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You might think this educational article is for people who need to simplify their social media marketing strategy. It’s not. The real lesson we will discuss is that people have short attention spans and don’t care about your marketing.
How will you get your point across to them? They are inundated with social media posts, scam texts and huge brands paying billions to get their attention. With all the noise, how can you make your marketing suck less so you might get just a second of their attention?
Let’s talk through seven simple, smart social media strategies that will help you reach your goals quicker and more effectively.
1. Don’t shoot for the stardom
When it comes to social media, everyone needs to be realistic in their aspirations. Don’t look at an influencer with 1 million followers and try to model your image after them.
Some agents spend countless hours creating content for just a few hundred followers. That doesn’t make sense. Admit that you probably won’t be Instagram famous, and that’s not the goal anyway.
You’re trying to build relationships, not be a superstar. Trying to be like someone else is the greatest way to punish yourself. There’s got to be a better way — by being yourself.
2. KISS
You’ve heard it before — keep it simple, stupid. People don’t want to read anymore, and they certainly don’t want to hear about how awesome you think you are.
If your social media post has the “read more” button, you probably lost them already. Agents spend so much time creating unwatched videos, unread posts and unseen content. You might think it’s a great idea, but everyone’s attention span would disagree.
People aren’t trying to remember your business or branding when they are on social media. They truly don’t care. They’re probably there for cat videos, or they got lost in the infinite scroll. They are there for themselves, not for you. These apps are shortening attention spans and desensitizing people to everything. Don’t fool yourself into thinking they are interested in your business.
Stick to the headline statements. Make them punchy. Use emojis. Emphasize your call to action. Don’t add too much filler, or people will drift away. That goes for everything — your print mail and phone calls, too. If someone is scrolling quickly through social media, they won’t see the filler, so don’t waste your time on it. Your time is money and shouldn’t be spent on bloated content nobody cares about.
3. Focus on your greatest facet
You might be a multifaceted person, but there is always one way that people will remember you. Your face! When it comes to marketing, your greatest asset is you, and people know you by your face. Sorry, you’re in sales, and you have to put yourself out there. It’s no time to be shy or think using your photos in marketing is cheesy.
You must do it.
Even with the fastest social media scroll, people will recognize your face when they don’t have time to read the words. Our brains are hardwired to look at faces. When you see the face of someone you like or love, it brings you joy. Just think about it. Your face is your unremovable trademark. Use it.
4. Don’t be a secret agents
So many agents spend time disguising themself, thinking it’s great marketing. They create a team name and hide their own name. They use a logo instead of their face.
They are so proud of their brand — the logo they got from Fiverr with the clipart roof line and Comic Sans font. The amateurism of agent branding is rampant in the eyes of a marketing expert. In real estate, though, it’s just normal. You know exactly what I’m talking about.
Even if your logo is fantastic, you still aren’t Coca-Cola. People aren’t looking at it and understanding what it really means.
If it doesn’t have your name and face tied to it, they won’t make sense of it. Unless it’s your mom, consumers don’t care either. Don’t disguise yourself using impersonal branding. You just have to face the fact that however proud and big you want to be, people would rather you be a relatable person.
5. Be relatable
Why be relatable? Because this is a relationship business. People work with people — and they want to work with people they trust. They usually trust people they can relate to. Don’t be too stuffy and professional. Be real. Start showing people who you really are; they’re going to like it.
When posting on social media, make it more personal than business. People are there to connect with friends, not to be sold to.
The best way to sell them is to make them like you. Post about your family, your hobbies or the funny thing you saw at a showing. Pretend that if they see another “Just Listed” post, they might die. What else can you show them that might make them smile? It’s so much easier to be real than fake on social media. You won’t be overthinking it anymore and trying to be someone else. You’ll like this change, and so will your friends and followers.
6. Be memorable
The best marketing is memorable. The worst kind is annoying. How can you not only capture someone’s attention but also make them think about it for days? It’s the key to everything. You’re trying to get referrals, and to get referrals, you have to be top-of-mind all the time. The most certain way to keep them thinking about you for days is to make them feel good.
Was your dog so cute on Instagram that they couldn’t stop staring? Did you share a story about helping someone that warmed their heart? Was your impromptu video so unexpected and funny they had to watch it three times? Did you actually call them and have a nice conversation like we did back in the 1900s?
Don’t spend too much time trying to rehearse these things. Just be yourself, and don’t be shy in the moment when you should be capturing and sharing on social media. Life isn’t perfect, and your posts won’t be either. If you are unsure about the content, post a story that will be gone in 24 hours.
7. Don’t be stupid
It’s possible to lose followers faster than you can gain them. Don’t be negative. Don’t complain and whine. People don’t want to hear it. Don’t be the biggest moron and talk about politics — half of the country will disagree with you.
It only takes one post for someone to dislike you, think you’re dumb, or think you’re unprofessional. If you’re in a bad mood, never post ever.
When you do dumb things on social media, you often won’t hear how poorly everyone received it. You can quietly lose respect and not even know how bad the damage was either. You’ve worked too hard to build your reputation.
Ultimate bonus tip: Be consistent
Whatever you do, be consistent. Don’t post frequently and then disappear. Don’t change your templates as quickly as your mood. People want to work with consistent and predictable professionals — not ones changing the perception of who they are all the time. It’s easy to be consistent if you are being yourself. Now, you just have to show up.
Sean Frank is the founder and CEO of Mainframe Real Estate in Florida. Connect with him on Instagram and LinkedIn.
