Article Courtesy of: Inman News
By: Jimmy Burgess
The more value you add to people on social media, the more connections and influence you will develop
Social media has become a must for agents that want to grow their businesses. It allows us to find our ideal clients by attracting them rather than chasing them, continuing to deepen relationships and making new relationships. This leaves many wondering what they can do to build an engaged following that consistently churns out buyer and listing opportunities.
Here are the seven best social media tips I’ve ever heard and how you can apply them to grow your presence and influence via social media.
1. Master one platform at a time
There is a figure of speech that says a jack of all trades is the master of none. When it comes to social media, one of the most common mistakes agents make is trying to build a presence on every platform. The lack of focus on one social media platform rarely leads to building an engaged audience on any platform.
The most effective agents focus on and master one platform at a time. They build an engaged audience and a systematic, sustainable flow of content on one platform, then move to the next. They layer in their successes on each rather than trying to do them all from the beginning.
Every platform offers opportunities, so which one should you focus on? The answer to this question isn’t about you; it’s about your ideal client. Which platform do they use?
If your ideal client is younger, maybe a first-time homebuyer, then TikTok might make sense. If your focus is on a more mature audience, then Instagram or Facebook might make more sense. If you’re working on second homes or luxury properties, then LinkedIn should be a consideration.
Identify which social media platform your ideal client is on, and focus on growing that platform first. By focusing your attention on one main platform, mastery will come sooner.
2. Have a set of goals
Every activity we do in our business should have a set of goals, so we can understand if we are progressing in the direction we desire.
All goals, including social media goals, should be SMART goals. This acronym encompasses everything the goals should have. They should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.
The following are a few examples of social media goals using this format:
• I will add 1,000 friends (followers, connections, etc., depending on the platform) in 2023. This will be done by sending three friend requests per day.
• I will post a minimum of 365 times in 2023. This means I will post at least once per day, every day for the year, and if I miss a day, I will make up for the missed day by posting twice the following day.
• I will comment and add value on five posts per day, five days per week, in local area Facebook groups where people ask questions.
By having a measurable, specific and time-bound goal, your success and building of a following will be systematic.
3. Be authentic
Authenticity is key when it comes to social media. Authenticity acts as a filter that attracts your ideal clients. It also filters out the people that are not your ideal clients.
If you’re a working mom and share your wins and struggles as a mom, you will attract those who can relate to you. In many cases, they will be your ideal clients. If you’re a real estate investor and share your process of buying and remodeling investment properties, you will attract other investors who might be your ideal clients.
Be your authentic self, and social media will connect you with people who share your hobbies, passions and personality.
4. Be consistent
Consistency breeds trust. Consistency keeps you top-of-mind and confirms that you are the resource your connections can trust for all things real estate. But consistency involves two components that must work together to maximize success on social media.
Your consistency must include both quantity and quality of posts. If you post every day, but the quality of your posts is poor, then you will fail. If you post high-quality content but only post once a month, it will be difficult to find success. You must have both if you are going to maximize the opportunity social media presents.
Three main types of content add quality. These posts include your followers in your activities, educate your followers, or entertain your followers. The posts that include your followers are ones where you share what you are doing and involve them in it.
Examples of posts where clients feel included:
• Check out the amazing kitchen in this house!
• I am just leaving a great new listing, and I can’t wait to share all the details!
• Tonight, I attended an event that benefited our local free medical clinic. Check out these photos — this is an event you won’t want to miss in the future!
Examples of educational posts:
• Here are the numbers for the last quarter for our local real estate market.
• I love having lunch with clients; these are my three go-to lunch places in (your city).
• This is how rising interest rates affect your homebuying process.
Examples of entertaining posts:
• Today, I experienced the funniest thing that has ever happened to me in real estate …
• Here are the before and after photos of 123 Main Street. An amazing transformation that is now available for showings …
• This is the story of how (client name) found her ideal home. It started …
Staying consistent with both your quality and quantity of posts will yield results.
5. Document your journey
There is a reason that “reality” TV does so well. People love to watch other people, and social media provides a free way for you to document your journey in business and life creating the opportunity for connection with people before you even meet them in person.
Here are a few examples of how you can document your journey:
•Sharing your thoughts as you head into the office in the morning.
• Sharing the process of launching your listing and everything that goes into it.
• Talking about what excites you about real estate and life.
All these posts contain content that people are interested in. If they are not interested, then they will move on, which, as I mentioned above, is the natural filter when identifying your ideal clients.
Documenting your journey in real estate and in life is a great way to deepen your connection with your followers and find new connections.
6. Respond to every comment
You’ve been authentic, and you’ve been consistent. Finally, if someone comments on your post, please respond to every comment left. Not only does it give you the ability to communicate and interact with them, but it also lets the social media algorithm know that you have a post that is generating engagement.
The more engagement your post generates, the more organic traffic the social media algorithm will reward you with putting it in front of others.
Their comment also opens the door for you to connect with them. Something as simple as “thank you for your feedback” or “I really appreciate your insight” shows them that you care.
It also allows you to send them a direct message to personalize the communication. This could be something as simple as, “thanks for commenting on my post,” “how are you doing?” or “it’s been a while since we spoke. Are you all still loving your house?”
Make sure you respond to every comment. By doing so, your engagement will build deeper relationships and increase the reach of your posts.
7. The $1.80 strategy
The $1.80 strategy was introduced by Gary Vaynerchuk as an outside engagement strategy to connect with new potential followers and to create attention for your profile. The process is relatively simple to understand, but like anything worth doing, it takes time to execute the strategy.
The process involves giving your “2 cents” or commenting on the top nine posts on 10 relevant hashtags each day. In other words, commenting on a total of 90 posts with your “2 cents” equals $1.80 worth of daily activity.
The process starts with identifying 10 relevant hashtags for your market. These could be #atlantahomes, #movingtoatlanta, #livinginatlanta, or any other hashtags that pertain to people in your area. Once you’ve identified the top 10 hashtags for your specific niche or area, leave valuable comments on the top nine posts for each hashtag.
This could be as simple as when someone asks if anyone knows of a plumber in the area, you provide them with a name and personal experience. Or if someone asks about the difference in the school districts, provide info from the school district websites.
The key is to be helpful and to be seen as the resource for the area. You don’t even need to mention that you are a Realtor; the more helpful you are, the more people will check out your profile and follow you. If someone says thank you for your comment, follow them because it will often lead to them following you back.
This systematic approach to building your presence and influence on social media is the best strategy I have seen and personally utilized to grow my connections and a following on all social media platforms in excess of 50,000 people. It works — if you work it.
If you are serious about growing your following, I can’t encourage you to do the $1.80 strategy enough.
Growing your social media following and influence involves a systematic approach to adding value authentically and consistently. The more value you add to people on social media, the more connections and influence you will develop.
Develop your plan, and start executing your plan. By doing so, success will follow.
Jimmy Burgess is the Chief Growth Officer for Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Beach Properties of Florida in Northwest Florida.