01 Aug Snapping Your Way to Real Estate Success
Snapchat isn’t exactly a new social media platform, but it’s finally making its way from the land of ‘novelty teen obsession’ to ‘effective social media tool’. In the past year, awareness of Snapchat among Americans 12+ has grown to over 70%, meaning that more Americans are aware of this platform than either Pinterest or LinkedIn. And almost 25% of Americans are using the platform, putting it in league with Pinterest and ahead of Twitter and LinkedIn. Probably because of the platform’s early reputation as a teens-only, sometimes scandalous, app, many real estate businesses haven’t been quick to jump on the ‘Snapping’ bandwagon. But, when done right, your Snapchat account can be a great way to attract, inform, and retain new clients.
So, what makes for an effective real estate Snapchat account? In short, being yourself and sharing your knowledge. Think of Snapchat as the next wave in microblogging – it used to be that you sent a tweet to your clients or updated your status to impart some knowledge and infuse personality into your online presence. But with the ever-changing Facebook algorithms and the rise of spam bots on Twitter, it’s time to find a way to get more face time with your audience, and that’s where Snapchat comes in. Here are a few key approaches to your first few snap stories that will get people interested and keep them engaged with your content, and more importantly, YOU.
Avoid Polished Perfection
When you’re broadcasting anything, especially something that features a video of yourself talking or touring a home – it’s second nature to want it to be utter perfection. But, Snapchat is meant to be a ‘behind the scenes’ platform, so this is your chance to be real and relate to your current and prospective buyers. To paraphrase Dustin Brohm in his article on Inman.com, if you’re not feeling self-conscious about your snap before you post it, it’s not real enough.
Focus on Engagement
You may not have nearly as many followers on Snapchat as you do on Facebook or Twitter. This may seem to be a bad thing at first, but after you post your first story, pay attention to how many of those followers have actually opened it. This is one of the biggest advantages of Snapchat over every other platform – engagement and interaction are through the roof. So, focus on creating content that encourages that engagement, whether it’s a trivia contest using screenshots or combine the platform with your Twitter or Facebook presence for a live Q&A session.
Stick to What You Know – But Don’t Be Dull
The best way to keep your audience engaged on Snapchat is to be both informative and interesting. So, aim to highlight your expertise in a specific neighborhood, area, or even type of home with you snap stories. But, be sure to change up the ‘type’ of story you share. For instance, if you share a walk-through of a new home on Monday, don’t share another walk-through on Wednesday, try a Q&A session with the builder, a trivia quiz to get your followers paying attention, or a neighborhood highlight. Keep rotating your content and your followers will keep checking back, ready for more!
Need help with your social media plan? Contact Idea Associates today to find out what we can do for you!
“iPhone with Snapchat” (CC BY 2.0) by BarnImages.com
