Real Estate Marketing & Beyond
Facebook is the dominant channel for real estate marketing. Yet, it’s still possible to make a tremendous splash on Instagram. You just need the right strategy. Or as Hercule Poirot, Agatha Christie’s affable answer to Sherlock Holmes would say, you just need to use “the little gray cells in your brain.” So, fire up those gray cells, and start avoiding Instagram pitfalls that typical realtors fall into. Here are four common misconceptions realtors have about Instagram.
Video testimonials on Instagram were protracted from 15 seconds to 60 seconds a while back, but some realtors feel that’s still too short for a proper testimonial. YouTube doesn’t have time limits, and that permits more creativity. That being said, shorter videos are easier to consume. Sometimes, all you need is the following: video of the house, a short introduction of the buyer, and said buyer's sincere thanks for your realtor services. You don’t need an exposition about your value proposition. Let the beautiful house and the smiling faces say all that needs to be said.
“Water water everywhere, and not a drop to drink.” This line is from The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, a poem about a distressed sailor. It shows the irony of the sea; there’s an unfathomable amount of water there, but most of its poisonous. It’s the same way with social media followers. There are so many people using social media. Yet, many of them are toxic to your business: inactive accounts, fake followers, disengaged users. They won’t make you any money, but you’ll have to spend money to acquire them. It's a bad business, and it really doesn't build your social currency. People have a good eye for discovering fakes.
How much hassle can a 60 second video be? There’s a temptation to make spontaneous Instagram videos. Admittedly, these videos may come off as more natural, but they aren’t always more effective. You don’t have much time to capture the attention of your prospect. You want to let them know “what’s in it for them” as soon as you can. Creating a rough script, even just a few bullet points, will help keep you on task. If you’re just starting out, eschew spontaneity for structure. Then you can play with the formula once you get better.
Your audience is online a certain time of the day. It depends on what niche you appeal to (even realtors in the same city may appeal to different niches). Post when your prospects are online for optimal results. You can schedule posts using a tool like Later.
80% of users follow one business (or more) on Instagram. There’s a wonderful untapped market out there. Capturing it depends on using the little gray cells, as Hercule Poirot would say. Facebook is obviously the king of real estate marketing. However, how do you feel Instagram stacks up to Twitter for real estate marketing? Share your thoughts in the comments.
