How to Master Social Media: The Do’s and Don’ts for Real Estate

By Geneva Ives

Social media isn’t going anywhere. Oh wait, yes it is… it’s going everywhere! Social media is one of the fastest and most cost effective ways to share your brand with a large audience. Data suggests that a rising number of real estate agents are leveraging the power of social media to connect with their clients and expand their professional networks.

In fact, the California Association of REALTORS® found that agents cited the following reasons for using social media in an effort to grow their real estate businesses:
– 67 percent staying in touch with clients
– 54 percent be more accessible to my clients
– 50 percent respond to clients faster
– 44 percent market my business to a younger demographic

The study also found that while 66 percent of California REALTORS® consider social media an “integral tool in a marketing plan,” a full 62 percent of respondents deem themselves social media beginners. So let’s change that, shall we? Today we’ve rounded up a handful of social media dos and don’ts for real estate that will have you socializing (and building your brand) like a pro in no time at all.

DO

Pick Your Poison
Be wary of spreading yourself too thin. There are literally hundreds of social media platforms out there. It’s better to be good at a few than to be bad at all, so choose one or two places to start and focus on posting consistently. You can always expand your presence later. Facebook, Google+, Twitter and LinkedIn are great options for real estate because they have a critical mass of users and a good mind share of the general public.

Stay Positive
No one wants to follow a Negative Nancy. We all have bad days and tricky clients from time to time, but it’s important to project a positive image of yourself and your business. Instead of sharing what’s going wrong for you, focus on what’s working in your favor. Share good news, inspiring photos and helpful tips. And never miss an opportunity to publicly say ‘thank you’ via social.

Interact
Interaction is key to creating a social media personality that attracts connections and referrals. If someone tweets you, reply promptly. If you like a post, let the author know by taking the time to share it or leave a thoughtful comment. What goes around comes around in the world of social media. The more you reach out to others now, the more likely they are to reach out to you in the future.

DON’T

Only Post Listings
Many agents see Twitter and Facebook as exciting new avenues for sharing listings – and they’re right to a degree – but don’t forget the bigger picture. If you only post listings, you’re not being social, you’re being a salesman, or even worse, a bulletin board. And, like all other obvious advertising, it won’t be long before your intended audience tunes you out.

Overshare
On the other end of the social media spectrum is the agent who overshares – broadcasting every moment of his or her day, whether it’s real estate related or not. Remember that you are communicating with potential clients every time you post. The topics of your public posts, and the language you use, should be similar to what you would say in the workplace.

Give Up
Even if you follow all of these pointers, if you’re charming and consistent and you share useful content, you probably won’t gain thousands of followers in the first week. But don’t quit! Slow and steady growth builds a strong and loyal network. Review your history to see which posts on which platforms created the most engagement and tweak your future social media actions accordingly.

Geneva Ives is the marketing writer for Point2.

For more information, visit www.point2.com.

Reprinted with permission from RISMedia. ©2013. All rights reserved.