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Much of the older workforce continues struggling with social media marketing while the millennial generation insists businesses first build a relationship before trying to make a sale (or real estate purchase). Many that began their careers in the non-digital world thought that putting up a Facebook page was all that was needed. Then came Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and a slew of other social media platforms. The rate of change has become mind-boggling to those used to measuring change over decades but now face dealing with constant change.
Millennials grew up and came of age in a world where the internet and cell phones had always existed. They have no idea what a Rolodex is. For them, every business either is on an electronic contact list or easily researched online. One thing that social media has revealed is how much the opinions/comments of others affect the decisions of friends, family, acquaintances, and even strangers. We’ve long known how powerful word-of-mouth marketing is but it has taken on a new life with instant messaging, Facebook “Likes,” Yelp, and all of the multiple ways people now have of quickly and constantly communicating with each other.
There are many important aspects to social marketing. Value-added content is critical but effectively placing this information in front of the right eyes is just as important.
Social Media Influencers
Recent statistics show that 79 percent of adults have a social media account. This is a 2 percent increase over last year and can be expected to continue increasing until 99 percent are connected. But using a business shotgun approach that targets all people, in the same way, is not the most effective. You need to break your audience into groups by how much influence each has.
Eighty-two percent of Americans say they seek out advice from family and friends when making a significant purchase or transaction. Studies show a personal recommendation is 50X more likely to trigger a purchase by others than traditional advertising.
The Social Media Funnel
The basic formula to social marketing has expanded to multiple platforms but the strategy remains mostly unchanged. You first want to learn which platforms are the most popular with your followers and/or potential followers. When you go with multiple social platforms, be sure your message clearly communicates the same brand message across all platforms.
Your next task is connecting with your target audience. Not only do they want to hear from you but also they often want to hear from other people active in the community. You accomplish this by encouraging comments, posting testimonials, and even asking readers to make guest posts on your outgoing message platform.
Social marketing continues evolving at a very fast pace and goes much deeper than this short article. However, you won’t go wrong when you begin by understanding who your influencers are and providing them with content that encourages them to share it with their community.
This is just the next step in word-to-mouth marketing. More to come as digital media continues evolving…
Please comment with your social marketing insights.
Also, our weekly Ask Brian column welcomes questions from readers of all experience levels with residential real estate. Please email your questions, inquiries, or article ideas to askbrian@realtybiznews.com.
Author bio: Brian Kline has been investing in real estate for more than 35 years and writing about real estate investing for 12 years. He also draws upon 30 plus years of business experience including 12 years as a manager at Boeing Aircraft Company. Brian currently lives at Lake Cushman, Washington. A vacation destination, near a national and the Pacific Ocean.
