Or, at least “sort’ve for free…” Because social media, deep down, is all about “you get what you pay for…” There’s always a little bit of a price to pay, whether it’s investing time, or a little bit of money, to make social media work for you!
This is a topic I’m very familiar with. I’m Annie Frost, Director of Marketing for WOW Video Tours.
I oversee both WOW’s national marketing and our Social360 program. That’s where we manage social media for clients all across the country.
2 Directions You Can Go In – Define Your Expectations!
So, every one of my real estate agents has asked either myself or my team how to get more leads on social media.
Well the first thing to do, is to Define Your Expectations when it comes to how you’ll best use social media for your real estate marketing. Ask yourself the same questions we ask of our clients:
- Do you want to use social media to keep a presence online?
- Or do you want to specifically generate leads to get more prospects?
Obviously, these are two very different expectations; two very different goals. And each requires two very different strategies to make the most of whichever direction you want to go in.
The good news is that if you go for the second option (specifically focusing on generating leads to get more prospects), you’re going to also get the benefits of the first option (using social media to keep a presence online).
Be Ready to Make An Investment of Time or Money – or Both!
The second thing you need to accept is that, if you’re managing your social media yourself, BOTH options require an investment.
Time for the first option (Organic Presence). Time and money for the second (Ad Spend).
There’s no way around it (especially when social media algorithms change week-to-week and even day-to-day! And you’re targeting specific audiences with your Ad Spend too).
So, let’s dive into an easy way to simplify what can seem a little complex – and get clear on the difference between Organic Presence versus Paid social media Advertising!
A Primer on Organic Presence Social Media Marketing
Organic is basically free content on your page. That’s:
- Written Posts
- Photos
- Video
- Memes
The stuff that all users – including businesses and brands – share with each other on their news feeds.
As a brand, when you post organically to your account, you can expect that the people who see it are:
- A percentage of Your followers. That’s your organic reach.
- Your followers’ followers These are the people who choose to Share your post; and then also people following any hashtags you use.
- Just remember though: the average reach for a Facebook Organic post hovers around 5.2%… so that means only roughly 1 in 19 of your fans see your page’s content!
But even with just an Organic strategy, you still have a presence on your page!
A great way to think about Organic Presence in social media is kind of like an easily accessible website.
You’re still going to have all your information, your pictures, your posts, your videos, all in one place.
It’s not Google, but the search engine for Facebook is a powerful tool. We track that sort of thing all the time and, in some instances, people use the FB search engine more than Google – when it comes to finding their ideal Realtor.
And, you’re still going to end up in 5% of your followers’ feeds. So, something is better than nothing, but with paid social media advertising you get a whole lot more.
Want Leads? Go with an Ad Spend strategy!
Paid social media is basically just another word for advertising. It’s when brands pay money to Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter or YouTube, in order to have their content shared with specific, targeted audiences.
If you’re considering an ad spend, you’re someone who’s most likely interested in either boosting your organic content or designing unique advertisements. So, you may use paid promotion on social media to:
- Raise brand awareness
- Attract new followers
- Promote upcoming events and new products
- Bring attention to a new deal and other success stories
Let’s be honest, the biggest reason people use paid advertising is to generate more leads for their business, and you are going to generate more leads with paid advertising because you’re going to be hitting a lot more people!
You can even target specific demographics when you go down the ad spend route!
How much does it cost? You get incrementally more Reach – people seeing your posts – with as little as a $5 spend! The more you spend on a Facebook ad buy, the more people you reach. It’s as simple as that!
Think Long-Term Strategy when it comes to your Social Media!
The final thing to remember is that social media, whether it’s an Organic Presence or an Ad Spend, is a long-term marketing strategy.
You might be addressing some timely offering in a specific post but, typically, you’re building a following. So that you’re “top of mind” when a buyer or seller is looking for a Realtor. That could be next month, next year, or in the next decade!
So, there you go – a quick overview of the ways you can leverage social media for YOUR real estate marketing success!
There’s definitely a whole lot to consider when it comes to your social media marketing, and I’m here to help. Actually, I have a whole team that would love to help you navigate your social media strategies!
If you’d like us to take everything off your plate, give us a call or text us at (419) 909-0808.
And if you’re interested in monthly social media management, check out our Social 360 program at wowvideotours.com