It is no secret, that as a real estate agent you must make social media a fundamental element in your business marketing plan. With over 500 million active users, Facebook can be an effective marketing tool if you use it correctly. While there is no shortage of real estate agents posting on Facebook, few are able to grow their fan base beyond family, friends and former clients. Practically, all agents make the mistake of emphasizing their property listings and over selling them selves. While this in your face marketing strategy will work on your website, on Facebook this is just another form of spam. If people get the impression you are on Facebook only to self promote, you will lose fans. You will need to take a different approach. You must first understand that Facebook is a social network, a place to socialize and make friends, not a business network. Your ability to network is what eventually leads to referrals. This is exactly what Facebook is all about. So forget about selling and be social. Get to know the people that live in your communities that are active on this thriving social platform.
Before we let you in on how to make Facebook work for you, lets start with the question we are most often asked.
Should I separate my personal profile from my business presence on Facebook?
Yes. I know when it come to real estate agents, your personal network is your business network and it may sound logical to use your personal profile to market your business, however we suggest you keep your personal profile personal, using it to converse amongst your family, friends and colleagues. Prospective clients may be turned off by a personal post or comment, not to mention what friends of yours may be posting. So keep it separate, and use a Facebook (FB) Fan page for your business brand.
You should also understand that your Facebook friends don’t care about your home listings for sale. They’re on your friend list because they like you and want to stay in touch. If you constantly spam your friends with listings and open houses, your friends will soon strike the “Hide” button to disable your future posts. Use your personal profile to build relationships, but not to market. Continue to grow your base of friends and engage with people on a personal level. If you stick with keeping your personal profile about you and your fan page about your business, you will successfully expand your friends and fan base.
To create a Facebook fan page, first log in to your account, then click this link http://www.facebook.com/pages/create.php to create a fan page. There is no limit on the number of Fan pages you can create. (Just do not create more than one personal profile, as it is against the Facebook rules and they will delete your accounts if someone reports you.)
What is the Secret to marketing your FB Fan page that will engage prospects and build fans?
Emphasize your Towns !
Make the Fan page about your communities, not about you the realtor. On Facebook, people fan things they love and are passionate about. Lets be honest, most people in the towns you market will not care about your recent awards and achievements, or your open houses or featured listings, but what they do care about is where they live. Become the trusted online resource for the towns you represent, and you will benefit from social media marketing. People will do business with those they know and trust.
To view an example of this working successful strategy check out Vancouver, WA realtor Dale Chumbley’s Facebook fan page http://www.facebook.com/WhyVancouverWA nearing 1 year old with over 14,000 fans.
Wondering how a Fan page will generate new prospects (aka fans)?
It’s rather simple, if your wall posts on your fan page are intriguing, they will generate user engagement through comments and likes. Every time someone Likes or Comments on your post, your post is displayed to friends of friends. The more comments you have the more visible your page becomes. As more people see your page and find it interesting they will become fans and your fan base will grow viral.
In order to make this strategy work, follow the posting guidelines and customization suggestions listed below.
Recommended Posting Guidelines For Your Fan Page:
- Review local businesses: especially restaurants, schools, entertainment facilities, etc.
- Inform your fans about new businesses
- Start discussions on community events
- Cover community news
- Upload photos and videos of your towns
- Keep your Fan Page active – Post frequently and rhythmically consistent
- Make your posts personable and inviting
- Share quality, relevant content
- Reply to fan comments
- From time to time, discuss local real estate news, marketing tips and other information that will benefit buyers and sellers, but do not overdo it. Conservatively mix in your marketing message.
Customize Your Facebook Fan page:
- Import your Blog posts into a Facebook tab
- Import Twitter posts into a Facebook tab
- Create a Testimonials tab and encourage clients to post
- Share your listings, local schools and market stats in a Facebook Real Estate tab with Roost Social Real Estate application
- Secure a vanity url
- Create custom tabs with Static FBML application
- Use Facebook ads
Make social media work by putting a little time and effort in connecting with the people in the towns you specialize, and you will soon build trust and creditability as well a community with your followers. This approach will increase your fan page base, allowing fans to engage with each other without feeling like they are being spammed by your direct marketing.
We hope these tips help you to effectively promote your real estate business using Facebook Fan pages.
Lastly, don’t forget to market your Facebook fan page and invite all your FB friends to become a fan of your page through the “Suggest to Friends” link underneath your page picture.
