Social Time Spent Wisely

Sarah Kirsch Richardson

Founder and CEO

Tru Realty

7373 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite A100
Scottsdale, AZ 85253
www.trurealty.com

If you’re a real estate professional, or really any business professional for that matter who thinks social media is a complete time-suck, you’re not alone. You could spend hours and hours fashioning catchy copy and designing creative imagery to represent your brand, only to realize that your beautifully crafted posts aren’t reaching anyone or they’re not eligible for boosting. The algorithm on every platform seems like it’s always changing, and there are new fads and hashtags developing daily to keep up with.

While social media can feel like a waste of time, there is significant value in developing your social presence. According to a study from the National Association of Realtors® Research Group conducted in 2018, 47% of real estate businesses note that social media results in the highest quality leads when compared to other channels like websites, email, and blogs. In addition, it was noted that 99% of millennials, and 90% of baby boomers start their home search online. So, it shouldn’t come as a shock that 77% of real estate businesses use social media and of those that do, Facebook was ranked as the most popular platform to use, with 97% of real estate businesses using it. It’s also worth noting that these statistics are pre-pandemic, meaning the numbers have likely only increased as potential buyers and sellers have been forced to start the process from home.

I’m sure that’s what we all wanted to hear, right? Social media is a key player when it comes to snagging new leads, so you should spend even more time running your social channels. Take a deep breath, that’s not what I’m saying! As it is with most things in life, it’s all about balance. It’s likely that most of us did not go to school for digital marketing, and social media is just another part of the job where we have to use our time wisely and adapt. Below are a handful of tips to help you stay on your game when it comes to social media.

Create Social Time: Identify a schedule that works for you. Whether it’s kicking off your week with 30 minutes on Mondays crafting a couple posts for that week, or planning out when you’re going to ‘go live’ on Facebook, it’s important to develop a schedule and stick to it. When you post consistently, your audience will learn to look for you, and that builds trust.

Creator Studio is Your Friend: Take the stress out of managing social with Facebook’s Creator Studio – you can even connect your Instagram account (if you have one)! It’s a one-stop shop for your content management needs. You can track performance, schedule your content, and engage with your audience.

Video is Here to Stay: There are almost too many statistics around the fact that video generates higher engagement than a written post or image. Whether you ‘go live’ once a week with a new subject, share a sneak-peak of a property going on the market, or an inside look at your home office, you’re sure to get the attention of your audience with video. Create a schedule for yourself and check that box for your social presence.

Follow the Experts: There are plenty of blogs, podcasts, and weekly emails you can subscribe to that will keep you informed of the latest trends in social media. The 10-15 minutes it will take you to digest the information is time well-spent for the health of your marketing efforts.

If you ever feel discouraged by taking on social media as the next challenge, I invite you to take a step back and reflect on why you chose to work in real estate. Many of us chose this industry because it is ever-changing! It’s the desire for a challenge that keeps us motivated. On the other hand, many of us chose this industry because we’re people-persons, working in real estate is constantly connecting us to new people. Social media fills both of those desires! Figure out which one best suits you and work that angle to your advantage. The industry may not be as old school as it used to be, but there’s room for all of us on social media and it all comes down to your perspective.