The Biggest Mistake Brokers Are Making on Social Media and How to Fix It

According to NAR's 2022 Technology Survey, nearly half of agents and brokers surveyed said that social media was their best source of high-quality leads. Brokers and agents who don't use social media effectively are essentially giving up leads to those who do, leaving money on the table.

Still, many real estate professionals are frustrated when they don't get the results they expect from social media or hope that their social networks will be a source of quick and easy leads.

In many cases, these brokers are all making the same big mistake. Can you guess what it is?

The biggest mistake real estate brokers are making in their social media marketing is consistency.

Why consistency is key in social media marketing

For social media marketing to be successful, it needs to be a habit, not a sporadic undertaking. This means posting consistent content according to a consistent schedule. Why is overall consistency so important?

Consistency leads to better brand recognition

By posting consistent kinds of content in a consistent way, you give your audience an opportunity to recognize your content and develop positive associations with it. The content you post is how you share your expertise, values, identity, and voice on social media, as is the way you respond to your sphere's comments and posts.

Consistency helps build a stronger audience

Most social media algorithms favor regular posting, meaning that if you post according to a particular schedule, you will be rewarded with more views and hopefully more engagement (and leads!). If your goal is to get your content in front of your sphere, the rule of thumb is generally the more you do it (without spamming, of course), the more your sphere will see.

The Hanging Gardens of Babylon weren't built in a day, and neither will your social media marketing machine. Like creating a beautiful garden, it takes time to build the community you need to generate a consistent stream of leads. How long is hard to say, but a consistent presence will help you attract more leads over time.

Consistency builds loyalty, credibility, and trust

Consistency is also important because people are not generally on social media to be marketed to, at least not consciously. Social media is where family and friends connect, and so real estate brokerages trying to promote listings are "invading" a social space. Your advantage as a broker is that houses, homes, and homebuying occupy an important part of many people's lives, and so sharing genuine, authentic content about the value you add and the benefits of working with a real estate agent can help your sphere start to trust your expertise and promote and amplify your brand even more than you already are.

How brokers can help their teams post to social media consistently

The challenge is that consistency can be hard. Agents are usually busy out selling houses, not generating content for their social media profiles. But a little effort can go a long way to help ensure a consistent brokerage presence on social media.

Develop a social media calendar and stick to it

Like any habit, you need to pick a frequency that works for you. Some people manage to go to the gym six days a week. Others manage to go once. Both are fine, as long as you're consistent. Pick a schedule for posting content and adhere to it as much as possible. If you find it hard to post content according to a set schedule, you can use a social media tool like Reach Social to automatically post content on all your preferred platforms.

Create social media guidelines and share them widely

You can encourage consistency by defining the kinds of content you want to share, the color scheme of your posts, the size and shape of any logos you decide to use, your online tone of voice, and by ensuring your team follows these guidelines.

Share your own content regularly

You can give your agents content inspiration by creating your own posts for them to share. This gives them the opportunity to share more information about the brokerage and encourage stronger brand recognition and loyalty.

3 other ways brokers can win at social media marketing

To reap the benefits of social media marketing, a little bit can go a long way. In addition to consistency, learn more about three other Cs for social media success:

Scroll-stopping social media content

Content is king on social media, and different kinds of content are better suited for different platforms. Listing images and videos do really well on Instagram, videos are obviously well suited for YouTube, and Facebook and LinkedIn are great places to post links to listings and interesting real estate articles.

Controlling the branding and messaging

As a broker, being able to exercise a degree of control over how your business is presented online is both empowering and a business imperative. It's also key to creating a consistent presence, and there are tools at your disposal that give you the control you need without restricting your team.

Cost-effective tools and strategies

Getting the most out of social media doesn't have to cost a fortune. Social media is one of the most effective places to market your brokerage, and it's essentially free. For a relatively low investment and cost per lead, you could be amplifying your reach significantly.

To view the original article, view the Constellation1 blog.