What type of advertising is meant to create a favorable image of the real estate brokerage firm?
In 2011, roughly 80% of real estate agents were using Facebook regularly as part of their real estate marketing — nearly double the amount using the next most-popular social media channel. Given how much the social network has grown as a tool for real estate professionals since that time, that figure has likely grown quite a bit. Show
However, there are still some agents who have yet to take advantage of all that Facebook can offer their businesses. There was a 30% increase in brand interaction on the site from January to June, according to Social Bakers. Agents who ignore stats like this are missing out on a prime engagement opportunity. New real estate agents get started every day, meaning there are industry beginners who need to create their Facebook business profiles. Additionally, there are experienced agents who haven’t joined in on the social media revolution, or who are not optimizing their page the right way, and are missing out on a prime brand awareness and lead generation opportunity. Whether you’re a new or veteran agent, use this simple step-by-step process to set up your real estate Facebook profile. And when once you’ve launched your page, use the tips below to learn how to setup, optimize & market your page accordingly: Starting Your Real Estate Facebook ProfileLog in to your personal Facebook account.Since one-sixth of the human race is an active monthly user of Facebook, we’ll assume you have a personal account. (If not, you can create one quickly on the homepage.) Go to “Create a Page.”After you’ve
logged in, go to the scroll-down menu located at the top-right corner of your profile and select “Create a Page.” That will take you to the page below:
NameThis is the name that appears next to your profile photo and builds brand recognition. This area should clearly convey your brand name. Some real estate professionals choose to add their company, location, etc. and that’s fine too. Choose the most relevant terms so users can recognize you and your profession easily, but don’t overwhelm this section with too many phrases, as this can be a turnoff to users. TitleThere’s also a title field, where you can select phrases like “Real Estate Agent” that can increase search potential if someone is specifically searching for agents. Select your business category.None of the categories listed at this stage directly pertain to real estate agents, but the closest one you can choose is “small business.” Upload your profile picture.Upload a professional-looking headshot of yourself to use as your profile photo. If you want to take it to the next level, you could even use a logo, but if you want followers and page visitors to trust your brand, it’s best to use your headshot in this space. Grainy, low-res, unprofessional, or random real estate photos won’t do for your profile photo. Aside from sizing restrictions (your photo should be 180 x 180 pixels and will be displayed by Facebook at 160 x 160 pixels), your photo should represent your brand. If you’re an individual, a headshot is great. If the page represents your company or a team, a logo can work well. The ideal here is that your photo or image be something like looks good when it’s reduced to 100 x 100 pixels in the News Feed, 86 x 86 pixels next to Timeline posts, and even smaller on comments and on mobile views. Fill in your company information.Click “Update Info” and add in all of your pertinent business details. After that, fill in the remaining information about yourself and your company in the “About” page. Facebook users want to know they can trust the content you will be posting. If they don’t know anything about your real estate business, including where you’re located, your credentials, and other business info, chances are they won’t want to visit your page regularly. Visually Brand Your PageYou should corner the market on your brand’s name on every social channel, but particularly with Facebook. You want something that closely matches your name, company name, or website name — whichever is the primary brand name you use. Striking design enhances users’ experiences with brands. This is as true for your Facebook Page design as it is for your website. Portray yourself favorably with professional, polished, relatable photos and art, and you’re more likely to see a growth in user engagement on your Page. Facebook Page URL After you’ve amassed 25 fans for your page, you can select a custom vanity URL that will appear in search engine rankings and be a simple URL users can type to find your page. This URL should contain your business name (and possibly company function, like “agent”). (For those who already have a Facebook name they’d like to update, note that you can only change your username once, or you’ll have to create a new page.) About Section. The photo below from Moz shows the importance of both your Name and About section with regard to how search engines will treat that data, with your name weighted as the SEO title of your page and your About Section treated as the meta description. Additionally, your About section is prominently shown under your profile photo in both desktop and mobile views, so it’s going to receive lots of eyes. Therefore, don’t skimp on
really refining your About Section.
You’ll have 155 characters to explain your company’s main services and benefits. The majority of searches pull information from the About Section of Facebook Fan Pages, so it’s important these include strong key phrases that outline your value proposition and offerings. It’s also beneficial to include your website URL here to increase traffic. Bonus tip: Add a Featured Video. A great way to increase engagement is
highlighting a video right in your About Section.
Cover ImageThe cover image is likely the most important visual element on your Facebook real estate page. It prominently fills the top portion of your profile and will convey your brand powerfully. The first rule, but an important one, is sizing. Cover images should be 851 x 315 pixels, and if uploaded too small or not in those dimensions, you’ll risk having a stretched, distorted, or grainy photo — which will immediately take away from its wow factor and your brand’s professional polish. When considering what to put as your brand’s cover image, here are some ideas:
Don’t spend too much time worrying about finding the perfect photo or graphic, as these can — and should — be updated regularly to keep users engaged. Here are some great Facebook real estate cover image examples: The Corcoran Group |