It is important in real estate sales to be strategic with our Facebook marketing but don’t forget about the “social” part of social media. A huge component of what makes social media work for us is actually being social. It’s simply not enough to create our personal profiles and a business page and then disappear, waiting for people to find us and buy from us.

Marketing in real estate is about building relationships. And what do good, strong relationships have in common? Communication and interaction between the two parties. So sitting back and waiting for others to do the work is quite the opposite of communicating and interacting. We have to be social!!

Here are some tips to help:

Plan Daily Posts

Consistency is key to growing a social media audience and that means daily posts on your personal profile, business page, and in your group if you participate in them. These posts should all be written differently to avoid getting labeled by Facebook as a “spammer” but they can certainly have the same theme or message.

Think About Your Target Market

Who is your ideal client? What time do they visit Facebook, during the day or evening? Do they belong to any particular groups? Think about that special client avatar – your ideal client – and plan your postings accordingly. What does she really need help with? What is holding her back from moving now? What is she worried about? What are common objections you hear from your ideal client? Do you have advice that can help her? Understanding her needs will aid you in reaching her directly and speaking about things she is interested in now.

Leave Comments to Start a Conversation

Instead of just “liking” a post on someone’s page, try leaving a comment or asking a question to start a conversation. This can occur in a group, page, or personal profile. Be authentic when choosing your words and if a conversation ensues, consider sending a Friend Request.

Last year I sold a home for a friend from grade school that I reconnected with on Facebook. She was remodeling her kitchen and I “liked” it. I also asked her for more pictures because I was genuinely interested. When she and her family decided to make a move out of state she thought of me and I was fortunate to be called by her to interview as her Realtor. I know it was because we reconnected on Facebook.

Pay Attention to Who Leaves Comments and Likes Your Posts

When someone leaves a comment or likes one of your posts, click into their personal profile and determine if this person is a part of your target audience. If so, consider sending a Friend Request or following them.

I have one “friend” that comments an almost all of my posts. Usually to rib me a little but it is all in good fun. Recently he did a shout out for me as a real estate agent. It is because of our banter back and forth.

This cracks me up!

Share Some Free Advice

This is especially true in groups when other members ask a question or need help solving a problem. If you know the answer, give it freely instead of adding a link to your website (check the group rules first). This is a simple way to show others in the group that you know what you’re talking about and you care about helping others.

Plan an Online Event and Encourage Others to Share with a Friend

Video is HOT when it comes to reaching your audience and developing a relationship quickly so take advantage of using Facebook Live. Plan out what you want to talk about (consider a short tour of one of your listings; or a sneak peek at where you will be for your open house; or the Top 10 reasons why you need a Realtor). Create some buzz and let your followers know the day and time of the event and encourage them to share the day/time with their friends. In this scenario, your video should offer useful tips or information for your target market. Have fun with it! If they like what they hear and they are attracted to your style of presenting, they will quickly become followers.

Social Media is a necessary layer in our marketing process. I know it is hard to track ROI from the time you spend on it so I have created a Social Media Planning Guide to help you with your social strategy. You can grab it by clicking >>here<<.

Be creative when it comes to finding new followers on Facebook and remember to nurture the relationship with these new friends. It works!