Once a tactic that set savvy, experienced agents apart, video marketing for real estate has now become the norm. It’s standard to log onto Facebook and see stunning, high-budget-esque listing videos from agencies in your area.
However, the rules have changed, and although video marketing is common, many agents are still following the old playbook. And in 2018, that just won’t cut it.
You need to get creative and change things up. Read on to discover 5 tips that’ll show you how to do just that:
1) Change Your Video Format
The social media game has been completely changed by the rising domination of smartphones. Where online video was originally targeted at desktop users, this is no longer the case.
In 2018, size matters, and the best advice you can follow is to stop producing videos in 16:9 landscape format. They don’t look great on Instagram and they’re much less effective than their square counterparts.
So, start shooting your videos in 1:1 square ratio. These give you an extra 78% of screen real estate you can fill with engaging content, giving you a huge advantage over your competition.
2) Don’t Sell – Story-tell
Although this might go against every instinctive bone in your body, nobody wants to be sold to on social media. And your video style should reflect this.
Instead of selling the property’s features, use storytelling to push how buyers would benefit from living there. Sell them the experience.
3) Get the Timing Right
Work out who you are selling to, as well as when they spend their time on social media. After you’ve worked this out, plan a posting schedule around when you’ll be able to get your content in front of them. This will help you to boost your engagement.
You should also try to understand how each social platform works. For example, the Facebook algorithm isn’t going to give you a whole lot of control over when your audience are going to see your content, but Instagram is a bit more predictable.
4) Be Speedy, but Maintain Quality
It might seem like too much work, but you should aim to create a listing video for each and every one of your properties. Why? Because they vastly increase the chances of a sale.
This means you’re going to have to work fast, but you should also maintain quality. Whilst you don’t have to get drone footage of every home you market, if you’ve taken on a larger property, you should set aside a bigger marketing budget.
If you don’t feel confident in front of a camera, think about using quality audio descriptions over the top of photos or videos instead.
5) Livestream Your Properties
Facebook Live is a TV in your pocket, and you better be making the most of it. Statistics show that 25% of us use Live video to watch, but only 5% of us actually record our own.
It’s anticipated that this number is going to rise dramatically over the next few years, so get ahead of the curve and start using Live video to market your properties in the mom