How To Use Instagram For More Real Estate Leads
Instagram is rising to be a powerful lead generation tool for real estate investors. How can you make it work to build your business?
According to Social Media Today Instagram now has over 600 million users, and 300 million active daily users. At least 26% of those users earn $75,000 per year or more, and brands are popular on Instagram. This social network has quickly replaced Pinterest as the preferred image sharing platform, and the latest statistics show it has far more users, and engaged users than Snapchat. In fact, many people who don’t use Facebook any more are now very active on Instagram. That makes it a lead generation channel which is important to be on, and which could help expand lists with fresh prospects, while building relationships. So, how do you use it for real estate?
Setting Up Your Instagram Account
Setting up your Instagram account deserves some thought. Most factors can be changed over time, but do keep your brand and goals in mind. Will you set up a personal account or a business branded account, or both? What will your handle be? If you don’t feel gifted at writing, recruit someone else to create your bio, and assist with ongoing content creation. Make sure to include a great link in your bio that will lead users to contacting you or opting in to your lists.
What to Post
You can post individual images, slide shows, and video clips to Instagram. You can post quotes, property pictures, neighborhood videos, personal pictures, and images of local market statistics. These can all be valuable. Just make sure what you are posting shares synergy with your real estate brand, and target demographics. Having a content marketing plan and schedule can help you keep on point with your messaging.
Filters
An important factor in posting on Instagram is filters. These give images a particular look. Some of the most successful brands and social media marketers use filters to maintain a consistent visual brand on the platform. They will typically use the same filter or similar colors throughout their posts. If you have an account already, look at your profile page and see whether your posts may be too eclectic, or if they present a cohesive image. You can use basic filters in the app itself, or use third party design tools to create custom filters.
When & How Much To Post
Recommendations on the best times to post on Instagram vary widely, especially by day of the week. The right answer really comes down to your specific target group, and when they got online, and have time to engage. That may be during business hours, in the evenings, or on weekends.
Data has long shown that those who post content more often get better results. Do be wary of bombarding and annoying your followers, but if you have something valuable to post, keep posting. You can also use the Stories and slide show features to incorporate multiple shots of a single event, without being abusive.
Gaining Followers
In this respect, Instagram works much like most other social media platforms. As with Facebook or Google+ or Twitter, use hashtags, mention other people, follow people, and share their posts. It is also smart to include calls to action across your other connections to boost your Instagram account. Let your Facebook, LinkedIn, and email newsletter subscribers know you are on Instagram.
Instagram Ads
Instagram also has a paid ad feature, just like Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. It isn’t over crowded yet, which could offer a great way to get an edge in generating real estate leads, and establishing brand dominance. It is a pay-per-click, or view advertising option, which can incorporate direct calls to action and links to your other online assets.
Instagram Live
One of the coolest features is now Instagram Live. Unlike other platforms this feature does not record and store video. It is only broadcast live. That’s great for creating a sense of urgency and exclusivity in your real estate marketing. Check out what others are doing with it, and consider starting your own channel.
