It comes as a surprise to most people that I’m an introvert. For those of you who aren’t introverts, you simply can’t understand the energy it takes an introvert to be social and “on” everyday.  Being an introvert has it’s challenges in business even more than it does in my personal life but what’s a life without challenges, right?

So how do I get out there and network to get new clients? What is the fastest way to market your brand, your experience, and in the the case of a Realtor, a new listing? How do I contact the real estate industry leaders? What is an effective marketing plan? These are all questions that can be answered by two words, Social Media.  This post will discuss various tips to grow your Real Estate business through Social Media.

How to Grow your Real Estate Business through Social Media

I must admit that I had negative thoughts about social media in the past. I have heard some stories that have bad endings. Some people can be very offensive on social media and we all know it can be a time suck if not used with a plan and restraint.

These are reasons that I hesitated with Social Media when I first launched by Mortgage Broker business. It wasn’t until I participated in a number of Social Media workshops that I realized how important social media is if I want to be successful. In this post, I will discuss ways how social media can help you and your business grow. I’ll also mention how to be careful and make sure you have a positive experience.

Is social media considered marketing?

This was one of the questions I had when social media was initially presented to me. I needed to understand the concept behind social media and how it was going to help me grow my business. Basically, if you are looking at social media from a business aspect, its nothing but marketing. Think about it, what is the main purpose of marketing, to reach as many people as possible and inform them of how your business/product can benefit them.

If you have used social media properly and developed a nice following, you can connect with them anywhere at anytime. A few pictures put in a nice collage and thousands of people can see the new listing that you have. Instant advertising and it took 15 minutes, who can beat that?

Which social media avenues are best?

This is merely a preference of the individual using social media. My personal preference is Facebook. While, like Grow your Real Estate Business through Social Mediamost people, I’m a visual person, I am also about relationships and Facebook allows me to develop, and foster, relationships. I get inspired by my connections and am able to support those that are having a tough time.

Facebook was the original social media outlet and it is labeled “King of the Hill”. Facebook started it all, at least when it comes to incorporating business in social media. There are more than 1 billion people in the world that use Facebook. The next closest outlet would be Twitter at 400 million. On Facebook, you can meet new people and also reconnect relationships from your past.

People have connected with friends that they haven’t seen in +30 years through Facebook. Think about how that could benefit you. That’s the possibility to let more people, that you already have a relationship with, know you are involved in real estate. Talk about “Sphere of Influence”, everyone in the Real Estate Industry knows sphere of influence is important for business growth.

Twitter is good for meeting people and getting to know people. You can get to know someone without even introducing yourself. If you search their Twitter handle, you can see what they have posted in the past and even conversations that they have had with other individuals. This can tell you a lot about a person and whether you want to associate yourself with them. This goes the same with all social media outlets.

LinkedIn is a social media site that is primarily about business. That is one thing I love about this site, all business and no BS. You know automatically the people that you meet are going to be about business as well. This lessens the risk of you connecting with people who might waste your time or have bad intentions. If you are in real estate, you know how precious your time is. I use LinkedIn to stay connected to people I worked with in my previous corporate life as well as connecting with other Industry Professionals.

Instagram very visual, so if you like to see things, Instagram is your vehicle. I get inspired if I see someone that has a luxury listing that they are advertising. I also like it because I get to see ideas that other people have used to market their business. I think if you are a visual person and enjoy pictures, Instagram will be your favorite as well.

Youtube is also visual, but in video format. It is great when you’re explaining more complex ideas and people feel like they actually get to know you if you’re the person in the video. If you’re not up for starring in your own video, there are other options like animation. Check out this video I uploaded to Facebook but could have easily posted on Youtube if I created a Youtube channel of my own. I’m not there yet, but I hope to be in the next year.

As you can see, I also use a blog. A blog, while not technically Social Media, is where you want your Social Media traffic to be pushed. It gets you noticed, it positions you as an expert in your industry and your website has all the information about what you do, who you are and how you can help them.

How important is my reputation in social media?

Reputation is extremely important when trying to develop a business, especially in real estate. Buying a home is probably the biggest financial decision anyone is going to make in his or her lifetime. Would you hire someone with a bad reputation to assist you in such a huge financial decision, whether it be the purchasing or the financing? Probably not. This is why reputation is important.

Build a good reputation by posting informative information on your social media pages. Things like posting inspirational quotes, individual accomplishments, and just showing a carefree side of different experiences in life will build a good reputation. Stay away from posting things that would be offensive to other people. Things like that will create a negative reputation.

Social media is harmless, right?

Wrong! Be careful if you decide to add social media to your marketing plan. You are trying to use social media to build your real estate empire. Other people use it to say and do malicious things just because. I have heard stories of people getting their accounts hacked into and something gets posted with their name on it.

This could damage your reputation even though you had nothing to do with it. A lot of people want to just air dirty laundry. In this vein, stay away from negative people. They are more likely to bring you poor visibility, not the good visibility you were intending.

Often times, you will get a lot of spam. Spam can be a link that uploads a virus onto your computer.

There is one simple step to you avoid most of your negative experiences: Be careful who you connect with and follow. Real estate agents should follow people who either work in some area of real estate or who can assist in some area to grow your business. Your bar hopping buddy from High School may not do anything to enhance your reputation on line and could even hurt it if you inadvertently “like” or “comment” on something he posts.

So, even if you’re an introvert, it’s possible to grow your Real Estate business through Social Media. But, again, be careful.

Happy connecting!