If you scrolled through social media today, chances are, you checked in on Facebook or Instagram, according to Pew Research. Both hold massive opportunity, but as an agent with competing priorities, it’s challenging to consistently stay on top of. We get it!
The good news? You can have an impact in simple ways, without devoting hours and hours to strategizing. To better your brand on Facebook and Instagram, here are three things you can do today:
Advertise for Leads
On Facebook and Instagram, it pays to play, and as an advertiser, you can generate leads if you spend strategically. If you have a business page on Facebook, here’s how to set this up:
1. Decide what you’d like to promote. Is it a CMA? A buyer guide? An investing seminar? Aim to provide value.
2. From your business page, on the left-hand navigation underneath your profile picture, click “Promote.”
3. From here, choose the “Get More Leads” objective. This allows you to create a form for leads. You can ask for their contact info, including address, email and phone, and other qualifiers. Facebook advises checking off only two fields for optimal results.
Once you have your campaign set, you can connect it to your CRM. Facebook is compatible with several software systems, including:
- Base (Zendesk)
- BoomTownROI
- Contactually
- FiveStreet
- Follow Up Boss
- Kunversion
- LionDesk
- Real Estate Webmasters
- Realvolve
- Top Producer
- TRIBUS
Bring in Video
If you aren’t an ace at producing videos, it can be daunting to start. Consider this: Are you already creating open house tours? Do you have client testimonials on video? An introduction to your team on your website? To add a dynamic element to your Facebook, adapt these into a cover video, which loops on your page. Here’s how:
1. Your brand is your business, so carry that through in your video. Bookend the content with your logo and name.
2. From your business page, click “Change Cover” on the large image at the top. Here, you can add a cover video, at a minimum of 20 seconds and a maximum of 90 seconds. For best results, make sure the video is 820 pixels wide by 462 pixels tall, with a 1080p resolution.
3. Once you upload your video, you can choose from 10 thumbnails. Choose one that complements the content of the video.
Go Live and Maximize Stories
With Facebook and Instagram Live—and by extension, Stories—you can drive engagement to your pages, and answer questions in real-time. Like your cover video, these can be open house walkthroughs, or even a neighborhood walk, if there’s appealing attributes of the community you’d like to present. You don’t need pricey tools, either (here’s more on that)—just an idea of what you’d like to say, and a smile! Here’s some tips:
1. On Facebook, during your live video, it’ll appear in your feed underneath Stories. This allows your followers to view it for up to 24 hours. Once it’s finished, it’ll be housed on your timeline and under Videos.
2. On Instagram, after your finish your live video, add it to your Story. As with Facebook, this allows your followers to view it for up to 24 hours. You can also add it to your Highlights, which will permanently save it.
3. When you go live, answer comments/questions from viewers. (Pro Tip: Do it during the video!) By monitoring and responding to these, you build credibility for your expertise, as well as connections with followers.
Because Facebook and Instagram prioritize video, by adding one (or more) to your pages, you’re instantly more visible—and, with the addition of ads, you further increase reach. For more social media tips and trends, keyword “Social Skills” on RISMedia.com.
Suzanne De Vita is RISMedia’s online news editor. Email her your real estate news ideas at sdevita@rismedia.com.
