4 Social Media Tips for Building Lasting Client Relationships
In the real estate industry, it’s essential to build lasting client relationships. After all, you’re not just selling property; you’re also selling yourself. Your clients need to feel comfortable with you before they trust you with the life-changing process of buying a new home. Fortunately, with the right social media strategy, building lasting relationships is easy. Use these social media tips for real estate and see a great impact on the success of your business or agency.
Make a Connection
Social media sites, including Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn and YouTube, give you the priceless opportunity to make a connection with your clients without blatantly trying to sell something. It’s the chance to strengthen your appeal, both professionally and personally, and establish yourself as a real estate expert. You want to be the first agent or team that comes to mind when potential customers start looking to buy a home.
To accomplish this, make a connection with your social media audience by sharing useful information, such as home decorating tips, local events and where to find good deals on industry-related products. This way, you’re seen in a positive and helpful light, which can only be good for business.
Post Engaging Content
As you decide what type of content to post, be sure to stick to the 80/20 rule, which states you should post engaging content 80 percent of the time and promotional content 20 percent of the time. Stick to this rule and your clients will find your business page enjoyable enough to read, like, connect on and share. These are the keys to using social media tips for real estate effectively.
Go beyond words and engage followers with other types of content. For example, upload an instructional video to YouTube, post a picture of a couple in front of their new home on Facebook and Twitter, link to a useful site on LinkedIn, and pin home improvement tips on your Pinterest board. All ads all the time doesn’t do it for your followers. Instead, it’s this type of engaging content that keeps your clients interested.
Listen and Engage
One of the most important social media tips for real estate is to remember it’s not a one-way street. You shouldn’t merely post updates and ignore what your clients post back. Instead, listen to the community and engage in relevant conversations.
For instance, someone may post a question about where to look for a new home. You should be the first to respond with suggestions. If you never join the conversation, you lose the opportunity to work with that client.
The trick is to let your customers know you care. Humanize your business by congratulating clients on major life accomplishments, such as getting a new job or making an addition to the family – both of which are potential reasons to search for a new home. Keep the relationship going long after you close the deal so you can benefit from positive word-of-mouth recommendations.
Integrate Social Media Into Existing Marketing
Getting in on the social media scene doesn’t mean starting your marketing efforts from scratch. On the contrary, it’s easy to integrate social media into what you’re already doing. For instance, add social media buttons to your website, talk about your Facebook page in campaign emails, and notify readers of your social media presence in print brochures and direct mail. The trick is to make it easy for current and potential clients to stay in touch.