Tag archive for "Instagram" | Blog.PropertiesOnline.com

How to Manage Instagram for Your Real Estate Business Like a Pro

Social media is increasingly becoming a bigger and more important part of the home buying experience. Instagram added more than 100 million users in 2014 alone, and with this platform, social currency is imagery. Putting this to work for your real estate business can land this currency in your pocket – provided you have the right Instagram real estate selling tips for agents.

Cheap shot
Everyone knows the social media golden rules of avoiding compromising photos and other imagery that could come back to haunt you. What agents tend to miss are common account mismanagement issues, such as sub-par quality photo and video content that make them look old-fashioned or cheap.

Unfortunately this deadly sin of Instagram marketing is easy to commit due to the sheer simplicity of Instagram uploading. However, don’t fall victim. Make your account standout with quality additions. Talk like a human – not an advertising robot, connecting emotionally via unique captions, listings, and personal photos that bring you and your real estate business to life.

If a tree falls in the forest…?
Unfortunately, simply posting great content is not enough. Beautiful photos and content are worthless without visitors to view them. Real estate selling tips for reaching key demographics are key to success here.

Owned by Facebook, Instagram’s advertising system is nearly identical. Use it to your benefit, taking advantage of familiar targeting options (first-time home buyer) and features (Insights program, building algorithms using third-party data collectors, call-to-action buttons, etc.). Then refine your content accordingly.

Don’t overlook the importance of hashtags. Post as many as possible to boost results (up to 30 per photo/video). Just be careful not to over-generalize or over-specify, opting for neighborhoods or local features over large cities and specific addresses.

Put yourself in the spotlight on Instagram without breaking a leg. Find the real estate selling tips that give you a shot at success, only at Properties Online.

Where Should You Focus Your Social Media Attention?

Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr … the list goes on. But there are only so many hours in the day, and the home buyers and sellers you want to target may not be everywhere. How do you determine the best social media approach? Where should you focus your social media attention?

You want to be where your target audience is, first and foremost. Your goal should be to build a community around your business, while you work to expand awareness of what you do, how you do it and the properties you’re selling.

Here are five social media sites you should look into when planning your social media strategy:

Facebook, as we’ve discussed in earlier posts, has a HUGE reach, of over 1 billion global users. The social networking site makes it easy to present yourself as an individual AND as a business, and is working continually to release features that keep it competitive in the social media market. Facebook is used by marketers to reach consumers in just about every industry imaginable, and it is very applicable to real estate professionals marketing properties.

Twitter may not be the ideal place to market a listing (think Facebook and Craigslist for that), but it is a great way to make connections online, boost your SEO, generate conversations, and learn more about your industry, market or potential clients. Twitter has more than half a billion users, and it’s a great site for monitoring trends.

LinkedIn provides good professional networking opportunities, thought leadership, business promotion options. The majority of LinkedIn users are college educated, and involve themselves in the social network for professional advancement, rather than personal socialization. Professionals earning more than $150,000 annually make up the largest bracket of LinkedIn users.

Google+ has been booming, and its user numbers rival Twitter. With its connection to YouTube, the introduction of Google Authorship and the popularity of Google Hangouts, Google+ has a lot of potential for reach, for SEO benefits and brand building. Google+ has a higher than average number of well-educated professional males in its demographic.

Pinterest has exploded in the last couple of years. While it originally caused a lot of people to scratch their heads, its relevance grows more and more clear every day, and it holds a lot of potential for real estate professionals. It’s a great way to showcase images, build links and drive traffic to your site. Remember: pin from your own site if that’s where you want people to end up! Nearly three-quarters of Pinterest users are female, and the majority are college educated. Home décor and home design are two of the most popular topics – this is great if you can showcase beautiful properties (linking back to your single property websites), home staging tips and more.