It’s painfully true that you can’t simply build a beautiful product and it will sell itself, right? There are certain measures that we must consider from inception through completion in order to have a successful community. Location, Architecture/Design, Product Mix, Price, Demographics – these all must be considered for a successful development.
Essentially, it isn’t that different when developing a social media campaign. Build it and they will come…simply doesn’t work. Social media is not an advertisement for your brand. It is about engaging individuals, so that they can understand and gain affinity for your brand, thus driving them to make a purchase or to share your message with others who may.
1. Know your audience
You have to first know your audience and where they are before you can engage them. Identify your target market, what platforms they prefer, what common interests they may have, what topics would be of value to them and even what times of day they may utilize social media.
2. Put in the time
Often people have the misconception that if social sites are inexpensive or free, they can just throw together the minimum (create a presence) and it will do the trick. Quite the opposite effect, really. Social Media is a 2-way dialogue with value added content. Placing an “ad” in this medium will repel your audience and, in fact, may have a negative effect on your brand. It takes time to get it right. If you want your social media campaign to succeed, be prepared to put in the time or hire someone who will.
3. Commit
Commitment is key to the success in any campaign, but even more-so in SMM. Your audience can tell if you are using social media platforms on occasion and upload basic content that benefits – you. The wrong impression can easily be made by staff that don’t really understand the point, don’t really understand the platform and don’t really feel like they “have time for this”. You should not only have a team behind the scenes that is committed to consistency and quality of content, but also a team onsite at point of purchase that embraces the campaign. Social Media is about transparency. Your whole team must show commitment.
4. Strategy is not an afterthought
If you are going to roll out a social media campaign, at least get it right. Create a plan and have a strategy that is best suited to engage the end-user. Marketing real estate isn’t the same as marketing a pair of shoes or big corporate brand. At 6 Degrees Group, we understand that your brand’s target audience will change over time, depending on inventory, pricing, square footage, sales levels and even the style of your floor plan. Create a plan that will embrace your unique audience at key strategic times within your campaign and be flexible.
5. Play by the rules
There are both legal rules and rules of social engagement to consider. Make sure your community social campaign manager is up to date on FTC, Fair Housing and Real Estate Advertising Laws. Additionally, you should ensure that the person at the keyboard understands how best to respond to inquiries and feedback. Remember, an unlicensed person should not be answering any inquiries that require a real estate license. Social media is a conversation and responses regarding square footage and pricing are often asked. That is why we have licensed Brokers at the keyboard at all times. What are your rules of engagement? Social media marketing is a blend of customer relations, PR, marketing, networking and advertising. Campaign management is best handled by someone immersed in the technology personally and professionally, understands your brand, its key influencers and the etiquette involved in this ever-changing medium.
6 Degrees Group New Media for New Home Real Estate Developments, Leasing Communities, Resort Properties & Hospitality
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