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Setting up a Twitter account or a Facebook page is one thing; managing them is another. Whatever the reason, social media hasn’t been enthusiastically embraced by local real estate agents. 

Hunt down the various social media accounts of many agencies and you’ll see Twitter accounts that have been silent since 2012, lonely Facebook statuses without a single like, Pinterest boards boasting only three pins, and LinkedIn company profiles that don’t even have a logo. The world of real estate is littered with social media ghost towns.

Among those who do stick with it, there’s too big a focus on blatant self-promotion, which misses the point of what social media is about – sharing, collaboration, and community-building. 

To really make social media work for you, you need to engage with it property. Having a clear idea of what you want to achieve, picking the most suitable platform and dedicating the necessary time are the keys to getting it right.

Make the time

Social media accounts need to be managed on a daily basis. Having a full time social media manager on staff is probably overkill, but at least one person in your organisation should be in charge of managing the social accounts you have. They need to check in throughout the day to post regular updates, share interesting content, and respond to customer questions and queries. 

Social media is fast – there isn’t time to approve everything before it’s posted. Used poorly or unprofessionally social media can damage your business’s reputation, so have rules and guidelines in place if you’re worried about giving staff free reign on such a public forum.

Define your corporate voice, what content is appropriate, and how any complaints should be dealt with. Think of social media as part of your overall marketing strategy and handle it accordingly. 

Show some personality

Social media is a great opportunity to connect with customers on a personal level, so make use of it. Listings and self promotion should only be about 30% of your activity. Many people give up on updating Pinterest or Twitter because they can’t think of what to say, so when you’re stuck, focus on other people. Ask or answer questions, share and promote interesting links and content, and generally try to provide information people will find useful. 

Actively engaging with other users demonstrates transparency, and lends a human touch to the online side of your business that can be hard to demonstrate through a website. Social media is also a great way to show your lighter side and demonstrate your local knowledge by promoting local goings-on. It’s also useful for keeping an eye on what your competitors are up to.

Build a community

How you behave on social media can be instrumental in shaping how current and future customers perceive your business. It’s a great way of building an engaged, active community and encouraging followers to share and promote your services. When you engage on a regular basis, you’ll quickly discover plenty of like-minded people and potential customers. 

It’s also the ideal space to position yourself as an expert and influencer, and connect with other influencers. Social media lets you build a community, and then add value to other communities by contributing relevant and interesting content. Social media is about creating a particular perception around your business, not just making a sale. 

Choose your platform

There are multiple social media platforms out there, some more popular than others. There’s no need to spread yourself thin by having an account on every site – the time it takes to manage each one makes that impractical. 

Instead, assess the benefits of different platforms and choose one or two that will let you build the kind of profile and community you want. For example, Pinterest, a virtual site, is ideal for agencies who have lots of high-quality photos of prestige properties to show off. Twitter is good for building your reputation as a local expert by tweeting about local news and events, and also for sharing interesting and fun content. On the other hand, Google+ benefits your SEO, so it’s perfect if you’ve got a blog to promote.

What’s your advice for using social media effectively?