We were watching a video that talks about the problem of “fake” Facebook likes and how marketing on Facebook doesn’t work. I agree with some of what that video says, but it’s important to understand how you can use social media for your property management business.
The Purpose of Social Media
Using social media as your central strategy for growing your business is incorrect. If you’re using it that way, you will be disappointed with the results. The best use of social media is to amplify your content. This is key. You have to have high quality content, and social media can then help you amplify your message.
Another purpose for social media is to extend your brand. You want a presence that’s professional, organized, and correctly categorized so people will know who you are, and what you do, when they find you on Facebook, Twitter and Google+. That’s why it’s so important to know how to set up those platforms.
But talking about fake Facebook likes: there is a way to minimize them. When you advertise on Facebook, remember: you don’t have to advertise to the whole country or other countries. You need to advertise specifically to your service area. The likelihood of those click farms and fake clicks getting involved is much smaller when you’re targeting only your local area. Also, by limiting ads to your service area in that way, advertising is very cheap, so you can keep on gaining good likes and you can continue to share your great content.
Engagement
People are always telling me they have no engagement or shares on their social media channels. It’s important to remember what business we are in. You aren’t running an art gallery; you’re running a property management business. It’s pretty private and serious stuff, right? You are hoping to attract people who need their properties managed or tenants who are looking for a house to rent. You don’t need a big viral hit for your company. It’s not going to happen. You are a local, serious business and you want to be represented on social media, but it’s not your whole strategy. You cannot put all your marketing eggs in that one basket. The purpose is to set up your profile properly, represent your business properly and provide good content. This will drive your business; educational articles and videos. You’ll build a trust factor with your audience. Using social media as the sole source of new business acquisition is not going to work. You don’t want to invest all your resources there.
To sum up what we’ve been talking about, here are the most important things to remember:
- Set up your company’s social media profile properly. Make sure your brand and message are consistent on all social media channels.
- Advertise locally. Focus on getting local likes from landlords and real estate investors in your specific service area.
- Educate your audience with interesting articles and educational information so you become the authority when talking about property management issues.
- Finally, don’t expect a lot of engagement. That’s not the business we’re in. This is property management, so educate the landlords and real estate investors out there and you’ll grow your business.
Don’t forget the center of everything is your content. Social media is only the amplifier of that content. It’s a valuable tool and a valid vehicle that you should be using, but your content is really what you want to focus on.
Please feel free to let us know what you think, and as always you can contact us at Fourandhalf if you have any questions or comments about how to use social media for your property management business.
