Continuing our series on using stock images in your Naples marketing efforts, it’s time to take a look at social media.
It’s likely that social media plays a central role in your marketing efforts, as it should, it is 2018 after all, but you shouldn’t just be throwing any message you can find on your posts. You need to carefully plan what images will go with a specific post and why.
Does the image stay consistent with your overall theme and message? Would you be able to identify this image with your Naples brand without context? Does the image add anything to your post? These are just a few important questions to ask yourself each and every time you post.
And here’s another we should probably ask first: Why would you want to use images in your content?
You need to. Plain and simple.
It’s pretty convincing when you look at the numbers, because blogs with images receive 94 percent more likes than blogs without them. Social media updates which contain images receive far more likes, retweets, and shares than those that do not. In short: you need visuals to reach your audience effectively.
Lucky for us…Naples, Marco Island, Bonita Springs, Ft Myers Beach, Ave Maria (the list goes on) and all of Southwest Florida is rich with dynamic photo opportunities.
All social networks emphasize visual elements now that smartphones allow anyone to easily upload images. That’s why you need images in nearly everything you post to your social media accounts. Here are a few strategies to help you effectively use stock images in your social media marketing.
Using Stock Images for Naples area Social Media
Stock images are a valuable tool when it comes to building your brand on social media. You can use your Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and any other social media feed to build your Naples brand awareness and promote your message using compelling images.
There are curated photo libraries that you can use to keep your brand messaging on a consistent theme and even add text overlays.
Capture Your Naples Area Audience’s Attention
People have short attention spans. Think of how quickly a person scrolls through their social media feed. You only have a fraction of a second to capture their attention with a great image or photograph. And once you have it, you want to make sure the messaging adds some value.
Otherwise next time they recognize an image on your theme or with your logo, they will scroll right past. You need to effectively marry a great stock photograph with compelling content that holds their attention and leads them to act. This can’t be done with a lengthy post without an image. Great image + short, effective content is the way to go.
Add Some Color to Your Page & Posts About Naples
Lots of posts to your accounts with no images or photographs would seem rather monotonous and boring, wouldn’t it? Images are a great way to break up a blasé looking page and make it more interesting. Choose vibrant phots that capture and mood and message you’d like to be your overall theme. This can spice up even the most boring pages.
Drive Your Point Home
Quality written content is great, and can help to persuade readers, but adding effective images takes things a step further. Stock images added to longer posts can create natural breaks to give your readers time to stop and think about the points you are making.
This can be especially valuable when you are trying to describe how your product works, giving directions, or listing separate points. And selling Naples. An image break allows your reader time to clear their head before moving on to the next step or point. This should help them to achieve a better understanding of your overall message.
Improve Your SEO
This is something every company, marketing, and even stay-at-home blogger will try to do: boost your SEO. Search engine rankings will decide who is going to see your content and having effective stock images in your posts can help move your page up the list.
To have a healthier online presence, you can simply add more effective images to your posts, and make sure you add relevant alt and meta tags to all content. These tags are vital to the performance of your pages.
All you need to do is make sure all of your images have a name, a title tag, alt tag, and meta description, all of which should include your focus keyword. If you label these tags properly, loaded with your focus keyword, it will help Google index your content for that topic and see how relevant and useful your content is to users.
On your Naples area social media posts, always take advantage of the tagging system available, and use effective hashtags as much as possible. This will index your content within that social media platform as well.
Summary
These are some of the ways effectively utilizing stock images in your social media content can help to boost your overall brand. Stock images can be a powerful tool in your online marketing efforts, but only if you choose them wisely and use them correctly. Read my other posts on this topic to create a more well-rounded online marketing campaign using stock images.
Looking for a professional real estate photographer in Southwest Florida? Jon Kreider at Sun Services SW has expertly photographed properties in the area since 2013. A commercial photographer serving the Naples, Marco Island, and Bonita Springs communities, Jon specializes in real estate photography and video, bringing homes to life online before they are viewed in person. Visit Jon’s website or shoot him an email today at jon@sunservicessw.com to discuss your real estate photography needs.
A blog can be an incredibly powerful tool for a Naples area real estate agent, but only if you’re producing quality content that helps you make a sale. Even if writing “isn’t your thing,” you can follow the outline below to create a compelling guide through your property and the surrounding areas that will make your clients book a visit ASAP. So don’t let the daunting vision of sitting at a computer for hours on end deter you from starting. It’s much easier than it may seem and we have some really good tips and techniques to help you dive right in!
A Good Real Estate Blog Post Starts with Great Images
“Using images in blog posts gets 94% more views” [seotribunal.com]
I doubt you’re surprised to see this tip here at the top, but it’s with good reason — having high-quality, professional real estate images and stock photography can make the difference between a sale and a quick loss of business to another agent. This is the single most important part of creating an effective blog for a real estate property listing.
Hire a professional real estate photographer to take images of your property and make sure he or she knows that some will be used for a blog. This will help the photographer think in a narrative sense and lay out the images as if you were walking through the property yourself. And don’t forget — you can (and should) include a feature video walkthrough as well. You may also want to consider the use of local stock photography when you are laying out your visual media for your listing blogs.
When it comes to your blog, think of your words as supplementary — without them, your images alone should still be able to tell the story. When you use your words strategically to enhance the visuals, then you’re well on your way to creating a blog that sells.
Create a Title That Will Grab Your Reader’s Attention
When creating your title, you want to come up with something that will get your followers to click on your post. A good rule of thumb is to use something that will generate a bit of buzz on your post topic as well as your location.
For example, if your market is Naples, Marco Island, Bonita Springs, etc… you might use “Located in one of the 5 Best Neighborhoods in Naples,” or “This Listing Has 7 Features You Want In Your Marco Island Home.” Get the idea?
This basic model makes it easy for you to grab attention while focusing on your target area, both of which are great for your local SEO. Your followers will know your content is focused on the area in which they are searching for a home and help you build a reputation as an expert on real estate in the area.
Follow This Blog Post Structure
Writing a blog post about your listing doesn’t have to be complicated. You can use the simple structure below as a basic guideline for the majority of your posts and eventually producing real estate listing blog posts will become second nature.
Make a Strong Opening Statement
Get right to the point. Your followers are in the market to buy so you don’t need to waste their time. You can answer their most pressing question and tell them what they’re going to be looking at in the post right away. This will give them a reason to keep reading.
Tell Them A Story About the Listing’s Features
In the next section of your post, you’ll tell your readers about the features of your listing. But you can do better than just using bullet points to lay out the features. You want to describe the features in a compelling way that will help them to see and feel the space.
In essence — tell them a story about the home, the neighborhood and the Naples area. Walk them through the property. Use your visuals to supplement your features. Words can be extremely powerful when used properly and can help you sell the home.
Stay away from the mindless dribble of rattling through features one by one and do it in a sensible way. Think about how a person would walk through the home. What do they see first? What room will they walk into next? How would it feel like to visit a Marco Island beach for the first time?
Describe what this experience is like WHILE you tell them about the features at the same time. Use colorful, descriptive words to supplement every item of your listing. This will make a big difference in the way prospective buyers will perceive your property. This is how you paint a narrative about your listing and its surrounding area.
Make Your Call to Action
Of course, the ultimate goal of your blog post is to help you sell your listing. At the end of your post, it’s your time to make your little sales pitch. This is what’s known as a “call to action.” You need to direct your readers, your target customers and potential home buyers, to do something.
It might be to pick up the phone and give you a call or to send you an email. You can give them a limited time offer, such as a discount or seller financing. Use whatever tactic can help you bring more potential buyers through the door.
Don’t be afraid to use a little sense of urgency here to help nudge your readers to take action. After all, this may indeed be the last chance they get to buy this listing!
Don’t Showcase Only the Property Itself
“Proximity to amenities, peaceful conforming areas, neighborhood status, scenic views, etc. are major factors for residential property valuations” [Investopedia]
Of course, the majority of your post should focus on the property in question. Most of your images should be of the interior and exterior of the property — but remember, that isn’t all that you’re trying to sell. Consider the surrounding area and other perks that you would likely mention during a walkthrough. Naples, Marco Island, Bonita Springs, Fort Myers Beach…the list goes on of attractive features in Southwest Florida.
Here are a few possible amenities to include:
The Schools
What are the schools like? What information about them can you provide that will entice potential buyers that this is a good neighborhood to raise children? Can you take things a step further and include images of the school(s) as well as providing a map to show how far away they are? Linking to a site like School Digger can give the reader additional published information regarding a school and also gives the post content a link back opportunity.
The Neighborhood
What’s the neighborhood like? Quiet or busy streets? What’s nearby? What’s the walkability score? What’s the community like? What’s the crime rate? What’s the neighborhood’s history?
This is all great information that your buyers will be keenly interested in learning. Selling the neighborhood is arguably just as important as the property itself. Just like with schools, linking to a site like Walk Score can give your information (and SEO) a boost.
Nearby Shopping & Groceries
Not having to go far for groceries and other essentials is a major perk for any homeowner/renter. Make sure you, at the very least, include proximity to the nearest two or three grocery stores. You can also include distance to hardware stores, restaurants, gyms, parks, the interstate, and more.
Focus Your Content On Target Niches
Who is your target market for your listings? Does your blog post give these people useful information? Does your headline make them want to click your post and learn about your listing?
If not, you need to rethink your post. You’re not doing yourself any good if your blog isn’t attracting attention from the right people. Sure, you might get some clicks, but does it matter if the people looking at your post are just randomly browsing and aren’t actually shopping for a home? The answer is no.
Make sure your blog does your listing justice and promotes it properly to your target segment of the market.
Mind Your SEO
You didn’t think you were going to get through this without a note on SEO, did you? Search Engine Optimization is another key component of creating a strong real estate property listing blog. Having a blog with strong SEO will help the post rank higher in search results and gain more visibility for your Naples area property listing.
We can go into an entire lengthy series of posts just on SEO strategies, but here’s the core strategy. Consider your major target keywords (think ‘home for sale in Naples,’ for example). The idea is for you to include ‘home for sale in Naples’ in your post title, in some of your headers, within the text (but not too much), and in your image tags.
The goal is that when someone searches for ‘home for sale in Naples,’ your post will show up right there on the first page of search results.
This is now more important than ever as Google places more of an emphasis on organic content instead of meta based searches. This means things like your image tags, while still useful, will be given less importance in the search rankings. So rather than having a website that relies on metadata to boost your SEO, you can use organic content like blogs to strengthen your ranking.
Creating a great blog post with professional images is actually just the beginning. After all, what good is a high-quality post if no one sees it? The whole point of the post is to promote your property, so you need to make sure you’re sharing it to your followers to get more eyes on your blog.
And it’s not as much work as it sounds. You don’t have to individually share your post to each individual social network. There are platforms available like Hootsuite and Buffer that will send your post to multiple social sites at once, and you can customize them as you see fit.
You should be sharing your content on whichever networks you focus your marketing efforts on. If you do choose to upload your blog to an individual social media site, you’ll want to choose an image that will grab attention, create a short intro, and provide the link to the blog. It’s that easy!
You can even purchase social ads to promote your blog post that will help to drive traffic to your blog. This can be a helpful strategy if you have a listing that you really want to give a good push to get in front of as many people as possible, quickly.
Don’t Do Too Much at Once
Ease into blogging. You may have a goal of creating a weekly post, but it might not be in your best interest to go all in right away. Take things slow and maybe start with one post per month with a particular listing that you wish to highlight.
Then as your blog and social networks gain more of a following, you can start creating posts for each new Naples area listing that you have. Your followers will begin to look to you for your reliable posts on high-quality real estate listings.
Summary
Whether you consider yourself a writer or not, if you follow this guide, you should be able to throw together a compelling post that will help you sell your listing. And if not? Try not to get discouraged if you don’t nail it on the first try. Keep at it, and soon enough you’ll be spinning out blog posts that will be a real boost to your business.
Looking for a professional real estate photographer in Southwest Florida? Jon Kreider at Sun Services SW has expertly photographed properties in the area since 2013. A commercial photographer serving the Naples, Marco Island, and Bonita Springs communities, Jon specializes in real estate photography and video, bringing homes to life online before they are viewed in person. Visit Jon’s website or shoot him an email today at jon@sunservicessw.com to discuss your real estate photography needs.
A common question that I often hear when it comes to your Naples area real estate social media efforts is “How often should I be posting?”
And the answer, as it seems to be for so many things, is “it depends.” For this particular topic, how often you post depends on the social media platform we’re talking about posting to. I found this post from Keeping Current Matters to be a great guideline filled with useful information, but have went ahead and added my own take below.
Don’t Post Just to Post
Another part of the “it depends” answer is what you plan on posting. Keeping a regular posting schedule is great, but only if you have relevant content to post for your audience. Think images and updates on listings, real, timely advice, Naples and Marco Island area information, etc.
Posting at random on a set schedule does nothing but pollute your followers’ timelines. This will hurt your credibility and could eventually lose you some followers. You need to make sure each and every post you make to your various social media channels gives your followers something they want or need so they’ll keep coming back for more. Relevant information about your market trends and local Southwest Florida news is key.
As they begin to learn that you will provide them with good content that is aligned with their interests, they will look to you as an expert in your field and routinely read your posts rather than skip right by. You can imagine that this is an especially valuable tool for those looking to buy a home in Naples or Bonita Springs.
“Pay attention to the 3 E’s of Social Media Content – Enlighten, Engage and Entertain” – Nicole Baker
Different Social Media Platforms
With that out of the way, let’s take a look at the various social media platforms in play for the real estate market and put together an outline for how often you should be posting.
You probably thought I was going to start with Facebook, didn’t you? But from a volume standpoint, you should be posting on Twitter much more often.
This is because of the platform’s design. Twitter is a high-volume/low-value network, meaning you have to post often to keep up with the fast pace of conversations. This involves interacting with other users on the platform and replying to any responses you get to your tweets.
It might be quite difficult to come up with 40 quality tweets per day, while three should be relatively easy. If you’re not tweeting at all currently, it’s a good idea to build up your posting regimen slowly. You can also a management platform to schedule your posts in advance to make your life easier.
“Within few years, Instagram has been able to attract more people than any other social media website ever did. It has reached more than 150 million active users. Thus, if you are not using Instagram for business, it means you might be missing out on millions of potential customers” – FanZappy
Instagram is a great platform for real estate given its visual nature. You can easily fill up your feed with great (professional!) photos of your listings and the natural beauty of Naples and the Gulf Coast, but that doesn’t mean you should be dropping dozens of posts per day.
Instead, carefully curate daily posts with one compelling image or with multiple images to showcase a given area. Make sure the images tell a story rather than filling the space just because you had to post something today. Instagram posts have a decent lifespan, so you don’t want content that won’t age well or does not hold any real value to your audience.
Not only should you be strategic with the images you choose, but also with your accompanying hashtags. Use a few hashtags in every one of your posts to build up an image pool that people can search through. You may also find some influential accounts that you can tag in your posts to reach a bigger audience.
Consider a daily Instagram post as well as one or two stories per day to start and see what kind of engagement that brings you. Here is a great list of 7 Instagram Stories Ideas to Get More Followers
Facebook is an incredibly useful social media platform for real estate. Like Instagram, Facebook values quality over quantity so you don’t want to oversaturate the newsfeed. A daily post should be just fine on Facebook as well.
You can even conduct some research on your Facebook audience to find out when they are using the platform so you know the optimal time to post. As far as lifespan is concerned — a Facebook post will land somewhere in the middle between a tweet and an Instagram. High-quality posts is the most important factor here.
When posting images on Facebook, like all other platforms you may want to pay attention to your image sizes for different types of posts. This way that amazing Naples Area Stock photo you picked out will look just the way you imagine it will when your audience sees it in their newsfeed. The guidelines for different images on different parts of a Facebook feed are ever changing it seems, but here is a link to the latest.
LinkedIn has less value than the above three when it comes to real estate postings, but if you are posting relevant market information instead of just images of your listings, then it is worth having a presence. You’ll only want to post to LinkedIn sparingly during the workweek and keep your focus on market trends and insights.
Since LinkedIn is a professional network, your followers will look to you as an expert in the real estate market and seek information from you on investment opportunities, the local market, plus news on area amenities and attractions.
Some home buyers will use Pinterest to envision what they’d like in a home, so it may be of value for you to have a presence on the platform. When you have a feature in a listing that someone covets, they may very well find you through a Pinterest “pin.” You can easily post to Pinterest several times a day without issue since it operates differently than the other platforms.
Any relevant images you have for listings are fair game for Pinterest content. Just make sure you use the appropriate hashtags so people can find your content and it may be a good idea to mention it to your professional real estate photographer that you would like a few detail shots of your listing for your social media posts.
Overall, the frequency with which you post to social media largely depends on your market, your following, and how much valuable content you have to share. If you have tons of great images of your listings, you can spread them out over time until the property is sold. If you have access to a nice selection of stock photos of the Naples and surrounding areas then you can also create a steady flow of interesting Social Media posts and content.
Create a plan that won’t overwhelm you and make adjustments as you learn what works and what doesn’t. As long as you aren’t overdoing it and spamming your followers with irrelevant posts, you should drive interest and engagement which hopefully brings more of the right eyes to your listings.
And it’s not as much work as it sounds. Think about how much time you already spend looking through other Naples agent’s content. And don’t forget, there are platforms available like Hootsuite and Bufferthat will send your post to multiple social sites at once, and you can customize them as you see fit.
Looking for a professional real estate photographer in Southwest Florida? Jon Kreider at Sun Services SW has expertly photographed properties in the area since 2013. A commercial photographer serving the Naples, Marco Island, and Bonita Springs communities, Jon specializes in real estate photography, Naples Stock Photography and video, bringing homes to life online before they are viewed in person. Visit Jon’s website or shoot him an email today at jon@sunservicessw.com to discuss your real estate photography needs.
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