Maximizing Your “Virtual Storefronts” To Dominate Your Competition
There are “offline” sales and “online” sales and in the world of Real Estate the two are now officially merged and intertwined.
The most effective Real Estate salespeople (Realtors, Lenders, Attorneys, etc.), positioned to dominate in the next few years, will invest their time and resources immediately and/or continuously in these two sandboxes.
Gone are the days of hearing: “I’m not really a Social Media type person”.…well, it doesn’t matter what you are, you must be to survive and thrive in the years ahead. Americans now spend, on average, more than an hour a day on Facebook and Facebook-connected platforms.
The future homebuyer is on Tik Tok, YouTube, and Instagram.
Offline sales, such as phone and in-person prospecting will always rule supreme. It’s highly effective when done with the right people and in the right way but is not always the most efficient.
Online sales, such as business media (what I refer to as social media now), are most efficient and can be just as effective as offline sales if also approached in the right way.
People buy people, not companies.
Companies hire the person, and not always the most qualified person.
Think about that. Attention is Currency.
Many Real Estate “professionals” are either too lazy, too incompetent, too inconsistent, too impatient or too worried about what others might think to start and dominate on Social Media. Well, I’m here to help you overcome some of those limitations.
Here’s my 5-step process to make your “virtual storefront” attractive to your visitors:
1. Your banner is prime real estate
Picture yourself walking at the mall, and you see hundreds of stores. You come across a store that appears to sell Women’s shoes, but wait, the sign is a picture of a skyline, huh? That’s literally what most Real Estate professionals’ “digital sign” looks like. Sure, the Chicago or Dubai skyline looks cool, but currency is greater than cool. The very first image any visitor sees when visiting any of your social media profiles is your banner, it’s the most important part of your virtual real estate (aka prime real estate). Imagine this as the MLS listing for one of your top clients. You’ve had professional property photos taken, but the first image is that of the alley. Lol. This image should invite people “in” and to follow you.
2. Your headshot is your introduction.
Everybody judges people’s appearances, consciously or subconsciously, it’s proven through years of research. Your headshot will induce a feeling of some sort and it’s important your headshot is neutral, inviting, and aligned with your brand (this is a hint to update your profile picture). Hire a professional photographer and take your personal image seriously.
3. Your tagline is not about you.
Now that your visitors understand who you are (banner) and if you’re approachable (headshot), your tagline is critical for them to understand how you can be of value to them. The objective of the tagline is to explain to your visitor clearly and concisely what you do and how you help them. Hint: It’s not your actual title, nobody cares about that. The minute you realize that everything you communicate is about others is the minute your career will change. This even relates to our elevator pitch:
Them: “What do you do?”
You: “I’m a Realtor”
Yawn.
In contrast: “I guide you in purchasing and selling real estate wisely”
That is compelling and attractive. It will intrigue people to follow you.
4. You are the trusted expert through content.
Once you have successfully attracted and engaged your visitor through your sign (banner), headshot (window dressing), and tagline (window signs), it’s time to bring them in to see your products (content). This will illustrate your commitment and seriousness to your craft, so the first step is to delete a majority of your posts not relating to your profession. I like a 4:1 professional-to-personal content ratio. In other words, for every four professional posts, one of them should be about you personally (something fun, entertaining, humorous, etc.) But, if you have a bunch of TMZ articles or your Wordle results posted and wonder why your sales stink, now you have an idea of why. Content curation should educate, entertain, and encourage.
Educating will showcase your expertise.
Entertaining will make you approachable.
Encouragement will empower others (“if they bought a home with [insert your name], we can too!”)
Content curation is a lot easier than you might think. I personally subscribe to and read various industry publications and attend masterminds and workshops, along with studying trends which I share in layman’s terms daily with my community. It shows my subject matter expertise. More and more people know me, like me, and trust me.
5. You are engaging your visitors.
Now that your visitors are in your “digital store” and experiencing your products, it’s time to interact with them. Imagine owning an awesome Women’s shoe store and your salesperson does not greet or approach your new visitor…You would not be happy.
There is nothing different in the “digital” or “virtual” storefront world. Fortunately, such engagement doesn’t need to be immediate in the digital world but having a set time (preferably in the mornings) to like, heart, comment, and direct message your visitors will cause your “cash register” to ding all day.
Simply liking will not cut it. But engaging through thoughtful comments and direct messaging will attract people to you. I promise you when a couple is at home deciding which Realtor to procure, your virtual presence, credibility, and likeability on social will help you win more than you can imagine.
TL;DR (Too Long; Didn’t Read)
- Banner image must be aligned
- Headshot must be professional
- Tagline must be about others
- Content must showcase your expertise
- Engagement must happen strategically
Time to have a line outside your “store” !
Let’s Go!
xo- KG