Why Instagram Marketing is an Advantage for Modern REALTORS
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If you're anything like me, you're always on the lookout for advantages. Some advantages or life hacks make your daily life easier by saving you time and stress. Other advantages help you take your business to the next level by leveraging smart strategies. But what if I told you there's an advantage to help you stand out from the competition, attract more buyers & sellers, and create a marketing foundation for long-term success? Well, you have access to this advantage right this very minute. And it doesn't involve cheesy sales tactics or an impossible plan to follow. You just might not be leveraging it to its fullest potential - but the potential is there, and it's on Instagram!
Since I moved on from my full-time job as the CMO of a large real estate brokerage and launched Ideas for Real Estate as my full-time passion, you might have noticed that I've been talking A LOT about Instagram marketing. I've actually received comments from my industry friends at other brokerages and tech companies asking me why I decided to focus on Instagram marketing. And I get where they're coming from. When I started my business, I could have gone into consulting or providing marketing services for brokerages & agents. After almost 8 years in the industry, I have a lot of experience!
From large-scale campaigns to brokerage marketing, website strategies, pro video, tech rollouts, content marketing, lead gen, paid ads, branding, I've done it all! Despite all of that, I'm most excited about agent marketing on Instagram for a simple reason... There's opportunity!
In today's episode, I'm covering the benefits of Instagram marketing for Realtors. So, if you're looking to replace dead-end leads with genuine connections, this is an episode you don't want to miss!
If you have the right strategy in place, there are so many benefits to making Instagram a key part of your business strategy. So, in today's episode, I'm covering seven reasons why Instagram marketing is an advantage for modern Realtors! Yes, modern Realtors. And what I mean by this is agents who are looking for a new way of marketing. Because I don't know about you, but I'm not a fan of get leads quick schemes or old-school strategies that you just plain avoid doing.
When I say modern, I'm probably talking to you - a motivated agent who believes in the value of relationships and wants to represent themselves in a way that not only makes them proud but also generates business. Does that sound like you? Are you looking for creative strategies that align with who you are as an agent?
Not all marketing has to be tedious, expensive, or complicated. That's why I'm such a proponent of Instagram marketing for modern Realtors! It's a platform where you can attract and engage people in a fresh way. So, let's dive right into the seven reasons why it could be an advantage for you!
Reason 1: There's Opportunity on the Instagram Platform
Let's zoom out from the real estate world and examine Instagram as a platform. With over a billion users on Instagram, chances are very high that your next buyer or seller is there right now, scrolling away and enjoying themselves. Many platforms (ahem Facebook) have developed a negative connotation over the last few years thanks to the rise of fake news and debates among users. While I'm still on Facebook to stay in touch with friends and family, many younger users have abandoned the platform entirely. And with millennials making up the largest share of homebuyers in the U.S, this is a trend to follow for effective real estate marketing.
On the other hand, Instagram users are spending more time on the platform than ever at over 30 minutes per day in 2020. That's an increase of almost 14%, while Facebook saw only a third of that growth. This factor alone is a clear indicator that people are engaging more than ever on Instagram, and I'd bet that trending features like Instagram Reels have a lot to do with this. People are looking for an escape from their every day and turn to Instagram to watch videos, see beautiful images, and partake in Instagram stories. It's not a one-way experience. There's room for everybody to get involved.
And if you think that Instagram is just for silly Reels and glossy content, this next stat might surprise you. How-to tutorials are the most popular form of Instagram video content, and we know how effective video is for your marketing and branding. What's interesting is that people are using Instagram as a way to learn and improve themselves. This is a major advantage in an industry like real estate, where education is key for both buyers and sellers. The video content you can create to attract customers, such as tips about the real estate process, is exactly the type of content people are engaging with! (Check out 7 video ideas for agent branding on Instagram). We can easily tap into what's working on Instagram to attract potential customers, and they're willing to do so! As a real estate agent, you're an entrepreneur and a brand in yourself. Over 90% of Instagram users follow a business. So, we know that it's a platform where people actively seek out brands to learn more. I can't tell you the last time I "liked" a Facebook business page. But I constantly follow brands I'm interested in, and I'm not alone in this behavior.
Knowing all of these stats about Instagram, adopting a strategic marketing strategy starts to look very compelling in today's age.
{Learn more & join my Instagram Course for Realtors - IG Unlocked for Real Estate}
Reason 2: Instagram Is Made for Real Estate Visuals
We are so fortunate to be in the real estate industry when it comes to marketing. You have the opportunity to capitalize on sharing what people are most interested in - where they live. Imagine if you were in another industry such as insurance. You wouldn't have gorgeous homes with sparkling pools to capture people's attention or video tours of your local community that get thousands of views. If you made an instructional video about life insurance, it could absolutely be valuable. But it wouldn't capture the excitement and possibility that a similar video about buying your first home could. Real estate can be a very emotional and visual industry. There's a reason why everyone loves to watch HGTV, and there are hundreds of shows about fixer-uppers and relocating.
Instagram fully supports this obsession with real estate with its variety of features that highlight the visuals. You can leverage the popularity of Instagram Reels, IGVTs, live videos, Stories, and photos/videos on your profile. All of those are opportunities to catch people's attention and grow your business. Case in point, you can make an Instagram Reel to promote an open house or new listing. In just 15 seconds, you could share a home with thousands of viewers or more. By leaning into trending features, you get an incredible reach that is difficult to obtain on other platforms without a large audience or paying for ads.
And people love Reels, Stories, Videos, and more! In real estate, we have the absolute best visuals, from video tours of properties to the ability to brand yourself through personalized content - your options are endless! Since our content can be so inviting and binge-able, Instagram is the perfect platform to not only promote homes, but also to promote your business.
Reason 3: You Don't Have to Pay to Attract More Customers
One of my top reasons for implementing Instagram is that you don't have to constantly spend money on ads to see results. While other agents might be spending their hard-earned money paying for leads or on ads that are incredibly difficult to convert, you could be growing your business for free on Instagram! That is an incredible advantage in your business and in your local market.
Consider this - 81% of users say that they use Instagram to research products and services. People head over to the platform to find what and who they're looking to connect with and have a clear intention, or in our case, a viable real estate need. If somebody were to head to Google and type in "realtor in XYZ area," how likely would you be to come up? Being found online can be challenging to stand out from your local competition and relies on SEO strategies that most agents don't have the time or resources to implement. Yet, you could lead customers to you on Instagram by leveraging Instagram SEO and features such as hashtags and even the content you create. I highly recommend you listen to last week's episode, "How to Get Found on Instagram as Local Realtor," to learn exactly how to be found by more buyers and sellers.
Instagram is a platform where you have a direct connection with potential customers and the ability to grow for free by using smart strategies.
Reason 4: You Can Brand Yourself in a Niche, a local Market, and as Yourself!
One of the first marketing lessons that many new agents are taught is that you need to brand yourself. Yet, how to do this can be an overwhelming or obscure topic for many agents. Is it colors? Is it logos? Is it paid advertisements?
The art of creating a personal brand that is memorable and impactful is something I frequently teach on the podcast. In fact, I have an entire series, "Instagram Branding for Real Estate Agents" to help you figure out your strategy. How you represent yourself and attract your ideal customer are core components of your branding. It can be a mindset shift to think of yourself as a brand, but you as an agent are your own brand. And one of the best ways to highlight who you are is by creating content that positions you as relatable while being the go-to local expert. We want people to know that you are the agent for them and want to work with you. You can implement a content strategy on Instagram that brands yourself in a niche such as luxury homes or first-time home buyers. You can position yourself as an expert in your local market, and of course, you can brand yourself as an agent by showing up in videos and with photos of yourself. The more content that you create, the more opportunities you're creating to grow your business.
This strategy not only helps you build connections and gives people a glimpse into the real you, but it works to help you attract more people's attention. It's been found that images with faces get 38% more likes than images without faces. So, don't be shy about showing up on Instagram to brand yourself. It works!
{Click here to download my Instagram Bio template for Realtors}
Reason 5: You Can Implement a Target Marketing Strategy
You can't be everything to all people, and you can't possibly attract every potential home buyer or seller everywhere. By implementing a target marketing strategy, you can identify opportunities and the right customers for you. If you haven't already, check out my "Target Marketing for Real Estate" episode to dive deeper into this concept and why it can lead to an increase in closings. However, from a 3,000-foot view, target marketing works by establishing your ideal audience and then tailoring your marketing to attract them. Instagram is an ideal platform for this!
By sharing content on Instagram geared toward a specific type of customer, you're able to form direct connections built on trust. Imagine you're an agent whose goal is to attract sellers in a specific community. You can leverage Instagram to attract those specific sellers to you. You can create content that they would find helpful, such as "10 tips to make the most when selling your home in XYZ area."
This content strategy positions you as the local market expert through sharing valuable content such as community info and local real estate information. If somebody is thinking about selling their home in that community and they see not only how knowledgeable you are, but also how you genuinely care for helping people, they'll be more likely to work with you than their friend's friend who's an agent across town.
Target marketing on Instagram is a way for you to build your business and can lead to a long-term strategy of success in real estate - just by being specific with content & simple SEO strategies on Instagram!
Reason 6: You Can Replace Sales Tactics With Authenticity
People don't like to be sold to. You don't like it. I don't like it. Your customers don't like it. Yet, many real estate marketing strategies are built on hard sales tactics. There are trainers and experts who teach specific ads strategies and conversion language with the goal of converting customers. While I'm all about you getting more business, these types of strategies tend to be short-term and can venture into being manipulative. So, while you might get leads (that you had to pay for!), you then have the daunting task of nurturing cold leads. As somebody who managed a large online lead program for many years, I know first-hand how challenging and tedious this can be to get results.
Instagram marketing is a complete shift in this approach. You don't have to rely on tactics that make you cringe or feel unnatural to you just to generate a lead. You can be yourself while serving potential customers through your content. Having a relationship-based strategy means you don't need to figure out the exact script for conversion. You don't have to chase down leads that are a waste of time. You don't have to cold call or door knock if you don't want to. You can be authentic in your approach, and people will not only appreciate it, they'll also be more likely to work with you.
I'm incredibly passionate about authentic real estate marketing strategies because they will continue to build your business for years to come. And Instagram is just the place for you to build that foundation based on value, not sales. All you need to do is be genuine in what you share and how you respond to conversations on the platform. People appreciate a real human connection and will be more willing to want to work with you. It's also a lot more enjoyable as an agent to replace those hard sales tactics with a system you can be proud of!
Reason 7: Instagram Works to Grow Your Business
If you want to attract more buyers and sellers, engage your sphere for repeat & referral business, and generate momentum in your business, look no further than Instagram.
Instagram works on so many levels. If you're a new agent, you have the opportunity to define your business using the platform. If you're an experienced agent, you can identify more opportunities and create consistency in your income. If you work on referral-based business, you can stay connected and foster relationships.
As a professional real estate marketer, I have tried it all. If it's online marketing like lead gen on sites, I've done it. If it's traditional advertising like postcards, I've helped agents do it. Despite all of the options available to you, Instagram is my top choice for modern agents who are looking for a form of marketing that feels right to them and leads to real results. Instagram could be the advantage you need to be successful, more efficient, and even happier. Because if you're anything like me, I want what I do to work, but it's a bonus if it doesn't feel like work!
Overall you have advantages!
So, to recap the 7 reasons why Instagram is an advantage:
Reason 1: There's great Opportunity on the Instagram Platform
Reason 2: Instagram Is Made for Real Estate Visuals - leverage real estate content to attract customers
Reason 3: You Don't Have to Pay to Attract More Customers - save money & gain momentum
Reason 4: You Can Brand Yourself in a Niche, a local Market, and as Yourself, creating multiple business opportunities
Reason 5: You Can Implement a Target Marketing Strategy that will set you up for long term success
Reason 6: You Can Replace Sales Tactics With Authenticity - something you're likely more willing to do and will create better results
Reason 7: Instagram Works to Grow Your Business
Because it doesn't matter how great a marketing tactic *could be* if it's not *right* for you, and Instagram is right for so many agents! You just might need some guidance along the way. That's why I'm so passionate about teaching agents how to fully take advantage of Instagram to meet their goals. 🙌 Yes, there are other marketing avenues you can take - but it's also ok to have some fun along the way! In fact, I encourage it! 🥳
{Click here to learn more & join IG UNlocked for Real Estate - my top-rated Instagram Marketing course for Realtors!}
You’ll learn exactly what to post, how to get engagement, and how to authentically connect with more home buyers and sellers to grow your business through Instagram with my proven framework for success!
UP NEXT:
I’m Heather Colby, host of the “Ideas for Real Estate Podcast.”
If you like what you read here today, I’d encourage you to take a listen to the episodes. :
It's time for seasonal marketing! Fall-themed real estate content and marketing on social media is not only trending, it also works in your Instagram Reels, posts, carousels, and more. The secret is to customize this content with photos and videos of you. So, in today's episode, let's plan an easy fall content shoot for you as a REALTOR to use in your marketing strategies this season!