Articles Tagged "Facebook"
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12
Keeping Your Facebook Strategy Up-To-Date in a Social Media World
Facebook is the most powerful social media platform for real estate agents, bar none.
Why Facebook? As the real estate industry embraces digital marketing, it has become the #1 resource for building and maintaining long-term relationships. Twitter can be good for prospecting, LinkedIn is a gateway to luxury buyers, but nothing beats Facebook's overall utility. With nearly 2.4 billion monthly active users, including approximately 255 million in the United States and Canada, Facebook is still the go-to social media site for most people.
Facebook also owns the photography-focused platform Instagram, a natural fit for real estate agents and brokers. If you master Facebook, you'll have an easier time maximizing Instagram. Many of the core features are similar, so it's almost like learning two different networks at once.
Among the younger generation of real estate agents, many careers started with creating a Facebook page.
Of course, most established agents and brands have also set up a Facebook business page. But what comes after that? All too many real estate pros haven't taken the opportunity to get hands-on with their account. And even if you use Facebook regularly, there are always ways to get more momentum from it.
Facebook has evolved quickly over the last few years, and even experts don't always use it to the best of their ability. So, as the real estate market revs up for its post-pandemic bounce, now's the ideal time to take a second look at your social media strategy.
Start by Tweaking Your Facebook Fundamentals
Every social media network has profile elements you have to fill out to be taken seriously. Not having these is the equivalent of trying to sell homes while looking like the generic Twitter egg.
However, once you set up all the different facets of your profile, it's a good idea to revisit and see how they reflect you now.
Your headshot makes a vital first impression. It should convey confidence and professionalism, laying a solid foundation for trust. A high-quality, well-lit photo is essential. And it should be current: Even though there's no deceit involved, an image that's more than five years old can still smack of the old dating profile switcharoo.
Your unique value proposition also comes through in the copy that accompanies your profile images. That includes both the plain text on the page and the cover image, where you can include your brand name, slogan, and a call to action. It's a great idea to showcase recent events or time-sensitive offers in your header, too.
Ensure your text makes these points crystal clear:
• What you do
• Who you do it for
• What makes you different
No one can be all things to all people, so give your ideal client something to connect with right away. Your Facebook page is the perfect place to publicize lead magnets, such as detailed local real estate market reports.
Last but not least, be sure your Facebook page reflects your values: That is, the why behind what you do. When clients choose between two businesses that look similar to them, the one with values that resonate is usually the one they contact first. That's equally true for both large agencies and one-person operations.
Consider an Interactive Cover Image
Facebook has recently expanded the types of cover images you can choose from.
In addition to the static cover images of yore, you can also design a video or slideshow cover.
To qualify, your pre-recorded video must be:
• At least 820x312
• Under 91 seconds long
• A maximum of 1080p
• In MP4 or MOV format
• Less than 1.75 gigabytes
Music and other audio are allowed, but all videos start with the sound turned off. Users will have to click on your video to un-mute it, and many won't, even if they are interested in your message. With that in mind, aim to communicate without the need for audio. If you include dialogue, use subtitles.
Video covers are effective because the majority of people browse Facebook on their phone. Videos are the most popular content on mobile devices: They can be consumed quickly and are far more memorable than plain text. Still, there's another visual option that's easier to set up on your page.
To create a slideshow cover, all you need is a few beautiful, branded photos saved to a folder on your computer. Click the camera icon that appears on the upper left corner of your cover image, then upload your files in the exact order you would like people to see them. Voila – your new cover is ready.
Technically, what Facebook offers is a "slider," not a "slideshow." Users will need to manually click through the images to view them. Still, you might be surprised just how many people do so, whether they're visiting your Facebook page on mobile or desktop. Make sure your shots are enticing!
Add an Interactive Call to Action Button
Many people write out a text-based call to action on their cover image, but Facebook has a built-in solution that may be more elegant. As you edit your page, you'll find "Add a Button" on the top right. This brings up a selection of targeted CTA buttons you can choose from, like "Schedule an Appointment."
Name Your Page
With a custom username, you can give your Facebook page a short, branded URL that visitors are more likely to remember. From your main business page interface, you'll find the "Create @username" option below your page's name. A short, catchy name that fits with your current branding is your best bet.
Set Up Your Facebook Messenger Auto-Reply
Facebook has big plans for Messenger as a primary point of contact between businesses and users. Messenger is being integrated across Facebook's digital properties on a variety of levels, and it can help you make a strong impression even when you're not around. One powerful way to use it is Auto-Reply.
An Auto-Reply response can be directed to anyone who sends you a Facebook message from your page. In your "Manage Page" column, click on "Inbox," then "automated responses." In the right column, you'll see an option that says "Instant reply." Click the "edit" tag under this header and write your desired message.
Configure Your Notifications
If Facebook is a cornerstone of your digital marketing strategy, you'll want to optimize it to be highly responsive to activity on your page. Facebook provides options to receive a notification any time someone "likes" your page, makes a comment, or posts a question. Notifications can be in-app or issued to you as texts.
At the left of your screen, find the "Manage Page" bar. From there, click on "Settings," then "Notifications." Select the option to get a notification any time there is activity on your brand page. Then, scroll down and pick text messaging as your preferred notification style to help you avoid notification clutter.
Use Automation to Keep Your Facebook Page Active and Engaging
You have a lot of information to share — but you probably don't have hours to update your page!
Facebook automation is the answer. With a social media automation tool like Face- book Connector, you can easily configure instant, event-based updates. That means new listings, important property updates, and open house announcements will appear right on your Facebook page as they happen. DeltaNET® 6 users can also take Facebook to the next level with automation through the platform.
Combine automation with these other crucial tweaks, and you're on your way to unlocking the full value of Facebook. From first impressions to closing day, your Facebook page can be one of your most versatile tools.
6
Lead Magnets For Your Facebook
Helpful, informative content is the bedrock of any real estate agent's digital marketing strategy.
In a nutshell, "content" is anything you publish in the hopes of helping current and future clients make informed decisions about real estate. Good content showcases your expertise and previews the value you offer. Content is vital to building a relationship, especially with leads who have not met you in person. Once a lead is on your radar, it might be months before that person takes the next step. Content keeps you in touch.
Blog posts, e-books, and videos are the most common types of real estate content. While you normally publish most content directly on your website, you can always use social media to amplify it further.
Content doesn't just entice visitors to your website, however. It also helps convert leads into customers. As leads do more research, they look for deeper, more specific content. By aligning your content marketing with their needs at different times, you position yourself as a trusted advisor.
Real estate content is indispensable to three critical conversions:
- The conversion between new website visitor and social media follower
- The conversion between social media follower and email list subscriber
- The conversion between email list subscriber and active buyer or seller
Sure, someone can go directly from social media follower to customer. It's even possible for a prospect to visit your website, fall in love with one of your listings, and schedule an appointment right away.
In many cases, though, people follow this predictable path from prospect to lead to customer. You must have the right content available to move them forward.
Engaging with social media followers is crucial because they may be actively comparing real estate firms. The jump from social media follower to email subscriber is big: Email is much more direct and intimate.
Consider this: In recent years, social media platforms have created algorithm-driven "bubbles" that show users only content they are most likely to respond to. In almost all cases, this results in diminished reach for brands.
On the other hand, email subscribers see your messages every time.
Well-designed real estate lead magnets create the bridge you need.
Lead Magnets Set the Stage for a Lasting and Lucrative Relationship
A lead magnet is a piece of real estate content specially designed to move the relationship forward. It does this by meeting your social media followers precisely where they are and giving them highly valuable information and insights they can't find anywhere else.
What distinguishes a great lead magnet is this: It is something they can use right away.
Master this formula, and you'll turn your social media feed into a lead engine. Followers get lead magnets for free, but they must join your email subscriber list to receive one. This uplevels your relationship.
Let's look at the most effective real estate lead magnets on Facebook:
- Buyer's or Seller's Guide
Buyers respond especially well to step-by-step guides that let them know what to expect and where to look when exploring a new community. Buyers and sellers alike benefit from advice to help them prepare for their transaction and smooth the path to success. A free home evaluation is highly attractive to sellers. - Local Market Report
Your local expertise is your biggest differentiator. Market reports are popular for would-be buyers, who often seek them out a few weeks before they start actively looking at homes. You can motivate buyers to take action sooner by putting market performance in context. DeltaNet Market Watch Reports make it a snap. - How-To
A how-to guide is a natural next step once you have enough data from your website to know what answers your prospects are searching for. First-time buyers frequently ask about the financing process, for example, while sellers often express curiosity about timing a sale, increasing curb appeal, or staging a home. - Local Favorites
What is it about your area that makes it truly special? What are the top attractions, restaurants, and things you simply can't see anywhere else? It may seem like this content is overly broad, but it can help buyers kindle a clear vision of the kind of lifestyle they want. That motivation is what gets them to dive in. - Exclusive Property Lists
When buyers find themselves adrift in a sea of listings, they might find it difficult to navigate. That's true even if, individually, the properties are very impressive. Curate your own exclusive property lists to meet the needs of certain kinds of buyers, and you make it easier for them to discover the home of their dreams.
Social media lead magnets work best as part of a comprehensive digital marketing strategy. Marketing automation makes the whole process faster and easier for you. To find out more, contact us at Delta Media Group today.
29
Show Your Clients & Business Some Love with Social Media
Social Media Makes Your Real Estate Website a Better Lead Engine
Social media is a powerful marketing tool for all types of businesses––the real estate industry is certainly no exception. Studies show that sales associates are consistently among the most active on most social media platforms. The National Association of REALTORS® reports 77% of real estate professionals use social media marketing in some form for their businesses.
Over 80% of online users are active on Facebook. As a sales associate, you understand the significant impact social media has on building trust with your clients and generating leads for your business.
Social media is unbeatable when it comes to driving traffic to your website and turning those visitors into leads. You can use social media channels to promote your brand and your listings. It's an essential part of your marketing strategy that helps you connect with your targeted audience, where they spend a good deal of their time. It also enables you to cultivate long-term relationships with current clients, past clients, and future referrals.
When you incorporate social media channels into your marketing strategy, you're inviting people to your website right when they need you.
Many people find it tough to uncover the best ways to use social media for growing their business. This can lead to their social efforts falling by the wayside after an initial burst of enthusiasm.
Here's how to make social media an asset for your real estate website:
2
Clicking the Refresh Button on Social Media
"I have a Facebook, but I'm thinking of deleting it." Sound like anyone you know? Maybe you're even thinking, "sounds like me."
My name is Anna Stoffer, and I am Delta Media Group's new Social Media Specialist. While it is a newer title for me, social media is not new to me at all.
Like many in my generation, I grew up with the first taste of using social media by pouring hours into my MySpace page and chatting with friends on AIM. I created my first webpage before I had my first kiss. My parents had to pry me away from the screen during my teenage years. Looking back, that's when I first fell in love with social media.
And up until recently, I felt like I needed to keep that a secret. In some circles, it's almost taboo to say, "I like social media." I once even took a year-long break from Facebook because of how often I was being told it's "too negative." I suppose, like any relationship, I just needed to miss it for a while to appreciate it. It's often an unpopular opinion to like social media, but one I hope you'll hear me out on. (Or rather, read on).
12
[VIDEO] Tech Tuesday Add the Facebook Messenger Widget to your Agent Website
In this episode of Tech Tuesday, Harley Wolfarth demonstrates how to add a Facebook Messenger chat widget to your agent website.
6
Facebook for Business: How to Hit the Ground Running
Why You Should Set Up a Facebook Business Page
Billions of people use social media every day. In fact, many people check their social media pages before they even get out of bed each morning! As such a dominant presence in our daily lives, it's no surprise that brands in nearly every industry create official social media business profiles to reach and engage with this wide audience. To put it simply, if you're not using Facebook to enhance your real estate business, you're missing out on the chance to expand your horizons.
Though Facebook is well known, many real estate brokers may wonder how a virtual presence on social media will help their agency. After all, of the millions of people on Facebook, how many are currently searching for a home in your market area?
18
Build a Social Media Calendar for Your Real Estate Business
Social media is an essential part of any real estate pro's lead generation efforts.
Like other forms of content marketing, social media builds trust with your followers. That's especially vital for the many people you meet who aren't ready to buy or sell a home yet but will be soon.
Without a clear strategy, though, social media often disappoints.
Many sales associates have high hopes when they start social media. After a few weeks, however, results don't materialize – and they often give up.
This comes from a common misconception about social media:
- Social media isn't for selling to someone as soon as you meet them.
- Social media is for nurturing a healthy long-term lead relationship.
To turn social media into a growth engine, consistency comes before all. Consistently sharing listings, real estate photos, blog posts, and videos lets your social media efforts attract leads for you.
31
Facebook Ad Campaigns 5 Common Mistakes You Don't Want to Make
Facebook ads can be a powerful part of a real estate agent's marketing repertoire.
Digital ads are attractive for their ability to spur immediate response to your listings or services. Unfortunately, the learning curve for using them is much steeper than it first appears.
Some approaches to Facebook ad management seem like intuitive sabotage and can negatively impact your results at the end of the day. When this happens, your ad budget can become pure overhead: You'll either get no website visits or visits only from people who never follow up.
That turns ads into a waste of time and money. Frustrated by the experience, you could end up walking away from valuable online opportunities.
Beware of these common Facebook ad mistakes in real estate:
3
10 Tips to Use Facebook Ads for Your Real Estate Business
Paid advertising can go a long way towards generating business and growing your customer base.
Done right, Facebook ads can generate near-immediate traffic and interest in your listings. Still, many real estate agents face some confusion about the best way to use them. Use these ten tips to help grow your real estate business using Facebook advertising.
- Target Your Ads Precisely to Location ...
Location, location, location! It's one of the crucial aspects of real estate, and it's also vital to your ads. Ads should always be targeted so they fall within your service area. You can narrow down your ads to states, cities, and zip codes. - ... and to Demographic
If you've spent a lot of time thinking about your ideal clientele, odds are you have factors like age and gender in mind. Growing families will have different real estate needs from retirees. Luckily, you have the ability to focus your ads on particular demographic categories.
11
Promote Your Business & Brand With Facebooks Ads
At the end of 2018, the National Association of REALTORS® reported over 1.3 million members. That's a heck of a lot of competition jockeying for the attention of home sellers and buyers across America.
As a time-strapped REALTOR® on a tight budget, how do you uncover ways to stand out from the competition in your local area, attract more leads, land more listings, and grow your real estate business?
Consider Facebook Advertising.
Facebook Advertising and Real Estate – The Perfect Fit
Real estate and Facebook are a marriage made in heaven. Real Estate Marketing 101 tells us to go where the people go. With 2.23 billion people logging into Facebook every month, it's safe to say Facebook is THE way to connect with your audience online. However, for REALTORS®, advertising on Facebook is an especially effective way to market to the largest group of first-time homebuyers—Millennials.
These 30-something-and-under buyers dominate today's housing market at a whopping 66 percent. At the same time, there are twice as many Millennials on Facebook as any other generation. Advertising your real estate business on Facebook seems like the ideal place to speak directly to your perfect fit audience.
9
BUYER'S AGENT: Automatically Post Your SOLD IDX Listings to Facebook
Call it Facebook marketing, online branding, or shameless self-promotion, but Delta Media Group has given you a way to "shout it from the mountaintops" (or at least Facebook) about your most recent SOLD transactions--including IDX listings--using our Facebook Auto Connector tool.
As an exclusive Buyer's Agent, you work directly with buyers and do not list homes for sale. In today's competitive real estate market, it's essential home buyers have an experienced agent on their side to help them make a reasonable offer on the home they want and have it accepted. You spend tons of time and energy guiding your clients down the right path to homeownership.
So how do you get the word out about the "wins" you have achieved for your clients?
With over 1.3 billion members worldwide, Facebook seems like the best place to start. Delta Media Group's Facebook Auto Connector gives you the ability to post each of your SOLD listings automatically, and that includes IDX LISTINGS!
See, we think you work way too hard helping your clients take the right steps toward successful home buying not to give you a way to tell your entire story on Facebook. That is why we did not limit your social shares to your broker's listings; we included the ability to share any IDX listing too.
It's a fact, you work hard for your clients, and now you have a way to share your success stories with the world.
Contact our Tech Support Team to get started auto-sharing your story on Facebook today.
26
Did You Know? You Have 145 Awesome Articles and an A.I. Email Platform
The Delta Media Group just started rolling out an absolutely amazing Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) email platform that's so much more!
Let me explain...
18 months ago we had a crazy idea for a new system. After a few months of programming and coordination between the operations team, design team, and digital marketing team at Delta a new A.I. platform was born. Today we are announcing the new platform, called My Customer For Life, to all customers!
9
New DeltaNet 5 Platform Features: May 2017
Tech Team Announces May 2017 DeltaNet 5 New Releases
Delta Media Group's Tech Team continues to release DeltaNet5 new features on a regular basis. We target projects gleaned from emerging trends within the real estate industry in addition to special requests from our customers. If you have any questions or need assistance, our Tech Support Team is ready to help.
Agent Quick Search Example Update
Admin Side: Preferences > Quick Search
Agent Side: Preferences > Quick Search
Delta customers can customize their website's Quick Search to show examples different from that of their broker. Agents not choosing to customize will fall back to showing what the company shows as their Quick Search examples.
7
Why Use Real Estate Listing Videos on Your Facebook Page
Hands down Facebook is the king of social media platforms topping out at over 1.5 billion active monthly users. Since entering the online world in 2006, Facebook has been a game changer in the way we communicate both personally and professionally. Those in the real estate industry are no exception…especially for those who know how to use it the right way.
Some savvy real estate agents and brokerage firms are upping their game by adding real estate listing videos to their Facebook pages as part of their overall digital marketing plans. Here's why:
- Video marketing is on the rise. Facebook has seen a significant jump in the number of videos viewed daily—from 4 billion to 8 billion in just a short eight-month time period. In addition, video posts have a greater organic reach than photos by 135 percent. Plus it's estimated that by 2019, 80 percent of the world's internet traffic will be video—and in the United States an estimated 85 percent.
11
Drive Traffic To Your Website Through Facebook Videos
Properties in Motion® is a hassle-free listing video solution driving real traffic to your website while enhancing your brand and delivering leads to help grow your business. Currently, Facebook and YouTube™ are at the forefront of online video media. Facebook has recently made great strides in pushing for video content, and they are currently the primary source of video traffic on mobile devices.
