Video is increasingly important in content marketing. It has been one of the most significant trends in both social media and digital marketing this year, with more people choosing to consume information this way than ever before.
When combined with Facebook, which has an estimated 15 million users in Australia alone, it’s no wonder live streaming is taking off as an effective marketing tool, and one that’s seemingly untapped by real estate professionals.
According to Facebook, the shift towards visual content started in 2014, particularly videos. In that year alone, Facebook saw the number of video posts per person increase by 75% globally.
So, there’s huge potential for real estate agents to stand out by embracing this new technology. Since Facebook Live is a recent addition to the platform, the general consensus is that live broadcasting is likely to appear higher in the news feed for some time, to help it gain traction, making it the perfect tool to reach new audiences right now.
To help you get started, we’ve put together 11 ideas for integrating live videos into your daily real estate life.
1. Create virtual open home visits
Walk through the properties you sell or rent to create additional open home experiences where people can visit online, perhaps during their lunch break, if they can’t make it in person. Provide commentary during the visit to add value to the broadcast. This can also show how you sell the benefits of a property to potential vendors. When doing so, don’t forget to announce your virtual visits well in advance on your social media channels.
Image source: Claudio Encina (Facebook)
2. Show off the neighbourhood
Tour the neighbourhoods in your market to show what it’s like to live in the area. Highlight the lifestyle on a beautiful day to entice people. Showcase local attractions, whether it’s the kids playground, the local shops or dog park.
3. Capture vendors’ elation
Broadcast your own mini reality show by capturing the vendors’ reaction when you seal the deal on the sale of their home.
4. Livestream auctions
Auctions are very exciting so why not film it, as it unfolds. If you are too busy to do it yourself, you can always ask a colleague to hold the camera for you.
Image source: Stuart Benson of Benson Auctions
Watch the Auction video in replay
5. Discuss the property market with a local specialist
Hold a short interview with a local mortgage broker or economist to give insights to your followers about the market. Don’t forget to tag them in the description to tap into their audience. This livestream video will after all benefit both of you.
6. Showcase a local coffee shop / bar / restaurant
Is the area you serve buzzing with nightlife? Does the local Italian restaurant make the best tiramisu in town or perhaps one of the cafes employs an award-winning barista? Showcasing local businesses can help people fall in love with an area. Preferably, choose the ones that have a decent sized following on social media, but highlighting new ones can also be a smart strategy.
7. Interview a home stager on site
Whenever you are preparing a home for sale, turn the camera on and give tips on staging. Ask a professional home stager to help you with this one and show how you work together to maximise the potential of a property.
8. Offer off the cuff advice to home sellers or buyers – whenever you are camera ready!
These can be short, ad-hoc vignettes where you talk about the best time to sell a home or how to find the best property for a family.
9. Tell your success stories
Storytelling is a powerful marketing tool as people love to hear about success. Focus on recent clients’ success in selling their home and on moving on to the next stage of their life. If you can, set up a short interview with your client to make it more appealing and real to viewers.
10. Host contests and giveaways
Enter partnerships with local businesses by organising contests and giveaways. Film the moment when you pull out the name of the winner and, if you can, do it in a public location. Supporting the neighbourhood will help promote your brand and get you seen.
11. Broadcast life moments
This one is mainly for natural extraverts, but when done well, showing off your Fredrik Eklund or Ryan Serhant style persona can attract followers and boost your professional profile.
As social media guru Mari Smith says, hit the Facebook airwaves when you are “Camera ready”. This shouldn’t be difficult for agents to achieve, as most of you are presentable day in day out. In fact, you are the best looking bunch of industry professionals I believe I’ve ever seen and I’ve worked across a few different industries in my time.
And if that’s not enough to convince you of the enormous potential of live streaming, global telecommunication giant Cisco predicts that by 2019, video will account for 80 percent of global internet traffic.
Ready…Set…ACTION!