Perhaps the most influential tool you can use to connect with your audience is YOU! I know, it sounds way too easy. In the online world it is the personal thoughts, ideas, and quirks that mark you as human. That might sound silly, but the truth of the matter is that although people love technology and the Internet, there is nothing quite as special as a real live human connection.
As a real estate agent, you find yourself in a unique situation in that your own branding is yourself. This makes for ample opportunities to promote your personal branding while adding personal touches to all of your online communications. Here are some ideas to get you started:
1. Add Stories of Personal Experiences
It is easy to interject personal experiences into your blog posts. You can do this by adding personal little stories about a visit to a property, “When I first drove up to the house I was struck by how well kept the property was.” Or, you could play up the importance of curb appeal, “Nothing turns buyers off more than a cluttered yard. Time and again I see how a messy yard or house gets negative feedback.” People often give more credit to personal remarks than a score or rating done by some third party. Personal experiences always sell, plus they provide valuable real life feedback and “reviews.” Read our series on Real Estate Blog Ideas to help you start thinking creatively about your website content.
2. Personal Observations
Take a little time to offer a quarterly updates of the market and what’s going on in your life. Write casually and make it fun! For example, you could write, “I find myself showing a lot of homes in the $200,000 price range with multiple bids on each home. It’s a hot price range that is going fast.” Or, “Summer is just around the corner—a time when many people put their homes on the market. Little do they know that the spring is the ideal time to list a home for a fast sale.” Make sure to give a little view into your personal life, i.e. how your family is growing, recent vacation/activity you participated in, or that new little puppy that you just added to your household, etc.
3. Pinterest Favorites
Pinterest is another way to “personalize” you. It tells a story about you, your favorites, and your personal observations based on what you are pinning. It shows that you are aware of what’s hot in real estate as you pin your favorite rooms, outdoor spaces, or homes you have newly listed or just sold. Try and be diverse in what you pin, but also stay true and consistent to who you are and what you personally enjoy. Here are a couple articles about using Pinterest to your advantage 10 Pinterest Tips to Increase Traffic to Your Real Estate Website and Generate Real Estate Leads Using Pinterest.
4. Facebook Your Face
Market your brand and image with a Facebook business page – Real Estate Marketing using Facebook. Post your listings, and mention the highlights of the listing. Post articles you feel are interesting to give more insight into your life, your likes and maybe even your dislikes. Make use of your cover page to tell a story, bring a positive emotion, or capture your audience. Respond to messages quickly. Add new pictures of beautiful sights in your real estate area. Post thoughts about your favorite listings, or what makes a good listing even better, i.e., “A client of mine just made the big decision to replace the carpet in their home and repaint some of the rooms. This is a simple way to increase your home’s value!” Review these Top 11 Reasons to have a Facebook Business Page and get started today!
5. YouTube
This is a great platform to showcase your professionalism and personality. Post a monthly video summarizing what’s going on in the market or a hot topic that needs further explaining. It doesn’t get more personal than this. Viewers will get a first-hand look at YOU—more specifically your voice, professional appearance, and friendly demeanor. More importantly, if you can make a complex topic easy to understand and even a little bit entertaining you will make a big impression.
6. LinkedIn
LinkedIn is like a giant think-tank where you can bounce ideas off other agents as well as your own clients. Try to get recommendations from clients that offer personal insight. You can connect with people that you meet and join as many groups as selectively possible. It’s also a great place to promote your recent blog posts, videos, and Facebook activity. LinkedIn keeps improving their services and ways for you to connect. Check out these helpful tips LinkedIn Tips to Build Your Real Estate Business and start expanding on the net.
Let’s face it; anything that you post on your blog, website, or social media site is going to travel all over the Internet. When you make your content more personal you will suddenly be more interesting, knowledgeable, and real. Other people will pick up on it and share your content. Just remember this every time you get online, and don’t be shy about sharing little insights into your personal life, an informative thought, or even telling a joke or two. Make that personal “connection” with your audience—make yourself memorable.
Real Estate Marketing
Real Estate marketing can be time consuming and overwhelming. If you start out with short goals then over time you will have all the pieces in place and working for you. The first step is to have a real estate website built on WordPress so you can have the ability to update yours site, blog, and connect to your social media avenues. For more tips for your real estate website visit our SEO Tips and Real Estate Marketing sections.
