It seems there's hardly a day that goes by without some industry expert bestowing the virtues of social media and how you should be using it for your business. But despite its many advantages (which we'll explore in this blog post), experience shows that many agency professionals, and others in the property industry are still fearful of using it.
And to be totally honest with you, that fear is totally understandable. You only have to read articles on some of the main agency related news sites such as Property Industry Eye and Estate Agent Today to see some of the totally awful comments written by the M.S.P. Trolls (Male, Stale & Pale), who are totally resistant to any change in the industry. When you see such harsh comments, only an insane person would want to put their head above the parapet and risk being shot at. It's far easier to play it safe and not run the risk of having to read such things written about us.
But the question we have to ask ourselves is this – is it really worth letting some absolute nobody dictate what you can and cannot do in your business? After all, which one of your bills is that person paying each month? To me, the thought of someone acting in such a cruel capacity towards others speaks volumes about the individual hurling the criticism, and less about the person trying to build a business to feed their family or bring about long-overdue change to the profession.
You can no doubt see one of my "coping mechanisms" when it comes to putting stuff out there in the online world – if there's zero constructive feedback on an article, or someone is acting in just a plainly cruel manner, I automatically assume they're part of the M.S.P. Trolling brigade and move on. They're obviously not doing much of merit with their own lives, otherwise they would be busy building something new and helping others to achieve their goals, rather than tearing them down, so pay them no minds.
Now we have that mindset shift around how to deal with the trolls – let's look at the more positive side of creating content for social media.
There's no doubt about it, social media has become an integral part of our lives, and so its impact on businesses cannot be overstated. The property industry is no exception, and estate agents, surveyors, solicitors, and mortgage brokers who use social media are reaping the benefits of increased exposure, leads, and brand awareness.
So let's explore the top ten benefits of using social media and why it's such a good thing for property industry professionals' business and more importantly, personal branding.
Increased Exposure: Social media provides a way to reach a large and diverse audience, giving estate agents and other property professionals the chance to showcase their expertise, properties, and services. With billions of active users, your business can gain exposure to potential clients that would otherwise be difficult, or very expensive, to reach.
Lead Generation: You can use your social media channels to generate leads and convert followers into clients. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, WiggyWam, and LinkedIn provide an opportunity to engage with potential clients, answer their questions, and promote your business.
Personal Branding: Establish a personal brand and position yourself as thought leader in your field through the use of social media. By sharing relevant content and participating in online discussions, professionals can build their reputation and establish themselves as trusted sources of information.
Networking Opportunities: Social media also allows property professionals to connect with others in the industry, network with potential clients, and participate in online communities far faster and easier than ever before. This provides an opportunity to expand your professional network, learn from others, and form strategic partnerships.
Cost-Effective Marketing: Compared to traditional advertising, social media is a cost-effective way to promote your business. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn offer free business profiles and the option to run low-cost advertising campaigns.
Increased Engagement: Using social media provides an excellent opportunity for property professionals to engage directly with their audience in real-time. This includes answering questions, responding to comments, and sharing updates and industry news. And over time, building up this knowledge bank will continue to pay dividends for many years to come.
Better Customer Insights: Through social media you can access valuable insights into customer behaviour, their preferences, and opinions. This information can be used to make informed business decisions and tailor your marketing strategies to better meet the needs of your audience.
Increased Website Traffic: By sharing links to your website and promoting your business on social media, you can drive traffic to your site and improve your search engine rankings which remain in place for a long time. This leads to increased visibility and the potential for more leads and conversions.
Improved Customer Relationships: Social media allows property professionals to establish and maintain a strong connections with their customers in a non-salesy way. By responding to comments and messages, answering questions, and providing valuable information, you can build trust and strengthen your relationships with clients in ways that your competition won't, or can't.
Competitive Advantage: By using social media, property industry professionals can differentiate themselves from their competitors and gain a competitive advantage. It also provides an opportunity to showcase your expertise, properties, and services in a way that sets you apart from the rest.
Hopefully you can see how social media can be a valuable tool for estate agents and other property industry professionals to promote their business and curate their personal brand. By leveraging the benefits outlined above, you can overcome any fears you have of using social media and take your business to the next level.
Whether you're new to social media or an experienced user, now is the time to embrace it and start reaping the rewards. Because one thing is clear - its no longer a passing phase or latest trend - its led to a decline in traditional news sources to such an extent that many newspapers are struggling to keep going.
But the final thing that causes people to be hesitant in using social media in their business is the fear of a complete lack of interaction, or nobody seeing your hard work. With that in mind, here's what I invite you to do:
1. Go to www.WiggyWam.co.uk and create your profile to join the amazing WiggyWam community.
2. Write a brief blog post about something of interest to you about the property industry or record a quick video along similar lines.
3. Post your blog or video to your profile – it will automatically appear in our news or broadcasts section depending upon if it's a written blog or video.
4. Feel a sense of pride that you've taken this valuable step, then check back within 48 hours and look at the number of views your article has received.
5. Assuming you feel encouraged by the number of people positively interacting with your content, post more online and make a commitment to post at least once a week. Over time, you'll build up a valuable online presence and knowledge bank which will be useful to help others for months and years to come. You'll also gain more confidence over time which will naturally improve the quality of the content you produce.
So what are you waiting for? Create your profile on www.WiggyWam.co.uk and post your first blog. After all, done is better than perfect and your content will evolve over time. The important thing is to just get started!
ABOUT WIGGYWAM
We want to build the biggest network of quality Solicitors, Estate Agents, Lenders, Surveyors, Removals (and other professionals involved in the homemoving process) whose mission is to provide excellent customer service. We want to make it easier for home buyers and sellers to find those quality professionals, communicate with them and if they are buying or selling a home, collaborate with all parties involved in the transaction in one space.
We don't want under-performing professionals in our network. We want to be able to guarantee to the public that whoever they choose on the platform is working to an agreed standard level of service that puts the consumer at the heart. If that's you, we'd love you to join us! All the tools you need to achieve these standards are built into WiggyWam. You don't need fancy tech, there are no integrations needed. Just register, invite your contacts to join and you are good to go! What have you got to lose?
To find out more and register simply click on the profile type below that best represents you: