Social Media Mix: Managing Your Brokerage’s Social Presence

Managing social media for agents, individuals, and teams can differ significantly from managing accounts for brokerages. Brokerages represent the collective whole, with a diverse audience that includes not just potential and existing clients but also existing agents, other agents, and staff members affiliated with the brokerage. It can be an excellent way to showcase the culture and dynamics of a brokerage for recruitment and retention of both agents and staff. As all brokerages are not built the same, the management of social media may vary. Here are some tips on how to leverage social channels like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram, as well as explore the unique opportunities presented by YouTube, TikTok, Google My Business, and neighborhood groups to help grow and support your business.

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Facebook: Connecting with a Diverse Audience

Target Audience: Facebook's extensive user base spans across all demographics, and is a consumer-focused platform. 

• Brand Awareness: Engage audiences with educational content, client testimonials, and regular market updates. Utilize features like Facebook Live to host virtual property tours and Q&A sessions.

• Recruitment: Advertise job openings, share employee success stories, and utilize Facebook Groups to foster a sense of community among real estate professionals.

• Retention: Maintain an active presence by responding promptly to inquiries, offering exclusive content, and implementing loyalty programs. Showcase agent and staff successes (ie. years of service with the company, recognition for special projects or situations).

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LinkedIn: The Professional Networking Hub

LinkedIn is a great place to showcase your brokerage and potentially recruit agents to your company. Posting regularly here is a great way to grow your network and presence. 

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Target Audience: Primarily professionals, making it ideal for networking within the real estate industry.

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• Brand Awareness: Showcase expertise with market analyses, thought leadership articles, and team achievements. Encourage employees to update profiles with company-related content.

• Recruitment: Post job openings, share employee testimonials, and actively engage with potential candidates. Use advertising features to target recruits.

• Retention: Strengthen client relationships by sharing success stories, testimonials, and valuable market insights.

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Instagram: Visual Storytelling for a Millennial Audience

Instagram is one of the most used social media platforms by marketers and companies for brand awareness and business development. It offers an opportunity to really showcase all facets of your business. However, I would recommend that topics are limited to 3-4 categories otherwise it might become too overwhelming to your audience and they may choose to unfollow.

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Target Audience: Popular among millennials and younger demographics.

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• Brand Awareness Showcase property listings, behind-the-scenes glimpses, and success stories through visually appealing content. Use interactive features to engage users.

• Recruitment:  Attract talent by sharing the brokerage's culture, team events, and success stories. Utilize advertising features for targeted recruitment.

• Retention:  Respond to comments and direct messages, create authentic content, and use Instagram Stories to highlight client testimonials.

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YouTube: Video and SEO Powerhouse

YouTube is owned by Google and aids in search engine optimization (SEO) for your website. It is important to have a good mix of video and static content. By hosting all your videos on YouTube, you can leverage the positive backlinks and help optimize your website’s content.

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Target Audience: Appeals to a broad audience interested in in-depth and visual content.

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• Brand Awareness Create property tour videos, market insights, and expert interviews. Establish the brokerage as an authority in the real estate space.

• Recruitment:  Share team testimonials, day-in-the-life videos, and recruitment drives. Utilize the platform's advertising options for wider reach.

• Retention:  Build a library of valuable content, including tutorials, neighborhood highlights, and client testimonials.

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TikTok: Captivating a Young and Energetic Audience

TikTok is a short-form video platform that has gained popularity among a broad and diverse demographic, but it has been particularly popular among younger users. TikTok offers the opportunity to engage with a younger audience, particularly those who might be considering a career in real estate or on the consumer side, those looking to buy their first homes.

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Target Audience: Predominantly a younger demographic seeking short and engaging content.

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• Brand Awareness: Create attention-grabbing, short videos showcasing property highlights, market trends, and company culture.

• Recruitment: Utilize TikTok's creative features to make recruitment campaigns fun and share behind-the-scenes glimpses.

• Retention: Engage with the audience through challenges, trends, and interactive content.

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Google My Business: Local Visibility and Reviews

Often underused, Google My Business allows you to post content similar to that of most social media channels. The content placed here can help boost rank on Google Searches and provide a more complete picture of your business to those searching online. 

‍Target Audience: Local clients and those actively searching for real estate services in a specific area, or those looking for a brokerage to join.

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• Brand Awareness: Optimize your Google My Business profile with high-quality images, accurate information, and regular updates on listings, events and company hours.

• Recruitment: Highlight your brokerage's community involvement, team achievements, and career opportunities.
  
  
• Retention:  Encourage satisfied clients to leave positive reviews and respond promptly to inquiries.

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Neighborhood Groups: Hyper-Local Engagement

There are a ton of neighbourhood groups and sites popping up such as Nextdoor.

‍Target Audience: Residents and potential clients in specific neighborhoods.

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• Brand Awareness: Participate in local discussions, share neighborhood events, and provide real estate insights tailored to the community.

• Recruitment:  Highlight the brokerage's involvement in local initiatives, team members residing in the area, and career opportunities.

• Retention:  Foster a sense of community by actively engaging in discussions, addressing concerns, and offering exclusive deals to residents.

Social media continues to grow and change with user interaction, so it is critical to stay on top of how they are used and to understand who the audience is for each channel. This allows you to build a strategic and diversified approach for your brokerages. By understanding the unique strengths of each platform, brokerages can effectively enhance brand awareness, recruit top talent, and retain clients in a competitive real estate market.

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If you are looking to expand your social reach and need support, feel free to reach out for to explore a customized option for your brokerage. You can reach me at melissa@therealestatesource.ca.