Whether you love it or hate it, there is no denying that we live in a world heavily influenced by social media. Millennials, celebrities, politicians and just about every sector of business can be seen harnessing its power to promote themselves or their crafts. Does it come as any surprise, then, that social media marketing has become a major tool for real estate agents?
There is no shortage of apps to take advantage of in the world of social media marketing. Apart from the obvious Facebook and Instagram, real estate agents are finding success on LinkedIn, Twitter, NextDoor and Rila. Keeping your own professional goals in mind, let us take you on a brief tour of some of the best social media platforms for agents to generate leads, enhance branding and stay relevant in the game.
Noted as the most popular social network in the world and one of the Big Four tech companies, Facebook has evolved to be more than just a place to share life updates with friends and family. The network features a variety of useful marketing tools in Facebook Business Manager – a free advertising platform accessible to anyone with a Facebook account. Businesses, including real estate agents like you, can easily create split-test advertisements targeting specific geographic locations and demographics, apart from sharing listings and networking with clients.
The go-to for visuals and instant sharing, Instagram has become an increasingly popular way for real estate agents to promote their businesses and engage with their target audiences. Acting as a portfolio of available listings and a highlight reel of your finest sales, a well curated Instagram feed can set you apart from the competition, get you noticed by potential clients and earn you a great reputation in your neighborhood. As a supplement to your main feed posts, making use of your Instagram story feature is a great way to keep your name at the top of your followers’ minds. You would be wise to post short clips of beautiful open houses throughout the day, adding your own personal flair to keep the content engaging.
In the past decade, LinkedIn has become synonymous with online professional networking. Finessing your LinkedIn profile is a must when you’re on the job hunt, so why wouldn’t it be top priority as a real estate agent? Potential clients are almost guaranteed to check you out on LinkedIn for some insight into your expertise and qualifications, so make sure that your profile features a professional headshot, a summary of your skills, any notable honors, a feed with posts that exemplify your personal brand, and as many connections as possible. The key to this app is networking, so treat each connection as a possible business opportunity.
You may not use it personally, but you’re probably familiar with the online microblogging and social networking service on which users post “tweets” to interact. Twitter can be used as a vehicle to share news stories, speak your mind in a blog-like fashion, and to follow your favorite public figures. As a real estate agent, this network can be a huge asset for your business – especially in terms of driving traffic to your website through SEO. But simply creating an account and posting is not enough; for agents, specific twitter practices are essential for success.
NextDoor
Designed to connect neighbors in a private forum, NextDoor is a great place to share items or services for sale, discuss local issues and stay up to date on community events. You must be verified by your address to join NextDoor, which gives users a special sense of community uncommon to most social forums. The popular app recently launched its real estate feature, offering a safe place for agents to engage with potential home buyers and sellers in the area and make meaningful connections with the neighbors they serve. As a real estate agent on NextDoor, you can grow your local reputation, maximize your reach, promote your listings and showcase your expertise at the neighborhood level.
Rila
Just launched and available on iOS, Rila is the “market disruptor” that makes the home buying, renting and selling process as easy as Instagram – a platform that’s accessible, informative, interactive and free. Agents are able to promote listings, generate leads and find buyers and renters, all by posting engaging content. Rila’s social-inspired user interface is 100% crowdsourced and allows for unrestricted communication among community members, creating a more collaborative listing experience than that of any other platform. With buyer transparency and realtor empowerment in mind, Rila enables home browsing through a discovery feed similar to that of Instagram. If you’re tired of pricey real estate portals like Zillow, Rila may be for you.
Do you have a favorite app? Tell me about it below in the comments.
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