When the newspaper was delivered to everyone’s home, it made sense to focus your advertising efforts there. When families gathered around the television every night, it made sense to invest into tv ads. Nowadays, more people have a Facebook account than traditional cable, and many of them are present on other social media platforms. Successful real estate agents are masterful marketers, and it’s important to understand the influence of social media on modern advertising.
The most popular social media platform, and the first to attract the attention of demographics above the age of 15, Facebook is the bread and butter of any social media campaign. The platform has a wealth of information on its members, which means ad campaigns can be significantly more targeted than traditional media (such as a printed advertisement). Beyond simple advertisements, Facebook has several strengths for budding content creators. The platform favors longer text posts than other platforms, so it’s possible to provide more detail on a specific property. This is important for interactivity and engagement with potential buyers (or sellers) as well, as it gives them the opportunity to ask questions and receive more indepth answers.
Of the platforms listed here, Instagram is the most visually artistic. Depending on your market, this can be an incredible strength. Homes in highend communities such as Los Angeles can greatly benefit from such a visual medium. Instagram posts are image based, and there’s a certain expectation of beauty and quality. For example, many photographers publish some of their best work on the platform. For a real estate agent, Instagram provides the ability to showcase a property in a breathtaking fashion while still being able to connect with interested parties more efficiently than a simple picture gallery. The “hashtag”, part of Instagram’s language, allows users to connect with others through themes and characteristics. For instance, posting a picture of a property in Los Angeles with the hashtag “#losangelesrealestate” makes the post more visible to users interested in Los Angeles real estate. This lets a property speaks for itself, drawing in potential buyers with its personality.
Snapchat
Where Instagram posts are filtered and tailored, Snapchat stories and snaps are much more candid. While still a very visual medium, Snapchat’s design doesn’t lend itself to curated content. While some might see this as a weakness, this is in reality the platform’s strength and responsible for its popularity. More than other social media, this gives the platform a more “real” feel, and gives the impression of a more important connection. Real estate agents can use Snapchat in a variety of ways, not least of which is the virtual tour. This gives potential buyers a better overall feel for the property, and allows the agent to communicate its personality. This also allows the real estate agent themselves to leverage their own personality, making the content they publish their own and allowing for better branding than a newspaper ad. Finally, the platform can lend itself to great behind the scenes content. From answering questions about the finer points of a transaction or giving insight into the job itself, the candid nature of the platform is perfectly suited for this type of content.