As a real estate professional, Google Plus should definitely be a part of your marketing arsenal. If you do not know this by now, there are millions of people logging onto Google Plus everyday and there is definite business potential among them.
Below are 5 things you should be doing to acquire new clients from this great platform.
1. Share great content
If you are not maintaining a blog, you should be. Sharing posts that are educational, helpful and fun to read, are the best kinds. Adding these posts to your Google Plus page is a great way to get noticed and get people to your website. At the minimum, post one blog per week.
In order to boost your blog post, try playing around with the format. A blog post title that is in bold font with a star before and after, will help you stand out amongst all the other posts. Using Italics in the first few sentences is another way to get your work noticed. The title and the first few lines are the first thing a search engine looks at, so you want to make them standout.
One last thing to remember is the importance of using hashtags. The hashtag #realestate will allow your post to be found more easily amongst all the posts related to real estate.
2. Create a great profile people want to see
The profile you create on Google Plus is a direct representation of your real estate business. Make sure you take the opportunity to share your background and skills that differentiate you from your competitors. A proper Google Plus profile should include: your business tagline (if you do not have one, you should), your skills (education, differentiators etc) and links to any other social accounts (Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin etc).
3. Be social
Google Plus is just like all the other social media channels. If you want to make it work for you, you must interact with your followers. You have to engage, share and reciprocate. When a follower comments on your posts, be sure to reply with a genuine response. To sweeten the pot, check out the person’s own profile and comment on a post of theirs.
Additionally, you want to make it a point to actively engage on other people’s posts. Be on the lookout for articles of value that you can share with your followers. When you share it, be sure to do the “plus mention” so they know. The more opportunities you have to be active through commenting, sharing and “plus one,” the more chances you have for people to follow you. Remember the focus should be on others and not on you. Doing so will get you noticed faster.
4. Look for the influencers
Starting from scratch on Google Plus can seem overwhelming. One way you can gain a lot of traction is by attracting the attention of the big influencers. The way to do this is by first adding them to your circles. This is something you can do without waiting for them to accept you as a follower. This will not ensure that they will follow you in return, but they will receive a notification, and more times than not, they will reciprocate.
Another way to get them to follow you is by sharing their content on your page. When you do, be sure to give it great reviews and also a plus mention. This will definitely get their attention. Once they start following you, they will be able to view your posts. Post one great thing that captures their attention enough for them to share it, and you now have a bunch of new followers.
5. Share knowledge about different topics
When it comes to the type of content to share, you want to make sure you are not just sticking to general real estate info like how to sell your home or first time buyer tips. These are great, but you want to diversify. It is not just homeowners/homebuyers that are following you. Many of your colleagues are too. Share something that is going to help them out like tips on how to grow their real estate practice. This will certainly garner you attention and more followers. As an example, if you have had success with optimizing your website, share the knowledge. Other real estate agents love reading valuable articles about SEO since it can them help grow their own business.
The same holds true for homebuyers. Do not just stick to content that centers around the buying process. Offer additional information of value like home decor tips, diy projects, gardening etc. Your goal is to be the consummate resource for everything home.