In 2018, social media marketing through platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram should form a part of any marketing strategy for estate and letting agents. Customer engagement is a key component of any successful campaign, and as social media is always evolving, it’s important to keep your marketing strategies up to date. Here are seven social media marketing trends to watch out for this year.

1 A GREATER FOCUS ON THE RIGHT CONTENT CREATION

Many agents still use their social channels as another portal, posting properties for sale or rent. But others, having realised this was not engaging all their followers, invested in producing new content, such as blog posts, while sharing other content relevant to their locations. However, the content remained the same across all their channels.

As consumers spend increasing amounts of time engaging with brands on social media, it’s important to post content which is not only relevant to their target audience, but created specifically for each channel. In other words, cross-posting, the practice of posting the same message or content across multiple platforms, usually won’t have as strong an impact as cross-promotion, which involves the creation of unique content for each individual channel. If your agency has several branches, hiring an in-house talent for social media marketing is a way to succeed across all channels.

2 MORE VIDEO CONTENT

Video content is now a focus for content creators and marketers when it comes to brand marketing and audience engagement. The art of successful content creation is to produce videos consistent with your brand image, and which your users can connect to. Focus on your services and how potential customers can benefit from them – a video testimonial from a happy tenant who has just moved into their new flat will attract other tenants to register their interest, as well as landlords who want the same type of tenant.

3 PAID YET PERSONALISED CONTENT

Whether your goal is conversions or engagement, sponsored ads on social media help greatly as you are guaranteed to reach a larger volume of people, but make sure the ads are personalised to your target audience – if your article aims to help homeowners in Manchester, boost this article to reach ‘homeowners’ in ‘Manchester’ with accounts on Facebook.

Before you invest in paid marketing, consider the audience and how relevant your content is to them.

4 USER-GENERATED CONTENT

This can be used to engage both existing and future followers on social media. For example, estate agents can ask their followers to send over pictures of themselves visiting a specific location or in their new home, which they have purchased with the help of the agent.

These submissions can form the basis of a new blog article or a post on a specific channel, like Facebook or Instagram.

An example is the furniture company Made.com, where a client can submit an image of their home with their new furniture. This can generate new content, attractive to potential followers.

5 BRAND PARTNERSHIP TO ENGAGE CUSTOMERS

Brand partnerships are a great way to reach new users in your areas, and are often more cost-effective than generating new content yourself. To be successful in this endeavour, partner with users who have a sizeable follower base and who focus on an area you want to engage with. As an estate agent, you can partner with local theatres, shops or restaurants who attract the vendors you may be after. Chose users who are already actively engaged in your local community.

6 STARTING CONVERSATIONS WITH INDIVIDUAL USERS

If you engage with individual users on social media you will make each user feel valued and important. This is vital to converting users into customers while boosting brand loyalty. However, this time-consuming task can only be carried out with the correct resources. If you plan to invest in paid advertising to reach more users, allocating time to answer questions and messages is essential to the success of your campaign.

Connect with influencers in your industry to boost your engagement.

7 SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCERS

Studies have shown that 49 per cent of Twitter users rely on recommendations from social media influencers. Connecting with key influencers in your industry you can grow your number of followers and generate great content. By using influencers to push your agenda, services or content, you can boost engagement and increase followers and conversions.

Nelly Berova is MD of Art Division, property specialist and digital marketing experts.
www.artdivision .co.uk