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Inman’s most recent special report on industry use of social media demonstrated that Facebook remains the top gun in your social outreach arsenal.
I’m not sure what prompted some respondents to posit that Facebook won’t be as relevant in a few years. Based on what?
Would Facebook’s lack of relevancy even be possible given the data power under its thumb? It knows more about us every day, just like Google.
Facebook has evolved well beyond keeping in touch with old high school friends. It’s a bonafide news and media generation resource. My feed is probably 75 percent companies and organizations. It’s where companies need to be.
Real estate agents are companies, vying for views on this powerful platform. Here are 3 ways to better leverage Facebook for your business.
Boost your closings
Pay to advertise a closing. Grab the best picture of the house, use one of the many social media graphic builders (Canva, Pablo) to create a compelling sold announcement and spend $100.
If you can get a quote or permission for a picture from your clients, even better.
Boosted posts appear as a sponsored card. Yes, an ad. They will appear higher in your audience’s feed and be delivered to a highly targeted group of Facebook users.
For example, you can choose to present it to only that home’s ZIP code. Or only people who have liked your page. Or females between 35 and 40 who like dogs and surfing.
Boosted posts look professional and demonstrate an active online identity.
Automate your content
Finding time to post quality content is a challenge for every business. This is precisely why social media management companies like Hootsuite, Buffer and Rignite exist. I’ve found Buffer to be the most simple.
You can post as you browse using its applet. If an article or site is relevant to you, it’s probably relevant to your audience.
Pick one day a week to spend 45 minutes finding relevant content to share. Creating some Google alerts is also an effective way to have worthwhile material delivered to you. (It’s always best to write your own.) No marketing effort works if you don’t spend the time doing it.
If an article or site is relevant to you, it’s probably relevant to your audience.
Live broadcast an open house
This will take some orchestration, but what worthwhile marketing effort doesn’t?
Use the week before to promote your “live event” to your audience. Walk through the house, and ask any visitors if they’d be willing to share their reaction to the property.
Capture authentic feedback for your seller and prospects who may be looking for this kind of innovation from their listing agent. Consider making the open house a more festive event, not just another Sunday walkthrough.
One respondent to the special report said about Facebook, “I only recommend it to someone who is fully invested in making social media a true lead-gen tool. It takes a lot of adjustment to suit your social media marketing program to a particular niche. It is not a panacea.”
No one marketing resource will get it all done for you. And if you half-ass any outreach effort, it will fail.
Facebook just happens to be the most affordable and the most targeted media source to ever exist. That is not hyperbole.
No one marketing resource will get it all done for you.
I encourage all skeptics to at least drill down a few layers into just how specific an audience you can create on Facebook. (Remember, we’re talking 1.65 billion users strong.)
No, you won’t win a new listing right away, that takes time and impressions in multiple venues. In terms of CPM (cost per thousand impressions), Facebook is unbeatable.
On a somewhat related note, one respondent commented, “I feel video is the future, and YouTube is Google, and the SEO implication along with a great outlet for content makes this platform king in my book.”
Actually, video is not the future. It is the present.
And Facebook is “all in” on video.
Have a technology product you would like to discuss? Email Craig Rowe.
