Like every other digital trend, social media evolves constantly. Companies that use social in their marketing strategies should employ the tactics of the day if they want to keep up.
About 91 percent of real estate agents report they use social media to some extent for marketing their properties. However, the percentage of Realtors who see results from their social efforts is considerably lower.
According to research from a Hubspot study, real estate agents have the lowest social media engagement rate compared to nine participating industries. Does that mean that social media is a lost cause for Realtors, and they should spend their time and money elsewhere?
Not at all. Engagement tends to be low in this industry because real estate agents aren’t marketers, nor do they typically have a marketing department on their team. So they may not understand this marketing tool and are not prepared to use it to its fullest.
If you do take the time to understand and apply social media, it can be the secret weapon in your marketing campaign. If you are using social media, but aren’t seeing fruit from your labors, here are some things you should start doing.
- Optimize Image Size
Everyone should know the importance of high-quality imagery in real estate pictures. What people often don’t know is that optimizing your imagery for the correct social media network can substantially improve image performance.
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You need to research the optimized photo size for every image you use carefully, because this will differ from site to site. For example, shared images on Facebook are best at 1200 x 630 pixels but images shared on Twitter are best at 440 x 220 pixels.
- Use Live Video
Facebook Live is a new feature on the social network that allows anyone to stream video of themselves or their surroundings in real time. Marketing departments everywhere are migrating toward this useful form of marketing because it’s been proven to attract higher engagement and perform better on social media algorithms than other imagery.
“Facebook publicly stated that they are prioritizing Live video over other content types, including photos and text, because of the amount of engagement they have generated with Facebook Live to date,” reports Josh Cobb of Stepps, a digital marketing organization in Australia.
“Not only do Facebook Live videos get shown organically to more of your followers, but those followers will also get a notification when you start a broadcast — something that doesn’t happen with any other type of content on Facebook.”
There are many ways real estate agents can use Facebook Live, including:
- Exclusive live showings of open houses
- Open-house commentaries
- Social check-ins
- Home-buyer tutorials
- Real estate secrets, tips, and hacks
- Market watches
You could be taking advantage of an array of Facebook Live opportunities that will show off your expertise and bring more customers to your door.
- Create 3D Listings
Homebuyers are no longer content with just the basics. Modern technology makes it possible to communicate through multiple mediums, and the 90 percent of homebuyers who use online search before they purchase want to experience all of them.
One of the more popular trends of the day is 3D listings, a form of virtual reality that lets shoppers walk through your property virtually without leaving their home. It’s requires a special camera that scans the home and projects a 3D image in video format.
“Give them more than fact sets and 2D photos. Give them a 3D experience…. A 3D Listing Tour puts the viewer in control of where they would like to go and what they would like to see,” explains Jason Fox, online marketing guru.
The control Fox talks about is exactly what you’re looking for in a better online and social experience for your audience. Real estate agents have the power to use social media to their advantage if they’re willing to tackle the newest trends and cater their tools toward their audience’s expectations.
