10.25.2012

Creating a Realtor's Online Presence in 3 Easy Steps

As the vast majority begin searching for real estate agents and homes online, REALTORS are under increasing pressure to create and develop an online presence. In order to simplify what may seem like a daunting undertaking, the following represents a simple 3-Step Process for a real estate agent to move his or her brand online.

Don't be on the Wrong End of the Social Media Conversation

1.   Set Up Social Media Profiles

An agent should first begin to create a multi-channel online presence by setting up profiles on different social media platforms.  This enables the agent to start sharing, interacting and connecting with others through these networks.  Keep these 4 important tips in mind when publishing content on these channels:
  • Be consistent and clear with your posts and content
  • Use a continuous appearance with the same photo, colors & username
  • Create a personal bio with all relevant keywords
  • Remember your goals and audience whenever publishing content
Choosing online networks depends on the content type you want to publish. An agent should start establishing a presence on some of the more popular channels for each type of content:

2.   Create a Personal Landing Page

A personal landing page provides an agent's online audience with one simple link to find everything about the agent. It should contain professional and personal information, contact information, and all of the agent's social media network links.  Remember that search engine optimization (SEO) is driven by site visitors creating activity on an agent's various sites by linking in and out of them.  So a personal landing page provides a perfect medium for clients to link away from an agent's social networks and into others.

These pages also create enhanced accessibility, personal engagement and strong support of an agent's brand.  The following are some examples of great personal landing page sites that can be created quickly for free:

3.   Pro-Actively Promote your Online Brand

Remember that links are the key to an agent driving traffic to his or her networks, so all of an agent's social media profiles, landing pages and agent websites should  cross-link to each other.  For example, the "About Me" section of an agent's Facebook profile should contain numerous addresses for the agent's Twitter profile page, Youtube channel, Blogger blog address, About.me page, and etc.  Agents should also frequently publish content containing links to his or her other platforms as well.

Realtors should also create an email signature that contains links to their social media profiles, websites and landing pages.  All print materials such as property flyers, business cards and advertisements should reference the agent's online sites as well.  Not only does this drive traffic to an agent's online platforms, it also provides evidence of the agent's technological savvy and ability to use these platforms to market property for sale. Some good sites for creating email signatures and business cards include:
So rather than looking at the creation of an online presence as an overwhelming task, think of it as a cost-free undertaking that can be gradually accomplished in these three simple steps.  Most importantly, it provides for a creative and fun way to connect with others while generating more business!
Posted by at