Week 16 - Post 1

In January, when this journey began, I had minimal knowledge of social media and even less about social media marketing.  I knew it was extremely important to get in front of people online, because that’s where they are.  I believe the skills I learned in this class have already begun helping me gain brand awareness for our business.

Starting off, I only had a Facebook page for my business.  It was under the name of our corporation which is not our business brand. Thankfully I was able to get that changed after submitting our DBA to Facebook.  Also on Facebook, I learned how to schedule posts for the future. I found this very helpful when I went on a 7-day cruise in April.  This is also helpful when I know of a listing coming soon I can schedule a “Just Listed” post for the day it goes on the market. The other thing I did in Facebook was update my cover picture.  I still want to further update my cover picture, and link my blog to our Facebook Page.

Beginning the class blog was new for me. I had only ever read maybe two blog posts that I know of, prior to this course.  I wasn’t really sure how I wanted to create it, but I always like things that are simple and to the point.  I also created an Instagram Page and that’s been ok. I am still getting used to Instagram. I think it will be really great to post before and after pictures of properties being rehabbed.  

I also created a Twitter account which I like. It’s user friendly and similar to Facebook.  It’s also easy to upload my posts to these multiple platforms.  That’s nice because I don’t have a ton of time to spend on social media, although I know different posts to the different platforms would be more interesting to the viewers. 

I began using my LinkedIn account like never before.  Before it just served as an online resume.  Since this class, I’ve been posting real estate relevant information that I think is of value to the viewer.  

I still enjoy Facebook the most of all these platforms. Mainly because I am familiar with it. I also started joining other Facebook groups where I have been able to post ads and I think that’s helpful. I’m sure I will continue to grow in my Instagram knowledge and feel comfortable posting on there, as well as Twitter and LinkedIn every now and then.

I noticed GIF’s are a great way to get people’s attention when advertising a property on Facebook.  I would like to find a good and inexpensive app I can use to create more of those. I also think short videos of my husband highlighting a property or highlighting community hotspots is engaging, especially since all of our followers are people we’ve done business with in the past or their friends or family.   

Some of the tools I want to implement include creating and using an Editorial Calendar. This will help me get organized and to plan in advance dates for all future posts, blogs, and emails. It will also help me keep in mind to be thinking about what specific topics on our monthly blog posts and email blasts I want to focus on. These topics would likely include seasonal and holiday community events that would interest our clients, as well and real estate tips and trends. 

We will be implementing more videos which include myself and my husband out in the field doing some of the “dirty” work. I think this will bring the personal and human aspect of what we do. It can be a tough job and we are ready and happy to be able to do it!

An Important point Kerpen made in likeable social media, is on page 173, “In order to optimize the results from your social media use, you have to integrate understanding and practice …Listening, transparency, responsiveness, and engagement.”  Born & Raised Realty is working hard to integrate these practices online just as we continue to diligently prioritize the client’s real estate wants and needs in every transaction. Since client relationships are extremely important to us, we work extra hard providing the best customer service possible addressing all questions and concerns. Ultimately, we think of every client and prospective client as a potential advertising partner, so it’s our goal to keep them happy and satisfied with our services, as much as we possibly can.

Once I am familiar with the different social media platforms I think I will spend anywhere from 5-10 hours per week on our business marketing.  This depends on how much time and how many videos I decide to film and edit.  Below are some post ideas I am going to aim for in June:

Tuesday, 6/4, 12:00pm or 5:00pm– Monthly Email/blog and social media post–Summer R.E. trends   (maybe include calendar of summer community events) 

Friday, 6/7, 8:00 or 6:00pm– Social media post - New real estate listings update

Tuesday, 6/11, 12:00pm or 5:00pm– Social media post - market trends

Friday, 6/14, 8:00 or 6:00pm– Social media post - Father’s Day post

Tuesday, 6/18, 12:00pm or 5:00pm– Social media post - Household tips

Friday, 6/21, 8:00 or 6:00pm- Social media post - New real estate listings update

Tuesday, 6/25, 12:00pm or 5:00pm– Social media post - Born & Raised Video – community hotspot

Friday, 6/28, 8:00 or 6:00pm- Social media post - New real estate listings update