Facebook makes it easy for potential clients to get to know you, and you them. This is what I call the “Know-Like-Trust Formula for Success!” Openly sharing your interests, family life, vacations, hobbies in conjunction with top-notch, current real estate advice is a sure-fire way to gain more clientele. Real estate marketing using Facebook sounds easy, and it is, and when you follow these 10 Facebook tips for engaging your audience, every post you make will be a winner.
Photo Engagement
Posts with compelling pictures, videos and photo album additions are golden opportunities to engage your fans. Facebook reports that photos receive 120% more engagement that just text, while videos generate 100% more engagement, and photo albums a whopping 180% more engagement. This includes promoting your personal brand by using a professional photo of yourself as the cover photo, and adding your logo to the banner area on Facebook.
Keep the comments and contests seasonal!
Talk about the things that are at the forefront of people’s minds – spring cleaning, tax season, approaching holidays, etc. Seasonal contests are a great way to encourage engagement. One study recommends using the terms “event” and “winner” to get a better response than the terms “contest” or “promotion.”
Not too little-Not too much!
Don’t overdo it and annoy your followers by posting too often, or even too little. Facebook advises that you post at least five days a week to “stay top of mind for fans.” A post only “lives” for about three hours, so make the most of each post. Experiment with posting at different times of the day and see when you get the most responses. Use the EdgeRank Checker to analyze what works best for you.
Consistency is Key!
Just like your real estate blog try to stick to a weekly schedule so that readers know what to expect. For example, Mondays you could post about new listings, Tuesdays could be drop-in-price day for hot real estate that has changed price, Wednesday might be market news, Thursday could be “happy client highlights” day, etc. This doesn’t mean you can’t add a random current event post here and there as things come up.
Ask for “Likes”!
Ask fans to “like” your post, leave a comment, or respond in another way and most of the time they will do so. One year-long study that analyzed 5 million Facebook posts made by Fortune 500 companies discovered that posts that contain the word “Like” literally get 240% more “Likes.”
Don’t be a chatterbox!
Facebook reports that posts that are less than three lines of text (100-150 characters) receive around 60% more Likes, comments and shares than longer posts.
Keep the conversation casual!
Use free-form dialog to promote a relaxed atmosphere where casual, friendly conversation will make your fans think of you as a friend. Save the formal tones for your website, or in response to serious questions.
Make them grin, chuckle, or outright laugh!
Make it a goal to post something light-hearted at least once a week. Check out Pinterest for funny quotes and photos, or search the web for silly real estate cartoons. Consider adding a humor post to your weekly schedule.
“Twitter-size” your questions!
People are more likely to read your posts and respond to your questions when they are short and sweet. We’re talking 150 characters or less, so try and keep them as short as you would a “Tweet.” Write questions that require one-word or fill-in-the-blank answers Example questions:
- Do you prefer a 4-bedroom or 3-bedroom house?
- My ideal color house is _____.
- Are you attending the city fireworks display on the 4th of July? Click “Like” if you are!
- Quick Poll: Have you owned your house for 10 years or more?
- What do you love the most about where you live?
Direct interaction builds lasting relationships!
Try to reply or acknowledge “likes” and “shares,” but most of all keep your Facebook interactions simple and fun.
In summary, check out our infographic, based on a recent 2-week long study of Facebook posts, likes and comments made by 200 large-brand businesses. The study was done by Buddy Media, a social ad-management software provider.
