Statistics show that US consumers have spent $262 billion online so far this year, a 13.4% increase over all of 2012. This implies that more and more Americans are turning to the internet for purchasing decisions. So if everyone is playing in the same pond, how do you get noticed? That is why Real Estate Agents should use Social Media.
Become the resident expert. Remember that Real Estate is local. When people are looking to buy a home, they are usually looking at specific neighborhoods. Share information on your website about your area. And by sharing, I don’t mean shouting from the rooftop that you have several listings in the neighborhood, I mean sharing information about the area. Is there a new restaurant you just visited? Tell us about it. How about the school activities? Did the students just win an award? Win a championship game? Perform a play?
Start a conversation on Facebook, send a tweet about an upcoming event. The more engaged you are in social media, the more people get to know you. And subsequently, will turn to you when buying or selling a home. You become the trusted advisor, the “friend” in the business. Conversely, if all you do is announce new listings and share real estate industry information, I would be looking for the mute button!
Are you starting to see how this works? Social media is all about being social. And if your peers are shouting from the rooftops, don’t follow them! Think about the social events you attend. Don’t you want to join the conversation? The blowhard is the one everyone is walking away from.
Some interesting statistics from the 2013 Social Media Industry Report:
- Facebook and LinkedIn are the two most important social networks for marketers, yet when forced to select one 49% chose Facebook
- 37% of marketers (slightly more than one in three) think that their Facebook efforts are effective
- As more and more businesses become social, those who best engage will stand out
- More than half of the respondents who have been using social media for at least 3 years report it has helped them improve sales
- Outsourcing social media management dropped from 30% in 2012 to only 26% this year
Those spending at least 6 hours per week on social media:
- 92% indicated increased exposure for their business
- 64% see lead generation benefits
- Nearly half saw a benefit of reduced marketing
- At least 60% saw improvements in search engine rankings
There are several more insights available, and the entire report can be found here:
http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/social-media-marketing-industry-report-2013/