In part one of this guide we will cover social media strategy and what content to create and post to optimise engagement and build a following. 

Part two of the guide will cover social media advertising and terminology every real estate agent should be aware of. To accompany the guide we will also provide 2 free resources, a marketing calendar and a checklist which includes a terminology cheat sheet and 3 free social media ad examples aimed to generate more real estate leads.

The strategy:

Social media marketing in real estate is imperative to building an online community of local buyers and sellers. Over 70% of social media users will check their profiles daily and on average each of these people will interact with 12 social media ads per week. 

This means there is significant value in establishing a solid social media marketing strategy. This strategy will include considerations for, what platforms you are posting on, your monthly budget, what type of content to post and how much, as well as specific milestones and goals you are wanting to reach. 

Platforms:

There are a number of social media platforms real estate agents can use to build a following and generate leads. Our advice, start simple with Facebook and Instagram. The reasons being Facebook has the widest reach of all social media platforms for real estate. Instagram is owned by Facebook making the content easy to share on both platforms and to push your advertisements from Facebook ads manager onto Instagram depending on which is garnering more traffic. This is not to say other social media platforms are not valuable. Other platforms can also be beneficial in real estate.  TikTok has become one of the fastest growing social media networks. Whilst the reach and engagement on TikTok content can be huge, it does require its own posting schedule and content type. Linkedin, is another platform that can have some great success especially around paid advertising to specific target demographics and more uniquely LinkedIn’s groups that can be used to build communities of like minded professionals – For example ‘ Sydney property investors’.

Posting, reels and stories:

Now that you have decided on your social media platforms. You will want to know the different types of post/ content you can share to engage with and build your following. So what is the difference between the types of content that make up your social media schedule? 

Posts:

Images or videos that appear on your timeline or profile. These are great for branding. Unlike Stories, posts allow you to add captions and on Facebook you can also incorporate buttons and links back to your website. 

Reels:

Similar to TikTok’s micro video concept, Reels were quickly adopted by Instagram. Reels are 15 second multi-clip videos that provide a quick way to engage with your audience. The key benefits are unlike stories they provide better visibility and are more shareable as they don’t disappear after 24 hours. The downside is they can be more time consuming to make and you might see more value in going live or recording a quick property walkthrough that doesn’t need editing. 

Stories:

Stories are available for both Instagram and Facebook users – Story content consists of both videos and photos that are available to your followers for 24 hours. The great thing about stories is they appear at the top of the app as soon as people login. Stories are a great opportunity to try out new content, they also provide the perfect opportunity to showcase more of a personal side or personality behind your brand. 

Post frequency: 

When it comes to how much you should be posting on social media, there is no perfect answer. Although, regularly posting to your profiles will help with the visibility and reach of your posts. As a baseline we would suggest posting 3 times per week. Use this regular posting schedule as a base for your content. What this means is at the start of each week or month you should plan the majority of these posts and schedule as many in advance as possible. 

Now posting to your profiles and pages is not the only thing you will want to do – We would also suggest adding extra personal flair to your social media strategy with your stories. Start off with your weekly open homes – Take a quick picture or video and upload to your stories. Create the habit that when you are out and about that you share what you are doing in the local community. 

Take away: Post at least 3 times a week to your profile/ pages and complement your regular posting schedule with stories when you’re out and about. Aim for a couple of times per week and work up to daily if it fits with your schedule.  

What to post: 

Don’t fall into the trap of only posting listings on your social media. The reason being, it is likely that people will start to follow you when they are either starting to look for property services or have had an interaction with you are your brand recently. These new followers are likely to be engaged as they are actively involved in the market. But what happens after they buy or sell? It is important to keep your followers engaged whether they are actively in the market or not. 

• Branded content: Infographics, tips, quotes, suburb reports and more. These will be stunning graphics that visually represent your brand and business. 

• Listings: New listings, exclusive social media ‘Sneak Peeks’ and sold results. 

• Reviews: Testimonials and sales stories to build your credibility – we would suggest branding these or sharing a photo of the seller (in front of the sold sign). 

• Videos: Video content can include – property walkthroughs, live Q and As, market reports or tips. 

• Local content: Supporting local businesses and events demonstrates you are part of the community your buyers and sellers are living in. 

Stay tuned for part two of our social media guide which will cover all things social media and property advertising. Don’t forget to download our free Christmas social media calendar.