My 5 tops tips for what you want to be doing with your social media this year

The real estate industry is as up-to-date with social media as it’s ever been. But any real estate professional on the cutting edge of digital marketing knows that the landscape changes fast.

“The past two years in Australia have certainly been a roller coaster for our industry in terms of showing property, promoting listings and for many, getting savvy with the social/digital age,” said Nic Fren, chief executive of Bespoke Media Group.

But while in-person events seem to have returned for good, Australians now expect the same level of online connectivity in their real estate journey that they became accustomed to over months of lockdown. In response, agents have had to become even more nimble.

With so much reliance on social media platforms, Mr Fren warns of changes he foresees in the year ahead, noting that agents need to be attuned to what the consumer wants and how they want to be communicated with online. “I’ve seen a great deal of change in the past 10 years when it comes to marketing on social media in real estate. New platforms, algorithm changes, pay for play and the endless saga that Facebook continues to roll out,” he commented.

2022 will likely only continue to push the expectations on agents’ digital engagement. To prepare for consumer needs in the year ahead, Mr Fren recommends real estate professionals begin to consider how they’ll adapt to these coming trends:

1. The growth of TikTok

This platform is getting bigger and more powerful by the day, according to Mr Fren.

“It’s my belief that TikTok will overthrow the major platforms like Instagram and Facebook in the not too distant future,” he noted.

2. Dedicated social media hires

“Simply having someone within your office who has ‘time to spare’ isn’t going to be enough as we move into this next phase,” Mr Fred advised. He believes more agencies will invest the time and money into professionals in this space in the year ahead.

3. The maturing of influencer marketing

With changing market conditions, vendors and landlords may sway towards agents who can prove their value offering.

With this, Mr Fren says that a genuine online presence where an agent is seen to be sharing their expertise will be more important than ever. “We are living in a time where the constant chest beating isn’t going to do anyone any good. Our marketplaces look to us as authoritarians, so I believe those who give are going to receive more,” he said.

4. Growth in social selling

Online marketing will only grow in strength, and in that realm, it’s all about the story you tell.

“I foresee a more emotive approach to marketing, other than the standard advertising strategy. I think we will see more storytelling with clients taking a further front and center stage, other than the agents dominating the clips,” Mr Fren said.

5. Condensed property videos

Our attention spans are getting shorter and shorter. Mr Fren says that savvy marketers will be making their clips five seconds or less as they gain a greater understanding of the power of social media marketing.

“Trying to hold someone’s attention for longer than a 15 second Instagram Story post is now considered too long. We are urging agents to dissect their videos to very short clips, instead of trying to get everything into the one video.”

This article first appeared in REB