In today’s digital-focused world, social media is a critical tool for real estate agents to have in their arsenal. From networking with industry experts and connecting with your sphere of influence, to showcasing listings and highlighting your expertise, having a strong social media strategy is key to finding success in your business.
In a March 1 RISMedia webinar titled, “New Year, New Strategy: An Agent’s Guide to Social Media in 2023,” experienced real estate professionals guided agents on key points sure to keep them top-of-mind and growing their business throughout the year. They were unanimous that REALTORSⓡ should be on as many platforms as possible, and also sung the praises of one in particular.
The webinar was sponsored by Elm Street and moderated by Sherri Johnson, CEO & founder, Sherri Johnson Coaching & Consulting. Panelists included sponsor spokesperson Stephanie Alfonso, director, sales enablement and solution engineering, Elm Street; Stephen Haladay, national business development consultant, Elm Street; and Carrie Little, designated managing broker/owner, Carmarc Realty Group, Inc.
Sherri Johnson: What is your suggestion as to where to post, and how are you being strategic about that posting?
Carrie Little: You could post, post, post and never generate a lead because you might be posting where your audience isn’t. This is what I always tell everyone. Go to where your audience is. You have to know where your audience is, where they’re hanging out.
Stephanie Alfonso: There’s a different demographic on each and every platform. We suggest being on every platform to make sure you can reach not only your target audience but the largest audience possible. Being on every platform and knowing the different demographics really helps agents develop content ideas.
Stephen Haladay: One of the great things about all of these platforms when you’re utilizing all of them is that it opens the door for as much traffic as you can possibly get. Everybody is on these platforms. When I sit down with agents I always say think about the last time you were at dinner with your friends or family. At some point or another, everybody was looking down at their phone, right? My 90-year-old grandmother spends more time on Facebook and some of these platforms than I do. So if she’s on these platforms, your buyers and sellers are, too.
SJ: I know that many agents don’t use LinkedIn and they don’t realize why LinkedIn is so fabulous. And it’s really built for referrals. It’s built for business. It is an underutilized platform and an opportunity that people can take advantage of. Why do you think it’s so helpful to be on LinkedIn?
CL: First of all, over and above the referrals, LinkedIn is a great place to connect with the local businesses in the city you live in. It’s a great place to connect with the CEOs of companies in the areas you live in. And it’s a great place to showcase that you’re a professional. We are always trying to build our brand as real estate agents and to show value. If you’re blogging, showcase your blog on LinkedIn. Let’s say a new business is coming to your neighborhood and they’re looking for data to show them if it’s an area where if someone makes $100,000 they can live there. Or if they make $60,000 they can live there. So leverage LinkedIn and show that you’re the expert. Because what are we doing as real estate agents? We’re trying to generate new leads, but we might not be there when they are.
SA: I’ll be meeting with agents and say, how many of you have a LinkedIn account? Everybody raises their hand, right? How many of you are consistently posting to your LinkedIn activity log? Everyone’s hand goes down. We call LinkedIn the silent powerhouse. It’s my absolute favorite platform. What better way to brand yourself as an industry expert? It’s an incredible tool for recruiting. And with LinkedIn, it’s not affected right now by the algorithms like Facebook and Instagram are. Back in the day, before all these algorithmic changes, if I posted something on Facebook, everybody who followed me was going to see it in their newsfeed. Now you post something on Facebook and I might see it today, I might see it tomorrow. It might be in my newsfeed, maybe not. LinkedIn is not affected by those algorithms. So you better believe what you’re posting to that activity log everyone who follows you, it’s gonna be in their feed. So the exposure is huge on LinkedIn.
SH: I love LinkedIn because of it being the professionals network. The whole platform is pretty much like your online resume. You’re able to brag about yourself a bit. You can boast about awards and achievements and accomplishments that you’ve had, and you’re really able to showcase it to other business professionals, to CEOs you want to be in front of, and really showcase that you’re an expert in real estate.
For more information on using social media in 2023, check out the full webinar: https://youtu.be/pGNECzdZSVk.
To view more webinars from RISMedia, subscribe to our YouTube channel: http://goo.gl/Qh9vh4
