If we look back over the last decade there has been a significant shift in the property advertising market. While search engines will always be very important with regards to website exposure and link building, it seems that social media is taking over. So, what are the benefits of using social media to advertise property?
Facebook, LinkedIn and more
Research shows that the UK alone had 45 million active social media users in 2019. Interestingly, 39 million of total active users were active on their mobile social media accounts. The overall penetration is 68% for social media in general with 58% specifically for mobile social media. This perfectly illustrates why the likes of Facebook, LinkedIn, etc are now an integral part of any property advertising campaign.
Sharing amongst friends
The beauty of social media, and in particular Facebook, is the fact that any post which appears on an individual’s timeline is often seen by their friends. Many people will also share and share again to increase the exposure of an individual post. Very quickly popular property post can reach hundreds of thousands of people and become viral. In many ways, by sharing an individual post with your friends and family this gives the post itself a stamp of approval.
Convenience of using smart phones
Whether for business or pleasure, there are literally tens of millions of people in the UK with at least one smart phone. There is no doubt that this has increased the number of people active on social media. In effect, a smart phone will allow you to check your social media accounts when you have a few moments spare away from your desk. Many people depend on their mobile phones, an alarm in the morning, an email collator through the day and the perfect way to unwind checking out your social media accounts. Could it get any easier?
Advertising rental property
It is now possible to advertise rental properties across all the major social media channels. The cost on the whole is relatively small when compared to the potential return let alone the basic exposure given to a particular property, post or company. There have also been huge improvements in video technology which now offers the ability to do real-time property walk-throughs. When you also throw in the potential video coverage available via drones, where does this all end?
Search engines are still important
While social media is the perfect method by which to immediately hit potential clients/customers, search engine still have a long-term role to play regarding property websites. If you can secure top rankings for some of the more popular property search terms this will ensure that you are the first website surfers see when looking to buy/rent property. This can also lead to a very active social media scene by connecting Facebook and other social media channels to your main website.
Summary
There is no doubt that the importance of social media should not be underestimated by any property owner looking to sell/rent. Companies have built up huge social media followings with the likes of Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to name but three major channels. The key is to focus on highly specific individuals who will have a genuine interest in what you have to offer. The scattergun approach of years gone by is wasted on social media. Keep it tight, keep it focused and keep it specific and the return on investment could be huge!