In the ever-evolving world of real estate, there’s always going to be a new trick or tool to take your attention.
More and more often, however, agents are shying away from old-school marketing tactics and dipping their toes into social media and one such method that’s quickly gaining popularity is Instagram stories. But what sets Instagram stories apart from other marketing channels and why should you consider bringing it into your strategy? Read on to find out more.
What’s the Deal with Instagram Stories?
From businesses to the individual, Instagram stories give users the opportunity to show a more approachable version of themselves. The result from this is an authentic behind-the-scenes look into the day-to-day operations of a real estate agency that helps people to attribute faces to your business name and view you as more than just a brand.
Making Your Property Listings Interactive
If people aren’t interacting and engaging with your content, it’s not social media – it’s just media. Although Facebook and Instagram are fantastic ways of getting your content seen by more people, you need to persuade people to comment, interact and build a personal relationship with your brand.
As an agent you need to have a social media presences that will facilitate this, as Instagram stories make it much, much easier to get the engagement you need. One way this can be done is with the introduction of polls to your stories. For example, if you’re currently listing a property with both a great inside and outside dining area, you could create a poll that says “eat insight or outside?” and let your audience vote.
This will have two key effects. Firstly, it’ll encourage your audience to engage with you, and secondly, it’ll make them envision themselves living within that property, which can have a strong influence on them booking a viewing.
Use Live Stories
By using live stories, you’ll uncover yet another way to interact with your audience, showcasing exactly what you’re doing as you do it. This could be you getting work done in the office or walking around one of your favourite new listings and showing off some of its best features.
For home buyers, this means they’ll be able to see a property before they even book a viewing. As a result, you’ll know that those who do book to see the property in person are actively interested in the home, leading to higher conversion rates.
How Should You Get Started?
You don’t have to launch into your own live videos straight away. You can run a basic search on Instagram under People, Tags and Places to get ideas on how others are using stories. Take notes on the examples you like, learn from those you don’t, and you’ll be ready to produce interactive, engaging content in no time.