Keeping up a social media presence for your real estate business is essential. The more platforms you use, the more people you can reach, exponentially growing your pool of potential clients. Instagram has made its name as one of the most popular social media platforms, especially among young people. To make sure you take advantage of all the opportunities Instagram can offer your business, don’t miss these 3 tips for using Instagram for real estate!
1. Build Social Proof
Social proof is a phenomenon that has been around for a long time, but it has taken a new form with the development of social media. Essentially, people use social proof as a justification for their actions. They assume that copying the actions of others in a situation where they’re uncertain is the right thing to do.
For example, think about your first networking event. You probably felt awkward and unsure about what to do other than listen and observe. However, once you saw others interacting and socializing, you probably tried to copy that behavior. By observing your surroundings and the way others handle a situation, you arrive at a conclusion about how to conduct yourself.
This same phenomenon applies to social media marketing. Think about it. When you want to make a new purchase, but you don’t have any prior experience with the product, what do you do? Probably read reviews, right? Businesses rely on social proof like reviews as a means of making themselves seem reliable to consumers, especially when you can’t always see the product you’re buying before ordering it. Social proof may also come in the form of testimonials and recommendations either from people you know, influencers, or just other people like you.
So how does this apply to your Instagram account? Since you’re running a business, you need to build social proof online if you want potential clients to trust you. The more places a client can look up your name and find out more about you, the more your credibility grows in their eyes. Adding Instagram to your list of real estate social media accounts allows them to see yet another portrait of your business, this time a more visual and engaging one. Plus, you can control the stories and testimonials they see via your posts and comments.
2. Show Off Your Style
One of the most unique things about Instagram is its focus on visuals. Other platforms like Twitter and Facebook are heavily text-based. News, stories, and updates often appear in the form of text posts with an occasional picture or video attached. Instagram showcases the opposite. The first thing you see on an Instagram post is always an image or video with the caption coming up secondary.
This intense visual focus makes Instagram the perfect place to show off your unique style and attract followers who share similar tastes. If you consistently post photos of homes that they could picture themselves living in, then potential clients may be more inclined to contact you above other agents when they’re ready to make a purchase. They may feel like you understand their taste and can help them find their dream home.
3. Create a Loyal Network
As you know, building a successful career as a real estate agent is all about networking. The more people you know, the more your potential pool of clients grows. After all, if you give one client a pleasant buying or selling experience, they may be more likely to recommend you to a friend or family member who also needs help.
Using Instagram for real estate is an excellent way to accelerate your networking process. Meeting people face to face, sending out emails and direct mail, and making phone calls are all still important assets as well. However, having a consistent social media presence helps you reach far more people than you ever could utilizing those options alone. After all, simply putting your content on the Internet opens you up to engagement from anyone with an Internet connection, exponentially increasing your potential client pool.
Even if you already have a presence on other social media platforms, you should consider adding Instagram to your repertoire. Engagement numbers tend to be better for Instagram posts as compared to Facebook. Statistics show that Instagram photos may receive up to 23% more engagement than Facebook posts. Not to mention, 73% of Instagram users consider businesses that have accounts on the app to be relevant and even popular.
It’s also helpful to consider the audience you reach when you utilize Instagram. Many young people spend their downtime browsing social media instead of watching TV or reading a newspaper. In fact, young adults have been found to be the group that is most likely to use Instagram, with around 70% of Americans between the ages of 18 and 29 saying they use the app. And not only do they use it, but they may even be inclined to visit it multiple times a day.
You may think that the younger generation isn’t quite the target audience for real estate yet, but in reality, studies have found that 89% of Millennials want to own a home. So, by placing yourself on the social media platforms that young people tend to engage with the most, you may be opening doors to meeting future homeowners.
Instagram Made Easy With Agent Sauce
Are you interested in taking your networking to the next level but just don’t have the time to spend curating perfect social media posts? Agent Sauce is here to help! We understand that running a business is hard enough on its own without the additional stress of keeping up a consistent social media presence. That’s why we’ve taken the time to build an extensive library of incredible, engaging content that you can use to grow your social media accounts.
From Virtual Tours on Youtube, Twitter, and Facebook to a scheduled “Listing of the Day” post on your Instagram feed, let the Agent Sauce platform help you expand your reach and grow your sphere!
