Pinterest might not be the first social media channel that comes to mind to market your real estate company, but the statistics tell another story. Pinterest has around 150 million users worldwide, and more and more businesses are discovering that having a presence on the site can drive customers to their websites. Unlike Facebook or Twitter, Pinterest is a visual site that allows users to ‘pin’ content that they can return to later. They can even add their own notes to your images to remind themselves why they found it interesting, so they’re more likely to remember and revisit your content at at later date. And of course, the more attention your pins generate, the more potential customers will visit your website or blog.
However, just posting pictures of listings or failing to engage with other Pinterest users won’t generate much interest in your board. As with any social media site, you need to understand its inner workings. The following tips will help you use Pinterest to its best advantage to grow your business.
Diversify to attract followers
As with any social media channel or website page, Pinterest for realtors achieves the best results when you create useful, meaningful content that benefits your followers. You’re a real person and people will want to connect with you if they’re interested in what you have to say, just as they would through Facebook or Twitter. So create boards that have pins relating to diverse topics such as home improvement, social media or local information – in fact anything that you find interesting or useful and you will soon gain followers. You can then begin to pepper your posts with real estate pins, and by linking these to your website or blog you can direct potential customers to your business interests.
Evergreen isn’t just for trees, it’s for content too
Unlike other social media sites, Pinterest has evergreen content that, once created, can be found for months or even years to come. A tweet can be quickly buried in someones feed and a Facebook post has a window of only around 2.5 hours before it’s lost to the follower, so real estate Pinterest boards can be a great way to get content out there and keep it there. Of course this comes with its own challenges. Your content has to be relevant and stay relevant. There’s no point in pinning specific real estate listings. Instead, consider posts with tips for home décor or articles relating to your local area that won’t go out of date.
What’s your brand? Who are your audience?
Make sure your pins stand out from the crowd. Tall rectangles are shared more frequently than squares. Create eye-catching graphics with Canva – a great tool with many free images that you can tailor to your own design. However, you should aim for consistency across your pins so your brand and tone are immediately recognizable. Consider adding identifiers such as a small watermark and even your phone number or email address so you are easily contactable.
The majority of Pinterest users are women: 81%, in fact. They are more likely to be millennials, with healthy salaries above $75,000. So get to know your audience and their interests. Research other real estate Pinterest boards to see what has garnered the most saves and develop your board accordingly.
Be social. Sharing is good!
Many people don’t realize that you can build relationships on Pinterest in the same way that you can on other social media platforms. However, connecting with others is vital to success in this Pinterest real estate marketing. With a diverse board full of interesting pins, you can join groups and begin to contribute images and ideas about things that interest them. You can also reach out with a thank you if someone pins your image and start a conversation. Try to pin several times a day, but remember that most people are active on this social media in the evening, so make sure you add a couple of pins then.
Look for real estate groups on Pinterest that attract a lot of interest. ‘The Pinterest Real Estate Group Board’ and ‘Pinterest Real Estate Home Improvement and Social Media’ are good places to begin to build connections. Because they have such large followings, any pin you share then has the potential to be shared with thousands of other users.
Get technical
Pinterest allows you to apply for ‘rich pins’. Once your blog or website has been approved, HTML data is added to your pins to make them stand out. Adding hashtags is also crucial to success. They make your pins easier to search for and to find (but make sure you only add a couple or your posts could be seen as spam).
Consider setting up a business account. This will help you plan your marketing strategy as you will be able to analyze traffic and the ways in which consumers engage with your content. If you have a blog, you can attach a plugin that will share any images you have directly to Pinterest. Then the viewer is more likely to visit the source (your blog), and find out more about your company and what you can do for them.
Think local
As a realtor, you really want to know your local area and reach the audience with a vested interest in your district. When a prospective buyer searches for your name through Google, they will be directed to your Pinterest board. If you fill your board with pins providing useful local information and linking to your website or blog, potential customers will be in the right place to view the properties you want them to see.
Pinterest is also a great way to maintain relationships with your existing local clients so you can encourage repeat business. If you’re aware of their interests you can adjust your pins accordingly so that they are more likely to follow you, engage in conversation and even spread the word to other potential customers.
