In an industry whose tagline is, “Real estate is a relationship business,” it’s hard to believe how few real estate investors leverage social media to build relationships. By its very nature, social media is social. In order to use this marketing channel to its strengths, you need to be approachable, and easy to connect with. In other words, you need to be a human first and an entity second.
Real estate investors using social media like to lead with a solutions-first approach to their marketing message. This makes sense when you look at the plethora of marketing campaigns investors are told to implement like, cold-calling, bandit signs, and direct mail. The benefits statement in each is usually, “we buy houses for cash”, and “sell your house fast.” Social media marketing doesn’t work the same way as those other channels and requires a different approach and message in order to get traction and attract leads.
The message needs to be something more along the lines of, “I’m likable and trustworthy.”
The only way to effectively get this message across is to develop a personal brand for your business and only a slim 10% of investors know this and take advantage of it. A personal brand is very much exactly what it sounds like. You, as a person, become the brand that your company is known for. Believe me, you want this. Not only does it help grease the wheels when it comes to attracting your professional network, but when done right it gives would-be sellers the ability to choose you before you even know who they are.
5 Steps to Creating a Personal Brand that Attracts Leads
Show Up as Yourself
If I can’t tell what you look like, what you believe in, or what your life looks like, within the first 9 posts, you’re not doing it right. To become a personal brand you need to show your face in your social media posts. Being a human online doesn’t come naturally to anyone. At first, you will feel as vulnerable and exposed as a teenager with their first pimple. The good news is that everyone else is too focused on their own insecurities to pay any attention to yours. (Just like junior high.)
Showing up in your posts is the key to establishing trust and relationships. Don’t believe me? Find anyone who’s got a large following and you will find a human in the posts. They can be seen with their family, or pet doing stuff like working out, tasting wine, or celebrating a big milestone. People like to see other people, and they like to do business with people.
Be a Local Personality
Posts that reflect your city are key to establishing your personal brand as a local expert.
Not only will images of your city be highly relatable to people in the same area, but it will help the algorithms show your posts to the right people. Hashtags are going to be key to use on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
Let Your ______ Flag Fly
Whatever flag represents your tribe, you want that flag raised proudly. By being 100% authentically you, you will deeply connect and attract the people that will be your best partners, lenders, and sellers. The rule of thumb is this: If you can’t tie your hobby or interest to real estate in a positive way, then it might not be a good fit for your personal brand to post about it. Don’t use social media as a platform to push an agenda beyond wanting everyone to know that you are a real estate professional who is also ____________.
Know Your Why, Write Your Story, Then Shout it From the Rooftops
For many investors, real estate is a vehicle for early retirement or a way to secure a legacy for their family. These are all wonderful reasons to get into real estate, but your sellers don’t want to hear about how their misfortune is lining your pockets. Instead, drill down into why you believe your business is good for the world. Do you want to restore a neighborhood to its former glory? Have you, yourself been in the seller’s shoes and you never want anyone to go through that alone? Do you want to save sellers from the hit their credit will take which could keep them from getting their dream job, a future home, or simply a loan for a much-needed car? These are all powerful reasons to be in business, and they compel your audience to want to know more and see you in action.
Know Your Business Goal
Be very clear about what kind of business you are creating. If you want to become a coach and train others how to flip homes, start cultivating your messages to position you as an expert with the experience to back it up. If you want to flip homes, focus on finding homeowners and post about things that would matter to them. Whatever you do, don’t post information that your audience finds irrelevant or that is at cross purposes with what you are trying to achieve.
No Guts, No Glory
Will you continue to be part of the 90% of faceless investors or will you choose to be daring and bold enough to show your human side? Do you have the pride and confidence to represent what your real estate business is doing in the world? Consider this post a big fat dare for you to come out from behind your computer screen and be a face on social media for all the world to see. (Maybe just check for pimples first.)
Not sure where to start?
REI Social has you covered. Our turnkey posts feature a variety of lead-generating posts along with personal branding posts to help you break the ice and show your best side. Get 30 days of professionally designed and written posts and start making social media work for you!
