I had an amazing opportunity to share my social media expertise to 850 relators at Engel & Völkers Americas Exchange. Of course, I had to add a little charm while highlighting the importance of being creative in those in-between moments.
Romancing the Ordinary, is about celebrating the small triumphs – Brewing a cup of coffee, picking up florals that will go in your home, highlighting the small details of a beautiful built-in cabinet or garden. It’s finding the charm in those “in-between moments.” So much of what I do translates into real estate: Location, storytelling, lifestyle, family, trust, community, expertise, knowledge, and the most important…CHARM. Speaking of charm when I visited Engel & Völkers‘ website, charming was on the very first page!
In between open houses and the listings, there needs to be a story. It needs to be about your followers and not you. People always ask me if they should have a personal account separate from their business. The answer is, YES! Keep your personal account separate from your brand – it should be a portfolio of your work. It’s okay to add a little personal touch as long as it brings value and aligns with your brand! Incorporate some of these tips/tricks to take your social media to the next level…
Hashtags
Your business may be local but you need to be aware of what others are doing online outside of your network and community. So while your content will be locally charged, have an understanding of how all users use social media so that you can appeal to the masses. For example, hashtags! Develop a hashtag for your brand, mine is #PasadenaCharm. I’ve invited people to use this hashtag on their posts, now there are over 32,000 photos tagged with this hashtag.
Reposting
Don’t be afraid to REPOST! Search within hashtags to find images you like, whether it be your city or beautiful homes. I would spend hours looking through #Pasadena, 75% of what I posted in the beginning, was not mine. The strategy was to feature others and get them excited by creating a sense of community. Again, making it about them and not me.
Content Creation Process
Your phone is like a slot machine… and you need to give your followers a reward!
3 reasons to post:
- Teach
- Entertain
- Inspire
Teaching is the new marketing. If you have a talent – teach it! This is easy content for you and mind-blowing information for your followers. It’s a win/win! Make it easy and do the heavy lifting for them. Spend time researching and learning so they can come to a curated version of content. When someone goes to your feed it should be very obvious where you are located. It should be in your bio and in your feed. This creates an instant connection. What is that saying in real estate? Location, Location, Location! Think of your profile as your real estate on Instagram. It should be updated, remodeled, modern, original, and have curb appeal.
Go Beyond the Normal
I started an events calendar (click here) for people visiting or living in Pasadena. It supports the thought of showcasing your community, be intentional about the added value you as a real estate agent are providing. It might not be an events page, it might be an article to provide resources or a Q&A session, It’s all about being creative in those in-between moments.
Create a call to action – A calendar featuring all the local pop up shops, concerts in the park, workshops, free museum days, etc! This creates a strategy to get emails for my newsletter that goes out once a month. I use stories to “Swipe Up” to my calendar or you can add a link in your bio.
This is a photo of a beautiful tiled wall in Pasadena. I encourage people to screenshot it and use it as a screen-saver on their phone. Having someone screenshot your content is the biggest win when it comes to the algorithm. Give your audience a reason to engage and Instagram will show them more of your content.
Have an event? We offer budget-friendly sponsorship opportunities for local brands to post and we create stories with swipe up options to your event or website. See more details here:
Next is a reward I give to my followers who consistently engage on my posts. I write: I am going to post features of those consistently comment on my posts. If you didn’t hear, LIKES might be going away so I encourage you to work on your comment game!
Always comment back on posts. Don’t just comment “Thank you”. Go to their feed like 3 photos and comment on their last picture. Find their name and say Thank you Jennifer! This shows them that you took the time. They will most likely return and comment on your next post and follow you!
Building Your Audience
Simple things you can do to quickly and organically to increase your following is through a giveaway. You don’t need to have a huge following to have a successful giveaway. Your current and new followers will be extremely excited they are not competing 100K other people. Their odds are much better to win!
Leveraging Features Beyond the Feed
4 things that should be incorporated into every Instagram Story:
- Hashtags (Pro-tip: You can hide hashtags by squeezing them until they disappear but they still work)
- Location Sticker and Highlights (Pro-tip: You can create highlights for all the cities you have homes in)
- Poll, Question Box, GIFS: (Pro-tip: Make your polls double positive. Instead of the options being “Yes” or “No” make them, “Thanks, now I know” or “Yes I love that”)
- Time or Day Sticker (Pro-tip: Instagram favors posts that use its features)
Create a reason to tap through stories. Don’t create just one story, otherwise, you’re essentially closing the door on them and saying I’m done, you can leave now. Make them want to stay on your page. After all, Instagram is a “tapping game.”
Example –
- Tap to see what’s next…
- Tap to watch
- The next page is my favorite!
- Create a double positive poll ( Yes, I love it / Thanks for sharing)
The more reasons you give someone to tap, the more information Instagram’s algorithm can collect and will show your audience more of that content. Also, keep in mind that direct messaging is the new email. People are more excited to get a message on Instagram than another email in their inbox.
Format your content
There is value in using the full vertical space. Why use square photos or a small horizontal photo when you can fill the whole screen using a vertical photo? You’re cheating yourself prime ad space. If you were placing an ad in a local magazine would you take the half-page or the full page? Instagram is FREE so take advantage of the most space
Speaking of AD space – Instagram will let you create an ad for $5. I don’t know of any other advertiser that can compete with that. We can look at social media as a form of real estate – Now is the time to buy in and boost your post with a promotion. You can choose the location, demographic, age and Instagram will show your posts to new people and get it the traction it deserves.
Carousel posts are great for showing homes. I see so many realtors do one photo collage with the address and all the info in the photo. Create curiosity by showcasing slides with a beautiful cover that will live on your feed.
Keep in mind, Instagram does not perform well with text on photos. So if you have any flyers, announcements, open houses, or any text: write it in the comments and don’t sacrifice the aesthetic of your feed. Have any of these on your feed? I am giving you permission to achieve those posts. In fact, you should go through your feed and archive 10-15 photos. I promise you will be shocked at how cleaner your feed will look immediately.
Beyond Instagram
TikTok is the platform that allows people to be people again! The less strategy you put into TikTok the better it performs! Its raw and fun to use! Again, I’m that person telling everyone to check a booming platform called TikTok. Practice your short-form video skills without a large audience while you get started. I had a video of me wrapping a golf club for my husband at Christmas and it got over 1 million views. It’s much easier to go viral on Tik Tok than it is on Instagram!
Remember all the people that got onto Instagram first? Get your head start now on Tik Tok! At the least, secure your handle. I was able to grab my name so I am the only username @taryn. Bonus – you can link your Instagram and post directly from TikTok. Strategy – double your reach in seconds.
Don’t forget you are your brand! Tell a story that is recognizable and not forgettable. Give your followers a reason to come back to your account other than selling homes. Most are not looking for homes, they are looking to be inspired and to learn something new.
Social media should not be an afterthought… it should be your whole marketing strategy and you should set aside a budget to either do it yourself with promotional ads or hire someone to do it for you.
Stay ahead of social media trends and smart apps that will help you streamline your content. Either way, I’m excited to let you know that I can help you! It’s my passion.
10 years of my experience = 2 hours of your time. Click here to learn more about our charming services
