How to Use Social Media Effectively in Commercial Real Estate Brokerage
With all the technology tools that we have available in commercial real estate brokerage today, there can be some confusion on just how we should use social media. In a few words the idea of using social media marketing in our property industry is good albeit that it is a specific process that requires planning and consistency. Any social media activity should be kept simple and location related to gain the maximum benefit from the process.
Search Engines Look For?
Search engines (and or the algorithms within them) look at the social media links and any online website updates; they use ‘spiders’ or web ‘crawlers’ to keep pace with the new millions of articles and information that are being posted online every day. If a website or blog is frequently updated with good quality, relevant and regular information, then the search engines will keep coming back frequently to the site to see if something further has happened or has been loaded to the site.
We all know the search engines that have the most use and relevance to business and or property related searches. It is a fact that the larger search engines like to see information that they can use with online searches, and hence supply information online to those people wanting it or their questions answered.
Local Property Issues?
Consider this. What question or phrase would someone type into a search engine to seek help with a local property related issue? There are plenty of property questions to consider in this way. Some simple questions may be:
- How to sell a commercial property?
- When should I lease a business property?
- What is the best online marketing choice for selling my property?
- What properties are for sale in ‘Your Town’?
- How to manage a commercial property?
- How to read a lease in a retail shop?
When you know the questions, then you know the answers you can write about in your social media activity. On that basis the following model would work well for any article or property market commentary that you create on your blog or in your website.
- Local issues for the town or city will be easily seen.
- Location based references should bring in comments about office, industrial, and retail property types.
- Answer questions that ordinary people would have
- Quality information should be provided that is up to date
- Deal with problems for sales, leasing, and property management
- Talk about alternatives to any property problems
- Regularity of posting
- Blogging is a good practice to commence
- Link all your articles and information to social media
From this base of activity you can make your social media work effectively in commercial real estate brokerage.
