Your 2021 Guide To Real Estate Social Media Marketing
Real estate is probably one of the oldest surviving businesses in the current times. Buying, selling, and renting spaces for both personal and professional reasons exists from time immemorial. What has changed though, is the scale, the approach, and who is a part of these transactions.
COVID-19 and the subsequent market closures have changed how real estate functions. Older people became cautious with their investments, seeking only trusted names in the industry to work with. More and more young people are becoming property owners owing to the Work from home scenarios and the need for quality workspace.
Now, everyone knows that a major chunk of real estate is marketing. You sell or list only when you connect with the people in the right way. But we also know there is no one size fits all solution. Using the same approach for GenX and the Millennial generation is only going to disappoint your bottom lines.
People today have embraced the internet in all its glory. All their purchases begin with them googling the business online. Real estate is no different. In fact, 51% of homebuyers in the USA agreed that they found their agent/listing via the internet.
Now the internet is too big for one agent to stand out. Most real estate companies and agents work better with personalization. So, what is the digital solution for it?
Enter the magic of social media in the new age of real estate marketing.
Do you really need Social media marketing for your Real estate business?
We were not overestimating the power of social media when we called it magic. For ages, agents and businesses in the real estate sector have sworn that this is an offline business and needs a firm handshake with a charming smile for any transaction to begin.
But times are changing. And you know what they say about people who don’t change with the times? Yes, they don’t sell homes and can forget about the commission, surely.
Now you may wonder why the emphasis on social media marketing, why can’t SEO or PPC ads be enough? We understand it feels overwhelming to keep up with the growing needs of digital marketing.
But the value of social media marketing for real estate is unmatchable. With social media, you can :
- Compete with your peers who are already on social media to take away your clients. Yes, it is true. 77% of real estate agents in the USA agree they use social media actively already.
- Make client acquisition easier with some of the lowest ad spends ever. Compared to offline ad spends and client acquisition ROI, social media is a game-changer. 44% of agents agree they got a client via social media in 2020, and it was the second most popular model after referrals.
- Directly reach out to customers, build a trustworthy personal/professional brand, and break the generation gap many realtors today are encountering.
- Cross geographical boundaries and connect with outstation/international clients without placing ads in their local regions.
Hope we convinced you to take up social media marketing for your real estate business with gusto and enthusiasm now. Yay, right?
But what next? Don’t worry, Kimp has your back.
Tried and tested 2021 real estate social media marketing ideas coming right up.
Top 6 Killer Real Estate Social Media Marketing Content Ideas
You are running a business. A very demanding business at that. So sitting and brainstorming social media content ideas, not to mention keeping up with trends, is not high on your To-do list. And that is understandable.
Kimp works with many real estate businesses day in and day out, and we have a measure of the daily struggles of these companies. Especially for content creation for social media marketing.
Even with paid promotions, paid hashtags, and a great promotional manager; content is always the reigning king.
So here is Kimp approved and client’s favorite list of real estate social media marketing content ideas. A good mix of evergreen ideas and trends to keep your social media profiles buzzing and active.
With no further ado, let’s get this show on the road.
1. Property Images
Let’s begin with the basics. From a real estate social media profile, customers (both buyers and sellers) want to see property images. Posting listing images online is the oldest trick in the game. So, how do you spruce it for social media?
You can, of course, take professional photos of the properties you have under your belt and post them on your profiles. But each platform has a different niche, and playing by those rules can help you immensely. So let’s take a look at how you can amp up these photos.
- Post an album on Facebook/Twitter/LinkedIn with detailed descriptions of the property in the captions. It is a straightforward post but ensure that you include your logo, brand name, and property details on the images too. Text overlays improve the readability of your image posts immensely.
- Create a carousel post for each property on Instagram. For an aesthetic feed that reflects your brand identity, work with your design team to create a custom cover image for each property. Since you can only post ten images at once, consider merging one or more images to fit in one post. Text overlays work great here too.
You can also localize their social marketing posts with the relevant location tags and hashtags across social media platforms.
Kimp Tip: Every image you post is not just about the property. It speaks immensely about the brand too. Consider touching up, editing, and branding them before they go online. Placing the logo, text, and other details must not hamper the aesthetics of the images. For best results, always work with a professional like Kimp Graphics.
Property images don’t have to be boring. Check out this impressive design of an Instagram post that pulls the audience’s attention immediately.
2. Virtual Property Tours
Virtual tours have been a part of the real estate industry for a decade now. What changed is how mainstream it became when the COVID-19 pandemic made travel a non-possibility.
Virtual tours of properties came to the rescue of investors and real estate agents to show the property to customers who cannot travel and help them seal the deal. You can make these private tours public to your followers too via social media. Consider them as the open houses in the pre-pandemic era.
You can post these virtual tour videos across all social networks such as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn to attract customers. This also tells us that social media users are transparent and have nothing to hide.
Kimp Tip: Long videos may not be everyone’s cup of tea. In this attention-deficit economy, you must keep it engaging and brisk. Irrespective of the platform, limit your videos to 1-minute duration and leverage the use of music, transitions, and text overlays/captioning to make it accessible to everyone.
Talk to the Kimp Video team today to explore the world of video marketing in detail.
A virtual property tour done well
3. Interactive Content
The key to social media marketing success is engagement. The longer you can keep a user on your post/profile, the better your chances of making a favorable impression on them.
Interactive content where the customer gets involved until the end is the best way to achieve a higher engagement rate. In fact, interactive content such as GIFs, Infographics, and animated videos have some of the highest engagement metrics across platforms. This is, of course, after long-form and short-form video content.
Gamified content such as puzzles, quizzes, and video game snippets also scores a huge win on Instagram and Twitter.
Kimp Tip: In the bid to create interactive content, do not deviate from your action plan. Customers want to see relevant content from you in an interactive form. Repurpose the existing marketing materials such as videos, images, and other texts you have to create interactive content from it.
Talk to the Kimp Graphics team today to see how!
4. Live Videos
Much like virtual property tours, live videos are a way to virtually involve customers who are far away but very much interested in your business. Customers like brands that are honest about what goes on in their day-to-day life and live videos are a great way to open up that side of your business.
Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat are the platforms where live videos are all the rage. LinkedIn is slowly catching up too. Based on the audience you want to target, you can choose the platform. Of course, you can always upload the saved video with closed captioning and text overlays on other platforms later on.
Open houses, private events, and deal closing are some of the most popular live video ideas for real estate social media marketing.
5. Social proof
Real estate businesses spend a lot of time cultivating trust among their customers. Most transactions in this sector are high-ticket ones, and it is not easy to make anyone part with their hard-earned money. While traditional sales and marketing methods take time in achieving this, you can cut the wait time short with social media marketing for your real estate brand.
Social proof, such as fellow buyer/seller reviews, testimonials, and stamps of approval, can cultivate the trust you want in your prospective customers. Seeing an actual person recount a pleasant experience relieves the doubt and uncertainty in others’ minds.
While there are several ways of sharing customer reviews on social media, the most popular ones include :
- Short-form video content on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter. You can get a live recording from the client or transform their textual review into a video with the help of graphic design services such as Kimp.
- Resharing reviews on the Stories section of the differential social networks.
- Curating favorable reviews and presenting them as images with the clients’ photos and property images for a better connection with the audience.
Kimp Tip: Social proof posts do not have to be bland. Create engaging and interactive videos from the testimonials you receive. Even if the customer’s original video lacks pizzazz, Kimp Video can help you enhance it for social media. Book a call with the team today!
Amped up social proof post by Big Result, CA on Twitter
6. Informational Content
Customers on the internet have a ton of resources at their disposal. In 2021, there is no dearth of information, so if you want customers to stick with you and choose you, there has to be something special.
Social media profiles that provide value to their followers by sharing non-promotional and purely informational content with their customers carve a special place in their customers’ lives. You establish the place of a well-wisher and subject-matter expert with no investment.
Some real estate informational content ideas include :
- Explainer videos breaking down the latest trends in market pricing, the real estate industry, mortgage regulations, valuations, and home renovation.
- Infographics on the latest news on the real estate industry for an easy understanding of the average person.
- Your personal take on the best locations to invest in based on different expectations and demographics, such as family, student, or retirement homes.
You have this knowledge at hand. All you have to do is make it presentable for social media, and you become your customers’ favorite real estate agent.
With unlimited graphic design services under the Kimp subscription, you can create unlimited social media posts, including videos, infographics, and explainer videos at a flat monthly fee. Sign up for the free trial today!
Real Estate Social Media Marketing: Best Practices
Real estate social media marketing is as vast as an ocean. Let’s take a look at some of the best practices every real estate brand must remember for their social media marketing to be a roaring success.
- Your social media profiles reflect who you are as a business. Even if you are an individual, you are a brand. Everything right from the cover photo, profile photo, the content, and the tone of engagement must be of utmost professionalism. No slacking.
- Ensure that every post, reshare, and comment you put on your social media profiles speaks of your brand in every sense. Develop a brand style guide so that there are no slips. It will also ensure that you maintain a consistent image across the different social media platforms.
- Do not underestimate the power of video marketing for your real estate business. 79% of real estate agents agree videos help them stand out amidst the competition. The internet loves video, and so does the social media algorithm across platforms. Create more videos to reach more people.
- Omnichannel marketing (presence on multiple social media platforms) is extremely important if you want to reach a wider audience. Each social media network has a unique audience base, and you must aim to reach every demographic. You can always repurpose your content based on each platform’s standards, but presence is important.
- Quality >>> Quantity always. Yes, being consistent is important, but not at the cost of quality. Enlist the service of professional design agencies, such as Kimp, to create quality social media posts at a flat monthly fee so that you have quality without breaking the bank too.
Your Trusted Partner in Real Estate Social Media Marketing – Kimp
Real estate is one of the most demanding industries. And you serve some of the most distinguished clients, too. Be it residential or commercial, customers demand the best in every area.
So why not bring them the best with your social media marketing too? Yes, the quality of content and design defines your image for them.
Put your best foot forward with Kimp Graphics and Kimp Video subscriptions. Avail all graphic design, motion graphic design, stock images, stock audio, stock video, and much, much more at a flat monthly fee. Design all you want with no hourly or per-project charges.
Sounds like a bonanza, right?
Well, it is. That’s why we are telling you, sign up for the free trial now and get started on killing it on social media!!