Why a Strong Social Media Presence is Critical for Real Estate Investors

In our overwhelmingly digital world, it seems that the only way to stay relevant is by having a strong social media presence. Like many other aspects of real estate investing (such as finding the right lender), strategy must also be employed in how you use your public pages.

Strategy for posting photos?

That’s right!

While it might be easier to believe that all social media platforms are created equal, the fact is that to gain a following and get your work out in front of the world, each individual platform needs to be used correctly to make an impact.

What’s the ultimate goal?

Creating a business page on Facebook or Twitter is the easy part, but before you jump online, take a minute to think about why you need to have an online presence and who your audience is. What are the goals that you are trying to accomplish through the use of social media?Getting a clear sense of what that online profile will look like for your business will help shape your storytelling strategy, marketing plan, and client reach. By reaching the right audience, you can open the doors to potential buyers, sellers, fellow investors, or service providers.

Real estate investors can use social media to:

·     Connect with their audience and make potential partnerships.

·     Increase the likelihood of being discovered in a search engine.

·     Educate or engage with audience on all things real estate for the local market.

How do I know which platforms to use?

This is where strategy is key. How an audience interacts on LinkedIn, for example, is quite different from how they interact on Instagram.While your Facebook post may have a long-winded description of a new property, Twitter only allows you to have 280 characters in any given post, meaning, you can’t duplicate what you just wrote on Facebook. Learning the nuances of each platform is critical for manipulating them in a way that serves your needs.

Knowing, too, which audience uses which platform is integral to how you curate your content to deliver the right type of information on the appropriate social media channel. For example:

Facebook – A great platform to network and connect with others in the industry, to find buyers and sellers, and to simply market the latest project or investment opportunity. The sky really is the limit with how fun or how serious you’d like to be. Just as long as you don’t lose sight of your brand voice.

LinkedIn – Used primarily for networking with professionals, LinkedIn is great for sharing relevant information regarding investment opportunities, recent projects, or educating your audience on the industry’s latest.

YouTube – YouTube can be a great way to set yourself up as an expert in your field through video storytelling. From videos that highlight FAQ about investing, to providing virtual tours of properties, it’s an effective platform for educating viewers through personable and relatable videos.

Instagram – The adage goes that a picture is worth a thousand words, and Instagram would be the place for showing off that property that had an extreme makeover. Developing your brand through day-to-day photos of your investment life, personal life, and all things real estate can help make easy connections with your audience(that can range from other real estate investors to buyers to avid Instagrammers who like following housing trends).

Twitter – If there are industry pages you follow that are always publishing relevant, interesting news, then Twitter is a great way to reshare and educate followers.A good compromise between the seriousness of LinkedIn and the flexibility ofFacebook or Instagram, Twitter is a great exercise in cutting to the meat of a story while informing—and engaging with—your audience.

So, what’s next?

Social media platforms are a great way to quickly (and cheaply) develop your brand and voice so that followers know what to expect from you. Once you get a handle on how to use each platform effectively, begin building out the pages in a way that reflects your goals. In the “About” sections, be brief and informative so that potential clients know immediately that they’ve reached the right person. Keep photos of yourself clean and professional and don’t forget to include relevant links to your other pages or website(s).

Remember that while your personal pages are about connecting with friends and family (and perhaps showing off your latest vacation), you shouldn’t lose sight of why you’ve developed pages for your business. (And if you do want to show off your vacation, make sure there’s a great property to include in the picture!)