Marketing yourself on social media is a must
By Myrna Traylor
You know it’s out there. You’ve heard the rumors, the buzz. You may have even dabbled a bit. But playtime is over. It’s time to develop a serious habit.
If you haven’t been using social media to market yourself and your business, you are limiting your client base and, ultimately, your income.
Even if you have waded into the social media pool, are you sure you are using it strategically? There is more to social media marketing than posting listings or successful sales. To capture today’s buyer, you have to engage.
Matthew Rathbun, CRS, a Virginia licensed broker, executive vice president of Coldwell Banker Elite and an RRC Certified Instructor, says that consumers don’t want to hire an “advertiser,” they would much rather work with someone who is approachable and who they can get to know through that person’s online presence. “You have to be on social media and be intentional about it,” Rathbun says. “There is no value in being ‘liked.’ There has to be meaningful engagement.”
Carrie Little, owner and managing broker of CarMarc Realty Group in West Chicago, Illinois, agrees. She likens basic social media posting and “liking” others’ posts to cold-calling, while deeper engagement is more akin to networking. “Even if I have a thousand Facebook friends, if I never go to see what others are doing, I’m not really participating,” she says. “Just commenting on what people have posted—that seems more like stalking. Get to know people by seeing what they like, then start a conversation or share an experience.”
What to share
While it won’t hurt to post your fantasy football standings or your grandmother’s biscuit recipe, social media is an ideal forum for building your brand. Create a video or tweet about a great new restaurant or about the construction at a local school. “Show that you are the expert on your local market and it becomes a way for potential clients to know about you,” Little says.
And, obviously, you can also use social media to share real estate-related expertise. Marki Lemons-Ryhal, CRS, a managing broker for EXIT Strategy Realty in Chicago, says that REALTORS® need to position themselves as a source of information that can solve clients’ problems. “I recently made a Facebook video about the NeighborhoodLIFT program,” Lemons-Ryhal says. “This speaks directly to buyers who need assistance with putting together a down payment.”
She also uses what she has learned from NAR materials or conducts video interviews with attorneys who are commenting on property taxes and re-posts key content after putting a local spin on it. “I follow subject-matter experts who are going to provide the best information for my sphere of influence,” she says.
Rathbun has three rules of thumb that he uses when deciding what to post: Content should be educational, edifying or entertaining. “Visitors should be able to learn something from it, it should be generally uplifting (such as sharing an award won by a friend from church) or something humorous,” he says.
Using one or more of these criteria with most of your posts will help you make an impression that will stick with visitors. “Just be sure to share your passion,” Rathbun says.
Which platforms are best for you?
It would be easy to think that you have to master every platform, but that is not really necessary. You have to evaluate which platforms align with your style and comfort level, and where you can update consistently.
Rathbun advises that you choose the platform and medium that resonates with you. He gravitates toward video. “For me, it’s easy and fast, and I can get it out to people quickly,” he says. “Plus, in some ways it’s better than real life because you can edit out your bloopers and make your point more clearly.” The video format is a natural match for Facebook and YouTube.
Of course, it is also important to know the demographics of the people who use a given platform. “Make sure you are where your potential clients are hanging out,” Lemons-Ryhal says. “I look at my community, and I know who’s moving in and out. My market is female-dominated, and they tend to use Instagram more than Facebook or LinkedIn.”
“Boomers are just ‘watching’ Twitter,” says Little. “But if you’re someone who likes to write, you could do well on Facebook. The Social Media Examiner annual report says that Facebook is still the No. 1 platform for small business, so there are huge opportunities to dominate a marketplace. I’ve been using Snapchat intentionally to communicate. It has an authentic audience that loves getting news and updates faster.”
The importance of analytics
As you become familiar with your platform of choice, learn how to assess its performance over time. Are you picking up clients? Tools such as Google Analytics or those provided by the social media platform itself should be able to show you the value of your time over resource investment. And if something isn’t working as well as you’d hoped, Rathbun says, “Don’t abandon, adjust. If a 25-minute video isn’t working, try 3 minutes.”
Don’t forget to use the predictive analytics that are included in MLS listings. “Because I know my market, if an appealing property pops up, I can target clients with a Facebook ad,” Little says.
Clearly, social media is an important tool to add to your marketing portfolio. As Lemons-Ryhal says, “Nowhere else will people tell you all about themselves in real time. It costs a REALTOR® nothing to sit and listen, to show empathy and concern. As someone in our field has said, technology will never replace a REALTOR®, but a REALTOR® with tech will replace a REALTOR® without it.” 
Avoiding Social Media Pitfalls
Social media platforms are, by definition, sundry and exposed to all. There is a certain amount of risk management involved in their use.
As you promote yourself and your business, avoid (or at least carefully consider the implications of) discussing politics or other hot-button topics.
Reacquaint yourself with licensing law and the NAR code of ethics; this will help not only you, but your clients. Carrie Little, owner and managing broker at CarMarc Realty, says she always has “The Talk” with clients, explaining to clients, for instance, that it’s not a good idea to post anything on social media about an offer or selling price until after closing.
Put your phone away at parties or public functions. And if you can’t encourage others to do the same, be cognizant of who might be snapping photos or recording conversations. As much as possible, don’t let someone else choose what gets posted about you, Little says.
RRC offers a full-day course on social media marketing. Find the latest available courses at CRS.com/learn.
