(MARKETING) — Marketing is to the real estate industry as peanut butter is to jelly. As an agent, your personal real estate profile is a crucial component to the success of your digital outreach strategy.
Before we start, think about your social media reputation, and just when you’re about to convince yourself that it “doesn’t matter,” think about the CNN report that concluded on average, Americans spend more than 10 hours each day in front of a screen.
We’ll let that sink in. The average American gives you over 10 hours a day to pique their interest. The internet couldn’t make real estate marketing easier if it tried! But there’s an issue, many agents are not reaching their full social media potential. Why? Because many don’t realize how crucial social reputations are and others simply don’t know how to maximize search engine optimization (SEO).
It’s not as hard as it seems. We like to compare the art of search engine optimization to the NYC subway system. It seems complicated but once you figure out how to use it, why use anything different? Seriously, why punish yourself by driving through the congested streets of Manhattan? Anyway, let’s break down how to maximize the use of social media tools so that your profile will stand out and help draw in what’s always welcomed, more business.
Original Content
Your bio is your first chance at building a good rapport with potential clients. Rewording what the guy next you wrote will result in a mediocre bio that is, if lucky, skimmed through with minimal interest.
Your bio should tell your story. Who you are? What are your contributions to the industry? What makes you unique?
Enhance your SEO by adding links, who doesn’t love to click? Give visitors the chance to learn about what you’re talking about, sell yourself, sell your dream, but most importantly, sell your ability to sell!
Last but not least, the co-occurrence of terms is a great way to take your bio up a notch. Include phrases such as “NY Real Estate” and “New York Real Estate” in your profile. Eventually, Google will recognize that these words are related and thus will increase your digital presence.
Be Different
With thousands of listings on the market, it can be difficult for Google to decipher between them. The best way to stand out from the crowd is to link internally throughout your listings while staying away from similar content. Focus on writing content that is as original as possible. If a listing sounds painfully familiar, it’s probably because there are dozens that sound just like it floating around the internet.
A key and relatively new tool is the use of video and audio. Google will index video and audio which can improve SEO by giving you more opportunities to use search terms. Podcasts that are short (1-5 minutes) are a great way to interact with your audience. BrokerPulse has found that podcasts that feature two people seem to grasp the attention of internet browsers. So, grab your partner, develop a podcast, and add it to your profile.
Keep it interesting
Make your brand credible by engaging with influential agents and brokers in the industry. Have professionals write a blog post/article about you and link it your profile and relevant listings. Link your social media accounts to your company profile and show your audience that you are an expert in your field by providing occasional real estate advice on topics that stretch beyond just your listings.
Alert Your Viewers
Spread the news! Tell potential clients as well as colleagues about your new listings and general real estate news updates. They’ll be utterly impressed by your ability to keep up with the ever-changing market and will have a reason to visit your profile daily.
A great way to keep an audience engaged is by keeping a blog. Are you a good writer? Put your skills to the test and write blog posts about relevant news in the industry. A post each day can drastically increase traffic to your profile and is a great way to stay polished.
Conclusion
So, we hope we gave you a better idea of how to improve your social media reputation (and convinced you to start taking the subway, but that’s beside the point).
Take the time to improve your profile with relevant and unique content. Don’t be afraid to put your own creative spin on your profile. Remember originality is sought after. People like people. A profile that sounds like it’s been computer generated will do your digital reputation more harm than good.
Stay relevant, stay original, and most importantly, stay at the top of search results.
