Archives May 2014

As a follow up to this blog post that I wrote previously, I am sharing with you information on how to increase your Facebook engagement without paying for ads.

FIRST STEP: UNDERSTAND HOW FACEBOOK ENGAGEMENT REALLY WORKS.

So how does Facebook define “engagement”? In simple terms, Facebook engagement happens whenever your fans:

1. LIKE your post
2. COMMENT on your post
3. SHARE your post, or
4. CLICK a link in your post

SECOND STEP: PLAN.

While getting your fans to engage on Facebook is extremely important for organic reach, I believe creating a Facebook content & marketing strategy is equally important. And the best way to start with this is by creating an editorial calendar. Your editorial calendar doesn’t have to be anything complicated, a simple shared Google spreadsheet will do.

To get the planning started – consider these key elements:

• Your fans – Who are they? What are they looking for? How can you help them?
• Your content – Generally, share content that your fans can resonate with. Vary content type from text updates, images, videos and links to relevant articles.
• Your voice – This should be consistent with your business or brand. For me, I like to write posts that sounds like I’m having a chat over coffee with a friend. Be helpful. Create a standard turn-around time to reply to fans comments – within 12 hours is preferred.
• Your words – Write posts that are compelling and invoke strong emotion – at least strong enough for your fans to follow your call-to-action. Also “snackable” and straight to the point posts are most likely to have more engagement.

You now know the basics but don’t stop there. Be open to other ideas on how to increase your engagement with your fans. Here are other things you can do:

• Run a contest.
• Spotlight a fan.
• Host Facebook Fan Page Friday.
• Tag other pages when you mention them in your posts
• Ask close-ended questions.
• Ask your fans to vote.
• Repurpose content that you already have.
• Repost top performing posts you shared previously
• Host a Live Q and A hour.
• Post updates about trending events.

THIRD STEP: MAXIMIZE PAGE INSIGHTS.

Here are the key things that you should consider:

• Know when your fans are online and post updates whenever your fans are online – simple, right?
• Post updates 2-3 times a day. If you don’t you will definitely miss out.
• Monitor which posts created most engagement. Do this more often and fewer of the things that don’t get engagement.

FOURTH STEP: PROMOTE OUTSIDE OF FACEBOOK

Increasing engagement on Facebook doesn’t mean you can’t promote your posts outside Facebook.

• Add a link to your Facebook page in your email signature.
• Encourage people in your email list to like your page and comment in your posts
• Tweet your posts
• Pin image posts on Pinterest
• Embed top performing updates in your blog

Now, what are you waiting for? Use these tips to generate more engagement in your Facebook page! I would love to hear which of these tips worked for you.

Like what you’re reading?  Sign Up Here to get the most up to date Facebook info on the planet!

What other tips do you have for increasing reach and engagement for your Facebook page?

Leave me a comment in the comments section below and let me know what tips you’re using on your page that are working!  I’d love to hear from you!

Facebook is an amazing social platform to grow your client list for your real estate business.

It is one of the most powerful social media network to date. With it’s boundless reach and business-savvy features, a lot of small businesses are taking their businesses to the next level using Facebook. Even big corporations have Facebook pages to reach out to their target markets. The beauty of Facebook is it’s ability to micro-target.  This means your real estate business can definitely benefit from using Facebook.

Before you can maximize the use of Facebook for your business though, you must be clear about these 3 requirements in growing your client list:

1. Your Facebook page must have the RIGHT Fans
2. Your fans must convert from “likers” to “buyers”.
3. Your fans must love the content you provide on your Facebook business page so much that they come back to and engage with your page.

Keeping these 3 things in mind, here are 6 Facebook tips to help you grow your client list:

1. INVITE YOUR CONTACTS TO LIKE YOUR PAGE

Make use of your email contacts list to build your network on Facebook. If someone has already opted in to your email list, there’s a greater chance that they would want to connect and interact with you on Facebook as well. Invite them to “Like” your Facebook page to be in the loop about everything that’s new in your real estate business. Ask your family, friends and current contacts to recommend your page. This is social media’s new-age “word of mouth” advertisement. In addition to this, you can add a link to your Facebook page in your email signature. Here are 2 examples:

2. SHARE COMPELLING CONTENT

Share stunning images

A picture paints a thousand words! This is very true in real estate. Post stunning photographs of real estate property. People LOVE to comment and sharing amazing photos of homes!

Post or share interesting articles or tips related to real estate

Real estate is a big topic. Post various articles on your page that might be interesting to prospective clients such as tips on finding the right property or how to increase the market value of a property. You can also share a link to your own blog or you can write your own tips that you can share. You can convert these tips to images.

Run a contest to promote your page

Contests are a great way to invite people to “Like” your page and let people know what your business is all about and what you have to offer. Take this opportunity to create a promotion they can’t pass up. For instance, you can offer a hassle-free loan approval and partner with a mortgage lender or even a room make-over & free consultation with an interior designer like this:

3. MAKE USE OF FACEBOOK’S AMAZING FEATURES

Utilize Facebook APPs to create a lead capture system.

By adding a “Contact Us” or “Book Now” tab to your Facebook page you can make it easier for your leads to sign up without sending them away from Facebook. You can also create an app that features your upcoming open house with a video.  22Social is a great tool that you can use to set this up.  If you’d like to see what a complete app looks like from 22Social – check one out here.

Advertise to gain more page likes

Facebook’s “Like” ad is probably the easiest ad type to set up. It’s also the least expensive but it gets your page instant exposure to new fans.

Watch this short video about how you can get more likes using Facebook ads!

4. LINK YOUR FACEBOOK PAGE TO YOUR OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA NETWORKS

Not all people join the same social media network. Linking your Facebook to other social media networks such as Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn will broaden your reach to possible clients. Your posts, articles or announcements gain more exposure when your social media sites are linked to each other.

5. BUILD A RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR FANS

Create a conversation with your fans. When your fans comment on your posts, it trigger an engagement metric to Facebook and they’ll start showing more fans your posts.  But more importantly, it starts the conversation and relationship with future clients.  Make sure you take time to respond to posts on your page.  Here is a quick and easy way to monitor comments on your page – click here.

6. STOP ANALYSIS PARALYSIS & GET STARTED!

Go do something awesome each day on your Facebook page. Taking action is always better than doing nothing at all. Just start today, and before you know it, you’ll have something great – a page where your fans love your content and a Facebook community that trusts you and wants to use YOU for their real estate transactions.

What do you think? How else can you use Facebook to grow your client list for the long-term? Share your comments and questions in the comments box below. I’d love to hear from you!