Published: 14/12/2021 By Mark Tew - Senior Website Consultant
Did you know that estate agents massively benefit from using social media as a part of their marketing strategy? In fact, social media is perfect for generating leads, increased brand exposure and web traffic. What’s more it’s key for impressing the next generation of buyers. That’s why your agency may be missing a trick if you’re not utilizing social media as a part of your marketing activities.
So, the next question you may be thinking is, which channels should your agency be using? Well, keep reading to find out…
So, the next question you may be thinking is, which channels should your agency be using? Well, keep reading to find out…
1. TikTok
Rising in immense popularity in the last year, Tiktok has become one of the trendiest and most important social media platforms in recent years. So, what is TikTok you ask? Well, in a nutshell, TikTok is a short-form, video-sharing platform whereby users can upload 15-second videos. It’s become widely addictive, and many brands have all jumped on the social media frenzy creating funny, quirky, and engaging videos for all their audiences. They’ve found great success in the platform, generating a huge following, increased brand exposure and improved brand reputation. The platform has done so well that according to Statista, the number of TikTok users is expected to reach over 13 million users in 2021 and 16.8 million in 2024 in the UK. Crazy, right?
But should estate agents really use TikTok as a social media channel? Is it right for them? Without a doubt. Estate agents should use TikTok to show their personality and flair so that they can create a much more connected and personal relationship with their clients. Not only that, but they can significantly boost their brand exposure and impress the next generation of buyers with their social media savvy skills.
Big names in the property industry have also commented on the tremendous benefits for estate agents, The Negotiator has even reported on one case where one estate agency’s TikTok channel racked up to 72,000 likes, and a property tour of theirs exceeded 1 million views. The Evening Standard and Property Industry Eye also offer warm words about the platform commending it as an extremely valuable tool for agents and praising multiple agents who’ve experienced tremendous success with the platform.
But what kind of videos should you look to upload to the platform? Well, here’s some ideas…
- Property tours. You may want to upload property tour videos, or, if you’re feeling more confident, live tours so that your properties in real time.
- Tips and tricks. You should also think about creating tips and tricks videos providing advice for buyers and sellers on their property journey. This will show users you care about them as more than just customers and show your human touch.
- Funny videos. Whilst TikTok is great for property tour videos, consider creating funny, comical videos showing your agency’s personality. This will show that your agency is not just about business but can have a bit of a laugh too.
2. Instagram
The next social media platform your agency should consider adding to their marketing activities, is Instagram. A hugely visual and exciting platform, Instagram is loved across the world for its video and photo sharing possibilities.
Many brands decide to use Instagram as a way to emotionally connect with their audience and show them they’re more than just a brand; they’re people too. Whether that’s using Instagram Live, or organizing giveaways for their followers, many brands are using Instagram in a fun and interesting way to appeal to their audiences.
It’s significance for SME’s hasn’t gone unnoticed either. Hubspot recommends the platform and commends it for its ability to humanize content, showcase products, inspire target audiences, and grow brand awareness. With such a huge platform like this recommending it, it’s definitely worth considering for your estate agency.
The facts back up it up too. According to Statista, there are 28.81 million users in the UK in 2021. Vast, right? What’s more, Instagram is widely popular amongst the next generation of buyers, too. According to Statista, the largest share of Instagram users in the UK in 2021 were aged between 25-34 years old and 18-24 years old. And so, it’s not surprising that Instagram is definitely a platform worth investing in.
So, what kind of social media activities should you engage in on the platform?
- Q&A’s. Make sure to do Q&A sessions with your clients and prospective buyers on Instagram Live, so that you can give them the chance to ask your agency any important questions. It will help to build trust between you and your clients, as well as show them your agency are leaders in your industry.
- Instagram advertisements. With very specific targeting, Instagram advertisements are great at reaching far more possible clients, building a stronger brand presence, and generating more website traffic. You can be very precise in who you wish to target. For example, you can set the age range, gender, specific interests as well as a location radius ensuring the right people for your property agency are targeted.
- Use Instagram Stories. Next up, consider using Instagram Stories. Instagram stories feature at the top of the feed and a key feature on the platform. They allow you to share photos and videos for a limited time of twenty-four hours on your profile. Even though they’re only up for a day, they’re a superb way to quickly inform your customers of properties. Not only that, but you can also add links to your stories so customers can swipe up and be taken directly to the property on your website generating more social traffic to your website and more leads.
- Giveaways. Giveaways are a fantastic idea for your agency. You can give away prizes for your users with the hopes to draw in more users to your profile and generate more traffic for your agency. Make sure though to set rules such as ‘post to your story’, ‘tag three friends’ and ‘like this post’.
3. Facebook
And finally, the next platform you should consider adding to your social media strategy, is Facebook. Now you almost certainly know what Facebook is, but do you know how to use it for your business and the benefits it can bring?
Well, let’s delve into this. Firstly, despite new social channels continuously popping up, Facebook is still king. It’s the most popular social media channel in the UK as according to Statista, as of July 2021, there were over 48.5 million Facebook users. What’s more, it’s also widely used amongst many different age groups, with 15.2% of 45-54 year olds using it and 11.1% of 55-64 year old's.
So, how should your agency use Facebook?
- Make a business page not a personal profile. This one is a vital one – your agency must create a business page not a personal profile. When you create a business page you will be equipped with some key tools to help grow your business. For example, you can allow people to send your estate agency private messages to ask questions about properties, invite your customers and contacts to connect with you, click on insights to see how people are engaging with your business, and much more. Make sure your profile is fully complete. Whether that’s a fully optimized ‘about us’ section, calls to actions on your profile, a clear banner image or profile photo, make sure your profile is ready to go and a true reflection of your company.
- Giveaways. Exactly the same as Instagram, make sure to do giveaways for your followers. With a giveaway on Facebook, you may even be able to reach more followers and an even higher brand exposure.
- Facebook Live. Now, if you’re not on Instagram or TikTok, you can equally do many of the same activities on this platform. One such activity is Facebook Live. With Facebook Live, you can participate in Q&A sessions, property tours, and much more, and with the added bonus of being able to reach a greater array of audiences.
- Facebook Advertisements. Similar to Instagram, you can create ads on Facebook whereby you can also be very specific in your targeting. You may decide to have ads promoting your agency or recent properties, either way, it’s a great way to reach more people and elevate your brand’s presence.
In conclusion, these three social media channels couldn’t be more important for your estate agency. With their ability to elevate a brand’s presence, boost your website’s traffic as well as increase your business’ lead generation, it’s the perfect addition to your marketing strategy.
Already using these social media channels but need a tool to manage them? Well, look no further. Here at Webdadi, we can provide your business with our Social Media Manager for estate agents. Automate all your social media channels through VIA. Just hit the link below to book a conversation with us.
