- Optimize your YouTube by using YouTube Cards, don’t forget a call to action, and leverage Facebook.
Video can elevate your branding, spark conversations and even generate new business.
It’s no longer the future of real estate marketing. It’s how people today are consuming information, and it’s quickly becoming the preferred form of content.
If your goal this year was to capitalize on the power of video, then you might have started producing quality videos you knew your target audience would value — and love.
Your engaging videos deserve an equally captivating lead strategy, and with a couple of smart tweaks and the right promotion, those likes, comments and shares can start turning into leads.
Here are three easy ways how:
1. Fully optimize for YouTube
People love YouTube, and so does Google. Take advantage of that simple yet crucial concept by optimizing your YouTube videos.
If people are searching YouTube to learn more about an area or to view one of your listings, don’t let them click away.
Use this opportunity to turn the viewer into a lead.
Login to “Creator Studio,” and try YouTube’s “Cards.” These are pop-ups throughout the video that prompt viewers to explore more content. An algorithm doesn’t decide what is displayed. You get to!
Determine what would be a logical next step for your viewer, and then display a landing page or related page with effective lead capture.
If you’re showcasing a community, add a card with a link to view homes for sale in that area.
Quick tip: You can add up to five cards that can feature links, a video or playlist, another channel, donations for non-profits or a poll.
Use that same strategy with your “End Screen and Annotations.”
Watching a video until the very end is a clear sign of interest, so don’t allow viewers to hop on over to cat videos once your video ends.
Capture them as a lead with a link to a landing page where they’ll find even more value, or at least direct them to another one of your videos that will engage them until they’re ready to convert.
2. Get innovative with your video player
Now, let’s step outside YouTube.
Your website should be the epicenter of your content strategy. If you’re paying to promote your site and actively driving traffic to the videos embedded on it, then leverage a video platform designed to enhance lead capture.
You can put a call to action (CTA) directly on your video with platforms such as Wistia, which I use and recommend, or Vidyard.
Invite users to subscribe, learn more or even keep watching by filling out a form directly on the video or by linking over to another landing page.
For example, you could create a video explaining the homebuying process. At the very end, or any time throughout, you could display a full-screen CTA that compels the viewer to download your homebuying guide.
Quick tip: The more local you can make it, the better. Tailor the video and related offer (the homebuying guide in this case) about the homebuying process to a specific area.
Creating landing pages and enticing offers can be time-consuming. Consider an in-player lead form that must be filled out to continue watching. Just make sure that your video is compelling enough to warrant this approach.
3. Leverage Facebook lead capture
It won’t matter if how great your video is if no one sees it. Try promoting your videos through ads to reach a greater audience.
One of the easiest ways with the best bang for your buck is through Facebook.
Start off with a simple boosted post.
You can include a link in the text and through the “learn more” button option that’s available when you boost.
For a more aggressive strategy, you could use a similar tactic as the “keep watching” form in the previous example. This time, upload the first 30 seconds of the video. Once you’ve hooked viewers with the content, require them to click “learn more” to keep watching.
Don’t shy away from Facebook’s Ad Manager!
Simply create a new ad, and follow the guide for a Facebook lead ad.
Facebook lead ads eliminate the need for you to create any landing pages, and people are more willing to click through when their information is already filled out.
In fact, Facebook will pre-populate the forms with info from a user’s profile!
Quick tip: Facebook requires that you include your website’s privacy policy. Make sure that you have one, and it’s up to date.
Take a gorgeous video of your listing, and turn it into a Facebook lead ad. Hold back a few details such as price and location.
Have the viewer fill out the lead ad to access all of the details. This is information of value that a viewer would likely be willing to share his or her phone number or email address to see.
Quick tip: Make sure you are in compliance with any real estate advertising policies and regulations before withholding information in an ad.
All you need to do is set up the ad, upload the video and link over to the listing page on your site. Easy peasy and effective!
Whatever tactic you try, think “how will this provide value.” People won’t want to give you their information, if they’re not getting anything valuable in return.
Stay focused on creating high-quality content, and try some of these easy tricks to start turning those views into closings.
Heather Flack is the director of marketing at ERA Grizzard Real Estate in central Florida. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter or AgentTalk.
