Keeping up with the newest social media trends can feel like a full-time job. Jumping on the bandwagon of ‘the next best thing’ is something that’s so easily done in the pursuit of more leads. However, this can have a negative effect on your marketing, and is something we like to call “shiny thing syndrome”
Remember when you were a kid and you had to beg for the latest toy because it was absolutely something you had to have? Fast forward three weeks and it was no longer relevant to your life. That’s exactly what we mean but in terms of marketing.
Creating a social media account because it’s the newest without taking into consideration whether or not it fits as part of your plan will not only waste your time but could see you forgotten by the masses, leaving a trail of ‘dead’ accounts online, which isn’t a good look if they appear on search engines when someone is researching your business..
So how do you avoid it?
Before making any accounts you should first ask yourself the following:
- Do we have a need to fulfill and will this new platform achieve that?
- Do we have a sustainable plan for this, or is it just an off the cuff idea?
- Does this line up with my goals?
If the answer is no to any of these, you should probably leave it, and not quickly jump in.
That’s not to say when something new comes along don’t try it, but make sure you have a plan in place that’s going to work long term.
What should you do instead?
Each company will be slightly different depending on who you are as a brand. The core principles will be the same.
Build a marketing strategy
Having a plan for most things in life makes day to day easier. The same is true for marketing. A strategy and a social media plan will help you to keep a check on what you’re saying, how often you are posting and who your marketing is aimed at. These are all important when it comes to creating a successful marketing plan.
Consistency is key when it comes to social media. Spreading yourself too thinly across all platforms will not only be confusing and hard to do, but won’t have much impact on your leads. We suggest sticking to one or two platforms and doing them well. Consistency in not only how much you post, but staying on brand too. Make sure your company voice is portrayed in whatever you post. If you don’t do this your message could get lost.
Build trust and start local
Building a community is important for any business but especially for estate and lettings agents, to be able to focus on the local community. Becoming a ‘staple name’ for moving home in the area you cover is invaluable.
Marketing locally doesn’t just have to be posting flyers either. Getting involved in community projects that you have a genuine interest in will go a long way to building rapport.
Never underestimate the power of traditional marketing.
As far as marketing is concerned, traditional methods of spreading the word are still very much alive.
Take word of mouth for example, in a world where anyone can say anything about your company, at any time for potentially thousands of people to see, it’s now more important than ever to make sure you’re getting it right. The use of social media hasn’t taken away the importance of word of mouth though, if anything it’s heightened it. This is what you want to harness with any plan, not just jumping on bandwagons!
Katie Gillingham
Katie is a Freelance Copywriter living in rural Dorset with her daft old Labrador. She first started writing content for the property industry back in 2015, and loves nothing more than bringing brand voices to life!
