Recent Covid-19 guidelines and stay-at-home bans have seen many people with extra time on their hands.
For example, American adults spent an average of 3.5 hours a day on their phones in 2019, and the time they spent on social media increased by 20 percent.
With so many people spending time on social media, real estate agents can capitalize on the trend by using social media to connect with their target audience, even if they’re not ready to buy or sell.
Below are 10 inexpensive marketing ideas to get you started.
- Go in person
Most of the marketing these days takes place online. People surfing the internet or scrolling through social media feeds are inundated with advertisements, product recommendations from influencers and friends, and endlessly clickable content. Sometimes everything can feel a little impersonal.One inexpensive way to stand out from the crowd is to do something completely different. Instead of sending a bulk email to your customers or partners, consider personalizing each email or sending digital postcards to make an impression. That personal touch will help you stand out as a thoughtful, genuine, and trustworthy professional.
- Conduct surveys
Over time, while you seek shelter at home, people try to bond with others and get engaged. Creating a poll is a way to offer your audience an activity that will help them pass the time and grow the community.For example, you can focus on fun topics and ask your audience interesting questions about your city. A survey could also ask how people spend their time at home and compile their best garden and home improvement tips. You can also create surveys to gather information about people’s thoughts on buying and selling during this time.
Whatever the survey topic you choose, you can then share the survey results via email newsletters and your social media channels.
The more people answer, the better the results. So make sure you advertise it well. Sharing the results as far and wide as possible will affect the ripple and increase the response rate to the next survey you take.
Poll results can also be converted into other types of shareable content, including infographics, animated videos, blog posts, and more.
- Create videos
Video content is particularly effective at grabbing people’s attention, and it’s growing in popularity: 88 percent of marketers say video gives them a positive return on investment, compared to just 33 percent in 2015.Creating videos can be time consuming. So use the time that you otherwise spent on personal activities and work on creating new video content for your agency.
One way to get started is to convert written content into animated video. You can use free and inexpensive video apps like Wideo, Raw Shorts, or Moovly to make the process easier. Another unique video option is to create a video business card that you can share on social media and send to prospects.
- Highlight houses
Although home tours are banned in many places, you can still show off your properties by creating the “Virtual Home of the Week” feature on your social media channels.Post photos, list details and offer virtual walk-throughs that are either streamed live when free or use footage pre-captured to give viewers a full view of the property.
By showing a new home every week, you can attract a consistent audience who will tune in regularly for the latest deals and keep you updated.
- Post testimonials
Another way to get more video content into your marketing efforts is to post testimonials from previous customers. Ask your customers about their experiences with you and publish their testimonials on your social media channels.You can also ask customers to record the videos themselves and then post them on their own social media channels and tag you. This is an easy way to build word of mouth marketing.
- Sponsorship competitions
Organizing giveaways or contests is a great way to motivate your audience as everyone loves to win prizes. Before starting a competition, find out about the guidelines on your social media platforms, which often have strict competition requirements.Then, give your followers clear instructions and timetables to start the competition.
Make sure you answer all questions promptly throughout the contest and encourage contestants to tag others and advertise on their networks.
Once a winner is selected, you can post a post about the winner and promote it on all of your channels.
To further expand the reach of the competition, you can offer to give away gift cards to local businesses to support them during these difficult times and to get their audience involved in the competition.
- Offer resources
Build your local expertise by providing resources and tips on home buying and selling in your neighborhood, city, or state. You can post a daily tip and encourage viewers to ask questions that they want answered.Use what you already know or have in other formats and create infographics, publish helpful neighborhood statistics or local home buying guides and show that you can share them across your marketing channels.
The more resources you can offer, the more people you will ask for help, trusting that you are giving them the information they need.
- Organize virtual events
Another format that you can use to share your resources and information is in a Q&A session.Pick a topic for a focused webinar, or just open the questions others might have and set up a live stream video channel.
Facebook Live, Instagram Live, and YouTube Live are easy platforms when you first get into live streaming.
Make sure you promote the event in advance, create an event hashtag, and keep your audience engaged with questions during the session.
Once you finish the session, you can re-share clips on social media, your website, etc. with those who missed them. Post-event promotion also helps generate interest for your next meeting.
- Help the community
Show your connectedness within the local community by sharing community news and resources. Everyone struggles in different ways these days, and many people are looking for ways to feel connected and help one another.Find out what initiatives are being taken in your community and highlight the organizations that are doing good work. This way, you will give your followers insight into what interests you and keep them involved and informed.
- Be authentic
Don’t be afraid to share some personal facts on your social media accounts.People value authenticity. So let your personality shine through by sharing memes or pictures of your pet, or your last attempt at home baking.
In this time of social isolation, connecting is more important than ever. By sharing more about yourself as a person, you can nurture that relationship and strengthen your connection with existing and potential customers.
