7 Social Media Best Practices to Live By

 

7 Social Media Best Practices to Live By

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Every social media platform is different in terms of guidelines, what you should post, and how often you should post, which can become incredibly overwhelming when you’re trying to keep up with your social media campaigns. 

As an agent, you know how big of an impact social media has on building trust with your former and potential clients. 

Here are some simple social media best practices to help maximize your efforts and campaigns, no matter which platforms you’re using.

1. Set Realistic Goals

It’s no secret you should start with goals when it comes to most of your business strategies, but many people skip this step when it comes to social media.

Think about what you’re trying to achieve in your social media marketing. Is it to generate more leads and sales, drive traffic to your website, build brand awareness, increase your following, etc.?

Setting goals provides a roadmap of where you are and where you want to be, and will help you track your key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics more accurately. 

You can always readjust your goals as your business needs changes, so these don’t need to be set in stone.

2. Be Yourself

In the modern age of transparency, people want to get to know you more on a personal level. Don’t try to mimic other agents or be someone you’re not because not only will people see through you, it will provide them with a false sense of who you actually are.

Let your personality shine through. Chances are, your potential clients will scope you out on social media before ever meeting you in person, so it’s best to make a good first impression.

3. Respond to Every Comment, Good and Bad

This might be a no-brainer, but at times it can be tedious, so people tend to forget to do it. Promptly respond to your followers when they engage on your posts, it lets them know you’ve read their comment. If they take the time to reply to you, you need to take the time to reply to them, even if it’s just a simple thank you. These small touches can make a huge difference and keep you top of mind.

Remember, you’re building a relationship built on trust with your online audience. Think of it like dating – you’re texting back and forth with someone and ask them a question and then never hear back from them. No one ever likes to feel ghosted. 

Bad comments need to be addressed too, obviously without starting a battle on your pages. There’s one exception to this rule:  don’t feel compelled to reach out to those who post abusive comments. Social media has its fair share of bullies and you can’t let them get to you. If you reply to them, they may end up coming back with something even more negative, so it’s best to leave those comments alone (or just delete them altogether).

4. Comment on Other People’s Posts

The best way to engage with your online audience is to start a conversation. If you’re only liking posts, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity to engage with an audience you may not have reached before. 

When you comment on other people’s posts, their followers will also see your comment. If you’re providing valuable content or feedback, those followers may end up joining in on that conversation and might end up following you. And any time you comment on a post after others have done so, every person who has previously commented will receive a notification, alerting them of your name and what you said. 

The algorithms on social media constantly change, but the more active and engaged you are throughout your networks, the more your social presence will increase over time.

5. Always Tag People You Reference in Your Posts

If you have a new listing and you know it’s perfect for one of your clients or if you take a picture of a family at closing time, always tag them if you feel comfortable doing so. 

There’s a pretty good chance their friends, and friends of friends will see this on their pages and remember you later when they are in the market to buy or sell.

Since they will be notified of the tag, they’ll be more likely to comment or like your post.

6. Post Consistently

Consistency in life is key, right? The same rule applies to your social media strategy. 

We spend over two hours a day randomly scrolling through social media. If you’re only posting sporadically throughout the week, you’re not going to stay top of mind with your online audience. You need to get in front of them every single day, and the best way to do so is to show up with thumb stopping, valuable content. 

As much as people love content, they don’t want to constantly see your “buy me” or “overly salesy” posts. Use a variety of formats for your posts such as selfies (just go for it, they get a ton of likes), real estate and motivational quotes, infographics, personalized videos, and pictures of you with your clients, team, family, and pets (pictures of animals get a ton of likes too). 

Yes, people want that valuable content, but they also want to see a good balance between your professional and personal posts. It can be a delicate balance to maintain, but it’s important to show the human side of who you are and what you’re passionate about. You can post a question asking your followers what type of content they want to see so you know exactly what to give them. 

The best way to stick with a consistent posting schedule is to create a weekly or monthly social media calendar to hold you accountable and keep you on track.

Take a look at this article for more information on the importance of a social media calendar and a template you can download and start using today.

7. Educate Your Audience

That thumb-stopping, valuable content just mentioned should come in the form of education. Use your KCM content as a way to educate your audience on questions they might have on interest rates, PMI, why they should hire an agent, etc. 

Educating your audience is hands down the most effective way to establish trust right off the bat. Providing them with useful information they don’t have to go looking for themselves, positions you as their online market expert.  

It’s also less intimidating for people to ask questions to those that don’t know online than it is to pick up the phone and call them for advice, so use this to your advantage!  

Bottom Line

There’s so much to do, so little time, and a gazillion ways to do it when it comes to social media marketing. Everyone will tell you something different, and you’ll ultimately have to choose the best strategy that works for you.

These best practices are evergreen and will help you relate and engage more with your online audience. 

So get out there and take a selfie or two!

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We’re happy to answer any specific questions you have about implementing these best practices into your social media strategy. We can’t claim to be experts, but our team is happy to help as much as we can.

Just reach out to us at support@keepingcurrentmatters.com if we can help!