Both real estate agents and independent realtors can benefit a lot from using Facebook™ as a platform for finding new leads for their business. However, many of them miss out on lots of opportunities due to an inadequate approach.
Social Media Advertising Is Highly Specific
The key specific element of social media – hence – Facebook™ advertising is socializing. People who engage with you will not jump directly to hiring you to conduct the sale of their house or finding a new home for them. They need to know whether they can trust you, first of all.
The lead generation process is not very different from a one-to-one interaction. First, your prospects reach out to you for information, then they consolidate their opinion on your professionalism, and finally they shake hands with you on the deal. Even though this entire process takes place online, its principles are the same.
Inadequate Marketing Strategies Cost You Money and Clients
While it is true that Facebook™ ads are more cost effective than other types of digital ads, they are not cheap. There is a mounting competition for the same digital real estate: the newsfeed, the right hand column and the top of the Messenger feed. Bidding prices for getting your ads in front of the preferred audience are going up year by year.
This is why it is of the greatest importance to start on the Facebook™ advertising journey on the right foot: with a sound lead generation strategy.
However, many realtors undermine their own efforts with these common mistakes:
1. Using the Personal Profile to Do Business
This is one of the most frequent lead generation mistakes independent realtors make. Your personal Facebook™ profile must not be used for business. This is where you share your beach vacation photos – they are not likely to inspire professionalism and confidence. This is where your friends share jokes – some of them should not be seen by potential clients.
Worse, as a private profile, you do not have access to the analytics panel and you cannot create ads – these features are available to pages. Thus, no matter how much content and how many listings you post, they will only reach a limited number of persons – your friends – many of whom are not really interested in buying a house.
2. Not Having a Clear Customer Profile
The success of a lead generation strategy depends on how well you know your leads. Who is your potential client? How old are they? Why do they want to buy or sell a house? Why would they select you to handle this sensitive transaction?
People are very quick at spotting social media posts that target everyone in general and no one in particular. They cannot build a connection with a realtor if they do not feel that the respective realtor really knows them, their needs and their legitimate concerns.
3. Not Showcasing Your Expertise in Educational Posts
Facebook™ is, first of all, a place where people want to connect with others, learn something new and find answers to their problems. If you are just starting out in business, it is worthwhile looking at your competitors’ Facebook™ pages and noting what type of content they share.
A prospective home buyer or seller wants to be sure that you are a trusted professional. They can only form this opinion by what you post on your Facebook™ page: helpful guides, tips for home evaluation, advice on improving the value of the property and auditing a house seller, etc.
4. Not Engaging with Facebook™ Followers
Every private message or comment you receive on your posts is the potential start of a sale. Thus, you should not ignore any question or request for information. Yes, many of those engagements will not lead to a sale. But the person who asked the question will remember your helpful attitude and may recommend you directly to a friend or family member who wants to buy or sell a house.
5. The Page Is All About Yourself
It is always “my listing”, “my opinion”, and “my video”. This self-centred approach to social media posts is irritating when you promote yourself as a trusted professional. People do not care about you as a person, they care to know whether you are competent enough to handle their home sale or help them find a house.
Everything in your social media posts must be about the potential clients – understanding of their problems, solutions to their questions, offers and listings that fit their requirements. This is the only way in which you can win your followers’ trust and convert them into leads.