Facebook can be a tricky beast.
Oh, it’s all your when you’re using it personally. Just cruising around checking up on old friends, and staying in touch with family.
But making it work for you in a business sense is a whole other thing. And it’s a ‘thing’ that can be slippery at best, and downright embarrassing at worst.
All too often people ignore it and hope it will go away. But it’s not going anywhere.
And savvy agents are taking the time to learn how to use it to their advantage. That’s why we’ve put together a few simple tips to help you win friends and referrals on Facebook.
Let’s dive in, shall we?
1. Employ Yourself
In Facebook, we all have a personal profile that we log in with, but we should also have a business page. It’s against Facebook terms and conditions to use your personal profile primarily for business, so if you don’t have a business page yet, create one!
Even if you business page is the same name as your personal page, you need a business page for your business posts.
Don’t make the mistake of keeping your work history private on your personal profile, particularly if your business name is different from your name. For example, Jack Sparrow should create a business page for the Black Pearl, and then include his role as Captain of the Black Pearl on his personal profile.
Savvy? ?
This way, if anyone meets him and wants to connect with his business, it’s easy for them to do that.
2. Check In
Post about what you’re doing and where you are when you’re out and about. People love to see ‘inside’ or personal snippets of information on your business page.
If you’re having a meeting in a bustling coffee shop, snap a quick picture of your beverage and post it on your page. When you post, be sure to check in at the location because other people will see this post.
Hot tip: you’ll need to use the Pages app if you’re using a mobile device to check in on your business page!
Why do this? It increases your exposure.
If we go back to the Jack Sparrow example, he should check in when he’s hanging out at Port Royal or from Davy Jones’ Locker.
3. Go for Groups
Get involved in Facebook groups. They can be a great place to socialise, increase your reach and help people.
Search for relevant Facebook groups in your area and request membership of the group. Mostly you’ll want local groups such as business groups or interest groups so try searching for “Vancouver” in Facebook, and then get Facebook to show you groups with that name.
Scroll through and look at each group before you request membership. Just take a quick look at the group size and the description.
If there are group posting rules, make sure you’ll be able to comply with them.
It can be difficult to assess how active the group is until you have access, so sometimes you have to jump in and try it. You can always withdraw from any groups that don’t work for you.
4. Get Super Social
When you’re online look for ways you can add value for people. Aim to be helpful.
You don’t want to waste hours doing this so you might want to set a timer so you can stick to 10 minutes every day. Or drop into special groups or pages when you’re waiting for a client to show up to a meeting.
The key is not to spend all your time giving a “work with me” message, but instead show people you’re professional and generous. This is particularly key in groups because people won’t engage if you just drop in a post each week, and don’t stop to talk to people!
Look for posts where you can interact, give an opinion, or provide useful information.
5. Post Killer Content
This doesn’t mean posting listings. You should only post one or two listings for every 4-6 informational or edutainment posts.
So what’s an informational or edutainment post? Something that provides useful information or educates your audience in an entertaining way.
This could be home makeovers gone wrong, or major mistakes people have made buying a house. You can post information about simple DIY projects for your home, or easy ways to declutter a house before putting it on the market.
This sort of useful content can also be shared in groups because it’s helpful rather than salesy.
6. Look Sensational
Whatever you do online you must preserve your brand. Your brand is the essence of your business, it’s that indefinable something that people think of when your business name is mentioned.
It’s what differentiates Apple from Samsung, and Samsung from Sony.
If you have a budget brand it’s OK to look cheap and cheerful, because that’s in line with your brand. But if you’re creating a quality, professional business then you must look sensational online.
That means having high-quality images of your listings, and great photos of yourself. It means including added extras like feature sheets, floor plans or virtual tours of your properties.
It also means having a great website where people can find you.
If you need help improving your marketing, get in touch with us today. We’re real estate marketing professionals, trusted by over 1,800 realtors since 2004.
