Real Estate Marketing & Beyond
Social media marketing is an important part of any real estate business. It's crucial to share the right type of content in the right ways to generate leads and increase potential sales. At the same time, it's not just about what you share but where you share it. Here are 9 social media platforms and how they can help you up your digital real estate marketing game.
The big daddy of social media, Facebook has a massive user base as well as built-in marketing tools for targeting neighborhoods and demographics. While organic reach has been limited in order to promote its paid advertising options, Facebook is still an excellent place to run social media content.
Image and video content has traditionally been a popular way to generate attention, and Instagram is the biggest and most well-known site with such a focus. Sharing on this platform is a great choice when it comes to using attractive visual elements, either as a standalone post or as part of other content such as a blog post. Make sure to hashtag appropriately!
The happy medium between Facebook and Instagram, Twitter is perfect for sharing all types of content. Twitter is ideal for short posts, thanks to its character limit, is great for sharing images and videos, and perfect for linking to content from an outside source. Hashtags are even more important on Twitter than they are on Instagram, so be on your game.
If you want your real estate business to be taken seriously, it's imperative that you have a LinkedIn account associated with your offices. This professional social media platform is ideally used for networking and job searching but is a fertile ground for posting high-quality content related to your real estate business. Doing so can help establish your realty company as a professional brand.
Trulia isn't strictly a social media platform -- it's more of an MLS listing site -- but the Trulia Voices section of the website allows interaction with community members. Establishing yourself as an authority on Trulia Voices by answering questions about the home buying process will build trust within that community, thus making it more likely your real estate practice will be remembered in a positive light. That kind of social capital can be invaluable.
Zillow shares many similarities with Trulia. As such, Zillow's Discussions forum is yet another place where you can boost your brand awareness and authority by answering questions and providing support. This makes it important to maintain a presence on Zillow as well as Trulia in equal measure -- you shouldn't do one without the other.
Like LinkedIn but specifically for real estate professionals, ActiveRain is another great networking member site that offers excellent social media opportunities. In addition, ActiveRain is a solid source for digital support structures for your real estate business, as members offer advice. A unique referral system also provides additional functionality.
Not as formal as LinkedIn and with a more local bent, the MeetUp social media site can help you network with colleagues and professionals. You can interact with local prospective home buyers and share content relevant with your neighborhood or chosen locale.
NextDoor is all about building solidarity in your neighborhood. Centered around street-level communities, NextDoor is great for building a positive reputation on your block where your offices are located. From sharing recipes to asking for landscaping tips, NextDoor members interact on an intimate level.
