3 social media mistakes agents and brokers make
From Future of Real Estate Marketing
By Katie Lance, Thursday, July 22, 2010.
Flickr photo courtesy of Digiart2001 | jason.kuffer.I consider myself someone who is "in the thick of it" in terms of social media. I manage all the social media channels for Inman News, and because of that I always keep one eye on what real estate agents and brokerages are doing in the social media world.
I currently follow about 500 real estate pages and about 400-500 real estate professionals on Twitter, plus I have another 200-300 LinkedIn real estate connections. Through all of these "connections" I get a bird's-eye view on who is really mastering this marketing tool.
As you all know, simply creating an account on Facebook or Twitter rarely equates to being plugged in. The most common reason for not spending time on developing a social media strategy is that real estate agents and brokers fear there will be little to no return on investment and that, frankly, "It's just too much work," or "I don't have the time."
Here are three common mistakes that I see real estate agents and brokers making:
1. Doing too much at once. For people in real estate, it's often best to start with a small social media presence. Check out LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter -- which one appeals to you the most? The one that makes the most sense to you should be your starting point. Start there and then set goals for when you will branch out onto other channels.
2. Giving it to the intern. Too often, social media responsibilities will be piled on the most inexperienced assistants, or worse, someone who detests social media. If you are going to hire someone to help you manage your social media, make sure you hire someone who is not only savvy in communcation, but comfortable with exposure to the public. Social media needs a personal touch and someone who is aggressive and strategic.
3. Making conversations one-way. Too many real estate agents and brokers just see social media tools as just another way to push out information. Bombarding people with listings won't earn many followers; there has to be a dialogue that keeps the audience engaged. Remember, make it less about you and more about the people receiving the information. Always ask yourself, "What's in it for them?"
So, now what? How do you know if you are successful or not? One of the easiest things to do is to monitor your website and blog traffic. Make sure you have Google Analytics set up on your site and that once a week you are looking at where your traffic is coming from.
Here are a few real estate Facebook pages that in my opinion are doing a great job:
- The Corcoran Group
- Contra Costa Association of Realtors
- The Dawn Thomas Team of Intero Real Estate Services
- PMZ Real Estate
- The Robin Milonakis Group, Official Fan Page
- ERA Real Estate
Bonus: Want to see an agent doing something fun and different on social media? Check out this great video from Ben Balsbaugh, an agent from PMZ Real Estate in Modesto, Calif. He does an awesome job creating something that is about him but in a fun way that makes people want to share it!
(Can’t see the video? Click here to view on YouTube.)
What social media mistakes are you seeing real estate agents make? Please leave a comment below!
Click here to view the original blog post.
Katie Lance is the marketing manager for Inman News. Future of Real Estate Marketing is a part of Inman News.
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Submitted by LeRoy Houser on July 22, 2010 - 12:11pm.
LeRoy Houser
www.leroyhouserseminars.com
804-796-1119
This is a great article that everyone who joins the FB network should read before they post anything. I agree that good information in small doses is a much preferred way to communicate and develop a business. If I was going to add a fourth point to your article it would be to choose carefull who you select as friends. Your Sphere of Influence would be much preferred to your "Realtor Friends>"
Submitted by Holly Schwartz on July 22, 2010 - 9:08pm.
Very true tips Katie! One of the things that is so important is providing feedback in the discussion. Social media isn't one-sided. It truly merges the needs of the consumer with the message and mission of the deliverer. Consumers expect a response and they demand it ASAP so companies need to be quick to respond.
Holly Schwartz
Media Producer & Marketing Director
Torelli Realty
http://www.torellirealty.com
holly@torellirealty.com
(714) 540-7355
Facebook: hollyschwartz
Twitter: hollyschwartzoc
Join Torelli Realty on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/torellir
Submitted by Mike Machak on July 23, 2010 - 8:35am.
great advice katie!
as the primary content manager for crye-leike on facebook i put a premium on items that:
1)include pictures, video and links to "crye-leike in the news" posted by news media outlets
2)celebrate community service and accomplishments
3)offer great advice and pose fun questions
always try to include a picture, short video clip or link to every post to help attract attention
a final thought... consider linking your facebook to accounts on twitter and linkedin. it will help push the message/information without the need to manage those additional social media sites.
Mike Machak
Director of Public Relations
Crye-Leike, REALTORS
mike.machak@crye-leike.com
Submitted by Deborah Porter on July 23, 2010 - 8:38am.
Great piece! You can't stress enough that realtors (or any business for that matter) should NOT use social media as a one-way communication tool. We teach our agents that social media (particularly FB) is akin to walking into a cocktail party -- you have to join in the communication with something relevant, meaningful, witty or funny to say -- not just annoucing your listings!
Deborah Porter
Diretor of Communication & Creative Services
Coldwell Banker Premier Realty
702 227 5102
deborah.porter@cbvegas.com
http://www.lasvegashomes.com
Submitted by Audeliz Angie Perez on July 25, 2010 - 4:51am.
I kind of like the flickr photo you used, which triggers my mind into:
There's your way, there's my way and then there's the right way to using social media effectively (the right way definitely differs from person to person).
I've been at it for 2 years with great results. Refining or simply developing a social media plan takes time and a little bit of trial and error.
Make social media a part of your day and listen to engage more than anything else.
Submitted by Josh Schoenly on July 25, 2010 - 6:25am.
One the best practical articles about using social media for real estate pros. The Ben video is a perfect example of using video in a creative way to market. We talk with so many realtors who struggle with ideas for content either for video marketing and blogging, my partner just wrote this blog post with 9 killer content ideas for real estaters:
http://retechulous.com/2010/07/19/niche-biche/
Best,
Josh Schoenly
Submitted by Ian Lazarus on July 25, 2010 - 9:19am.
Maybe Robin's fan page is doing it right, but from my experience on Robin's friend is a male basher. I know some of it is in jest, but it gets old quick. I had to delete her as a friend. I'm sure she is a very good REALTOR, but we aren't friends.
Ian Lazarus,CRS
The Lazarus Team
The Landis Co., Realtors
4201 Landis Avenue
Sea Isle City, NJ
Submitted by Jerzy (George) Szkup on July 25, 2010 - 1:58pm.
George Szkup
www.DestinationTucson.biz
Interesting article. Most responses appear to refer to Face Book? I am on Twitter. Never advertising listings – only advice and some real estate news and I have by now few hundred tweets published. Results? Not a one direct response. Checking on my followers indicates that they are only interested in selling me something. I must be doing something wrong?
George in Tucson
Destination Tucson – http://bit.ly/2Bnb3f (Monthly Blog)
Twitter- http://bit.ly/e3mCI (Georges’ Tweets)
Trulia - http://bit.ly/4tgwkU Q&A, Blog/posts, Resume)
Submitted by Tony Fantis on July 25, 2010 - 6:50pm.
Great article, Katie. I really like the third item about one way conversations. Sometimes in internet land people forget (I know I've been guilty) the back-and-forth that makes a conversation truly good.
Recently I've switched to and 80/20 mix of commenting mostly on other people's updates, shares, and links. I've found there's a much better and warmer response when I'm truly interested in what other people are doing or thinking about.
I'm always torn about the intern idea. Sometimes I could really use the help. But in the big scheme of things, it's just really difficult to have someone else write for you and have it come across as your own personality, your own ideas, and your own writing. And God forbid that a client ask about your latest blog entry that you didn't write. ;-)
Thanks for the great summary, "What's in it for them?" That's probably the most concise explanation I've seen about what to do and what not to do in Facebook-land.
Best,
Tony =)