You Don’t Know What Real Estate Content To Post On Your Facebook Page? Really?

Sorry...but you can no longer fake it until you make it on any social media!

There are so many benefits to employing social media marketing strategies – but deploying them can make your head spin from time to time. Social media allows you to instantly communicate with a broad customer base, and interact with them, and generate interest in you and your real estate agency.

I have said this before, but real estate agency is really a social business, and as you probably already know, people will use your services because they like and trust you - even more than if you are actually really good at your job!

So getting your likeability and trustworthiness across to potential leads on Facebook and other platforms is essential. You have to:

• be interesting
• give valuable content: and
• build your brand

…yes, all that, at the same time!

Not much of a challenge is it? If you are feeling overwhelmed already, you’ll learn in this article that social content marketing it is not rocket science – you just have to be authentic, consistent and most of all, speak to the audience whom you need to target (i.e. your client “avatars” or what we call our ideal client profiles.)

Think of what the FBI profilers do on TV’s “Criminal Minds” when trying to catch a serial killer…it’s the same thing!

{ How is your Facebook Business Page doing - are your posts getting the leads you’re looking for? Try using the free Lead and Brand Ultimate Agent Facebook Business Checklist to help you pinpoint what you’re missing on your Facebook Business Page, or what you need to set one up!}

Put simply, what does your ideal client:

• look like
• go to hang out online
• like to read/watch/listen
• aspire to

First off, remember that you do not sell on social media platforms; you build relationships. The main objective is to steer your viewer away from Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest etc. and onto your website/sales page and/or into direct communication on the telephone.

The point is, that you want to get them onto your own client list that you can then engage nurture and close on.

It is not always the obvious stuff that gets you noticed!

About two years ago, one particular week I was totally stuck for ideas about what to post on Facebook. It happened every day - I seemed to spend hours combing through various sites looking for inspiration. I had contracted a dose of pure Facebook Post block!

One reason was that I had not been keeping up with advance planning in my editorial content calendar - something I teach clients to do.

I say that because in my business we teach professionals the importance of spending a few hours every month planning your social media editorial calendar… and I was guilty of not keeping on track!

It happens - I don’t know about you, but there are times when social media just seems like nothing more than a headache, and a complete waste of time, trying to attract attention with no reward.

I confess…Facebook is not a natural fit for my style – it does attract more show-offs than just about any other social media platform.

I prefer platforms that exchange information rather than gossip or angry rants – but, I face up to the fact that I have to use it for business just like many other folks!

I hate posting on social media when it seems like that you are being forced to try and get attention. I generally post information and points of views that help inform and educate – but I was I was having a bad run, not feeling inspired about what to post on Facebook, and it seemed that every blog post that I posted seemed to fall on deaf ears, no-one was ‘liking’ my stuff with their fingers and thumbs!

A Surprise Intervention

That same day, my second youngest son (yes, that’s him with his irresistible big smile), who was then 5 years old, was sitting on the floor by my desk. He was listless and, unusually, he was a little irritable. \

I knew I had to stop work (such is life for a dad who works from home to be near his kids…lucky me…I actually do mean that…) and give him some undivided attention.

We played, and started chatting about what he was doing and my work; I asked him what he would like to be when he is grown up …he replied, with a beaming smile “To be as happy as you, Dad”. This caused me to choke up, of course!

As I tearfully hugged my boy it brought to mind an old Peanuts cartoon quote, a conversation between Charlie Brown and Linus…

This exchange with my son brought me back to reality, reminding me why my wife and I have set up our businesses so as to allow me to be a full-time father, and for us to be side-by-said all day, every day, for the past 22 years.

The interruptions with our children are just part of the journey – it’s that destination, of being the best dad and husband that I can possibly be, that matters the most!

Let The Small Things In Life Inspire You

And here’s the thing. It made my day! I went back to work and suddenly became incredibly productive! This little everyday fathering experience inspired me to write a blog post about how in business it can be easy to overlook the simple things in life, and how to remember that can release you from the roadblocks that sometimes cause you to stall in business life.

Although, in my view, my blog post was not even a particularly clever "guru" style commentary on business or marketing or a ‘how to grow your business by 40% in 10 easy steps” type of SEO loaded post , I shared it as a comment on Facebook and link to my full blog post, and the same day I had a viral post on hand!

My heartfelt, emotional writing led to an introduction to 3 new clients, who eventually produced over 15k worth of new business!

So be authentic, and draw inspiration from your everyday experiences, and try to turn any negativity that you might be feeling into a positive. Whatever business you are in, we are only human!

We all feel that we have insurmountable roadblocks in life, business, or even silly old social media sometimes…so share how you get past the difficulties and it will help others relate to you as a person, and you’ll find a loyal tribe of followers who will love you for it.

No-one is perfect all the time, and people find it a turn-off if all that you project are your achievements and successes… it’s nice to see positivity, but we all like to feel that we are all in the same leaky business boat sometimes!

How To Deal With Facebook Posting Block…

When using social media to market your business or product, always be sure that you create a title that will draw people in. My post had a simple but fun title; a boring title will make viewers skip over your article, thus, your marketing efforts will be for nothing.

Also, make sure your title is relevant to your business or the product that you are selling.

The basic rule when you get stuck is to “fake it until you make it”! While you may not know what you are doing at first within social media marketing, fake confidence until you get the hang of it.

Look at what other leaders and influencers are posting on Facebook and their marketing techniques and model your plan after theirs until you determine what strategies best suit you and your real estate business.

Do Unto Others As You Would Have Them Do Unto You…

In social media terms, that means “Be generous to your social network!”

Follow the 70/30 Rule…be more interested in others than you are in yourself.

We have two ears and one mouth for a reason. Listen first, then speak when you are on Facebook.

Get into the routine of liking status updates and pictures of your Facebook friends. It reminds them where you are there and you appreciate them sharing.

Be thoughtful and post thoughtful comments where appropriate, and use Facebook Messenger – it’s a great way to communicate with your tribe.

So – send 70% of your time on Facebook reaching out to others through comments, likes, and direct messages, and 30% on your own page, posting updates, comments, links to your blogs etc.

By doing this first, you will get back into your flow, and you will start to get ideas about what your social media tribe want to see coming from you

Here Are Some Great Ideas About What To Post On Facebook

Okay, so we agree that it’s perfectly normal to sit down at your computer, open Facebook with the intention of doing some amazing social marketing, and then the oddest thing happens…Facebook block!

All the clever ideas for updates, all the old friends or clients you realize that you haven’t befriended, and other tasks you had planned, suddenly disappear.

But here is your secret weapon – your list of Facebook status post ideas for real estate agents.

Here's a start to your list (NB. use the updates with an asterisk sparingly, or else you might find you’re your followers lose interest…):

1. Make a few friend requests
2. Join a group
3. Take photos of the houses you're showing
4. Take photos of the pets at the houses you're showing
5. Take photos of the views of the houses you're showing
6. Take photos of the clients you're showing houses to
7. Take a photo of a friend, family, co-worker, or your office
8. Take a photo of you in action at work
9. Take a photo of your pet*
10. Take a photo of your favorite beverage
11. Recommend a local business, restaurant, park, bike trail, etc.
12. Recommend one of your affiliates and tag them in the post
13. Recommend a website
14. Recommend checking out a new neighborhood or part of town
15. Thank a friend for something and tag him/her in the post
16. Ask for a referral to a local business, restaurant, service, doctor, vet, mechanic, etc.*
17. Ask a lifestyle question, such as "Where should I go to lunch today?" or "What is the best ice cream?"*
18. Tell everyone happy birthday
19. Thank a co-worker for helping you
20. Thank your managing broker for helping you
21. Congratulate a co-worker for a successful closing
22. Share a YouTube video that you like
23. Share a Pandora song you like
24. Share an industry tip
25. Give advice on home maintenance
26. Share an article on home maintenance
27. Share financial tip or article
28. Share an article on mortgage interest rates
29. Share local market stats
30. Look up this day in history
31. Look up famous persons' birthdays
32. Post a local news story
33. Post a local event calendar
34. Post a local history fact
35. Post a historical fact about real estate
36. Post the average sales price in your market
37. Do a review on a neighborhood
38. Share a recipe
39. Share a discount or other special local deal
40. Tell people you love getting referrals
41. Like a few Fan/Business pages every week
42. Send someone a direct message just to say hi
43. Send a past client direct message asking how they like their house/neighborhood
44. Send an affiliate a direct message to say hi
45. Post a quote*
46. Post an old photo of a younger (and perhaps more attractive you)
47. Post any old picture
48. Talk about your favorite TV show
49. Share a testimonial about your business
50. Share a cartoon you found online

So there are no more excuses… add your own inspired items to the list and keep it handy.

Or if you want to be even more organized, and speed up the Facebook posting, incorporate the post ideas into a Google spreadsheet with dates, and you will be able to make sure that you don’t post one particular type of post too frequently.

About The Author

Jim Mckenzie is a lead generation, branding consultant, specializing in real estate agency and marketing for professionals in the USA, Canada and UK, and founder of Lead And Brand Real Estate. You can learn find out more about how to use Facebook more effectively for qualified lead generation with the free Lead and Brand Ultimate Agent Facebook Checklist and 5-Day Double Your Facebook Real Estate Traffic Course Challenge.