Social media marketing is something that, as a Realtor, you’re just expected to know about, right?
Of course not!
There are multiple platforms, each with their own intricacies. For example, Facebook skews older and Instagram younger. Also, hash tags (which for many of us is the “pound” sign on our phones, far before it became the symbol for hash tags) are a way to build a following on Twitter and Instagram – but on Facebook they don’t really have a place. Confused? No worries, let’s look into each platform.
A common mistake for Realtors on social media is to post the same content across all platforms. But not every platform is the same and you need to think about what kind of content people want on each platform, the demographics on that platform and more. Let’s take a look at the top networks.
Facebook:
While Facebook spans many demographics, the majority of the usage comes from people roughly 35 to 65. They want entertainment but also look to it for news and trends. The engagement tools built into it are incredible, especially the ability to follow, comment and like. With Facebook you can use a variety of content types, from text-only posts, image only, image with text, video, Facebook Live or links to more information. Facebook groups are also extremely powerful.
Twitter:
Twitter’s 335 million users have a wide age range, from 18-50, but it also skews to those with higher education levels (as it’s less about pictures and more about content). In fact, about 30 per cent of its users have at least a college degree.
The limited amount of words in a post, however, means that its users want easily consumable bites of content. Twitter is one of the least favourite platforms for Realtors, but those who leverage it very well do extremely well.
Pinterest:
Here is a stat that will blow your mind. Eighty per cent of Pinterest users are female! More men are signing up these days. And the median age is 40. The most common things Pinterest is used for are DIY home decorations, fashion and recipes. It is based around the concept that you see an image that attracts your attention and then you click the link to learn more. Realtors can do well on Pinterest but it is generally with lighter types of content (home repairs, recipes, local spots to check out). The power of Pinterest is that people click links to learn more. Make sure whatever link you’re including is optimized to have them navigate to other content or put in their contact information.
Instagram:
IG has over one billion active users. This platform skews younger, with most of their audience under 35. This makes it the ideal platform for attracting first-time buyers. Instagram is about pretty pictures mainly, so selling a lifestyle is important for those marketing on IG. To succeed on this platform, you need not only pretty pictures, but also a concise call to action – and hash tags in order to grow your following.
YouTube:
Many people don’t think about YouTube as a social media platform, but it is – and it’s one of the biggest out there. It’s also the second largest search platform, after Google. YouTube is all about video and typically users are looking to learn things on YouTube. So, marketing on YouTube is about teaching people how to do things (how to get a home ready for sale, how to buy a first home, how to downsize), and also about letting people meet you before they meet you.
No matter what platform you’re using, be diligent about checking the analytics. These marketing stats can tell you which content and content types people like best, what times of day your content performs the best, track engagement rates and more. If you’re just throwing stuff onto social media hoping it works, you’re not spending time effectively. Look at the analytics and you can use your time much more effectively and have significantly more success.
So, which platform do you leverage?
If you have a budget and limited time, consider hiring a professional who is knowledgeable on the platform that will help you build your followers, grow engagement and convert that into clients. If you don’t have the budget or would rather handle things yourself, focus on doing one or two platforms well (rather than half-arse-ing all of them).
Look at your ideal target market. For many Realtors this will be Facebook because the audience is a little older and fits into their ideal seller demographic. But, for some it might be Instagram if you want to target the younger demographic. No matter which one you choose, fully master one before trying to attempt them all.
Robin Wilding is the creative mind behind The Lead Gen Factory and The Realtor Pipeline. The Lead Gen Factory is a boutique real estate online marketing company hyper-focused on lead generation; The Realtor Pipeline is a digital DIY platform showing Realtors how to generate online leads, lead conversion, Social Media Marketing, sales pipeline building, and more. She also leads The Realtor Pipeline Facebook group, a group for Realtors to learn new online techniques, technology and share best practices.
