanship of the gift with the type of customer service you provide. Consequently, a cheap, poorly made gift could actually have the opposite of the desired effect, subconsciously slating yourself in your client’s mind alongside the sultry condition of the gift. Instead, we recommend a luxury/boutique gift in an industry that typically churns relatively cheap materials and products. This way, you can create an association in your client’s mind between you and boutique style and class without breaking the bank in the process.
Repeat Delivery/Subscription
The reason for this is simple. Repetition breeds familiarity. A subscription service delivered monthly to your client is a good gift for the same reason so many agents turn to email drip campaigns for their marketing. It allows you to remind your client often and easily of you and the help you provided them in the past with no intervention on your part beyond initiation of the subscription service. What’s better than marketing that’s done for you?
Personalized/Esoteric
This last one will require more thought on your part. It’s a good idea to show clients that you listen and you’re emotionally invested in the relationship you’ve formed with them over the course of your business dealings. Nothing shows you care and you’ve listened more than a gift that panders exclusively to the personal interests of your client. You wouldn’t get your mom a gift card for Christmas, would you? She would likely be hurt at the lack of effort you put into a present like that. A client should be treated no differently. Real estate agent as a profession can be somewhat of an outlier in this sense. Unlike other industries, as a real estate agent, the best way to maintain and cultivate a business relationship is to treat it like a personal relationship. Doing this will create a bond between you and your client, increase repeat business, and increase referrals.
Now that we’ve laid out the foundation for a good client gift, please take a look at some companies that provide gifts we believe meets the criteria described above:
