Social media and online content marketing can be a challenge for professionals who are accustomed to doing their recruiting face-to-face, and real estate is no exception. But never fear, the social media marketing experts at Little Egg Solutions are here to help you understand why social media is so important to success and how to get the most out of your online marketing efforts! In the previous installment of our Social Agency series, we covered the key benefits of Twitter marketing for real estate professionals and tips to optimize your marketing strategy. This time, we’re tackling the biggest of the “Big Four” social media platforms: Facebook.

Reach, Glorious Reach: Everyone (and Their Mother) is on Facebook

Facebook is huge. Not just in terms of brand recognition, but also in terms of userbase. A whopping 1.94 billion people use Facebook at least once a month, and almost 1/3 of the people who use it are between 25 and 34 (the elusive Millennial buyer so coveted by many industries, real estate included). But the demographics don’t stop there. Facebook appeals to the young and the old, male and female, of all races, income tiers, and education levels. No matter who you’re trying to sell that listing to, or who you want to represent, chances are, they’re on Facebook right now (or they will be shortly).

Pro-Tip: For the highest engagement levels, including click-through rates, likes, comments and shares, post listings in the evening hours and on weekends. High-traffic hours (weekdays from 1-3 PM) are best reserved for your other posts, although those should be sprinkled into the high-engagement times, as well.

Video Killed the Radio Ad: Virtual Open House

Video is quickly becoming the gold standard of content marketing, and Facebook (as the only platform with more unique monthly visitors than video-giant YouTube) is an ideal place to utilize it. But video has a benefit unique to real estate: simulating the open house experience with virtual video tours. There are a lot of people who prefer to do both their research and their buying online for one reason or another, but not having to interact with other people face-to-face is one of them. Real estate is usually a mostly face-to-face industry, and video can help you bridge that gap.

Pro-Tip: Use the appeal of video to help draw potential clients to open houses by featuring a slideshow of still images. Or, to fully leverage the video tour for people who would rather not deal with crowds, advertise private showings along with a brief tour of the property highlights!

Post, Post, Post: A Treasure Trove of Information

As we mentioned in our Twitter article, social media marketing should follow the 80/20 rule: 80% of your posts should be helpful, informative, and general, and only 20% should be directly related to sales. The fast-paced newsfeed of Facebook makes it easy to maintain this balance while also getting all your listings on your business page (and you need a Page, not just a personal profile). Local groups are an excellent resource for information to share, as well as the numerous generic real estate groups on the site. A bite-sized bit of copy and a click of the share button, and you’re one step closer to making that magic ratio a reality.

Pro-Tip: Use your business Page’s messaging feature to interact directly with leads or to keep up with existing clients. Contests and comments are also important tools for making potential clients feel special and for increasing your engagement levels by creating a rock-solid personable reputation.

Facebook is probably the most important social media platform for content marketing success, but you may find it confusing or frustrating to navigate the business features and to keep up with the fast pace of the news feed. Professional support is critical to fostering and maintaining sales success. That’s where we come in! At Little Egg Solutions, our social media and content marketing professionals are experts at putting platforms like Facebook to work for you and your business. Add us to your winning team today!