Social Media Marketing

Real estate professionals have a unique opportunity on today's internet: They can turn their time on social media into solid business successes. More than any other professionals, real estate agents are the natural fit when it comes to finding qualified leads through social media.

Some of the most influential real estate agencies in the United States capture the majority of their new business online, with the biggest share coming from social media. Other industries often try to capture the same magic only to find that they lose hours of time every month.

Real estate and social media are a match made in heaven, but that doesn't mean social media comes easily to everyone. Let's face it: The whole concept of social media can feel a little weird or unnatural.

If you relate to that — wondering what others are seeing on social media that you don't — you don't need to feel guilty about it. All it takes is a new perspective on social media and what it can do for you. One of the most important things to remember about real estate social media is this:

It doesn't replace the human touch. Instead, it helps you deliver it even better.

Social media gives you the power to talk to dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of people as if you're having a one-on-one discussion with your most important customer. This lays the foundation for trust.

Before someone even reaches out to you, they can feel like they know you.

And social media is the secret to making that happen.

How to Make Peace (and Money!) with Social Media for Real Estate

According to a 2018 study by the National Association of Realtors:

• 77% of realtors actively use social media to build their real estate practice
• Just under half (47%) say that social media yields their highest quality leads
• 99% of Millennials start their home search online (often with social media)

Those figures have no doubt risen in the years since. With Generation Z starting to enter the housing market, an even greater share of first-time buyers and sellers will use the internet as their main source of information — and they will be the most social media savvy customers ever.

Here's how you can spend less time scrolling your feed and more time making money on social media:

• Establish Your Brand with a Facebook Brand Page
  A brand page is a must and a first step toward unlocking social media's power. Older Americans still use Facebook at a remarkable rate, and the features of a brand page let you stay in touch with past clients easily. You can share listings, book appointments, and curate your reviews all in one place.
  
  
• Share Your Best Photography on Instagram
  With a focus on visual content, Instagram has emerged as the #1 place for people to browse aspirational real estate. It may be weeks or months before many of these visitors are ready to buy or sell — but you'll be more likely to become their agent in the end if they know your name and your beautiful photos.
  
  
• Automate Your Social Media for Best Results
  Fast-moving social networks like Twitter require you to post many times a day just to get noticed. With social media automation, you can plan, write, and schedule your posts in advance. Your software then publishes your posts at the right time of day to capture maximum attention from your audience.
  
  
• Amplify Your Real Estate Content and SEO
  Helpful, informative content is the key to getting your real estate website to show up prominently in searches related to your expertise. Whenever you publish a new blog or video, share it on your social media. This helps entice followers with a value that goes beyond new listings.
  
  
• Leverage the Power of Video
  Video stands out as the most popular form of content online today. It is fun, easy to use, and far more memorable than text alone. An introductory video can help people get to know you, while video tours are truly the next best thing to being there for buyers who want to extend their search radius.
  
  
• Consider LinkedIn for Real Estate
  As a real estate agent, it's not enough to simply be present on social media: You should be tuned in to the specific networks where your ideal customers are active. For those working in high-end luxury and commercial properties, LinkedIn can be every bit as valuable as the more mainstream alternatives.

Social media is fun and exciting — but to be a good use of your energy, it needs to deliver the right connections at the right moment. With these tips, you'll be on your way to seeing lasting results from time on social media. Contact us to find out more about social media automation in real estate.

Is your marketing puzzle missing that one small yet important piece that can help take your business to the next level? Paid social advertising is one marketing tool that real estate brands of any size can integrate to generate leads, grow your brand, and expand your social media presence. Here's why paid social advertising may be the missing piece to your marketing puzzle, along with some tips to help you get started.

How Paid Social Advertising Works

One of the perks of paid social advertising is that you don't need a ton to get started. A great real estate website is a must, of course, because you'll want a place to send the people who see your ads, and you'll need to set up a business page on any social platform where you plan to advertise. As you plan a campaign, you'll decide on the campaign's objective and determine the target audience, budget, and length of time that your ad will run. Then you'll set up the details of the ad, including the headline, copy, and images. You can easily monitor the results of your campaign over time with data-based insights that allow you to customize your advertising with confidence.

Enjoy the Benefits of Highly Targeted Advertising

One key benefit of paid social advertising is how it allows you to target specific demographics and reach the prospects who will be most interested in what your real estate brand has to offer. You can build profiles to target specific demographics, promote listings to people who have already searched for similar listings, or target prospects who have already indicated some interest in your services online. These are just a few of the many ways that you can customize paid social advertising campaigns to suit your needs.

New to Real Estate Marketing? Paid Social Ads Can Expand Your Reach

When you're a new agent or real estate brand, you don't want to wait for results with your marketing. Growing your online brand organically with tools like SEO and content marketing takes time. Paid social advertising has no such limitation, making it a perfect complement to your organic marketing tactics. Paid advertising allows you to reach your target audience immediately, get your brand in front of the right eyes, and start generating leads from the time that you launch your first campaign.

A Dependable, Versatile Tool for Growing Your Brand on the Biggest Social Platforms

For paid social advertising in real estate, two platforms stand out above the rest. Both Facebook and Instagram are excellent places to promote your brand with paid advertising campaigns. The versatility of paid social advertising on those platforms allows you to reach diverse audiences, whether you're promoting listings, targeting local customers in specific markets, or simply establishing relationships with potential clients that you can nurture over time.

Planning a Campaign? Start with a Goal and Target Audience in Mind

When starting a new campaign, you'll want to consider a few important factors. First, what is the goal of the campaign? Naturally, the content of your ad will be different depending on whether you're promoting a listing, open house, webinar, client testimonials, or services for sellers. If you want your target audience to take a specific action, then your advertising should be tailored to that goal.

Next, you'll want to consider who you aim to reach. This includes broad categories like active buyers or active sellers, along with more specific audiences based on demographic details. Think about who you want to reach, what they want, and how to appeal to their needs as you customize your campaign.

Why Your Website Is Essential to Paid Social Advertising

Since one of the main goals of paid social advertising is to attract traffic to your real estate website, you'll also want to make sure that your website appeals to the needs of your target audience. Integrating resources for buyers and sellers is a great place to start if you plan to market to both groups. You can also create localized content and neighborhood guides to help your audience make informed decisions on where to shop for homes.

Make Your Life Easier with Ad Wizard and Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising Services

Searching for an easier way to master paid social advertising? Our Ad Wizard tool makes it easy to create, customize, and launch campaigns with as little as a few clicks in DeltaNET®6. With templates, customizable ad layouts, stock art, and a wide variety of ad types, you can launch your next campaign with ease. Or you can rely on our team of PPC advertising pros to help you develop campaigns that maximize ROI. Either way, you don't have to worry about handling all of the details of paid social advertising on your own.

Many real estate agents around the United States swear by online advertising.

Even if you've never used an online ad, you're probably familiar with the idea: Set it up correctly and you enjoy "overnight" traffic to your website or listings. An optimized ad provides the opportunity to accelerate interest in your most promising properties and meet qualified buyers sooner.

When you think of online ads, you might think of Google first. For real estate agents, though, the picture is a little bit different. People go on platforms like Facebook and Instagram (also owned by Facebook) to browse aspirational properties, and that's where an effective agent should seek out traffic.

Facebook is also helpful for maintaining connections with leads and past customers.

When it comes to advertising for the first time, most agents have these two questions:

• "Do ads really work?"
• "Will ads work for me?"

The answer to question #1 is a resounding "yes!" In 2020, it cost under $10 on average for a Facebook ad to be seen 1,000 times. Most businesses spend about 5% to 12% of their revenue on ads, but agents can facilitate thousands of dollars in transactions with much less.

Will ads work for you? Again, the answer is yes.

But it won't work in a vacuum — you need to be ready to service the new traffic you get. There are two main ways to use online advertising to grow your real estate practice:

Drive New Leads Directly to Your Website

Your real estate website is the cornerstone of your digital brand. It's where people go to find out who you are and what you can do for them. Ads that go directly to your website can be helpful for people comparing real estate agents or just getting involved in the early stages of market research.

Ads are particularly effective when you've already published helpful, informative content such as blogs or videos. Content helps your visitors get informed about their options, connect with neighborhoods or listings, and ultimately become leads within your business pipeline.

Show Off Your Best and Brightest Properties

What if your website is new and not fully developed yet? You can direct online traffic to live listings on your MLS. In cases like this, it's essential to be sure any contact forms are set up correctly, so you can use them to capture details directly from interested leads.

You can display live listings directly on your website as well. This can be especially useful since it gives you more data. You'll end up with a granular sense of which listings attract attention, how long each visitor spends on each listing, and what features are most captivating to your audience.

Best Practices to Get the Most from Your Ads

Interested in jumping in with social media ads? You have a huge advantage compared to professionals in many other fields – the potential to move transactions forward with a tiny fraction of the revenue you'll stand to make. Still, you need to lay the right groundwork for success:

• Be Ready to Connect with New Visitors Fast
  Many newcomers to advertising run them only during the day at peak activity hours in their own time zone. This ensures that if someone calls you right away, you'll be able to respond immediately — one of the biggest factors in scheduling that all-important first meeting.
  
  
• Use Digital Marketing Automation to Your Advantage
  Optimizing your ads is a learning process, but it's one you can speed up. Social Media Ad Wizard makes it easy to plan, launch, and monitor your ads. By quickly learning what works, you'll spend less money and improve your results. It's all part of the DeltaNET®6, your all-in-one real estate solution.
  
  
• Capture Leads as Social Followers or Subscribers
  People who follow your ads may be ready to buy, but they could also be weeks or months away from a decision. Encourage them to follow you on social media or, better yet, join your email list. This lets you build the relationship over time and position yourself as a trusted advisor.
  
  
• Be Involved in the Social Media Conversation
  Ads can work well on their own, but they're even more effective when you're active on social media. Focus your time on the platforms where the customers you want are most active and engaged, then join the conversation when you see them with questions or problems you can help with.
  
  
• Use Video to Attract the Right Customers
  Video is the cornerstone of effective social media. It's fun, easy to consume, and much more memorable than plain text. For listings, that means a video tour of the property. For your website, it means adding video to your most popular blog posts and other pages.

Contact us at Delta Media Group to learn more about social media ad success.

Succeeding with social media shares many commonalities with succeeding in real estate. To achieve success, you need to find your niche, excel within it, and have a plan for how to reach your target audience. Whether you're working to establish a vibrant social media presence for the first time or looking for ways to take your social game to the next level, a close look at your social media plan is the perfect place to start.

How Your Social Media Plan Makes Life Easier

As a real estate agent, you precisely plan so many aspects of your business. Are you giving the same effort to your social media planning? Your days are busy, but the time that you invest upfront in creating a social media plan ultimately makes your life so much easier in the long run. It's easier to accomplish your goals, build confidence, and use the time that you devote to social much more efficiently when you have a plan.

Ever get to the time you blocked out for social media, started staring at the screen, and sat there wondering what to do next? It's like writer's block, but for social marketing. Well, part of your social media plan is creating a schedule that you can stick to. When you have a schedule and know what you want to accomplish, you don't have to wait around for inspiration.

Your Social Media Plan Is About More Than Saving Time

Of course, saving time and working more efficiently are far from the only benefits of developing your social media plan. We mentioned earlier that social media has some things in common with real estate, and the level of competition is no exception. As a result, it's hard to stand out and have success without investing some time in planning.

Your planning and your social media goals go hand in hand. Do you want to increase your audience, convert more of your social connections to clients, expand your presence to a new social platform, or become the go-to social real estate resource for your market areas? These are all attainable goals when you plan ahead, take advantage of the many resources available to help with social media marketing, and lay out a plan for how to reach them.

Planning also doesn't mean avoiding experimenting with social strategies, not innovating, or not embracing the creative side of things. The best plans are adaptable, social media is constantly evolving, and embracing the integration of new ideas will help you stay relevant with your audience. So your ideal plan will include concrete steps for achieving goals, while also leaving room to adapt to a changing landscape.

How to Start Building Your Social Media Plan

Hopefully, we've convinced you of the value that comes from investing some time and effort into your social media plan. Now let's look at a few key areas that you can focus on while you develop a reliable plan for success.

• Know Your Audience
  It's hard to be everything to everyone in most things in life, and social media is no different. Understanding who you're trying to reach will help you choose which social platforms to emphasize, plan content that speaks to the needs of your audience, and tailor your social presence to reach them. Before you can reach your audience, you need to have an idea of who they are and what they want.
  
  
• Find Ways to Share Your Expertise
  Your real estate expertise is one of your greatest assets for creating a social media plan and building your audience. The best way to share your expertise is to create real estate content, and there are a variety of content types to suit your style. Blog posts are great especially if you enjoy spending some time behind the keyboard, while video content is very popular and perfect for social sharing if you'd rather spend time in front of the camera.
  
  
• Invest Time in Engagement
  While of course you can't plan out every interaction, you definitely can plan on investing some time into engagement. There's no getting around the fact that engagement is key to nearly every aspect of social success, so it's more than worth the time.
  
  
• Turning Connections into Clients
  Is your social presence integrated with the rest of your online marketing? Can your social connections easily find your real estate website, and take the next step? Converting clients is the name of the game and the destination where all of your other planning efforts are leading.

With the right plan in place, your social media presence can be such an incredible asset to your real estate brand. When you're ready to turn your plan into action, our social media marketing services are here to help you achieve your goals.

It's no secret that nearly every real estate agent would like to improve their social media presence, regardless of how much success they've already had on social platforms. According to a social survey from real estate website "The Close," 88 percent of real estate agents would like to improve their social media, while 44 percent find social media to be one of their best sources of leads. Only referrals ranked higher as a lead generation source. If you're one of many agents who want to improve their social media, we've got some proven tips to help you accomplish your goals.

Know Your Audience

Who are you trying to reach, and what are their real estate goals? It's hard to please everyone, and knowing your audience makes it much easier to tailor your social presence to their needs. Start by looking at who you want to reach with your real estate brand, and the needs of your typical clients. Take some time to engage with your audience directly on social media, encourage conversations, and learn more about them.

Be Authentic and Build Personal Connections

There's no better way to build trust on social media than to be yourself, and try to form genuine connections with your followers. Trying to be someone you're not rarely works out with social media marketing, so authenticity is really important. While you're likely to be posting plenty of content, it's equally important to interact with your followers on an individual level, and in public settings like Facebook groups. Word of mouth spreads quickly on social media, and your engagement with your audience is one of your biggest drivers of lead generation.

Educate Your Audience Rather Than Pitching to Them

Think about all of the people you follow and connect with on your personal social media accounts. How many of them do you follow because of their sales pitches? If you're like most people, you probably connect with social accounts that educate, share interesting content, and engage with their followers. Your real estate knowledge is a huge asset, and sharing it with your audience is a great way to boost your social media.

Create and Share Thoughtful, High-Quality Content

So, what's the best way to educate your audience? Sharing great content that you create and sharing interesting content that you find online are two powerful ways to build your social presence. Content comes in many forms, from blog posts and videos to quick status updates with relevant statistics. Keep track of engagement to see which types of custom content resonate most with your audience, and try to share fresh content as often as you can.

Get Comfortable Behind a Camera

While quality content comes in many forms, there's no denying that video content is one of the biggest drivers of social media engagement. Platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels allow you to post short, bite-size video content, while longer videos will work on nearly every other major social platform. With a relatively new smartphone and a few accessories like a tripod, you'll have everything you need to start creating video content. Practice makes perfect when creating videos, so dive in, invest some time, build confidence, and reap the rewards.

Be Consistent and Stay on Schedule

Perhaps the biggest secret to social media success is that it takes time and effort to build the type of meaningful connections that will earn you business. Blocking out time each day for social media activities and sticking to your schedule will help you build a successful, reliable social routine. With DeltaNET®6, you can save time on social media marketing by easily automating posts, including listings, blog posts, open houses, client reviews, and more. When you automate routine tasks, you can dedicate more of your social time to engaging with your audience.

Integrate Social Media Into Your Real Estate Website and Marketing

As you build your audience, your social media pages should help drive plenty of fresh traffic to your real estate website. But your website and other marketing materials can also help drive interest in your social media. Make sure that you have social sharing buttons on your website content and that your social accounts are integrated seamlessly into your website. Our custom real estate websites make it easy to integrate social, share your content, and generate leads.

Choose the Right Tools for Social Media Success

If your real estate CRM doesn't provide all of the tools that you need to improve your social media, perhaps it's time for an upgrade. With DeltaNET®6, you can easily manage all of your real estate marketing in one place, including your social media, AI-driven email marketing, online ads, content, and so much more.

Instagram is one of the most popular social media platforms for real estate agents.

At first, it might seem very similar to Facebook. In fact, Facebook owns the platform and has tweaked it for ease of use. Dig a little deeper, and you'll start to see many ways it offers unique value to real estate professionals ... and lets them do the same for their customers.

Social media is a double-edged sword, as any platform can be a time sink. But real estate agents coast to coast have found creative ways to get results from it. According to the National Association of Realtors, social media is the #1 source of high-quality real estate leads. And Instagram helps you find them.

How Instagram Can Help You Build the Real Estate Practice You Want

There are two main uses for Instagram in your digital marketing strategy:

• Turn followers into leads and ultimately into customers
• Use Instagram as a platform to showcase your listings

Instagram is most effective when you do both. Few people follow a feed of just listings. Sprinkling other forms of content into the mix will help you take advantage of the network's impressive engagement rate, estimated at 15x more than Facebook and 20x more than Twitter.

Here are some ways to use Instagram to make real connections:

• Get Familiar with Instagram's Different Content Types
  A visual anchors every Instagram post. But unlike Facebook and Twitter, you're not limited to a single image. With slideshows, Stories, ad carousels, and video, Instagram offers plenty of hard-hitting content formats. Use a variety of post types and choose a format that complements your message.
  
  
• Whet Their Appetites with Aspirational Real Estate
  On Instagram, you have wide latitude to highlight current and future listings. But you can also share images, videos, and tours of "dream properties." Luxury homes, beach bungalows, and more get plenty of attention on Instagram. When those followers hit the market, they have built-in reasons to reach out.
  
  
• Create a Touch of Interactivity with Virtual Tours
  Virtual tours became popular during the pandemic and show no sign of slowing down. Buyers love the chance to expand their search radius without traveling further. Sellers love not having to have big crowds tromping through their house! Properties in Motion can help you set your tours up in a snap.
  
  
• Plan Your Content Around Your Audience
  Who are your everyday clients? What are their worries, hopes, and burning questions? Your Instagram should reflect them, just as your website does. When your feed is curated to speak directly to a precise customer category, it's easier to craft your message and share posts from your website's blog onto IG.
  
  
• Set Up a Business Instagram Account for Analytics Access
  You don't want to waste time making lots of posts no one pays attention to. Analytics helps you zoom in on the specific content that resonates with your followers. With a Business account, you'll get detailed statistics on views, comments, shares, and other behaviors, helping identify popular posts.
  
  
• Spotlight Local Events and Amenities, Not Just Listings
  Whenever someone buys a home, they are also choosing a new community. Exploring the top events, restaurants, historic sites, and more helps them make an informed choice while providing you with tons of visuals. Plus, it further cements your reputation as a local insider.
  
  
• Become Comfortable in Front of the Camera
  While videos posted to Instagram Stories are limited to 60 seconds and disappear within 24 hours, IGTV allows you to post videos of up to 60 minutes. Video is the next best thing to being there, so get as much face-time on IGTV as you're comfortable. About three minutes is the platform's sweet spot.
  
  
• Inspire and Motivate Your Future Customers
  Always be on the lookout for ways to engage with your followers. That might take the form of getting into a direct chat or posting inspirational imagery that speaks to what's holding them back from taking action. The more relatable your content, the more likely people are to respond positively.

Get Social Media Credibility Without the Headache Using DeltaNET 6

Instagram is just one of the many social media platforms you can use to bring a steady stream of warm leads into your business. Social media marketing with DeltaNET 6, the all-in-one real estate solution, gets you there faster by leveraging the power of AI-driven automation.

Not only can you get more done in less time, but you'll be able to scale up social media communication no matter how large your audience grows. All along the way, it's easier than ever to maintain the speed, relevance, authenticity, and personalization your audience expects from a trusted real estate expert. Contact us to find out more or get started.

Social media is one of the most potent marketing, relationship-building, and lead generation tools for any real estate agent. Or at least, it should be. While social media is a powerful tool, success isn't automatic. It's easy to fall into common social media mistakes that detract from the value of your social presence, especially when you have so many other priorities in your busy day. With the right strategy, you can maximize the potential of your social presence. Start by taking a look at these common social media mistakes that every agent should try to avoid.

Failing to Fill Out Your Profile Completely

Engagement and content are so important to social media success that sometimes it's easy to overlook the things that you need to do before you share your social presence with the world. One of the most common mistakes that agents make is not taking advantage of all of the features available when filling out a social media profile.

In addition to being a great place to let people know what you're all about and tell them more about your brand, many social media sites allow you to link out to the rest of your online presence from your profile. This makes it so much easier for your social connections to find your website, your blog, and anywhere else that you showcase your business online.

Too Many Listings, Not Enough Variety

The simple fact is that if all you post to social media are listings, it will be very difficult to attract, retain, and engage with followers. While it's fine to mix in some listings on occasion, your primary focus should be on sharing a variety of content that informs and excites your audience. The best real estate content helps educate your audience and builds trust.

Share content that helps followers with the details of buying and selling homes, informs them about the markets where you do business, keeps them up to date on the latest real estate trends, and takes them behind the scenes of what it's like to be an agent. Ideally, some of those content links will lead to the blog on your own real estate website, where your audience can easily find your listings in a more organic way.

Not Planning Ahead for Social Posts

While there's no getting around the fact that social success requires an investment of time, it takes a lot more time when you don't have a coherent social plan for each week. Rather than scrambling to decide how to invest your limited social time each day, a clear strategy allows you to plan ahead, seamlessly schedule social posts in advance, and leave more time to engage with your audience. Planning ahead also removes much of the stress from organizing your social presence.

Posting Only Unoriginal Content

Sharing third-party content from trusted sources is a great way to educate your audience and generate engagement, but you're missing out on a big opportunity if you're not also sharing your own original content. Sharing original content allows you to showcase your real estate expertise, answer questions from your audience, and drive traffic to your blog/real estate website. Don't like writing blog posts, or looking for ways to mix up the original content you share? Remember that video content is also one of the most powerful marketing tools in any agent's toolbox.

Lack of Social Media Engagement

Social media helps you accomplish a wide variety of marketing goals, but at its core, it's a tool for building relationships with your audience. That's why engagement is ultimately one of the most crucial steps for social success. If you're not responding to every comment, answering every DM, following other accounts, sharing other people's content, and commenting on posts from your audience, then you're missing out on some of the biggest benefits of social media marketing.

Ignoring Analytics That Can Help You Improve Your Social Presence

Analytics can tell you so much about what's working well with your social presence, what could be improved, and how to best invest your time to maximize ROI. But analytics only have value if you pay attention to them over time. Invest some time in learning about and tracking the analytics offered by your favorite social sites.

Not Having the Right Tools for the Job

Your work as a real estate agent keeps you busy throughout the day, and some of the most common social media mistakes stem from not having enough time to invest in the task. That's why it's so important to have the right social media marketing tools, and access to the dependable, automated, AI-driven tools that can make your life so much easier. Maximizing your social media ROI starts with having a strategy, then utilizing the right tools for the job.

Instagram, now owned by Facebook, has enjoyed a steady rise to prominence over the last few years.

While most people might not think of Instagram first when they list the top social media networks, now is a good time to reassess that opinion. In fact, Instagram IS one of the biggest: since January of 2020, it consistently logs 1 billion monthly active users. This makes it around three times larger than Twitter.

Facebook is still the largest at 2.8 billion. When you dig deeper and look only at users in the United States and Canada, however, Facebook comes to around 259 million compared to 120 million for Instagram. In short, the audience most U.S.-based real estate agents need is right here on these two platforms.

If you are using Facebook now, it only makes sense to extend your efforts to Instagram.

In fact, there are clear similarities between the two. If you know how to use, optimize, and market from your Facebook account, virtually all the lessons you've learned will also apply to Instagram. Plus, there are special features that make Instagram especially valuable in the real estate world.

Why So Many Real Estate Agents Swear by Instagram for Lead Generation

An increasing number of real estate agents are turning time and attention toward Instagram.

Unlike all the other social media networks, Instagram was built to be highly visual. That makes it one of the best places to showcase all your breathtaking real estate photography. On top of that, its streamlined interfaces and interactions mean it is much friendlier to new users than some other platforms.

Just as crucial, Instagram offers far more user engagement — some sources have estimated it as high as 15x the engagement of Facebook and 20x the engagement of Twitter. Many platforms are designed to limit the reach of businesses unless they pay for advertising, but Instagram hasn't developed in that direction (yet).

Getting followers on Instagram tends to be easier, too. While it may take months to reach your first 1,000, a consistent schedule of compelling content can accelerate your gains, so you'll add 1,000 in weeks or even days.

Top 6 Tips for Getting Bottom Line Real Estate Value from Your Instagram

Getting started with any new social media can seem daunting. The most important thing is to approach it in a way that allows you to generate leads without needing to scroll your feed for hours every day. Luckily, it's very easy to put Instagram to work for you once you've invested the initial time to set it up.

Let's look at some pointers that smooth the path to success:

• Launch a Business Profile
  Even if you already have a personal profile, a business profile will raise the visibility of your real estate practice. You can always link to your personal bio, but be sure to craft your settings, so visitors are directed where you most want them to go. That might mean a specialized landing page or your local listings.
  
  
• Choose a Theme for Posting
  There are two themes to think about in your Instagram. First is the general theme of your content. You want to be sure people know what they're getting, so they're more likely to add you to their feed. Second is visual theme: what frames, logo, or other elements can you add that make all of your photos consistent?
  
  
• Post Consistently
  Consistency is the key to social media success. That's true of Instagram and any other network you might try out. It's a wise idea to start with the goal of posting three times a week. As you develop processes and integrate social media into your regular marketing plans, you could choose to post more frequently.
  
  
• Use Hashtags
  Hashtags are critical to helping people discover your content. They allow anything you post to be found in Instagram search. Unlike some places, where the number of hashtags you can use is strictly limited, Instagram encourages their use. Be sure to research hashtags in advance, so you know that your target audience is using them.
  
  
• Engage with Ideal Followers
  Instagram stands out among the popular social brands because it makes it very easy for you to engage with potential followers. Simply explore recent posts under popular real estate hashtags in your area. Jump into any threads that look promising, adding your own perspective to the discussion, and you can get follows.
  
  
• Leverage Social Media Marketing Automation
  On social media, efficiency means realizing results while being mindful and intentional about time spent. Social media automation enables you to prepare posts in advance, share them when they are most likely to be seen, and monitor replies at a glance. DeltaNET 6 links with Instagram to simplify it all.

To learn more about social media marketing in real estate, contact us.

Social media is one of the best tools for real estate agents to build a stand-out digital brand. Research shows real estate professionals are some of the most active voices on social media. Some acquire 30% of their online leads or even more from social channels.

Of course, some haven't seen the results they want just yet.

When you're new to social media, it can be tough to see the connection between a tweet or hashtag and a client meeting on your calendar. But that doesn't mean the potential isn't there, hidden just under the surface.

With the right methods, you can make social media work for you.

Social Media Automation Makes it Easier to Achieve Real Business Value

There's a simple formula for deciding what should be automated.

If something is important, but low-yield . . . automate it!

The more you can automate basic processes that underlie your business, the easier it will be to scale and grow in the future. Real estate marketing is the most natural place to enjoy all the benefits of automation — and because social media can consume so much time, it just may be the prime candidate.

It's easy to get off on the wrong foot with social media when you feel you need to watch it like a hawk.

Social media platforms encourage this level of reactivity. After all, for every minute you spend scrolling your social media feed, advertisers on the platform have the opportunity to sell something to you. Social media automation helps uncouple the bottom-line benefits from the "Fear of Missing Out."

Here are some ways to manage your social media more effectively:

• Pick the Right Social Media Platforms for Your Business Goals
  It seems like a new social media platform bursts onto the scene every month or so. Even if you focus on only the biggest and best, however, not all of them fit into the real estate world. Facebook is the leading all-purpose option, while LinkedIn is great for connecting with luxury buyers. Instagram is the home of the top real estate photography. You can use Facebook Connector and LinkedIn Connector for automated, event-driven posts.
  
  
• Time Your Social Media Posts to Capture Audience Attention
  Every social media network moves at its own pace. For something like Facebook, it may be okay to post a few times a week and still get the results you want. For Twitter, the situation is reversed: The feed scrolls by so fast that posting multiple times a day is a must. Whatever platform you use, be sure to schedule and time your posts for maximum audience activity in your area — the prime hours are lunchtime, after work, and weekends.
  
  
• Share on Social Media Consistently to Get Seen More Often
  Consistency is king on social media. Since you can never be 100% sure that any one specific follower will see a given post, you need to create multiple opportunities to catch their attention. Come up with a figure for daily and weekly posts and stick with it. Get used to sharing older posts more than once — many followers won't have seen them the first time, and you might put the right content in front of someone at the perfect moment.
  
  
• Use Relevant Hashtags for Your Specialty, Area, and Brand
  Hashtags are specialized topic markers that render posts easier to find on a social platform's search function. Not surprisingly, the most common hashtag in the industry is #RealEstate. Tagging your posts makes it more likely that buyers and sellers in your local area will see you even if they're not looking for you. As your brand becomes well-known, you can start to pepper in branded hashtags for customers to use.
  
  
• Monitor and Respond to Comments on Your Social Posts
  Social media is so enticing in part because it's responsive. You should take the chance to answer any questions or comments people send you, whether directly on your posts or within their own feed. Yes, this rule goes for negative comments, too: Your professionalism leaves a lasting impression on anyone who might read them in the future. Once a good conversation is rolling along, you can switch to direct messages to talk business.
  
  
• Use the Rest of Your Digital Marketing to Your Advantage
  You can use social media to create a virtuous cycle that improves the rest of your digital marketing. If you are using email marketing drip campaigns, you're empowered to promote your social media on your emails and share your best email content on your social feed. The same is true for the terrific content you've been writing for your blog or anything else helpful and informative on your real estate website.

Contact us to learn more about using social media automation to help your business thrive.

Social media marketing is a key part of online visibility for real estate agents, brokers, and firms.

In fact, real estate experts are among the most active professionals on social media. That may mean there's plenty of competition for an audience's limited time, but it also means many of your peers are seeing great results. Platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram can be powerful lead engines if you use them right.

The challenge to social media newcomers is twofold:

• Publishing content that captures attention and adds value for your target real estate prospects.

• Doing so in a way that doesn't require you to spend all day scrolling through your social feed.

Social media is a notorious time sink, so it's important to have clear goals and focused execution. Yes, it can be fun to spread your wings as a thought leader in your community — but it's crucial to connect those activities to concrete business results. This is what many real estate pros overlook, and that can lead to disappointment.

Luckily, social media best practices for real estate are easy to work out with a little research. Here's how to use social media to really connect:

• Include Visual Content In Your Posts
  Posts with images get 2.3x more engagement than plain text posts. No matter the subject, including a photo or illustration in each post is crucial. You don't have to become an award-winning photographer, but it is a good idea to invest in a camera (or upgrade your phone), so you can snap crisp, clear photos around your community for future posts. Of course, all real estate photos must be of the highest quality, especially for your listings.
  
  
• Embrace the Potential of Short-Form and Live Video
  Short videos of three minutes or less are extremely popular on social media. A shorter video is much more likely to be watched from start to finish, enticing algorithms to display your content more prominently. Real estate tastemakers are getting more comfortable in front of the camera, so leverage this trend to foster a genuine human connection. As you gain experience, you can progress to live streams for more interactivity.
  
  
• Promote Your Virtual Tours and Open Houses
  Are you among the legions of real estate experts from coast to coast who adopted virtual home tours during the pandemic? Buyers love virtual tours because they can see more properties with less travel, extending their search radius. You may have recorded a virtual tour for a specific group of buyers, but you can always share it on social media to inspire even more interest in a property. Properties in Motion makes the process a snap.
  
  
• Showcase Your Client Success Stories
  Reviews and testimonials are among the most valuable content on your website. They reach out to visitors and spark confidence that others "just like them" have had success working with you. You can enhance this effect by going beyond static text and photos to social media-ready videos. Video testimonials will draw more attention to your rave reviews and motivate your social followers to give your website a visit.
  
  
• Amplify Your Real Estate Blog Posts
  If you're not the kind of person who likes being on camera, your head might be spinning right about now. Fear not! Helpful, informative blog posts are still the cornerstone of a real estate social media strategy. When you publish useful blog posts, you give your social followers a peek at the kind of value you can offer them. Don't be afraid to re-share older posts, either — only a fraction of your followers will have seen them in the past.
  
  
• Highlight Awesome Local Content
  Do you have to painstakingly craft every piece of social media content you share? No! As a real estate agent, the people and causes you interact with will give you credibility. With that in mind, you have a part to play within your community by spotlighting all the terrific things that go on. You can share content about local festivals, fundraisers, and ordinary folks doing extraordinary things — showing exactly what makes life in your area so appealing.
  
  
• Use Social Media Automation to Make it All Easier
  What we've covered so far may seem like a ton of work, but there is a solution. Automated social media posts on an AI-driven platform like DeltaNET 6 can simplify your life while allowing you to be a true social butterfly. This all-in-one digital marketing center for real estate lets you plan entire campaigns in a few clicks. You can instantly share event-based updates, optimizing post timing, hashtags, and more for maximum effect.

Social media is easy to learn but challenging to master. Contact us to find out more about it from the leaders in real estate digital marketing.