Smart realtors know that in this age of digital technology that becomes more accessible by the minute, homebuyers have come to rely on the internet for every step in the journey to the purchase of their new home. This means creating and maintaining an effective social media presence for your real estate business is critical to avoid epic mistakes. It’s not enough just to ‘do’ social media—you have to do it right.
But how?
Here are three of the most common epic mistakes real estate agents make on social media, and what you can do to avoid these blunders:
1. Not being consistent.
All too often, realtors start out strong on social media, but when they get busy with other things–as they inevitably do–social posting falls by the wayside. Posts become sporadic at best and the quality of the content being posted suffers in the name of getting something up as quickly and easily as possible.
When it comes to building a loyal following on social media and making a genuine connection with prospective clients, consistency is key.
Taking the time to create (and follow) a schedule of social posting can be a total game-changer. Setting up a content calendar of posts at least one month at a time not only keeps you on-track but it helps you make sure to vary your subject matter. It also allows your audience to get to know your posting habits, and anticipate hearing from you.
2. Only posting listings.
Too many realtors fail to see the full value in their social media efforts because they are too focused on themselves. Instead of posting engaging content that will connect with their audience, they post listing after listing…after listing.
The harsh reality is that successful social media marketing isn’t about you—it’s about your target audience. And they want to see more than listings.
What kind of content should you post instead? Anything that potential clients might find useful, engaging or entertaining. How about tips for home sellers, home buyers and homeowners? News about what’s trending in the real estate market in general, or ideas for DIY projects or home décor? Pepper that with posts about places or news specific to your local area and about seasonal events and holidays, and you are off to a great start.
This is not to say listings don’t have a place in your social marketing plan. A good strategy is to choose the same day each week for posting your latest listings. And when you do, make sure they are quality posts. Use images or video that give your audience a good look at the property, and only provide the most interesting and important facts.
3. Ignoring your results.
You follow a consistent schedule of posting a variety of engaging content that appeals to your target audience. Done, right? One of the biggest mistakes realtors make in their social marketing is failing to follow-up on the data available to them to see how their posts are performing.
Realtors who don’t keep tabs on the results of their social marketing efforts are missing out on the most essential means of measuring just how effective those efforts actually are in helping them to meet their marketing objectives.
Analyzing the data that any given social platform provides to you–likes, comments, reach, engagement, shares—gives you invaluable insight into what’s working for you and what might not be giving you the ROI that you expected, therefore avoiding epic mistakes. It helps you to figure out best times to reach your audience and empowers you to create better posts that target potential clients.
Social Media Made Easy with Post Cafe
At Post Café, we know our way around all the pitfalls of managing a successful social media campaign for your real estate business. By creating and sharing engaging content with your audience, Post Café can help you maintain an active and effective social media presence while allowing you the freedom to focus on your business. Call us at 732-218-9377 to learn more about how to put Post Café to work for you.
