13 Tips for Winning Real Estate Social Media Posts

Here are 13 top tips to create winning real estate social media posts. This actionable list will help you transform your social channel strategy.

Sandrino Breshani
Sandrino Breshani
October 7, 2020
5 min read
min read
13 Tips for Winning Real Estate Social Media Posts

Table of contents

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When creating any content on social media we recommend you follow this easy to digest and actionable checklist. Some of these points are technical in nature (using features of Facebook to inform when to post and who to target), others are about the kinds of content you create. 

Most of the points on the list apply to any content you produce no matter the platform.

  • Create non-repetitive, high-quality content
  • Use minimalistic design
  • Don’t use engagement bait or you will be penalised.
  • Post a maximum of 1-2 high-quality posts per day
  • Share content when users are most likely online
  • Use audience segmentation on your organic posts
  • Make use of Facebook and Instagram Stories
  • Make use of Facebook and Instagram Live videos
  • Post longer form videos with subtitles
  • Make use of 360 degree photos
  • Think ‘out of the box’ for posts featuring property listings
  • Promote your customer reviews
  • Captivate your audience

Now let’s dive into how you can deliver on each point.  

1. Create non-repetitive, high-quality content

Facebook users want quality and uniqueness, not quantity. Everything you post should be entertaining, insightful, and relevant to you audience. Don’t post the same thing everyday. You might have a content plan in place but it always pays to refresh your approach with something new, especially if your posts aren’t performing well or you have some quality data and insights on your marketing activity.

To continually strive for uniqueness is easier said than done though. One step forward is to take a few moments to sit down and create a list of ways you can help, educate, or entertain your target audience. Only then can you decide on the best way to communicate your message. A little forward planning really will help you get clear on your audience, your message, and creative ways to land that message. 

2. Use minimalistic design

Make your message visible, clear and not misleading. That’s why you should use minimalistic design. Simple designs are always more visible on social media (don’t forget that the vast majority of social media users you reach will be viewing on mobile) and simplicity won’t confuse potential customers. 

Avoid busy or complex images. Keep them simple and uncluttered to help your followers focus on a specific element of the image. Ideally, your photo should feature the main object plus some supporting detail in the background.

3. Avoid Click Bait

In case you forgot, click bait was the focus of another Facebook newsfeed update in late 2017.

You should not trick your followers into engaging with your posts. Facebook will actually punish you with reducing your reach if you try and trick or game users into an action. Click bait includes:

  • Vote baiting - This is when a post asks people to vote using an unrelated reaction, for example where leaving a Wow, Love, Haha or Like to indicate a personal goal. This is different from running a genuine poll as a post.
  • Reaction baiting – Like vote baiting, react baiting asks people to react to a post using a reaction. For example: “Like this if you.... or LOVE this if you....”
  • Share baiting – When you ask followers to share your post.
  • Tag baiting – When you ask followers to tag their friends to your post.
  • Comment baiting – When you ask followers to comment on your post.

Your goal is not to get lots of comments, likes, and shares, but for the engagement you get to be meaningful and not trick your followers to engage with your posts. If you get quality engagement then your posts will begin to perform well, and you’ll see a natural increase in interactions.

4. Post 1-2 High Quality Posts Per Day Max

We’ve all heard the saying that less is more, but because of how social media operated (or was gamed) in the past most of us still assume more is better when it comes to social media. Facebook’s platform and algorithm have shifted dramatically in the past few years. What worked once just doesn’t perform on the same level anymore.

Tests conducted on some of the highest performing Facebook pages show that posting more doesn’t increase your total daily reach. On the contrary, it will lower the daily total reach. The estimated number of daily posts that has a good result in reach and engagement is two to three posts per day. But be careful! These posts should be the best posts you can offer. Think of it as if you would have only two chances to promote something meaningful on your page. These posts should be the best of the best to improve performance, otherwise it will be a wasted opportunity. So carefully consider each post.

5. Share Content at the Right Time

One of the great things about social media platforms is the insight you can get on your audience activity. It’s quite easy to find out when your audience is most active on social media, and when your posts get the most interaction. Check your Insights page (as shown in the image below) and see when your audience are most likely to be online, then schedule your posts accordingly. 

Remember you don’t have to manually post each time. It’s simple to schedule a day and time for a post to go live once you’ve uploaded all the assets. Users typically don’t care for posts during work hours or in the middle of the night, and you’ll tend to see less interactions during these times, but check your Insights page to get the right time for your audience.

6. Use Audience Segmentation and Scheduling

It’s a business’ dream to have every possible customer in your target market using the platform. But this also makes it a nightmare in terms of competition. If you want to drive more traffic to your site, you need to stand out and post hyper-specific content that resonates with your audience.

Luckily, Facebook has introduced organic post targeting within the newsfeed, allowing you to segment content to different audiences. This targeting allows you to target your content to your audience, but filter the audience with demographic data, interests, and exclusions. So when you post be sure to think about the relevance of your content and push it to the people most likely to find it interesting or useful. You can also schedule posts to land with your audience at the right time. These filters are both accessed via your page’s Publishing Tools.


7. Post Facebook and Instagram Stories

Facebook and Instagram Stories are a good way to show a daily routine to you followers. It is visible on the top of your app. It is not permanent, but has proven to be highly successful for marketers looking to increase engagement. 

Not everyone uses this new feature on Facebook, so you have a great opportunity to show your fans more about you and your business. Treat it with caution and remember not to get spammy there as well. Find relevant content and create a story. You could use it to show o a tour of a new property, or just give an insight into what’s going on in your office.

8. Make Use of Facebook and Instagram Live Videos

The Facebook app also has a new feature called Live video. This is an amazing tool to promote events, customer success, and give your followers more insights of your company’s daily routines. Video gets a lot of interaction on social media, so think of creative ways you could use live video to engage your audience and use that Fear Of Missing Out element you get with live video. 

9. Post Longer Form Videos with Subtitles

This is a bonus for real estate professionals who may want to share a weekly market update with followers which would generally not be paced like a video ad (30 seconds and out!).

In May 2019, Facebook announced that the newsfeed will increasingly surface quality, original videos. The algorithm is increasing the influence of these three ranking factors:

  • Loyalty and intent: videos that people search for and return to;
  • Video length and view duration: videos that people watch past the 1 minute mark, and that are longer than 3 minutes;
  • Originality: videos that aren’t repurposed from other sources and that have plenty of added value.

If you can plan to share at a consistent time and date your updates you will see an upswing from interested people in seeking them out week to week.

Don’t forget that Facebook starts the video automatically but without sound, and many people will view your video in a situation where they may not want audio blaring out (on the commute, sat at their desk on their lunch break etc.). Therefore your videos should always have subtitles or some text explaining the video. 

To get your audience to want to turn the sound on and stick around for more of your video post, try putting your most important information into an initial, eye-catching thumbnail. An enticing image and powerful copy will grab the attention and make people want to watch on.

10. Make Use of 360 Degree Photos

If you want to show the full panorama of an apartment or house, 360-degree photos are your best option. They give a detailed panorama and are attractive as a new fascinating technology.

As 360-degree photos are becoming more expected now you can’t afford to leave these out of your content mix. They are engaging and show that you want to give customers the rich digital experience they have come to expect. They give a sense of space and immersion that will excite the customer and position your brand strongly with them. 

11. Think "Out of the Box" for Posts Featuring Property Listings

Does a property you are listing have a fascinating history, local legend or amazing feature that can be photographed or shared. People love hearing local stories and also having a sticky beak at the unusual. 

Whilst a shared post isn’t the best way to target potential buyers and sellers with all the property’s features (see details in How To Make A Great Ad) a post featuring a curiosity element or fact about a property can start a different conversation.

12. Promote Your Customer Reviews

Social media is an incredibly powerful tool for building brand authority and trust. One of the simplest ways to do this is to promote positive customer reviews via social media. This kind of social proof is great for keeping your brand at the front of people’s minds when they come to buy or sell a property. 

Build relationships with all your customers and make sure you send the link: http://www.facebook.com/yourpagename/reviews to every happy seller and ask them to post a review. Gather videos or quotes from your current customers and show them to your Facebook followers. Everybody loves a success story, and when people see genuine positive reviews from people on social media they are more likely to interact further with your brand. 

13.  Captivate Your Audience

Remember, there’s always a human behind every buying decision. Even if your business identity is serious and professional to the core you should still try to use some colour in your posts. Careful use emojis can be entertaining, human and likeable, as well as catching the eye and making people more likely to read the post copy. Try emojis, try funny or inspiring quotes, try jokes (as long as they’re tasteful!). Marketing is not black and white, it’s about emotions and speaking your customers’ language. You can get a huge range of emojis from this page: www.getemoji.com

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