Chad Morris, Staff Writer, interviewed Vice President of Digital Marketing, Samantha Morris, for her top social media tips in this 6-part series.
Real estate professionals publish content in some form, whether it’s through MLS listing descriptions, social media, a website, or a blog. Developing an effective content strategy for social media is about creating structure around the content you publish to create engagement and, when applicable, drive action. Coming up with what to publish online may seem creatively demanding, especially if you don’t feel that you have much original content to share. However, you open new avenues for source material when you approach content as a way of sparking meaningful conversations. With a better understanding of the types of content to which people respond, you can build a more efficient, effective content strategy.
Many people enjoy learning and are receptive to those who share information if it’s in a reasonable quantity. Read books, articles, blogs, and stay current on industry news. If you learn something new that you believe will benefit others, share it (citing the source and giving appropriate credit) along with your opinion and an open-ended question. Editorializing news articles is an effective way to share ideas and encourage conversation among your network. It’s especially beneficial if you don’t have a lot of original content to publish, as leveraging the efforts of others allows you to fill in the gaps and maintain a relevant presence in the news feed. When doing this, always be sure to add value in some way. If you only share an article without adding insight, you may not get the engagement you’re after.
There is a high value placed on visual content online. Posts that are accompanied by visuals tend to outperform their plain counterparts in reader engagement. That’s why it can be beneficial to familiarize yourself with your camera, popular photo editing apps, and graphics editors such as Adobe Photoshop®. Many modern phones are equipped to take high-quality photos, sparing you the expense of high-end hardware. The use of imagery to accompany your posts can catch people’s eyes, help them process information, and make your posts more memorable. Be mindful of copyright laws and first get written permission from the owner if you ever use an image that you do not personally own. There are many stock photo services and public domain image search engines that you can use to supplement your content while abiding by copyright laws. Check out this webinar entitled, “Super Easy Apps and Sites to Design and Market Like a Pro.
People tend to be drawn towards content that creates a positive emotional response. By tailoring your content around emotions such as amusement, intrigue, inspiration, and uplift, you create a positive association between those feelings and your personal brand. Use it as an opportunity to share what motivated or inspired you that day and ask your network the same. Tell stories that will create a spark in their minds and hearts. Be positive and avoid being controversial.
If you’re spread across multiple channels and want to maintain a presence on each, you may consider repurposing content, which is to take something you’ve published on one channel and tweak the text and images for another space. When repurposing content, you want to find the sweet spot of adaptation and repetition where people engage with your content multiple times without reaching the point where they tune out. Considering how each platform has its unique communication style, you can adapt your content around that, so the content is always structurally relevant on each channel.
The purpose of publishing content is to engage with others, build relationships, and reinforce your personal brand. Always take the time to interact with those who engage with your content. If you feel a connection with what you’re posting online, chances are others will too. A good content strategy should also factor in the best time of day and day of the week to maximize engagement.
