Property owners’ critical social media networks
Surprise! Millennials are driving the housing market!
Millennials have usurped Baby Boomers in the real estate buyers and renters market today. That’s right, young adults born between the early1980s and the mid-1990s – early 2000s are not only property owners’ prime target market, they’re also joining the ranks of enterprising real estate investors. If you’re a property owner looking to lease or sell, the time to connect with this demographic is now to establish lifelong relationships and unlimited repeat business opportunities.
For older property owners and managers who aren’t savvy in Millennial communication, connecting with this group can be challenging. Millennials depend on a different mode of communication that doesn’t usually involve email, landing pages or other traditional communications such as TV or radio—practically extinct when it comes to reaching this generation.
What you may have noticed is that Millennials (and their successors, Generation Z) focus all their attention on their mobile phones. You have to go to them by leveraging mobile technology in order to communicate and do business. We aren’t talking about cold-calling and phone conversations. We’re talking social media.
Property owners need social media to reach these essential target audiences in 2018. Here are the four most important social media networks for connecting with your next tenants or buyers:
Facebook
Facebook ranks biggest and is the most used social network worldwide. The social media juggernaut has grown so huge—and continues to grow so exponentially— it’s unlikely ever to go away.
Facebook’s founder Mark Zuckerberg drives innovation with a continuous stream of new features and changes that keep monthly active users numbered at two billion, and daily active users at 1.3 billion. Facebook is a Goliath when it comes to targeting prospective leads, and its targeting abilities are key to high conversion rates and achieving top marketing ROI. If you’re a property owner with rental properties, you can showcase your properties in ads shared via Facebook that target Millennials who live in a 5-mile radius of your building. Zuckerberg is currently looking at the potential of incorporating artificial intelligence to improve Facebook’s products. Take full advantage.
Instagram
Since being acquired by Facebook in 2012, Instagram’s popularity has erupted. With more than 500 million active users, Instagram is currently the second most popular social media network in the world, behind only Facebook (not counting YouTube), and marketers are adopting the platform with gusto. People who aren’t fans of Facebook now turn to Instagram and millions of people use both. Instagram is a great tool for building a following, promoting properties, and connecting with target audiences.
There are so many angles to consider when determining the most beneficial elements of your online social media presence. LinkedIn helps ensure that you’re portraying a professional image, and most importantly getting the exposure to increase business and raise awareness about your product or service.
There are more than 1.6 million landlords and property managers with a LinkedIn account for a reason.
Create both a personal LinkedIn account and a business account. Your profile is critical, as it shows others that you are credible and a good connection. Your profile should tell your story in a way that people know about all of your achievements and successes. Think of it as a resume. After all, building connections and furthering your investment goals is the name of the game.
Send connect requests to other LinkedIn account holders. It’s important to personalize your requests. When you review a profile of someone with whom you’d like to connect (real estate professionals, rental referral business representatives, vendors, tenants, other property investors, etc.) click connect. Don’t use some generic cut-and-paste greeting, but instead send a meaningful note. If someone asks you to connect, respond to their request with a thank you and take the opportunity to build rapport. Sharing your connections, website content, and blog articles and commenting on their posts will facilitate relationship building. Another great tool is to write recommendations for your colleagues and connections.
YouTube
While Facebook is the rock star of social media, the youngest generations are shunning it because they see it as the site their parents and grandparents use. While Facebook packs plenty of value for marketers, younger buyers and investors are more active on other social platforms. This is where YouTube shines. Billions of views and tremendous engagement happen on YouTube 24/7. Use it to promote your properties by posting vacancy walk-through videos, publishing ads, and contributing to the conversation.
Snapchat
Snapchat is also growing and is currently the social media network of choice for teens (your next target audience). Snapchat is a unique marketing tool for creating urgency and exciting, limited opportunities, which is why it is popular among property managers and real estate pros. If you haven’t already, make sure to engage with Snapchat audiences.
The takeaway
For property investors, owners and real estate agents, growing markets translate to competitive markets. In order to meet their investment goals, marketing strategies need to connect with potential tenants and buyers. Social media marketing is a must if you’re going to compete with rival properties.
Property owners’ critical social media networks