Social media platforms have become a part of all of our lives. From just documenting our normal daily activities to critical business marketing, we can use the power of social media to make a big impact. As the public digests so much information from sources like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as business owners we need to have a game plan to not only present the best media we can but do it authentically.
Real Social Media
I am fortunate to have spent 6 years working with companies and personalities on their social media presence. From brands with tens of thousands of active followers to websites that had an average of 15k unique guests a day, I saw and learned a lot. From varying levels of success, one thing I noted was the most successful people or brands were the ones that were the most authentic.
It shouldn’t be overlooked, but BE YOURSELF. You have the ability to share your story with thousands, show them who you really are. You will start to connect with some but don’t be overly concerned with connecting with all. As unique as each of us are, we each are drawn to different personalities. Take me, I can’t stand most self-help people (even business self-help). I have friends that love that stuff and eat it up. Does it mean that self-help content is less important because I don’t resonate with it? Not at all, that content is hitting an important mark, and while I’m not the mark, many other people are. If you are yourself, you will connect with a body of people that will be likeminded and enjoy hearing your message.
So as you post, don’t overlook letting your audience see the real you and your day to day. Show them the work that goes into a CMA, give them glimpses into how you prepare a home, watching a kid’s sporting event, in this odd time show them what you are doing remotely. People love to have an inside look. Beyond the business, show them who you really are.
JUST DON’T MAKE EVERYTHING A CALL TO ACTIONÂ
Really, everyone will get you are a RE agent. You don’t have to have a boilerplate message of “so if you want to buy or sell…” They will remember you for your personality and the value you gave them through your regular content. When a strong relationship is built, you will be the one they call when they need RE help. You have earned the right to be a trusted advisor.
Be all about ADDING VALUE
One of the most successful people that I was blessed to work with did this better than anyone I know. They continually added value through their content. They were selling but never salesy. They gave out content and valuable information daily at no cost. They always were there to help by replying to an email, message, or comment. Their expert opinion was trusted because they were proven, and they built amazing trust because they helped you whether you bought something or never spent a dollar.
I see agents doing this by:
- Giving great market updates without calling for action – if you show me the market is great, I will start thinking if I should buy or sell.
- Show videos/posts where you overcome tricky situations in RE deals. Be the problem-solving expert.
- Tag your clients and share the excitement of their deal! Many buying/selling experiences are overall good experiences, celebrate them!
- Tag local businesses you use. If you hang out and do meetings at the 205 Coffee Bar, take a picture and tag them with how great they are 🙂 Tell people why they should check them out.
- Remove email lead collection for your property sites (Are you really getting good email addresses? The vast majority of people under 40 will never leave you a real email. Share from your site, get some activity on the site and provide engaging content to have them click through your site – win!)
- Remember to post as much about your life outside of RE as your RE life. Without oversharing, let people get to know you.
Use this time to start building your brand. If you have a brand, keep your messaging going. The people that follow you do that for a reason. Keep up the great content!
