 Why do we post what we do on social media?
For some of us trying to engage and attract consumers online, we post whatever content catches our eye or comes to our attention, including a constant stream of funny cat memes, before and after diet shots, and photos of our lunch. We might even mix in a testimonial, listing photo, or interest rate alert every once and a while. However, when done correctly, a successful social media campaign is far from random or impulsive, but a well-planned and orchestrated strategy to grow our online brand. So, instead of talking about the How, What, Where, or Who of your social media campaign today, I'd like to talk about the "Why." In general, I think there are 12 purposes to social media posts, images, videos, and content we share. Each of them has a unique purpose, like to reach, inform, engage, or even dictate action from your audience. Here are the 12 purposes behind your social media posts: 1. Show ‘em whatcha got! No, I’m not talking about your aspiring model photos or your lunch, but show your audience what you’re selling and why you’re in business. For Realtors, that means a steady stream of photos, videos, etc. featuring great houses, neighborhoods, home amenities, and designs, etc. If you’re a loan officer, financial planner, insurance agent, etc., show your audience the features of your service and the benefits to working with you. 2. Entertain Just like real life, make sure it’s not all serious! Lighthearted, humorous, relatable, and genuinely human posts often get more likes, followers, and engagement than our “business” content! 3. Engage The goal is not to talk TO your followers on social media, but talk WITH them. Therefore, use plenty of questions, polls, surveys, true or false, caption contests, etc. to elicit feedback and promote interaction. 4. Get local People don’t live in a vacuum, but on and among neighborhoods, communities, cities, and regions. Especially for real estate post plenty of content that speaks to the local geographic area you’re focusing on from many angles. Want to become a neighborhood expert and DOMINATE your local market? Read this. 5. Cross-promote Most sales people/brands/and companies think of ME, ME, & ME when marketing. But you can create unique opportunities and incredibly lucrative relationships by highlighting other professionals, beloved brands, notable and famous people, etc. A great way to do this is through short interviews, profiles, testimonials, and infographics, but it’s also the perfect way to gain access to a whole new huge audience – theirs! 6. Educate Breaking down what we do, how we do it, and the benefits to the end user on a super-simple level. Never stop sharing the “ABCs” of your profession through a series of tips, stats, hacks, simple definitions, and other resources. 7. Demonstrate social proof Human beings are still pack animals who look to others for signs of social acceptance, and that’s also true online, where testimonials, reviews, success stories, case studies, sharing, etc. go a long way. 8. Clearly spell out benefits I love the old sales mantra, “We’re selling holes, not drill bits.” What that means is that you should always focus on the benefit to the end user, not just the feature in fancy business speak. Make sure you post plenty of content that clearly spells out the benefits to working with you from a consumer perspective. 9. Solve problems The famous Zig Zigler used to say, “Help enough people get what they want and you’ll get everything that you want.” So, instead of just posting social media content about your products and services, spend ample time exploring the problems, challenges, and frustrations of your audience – and help by offering solutions. 10. Find your tribe If our target demographic is first-time homebuyers, for instance, we should create and share content that specifically speaks to their needs, goals, challenges, and lifestyles, etc. Your tribe may also be likeminded people who you really connect with who can help your audience, too, or become referral partners. 11. Establish credibility You should be (subtly and humbly) sharing content that establishes you as an industry leader in your field, including articles you’re quoted or featured in, awards, certifications, top-rankings, etc. 12. Gain trust When it comes down to it, trust is really the most valuable commodity we can offer our clients and audience, but it’s also hard to earn and hard to win back. So always be genuine, authentic, truthful, and transparent with your dealings, especially on social media. I hope these 12 purposes to social media posts help you have a more well-thought out social media strategy that brings in a whole lot more clients! Contact me if you’d like any more help or advice. -Norm :-)
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 Back in the day (which was only about 15 years ago before most marketing migrated online), it took a lot of legwork to become a local expert – literally.
Realtors walked the neighborhood and knocked on doors, introducing themselves, hosted open houses in the area, and sent out (expensive) postcards to a "geographic farm." These days, there's a much more efficient path to becoming a neighborhood expert and dominating your local market, whether you're a Realtor, mortgage lender, insurance agent, chiropractor, or any business owner. To get started, I've made a list of ways you can do just that - largely utilizing the internet to reach large numbers of people in your target area and convert them into followers then clients. Here are 25 ways to become a neighborhood expert and dominate your local market: 1. Of course, a great place to start is a monthly blog or graphic that covers the real estate and housing market for the area, with key stats like median prices, days on market, price per square foot, the number of listings, and if those numbers are trending higher or lower since the previous month or year. 2. You can also create a fact sheet for buyers that are new to the area, with info about schools (just no school rankings or qualitative data), local parks, community centers, hospitals, and utility providers so they can easily get services like water, trash, electric, cable TV and Wi-Fi turned on. 3. Self-publish a short neighborhood guide, handbook, special report, or checklist on Amazon.com and iBook. (SUPER opportunity!) 4. Write up your own top-10 list for:
By the way, a great way to set these up so that no one is #1, #10, etc. and feels put off or offended is just listing the top 10 alphabetically. 5. Write about any interesting facts or trivia about the neighborhood. 6. You should also definitely cover the history of the area or specific neighborhood as far back as you can find it, and people LOVE historic photos! 7. Document the economic data for the area, such as employment stats, the percentage of white vs blue collar jobs, the largest industries, biggest employers in the region, etc. 8. Produce a blog post that shows interesting and fun maps for the neighborhood (such as a hand-drawn map that highlights the best coffee shops, restaurants, and other amenities). 9. Highlight the Neighborhood Watch (without getting into crime statistics). 10. Do a Back-To-School or graduation special post or blog for neighborhood schools. 11. Email out a newsletter with community information, that weekend’s happenings, and fun events. 12. Write up a quick profile on a referral partner or other business that is well-established in the area. By getting them on board and sharing it with their followers, too, you'll instantly get name recognition with an exponentially larger audience - and earn their thanks! 13. Create a profile on the public parks in the area. 14. Go into the farmer’s markets and health and fitness options in the area, like a profile on golf courses, the best gyms, etc. 15. Write up a holiday calendar. 16. Start your own hashtag or Facebook or Instagram page for the neighborhood – not just for you. 17. You can also post a local interest photo and ask people to submit a funny caption or hashtag it. 18. Run a weekly contest or raffle with a neighborhood angle. 19. Cover special events like block parties, parades, concerts in the park, festivals, fairs, etc. 20. Make a fun post about your “Perfect Weekend” in the neighborhood, with all of the places you’d go, establishments you’d dine or drink in, etc. 21. Cover any local pro athletes, celebrities, or other notable people that either are from the area or live there now. Document the different types of architecture and design elements you find in that neighborhood (works best in older areas). 22. Do you have a local radio show, TV station, magazine or community newspaper? Create a profile about them (and ask about a free ad in exchange for the promotion!). 23. Interview or profile on the police chief/police force. 24. Interview or profile the local Assemblyman, politician, or even the Mayor! 25. Of course, you can also set up a weekly email or post(s) that highlight the nicest and best homes for sale (in your estimation) in the area, promote any open houses (if you’re a lender, or listings with your same brokerage if you’re a Realtors). Even if they aren’t your listings, you can sure attract buyers that are interested in that neighborhood! *** I hope that these prove helpful! If you need any help getting started on these ideas or have a great idea of your own you’d like to share, please hit me up at [email protected]! -Norm :-) |
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