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We already talked about some of the biggest social networks out there and how you can use them as part of an inbound marketing strategy for real estate. But there’s more to social media than just Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube. Here are a few more services to consider.
The site has 135 million users globally, about 55 million in the U.S. LinkedIn is largely considered the professional social network, a place to post your resume, make business contacts, and connect with potential employers. As a result, the site doesn’t have the day-to-day user numbers that Facebook and Twitter can boast.
That being said, LinkedIn profiles receive a fairly high PageRank in Google. That’s because LinkedIn allows you to make your profile information available for search engines to index, which makes using the service a good way to influence what people see when they search for you.
Furthermore, the fact that LinkedIn is a professional network should be a good thing—after all, everybody works somewhere. More than that, there’s a good chance that the prospects you find through LinkedIn, as professionals, will be better qualified leads with higher incomes, leading to better commissions. Finally, LinkedIn can help you connect with people in your industry that can make your life easier: mortgage brokers, bankers, home inspectors, attorneys, contractors, etc.
Geosocial Networks
This includes Foursquare, Yelp!, and the like. Geosocial networks and applications are specifically geared toward connecting and sharing based primarily on your location (and, by extension, what you’re doing there).
These days, most social networks have geosocial elements and features. Facebook, for instance, now allows you to “check in” at restaurants, concert venues, and just about anywhere else. Still, those sites that are specifically dedicated to geosocial networking, rather than retrofitted for it, have a lot of potential for real estate marketing. Real estate, after all, is all about location.
As an agent, your assets are geographical, so it follows that you can use geosocial networks to illustrate your connection to the areas you serve. For example, by using foursquare (10 million users) to establish your presence in a community, you create a public record of your expertise when it comes to advising clients looking to purchase their first home in your area. In addition, people looking for homes are doing a lot more of their own research when it comes to investigating schools and businesses near prospective homes.
Make contact with these leads by writing reviews of local businesses on sites like Yelp, Urbanspoon, or Tripadvisor. The added bonus? You get to try new things and learn more about your community.
