20 Secret Social Media Tips, Stats & Free Resources Only The Pros Know...Until Now

1. THE ULTIMATE
Social Media
Playbook
for Real Estate Agents

2. If crushing social
media is not a goal
for you...

3. …it should be.
Here are the top 20 social media
stats and plays (pro tips) to help
you sell more homes in 2017.

4. Play 1: The Social Media Playing Field
Play 2: Facebook
Play 3: Twitter
Play 4: Pinterest
Play 5: LinkedIn
Play 6: YouTube
Play 7: Bonus Play (to Crush 2017)
Winning Strategies

5. Today there is a new, empowered
consumer generation that does its
homework ahead of time. Google calls this
online-decision making moment the Zero
Moment of Truth – or ZMOT.
And if you don’t have an online presence,
including social media, you simply don’t
exist.
FREE eBook Download: Winning the Zero Moment of Truth
*NAR & Google, 2014
9 in 10 home buyers today
rely on the internet as one of
their primary research
sources, and 52% turn to the
web as their first step.*
1

6. Social media is not going away. It should
be a part of your marketing strategy. Not
sure where to start? Visit social media sites
of competitors and brands you admire
regardless of industry. Note where they
have a presence, how often they post,
what they post and the level of
engagement they get.
When you’ve formed your own strategy,
leverage tools like HootSuite and
MeetEdgar to effectively manage your
social media activity.
HOT Resources:
HootSuite
MeetEdgar
*Brainsins, 2015
Social traffic has increased
by 357% as compared to the
same time last year.*
2

7. Make sure to outline clear objectives for
social media. Then put in place specific
metrics that will enable you to evaluate
how your programs are performing.
In addition to a ton of metrics you can get
from the social networks themselves, there
are some great tools out there. A link
shortener (e.g. Bit.ly) will track clicks on
your social posts. You can also use a
service like Google Analytics to track the
source of traffic to your website. Both are
FREE!
HOT Resources:
Bit.ly
Getting Started with Google Analytics
*Tylerhakes, 2014
88% of businesses still
struggle with measuring their
social media’s ROI.*
3

8. Make your business stand out for superior
customer service. Monitor your social
media accounts regularly and always
respond to ALL comments thus providing
the best service possible.
Using Twitter? Keep in mind, Twitter users
expect a response in an hour.
READ THIS!
6 Tools for Managing Your Online Reputation
Only 20% of consumer
comments generate a
response. The average
response time is over 11
hours.*
4
*eMarketer, 2014

9. Frequency alone certainly isn't the answer
to social media success. You must create
fresh, engaging content (i.e. this goes
beyond just posting listings.)
But what is the ideal frequency? To
determine the proper balance, you need to
experiment. Try this. Over a 2-week period,
post 2x as frequently as you usually do. For
the next experiment, post less frequently.
Was there a notable improvement?
READ THIS! 7 Content Ideas to Generate Leads
The real estate industry has
the highest average number
of social posts per week (19)
but the lowest average
number of interactions per
post (0.45).*
5
*Marketing Sherpa, 2015

10. Stats
& Plays

11. More consumers use Facebook (and spend
more time there) than any other social
network. Take advantage by testing
Facebook ads.
Cost effective and highly targeted,
Facebook even has a behavioral category
for people that are “likely to move.” How
cool is that?
READ THIS!
10 Facebook Ads that Actually Work
47% of social media users
state that Facebook has
had a bigger impact on
their decision to buy than
any other social network.*
6
*PostCron, 2014

12. Popular posts include memes, animated
GIFs and infographics. Your posts should be
relevant and timely.
Create unique content and tie it back to
your business as often as possible by
providing a link back to your website or
blog to drive traffic.
FREE Resources:
Meme Generator
Animated GIFs
15 Infographic Templates (in PowerPoint!)
On Facebook, posts with
photos get 120% more
engagement than those
without them.*
7
*WishPond, 2014

13. Video is about to hit the peak! Now’s the
time to get on board.
Facebook Live is a great resource to
demonstrate your expertise during a live
Q&A or in a 60-second market update. The
key is being prepared.
FREE Resource:
Facebook Live
Facebook now sees 8
billion average daily video
views from 500 million users.
For this reason, creating
videos is the #1 content
goal for marketers in 2017.*
8
*TechCrunch, 2015

14. Stats
& Plays

15. While not as heavily used by agents, this
social media giant is great for reaching
wider audiences and can be a strong
source of leads for your business. It’s
important to test what works for your
market and customers to see if this can be
a viable channel.
Be sure to tweet a mix of links, images and
commentary on relevant topics. And if
you’re tempted to tweet about politics or
touchy subjects, set up a different Twitter
profile for your business tweets.
34% of businesses use
Twitter successfully to
generate new leads.*
9
READ THIS!
2016 List of Top Real Estate Twitter Accounts
*Jeff Bullas, 2015

16. This relatively small window of opportunity
for engagement means your Tweets need
to get in front of as many eyeballs as
possible — when the largest portion of your
target audience is using Twitter.
Knowing when that is will take a bit of trial
and error but analysis of over 40,000 tweets
suggests the best time to post on Twitter is
1-3 pm ET, Monday to Thursday.
The average life of a Tweet
is only 24 minutes (as
compared to 90 minutes for
a Facebook post.)*
10
INFOGRAPHIC: Best (and Worst) Times to Post on Any
Social Network
*Wiselytics, 2015

17. So which one is better? Try testing both to
see which one yields a higher ROI for your
business.
Twitter offers objective-based ad
campaigns. This ties back to your overall
social media goal: 1. Increase site visits and
conversions 2. Build a Twitter audience 3.
Engage with your existing audience.
Advertising on Twitter costs
nearly 6x as much as
Facebook ads, however
the click through rate (CTR)
for Twitter ads is 8-24x
higher.*
11
FREE eBook Download:
Ultimate Handbook to Twitter Advertising
*Smart Insights, 2014

18. Stats
& Plays

19. So yes, you definitely want to be present
where these people are. While it’s tempting
to exclusively pin real estate listings,
Pinterest users, especially millennials, are
seeking more. Think about creating boards
for home improvement hacks, design
trends or homeowner tips.
Showcase your local knowledge with a
board dedicated to a specific area
(schools, restaurants and even upcoming
events).
67% of Pinterest’s active
users are millennials. And,
the average user has a six-
figure annual household
income.*
12
READ THIS! Millennial Marketing Tips from Jimmy
Fallon.
*Chainstoreage, 2016

20. Although Pinterest is an invaluable real
estate marketing tool, it can become a bit
time-consuming. You might find that
pinning takes too much time from your
workday or you might simply get drawn into
the never-ending vortex of DIY projects and
culinary masterpieces.
So rather than spreading yourself too thin,
consider hiring a social media expert or
delegating some of the tasks to an
assistant.
Pinterest is the only social
network that’s nearly 100%
visual.*
13
BONUS Tips: Tall pins tend to get a lot more shares
than little square pins on Pinterest.
Use Canva to create pins that make you look like a
graphics artist!
*Inman, 2016

21. When you pin something, it is essentially
there forever.
Research has found:
• 40% of the clicks happen within the first
day.
• 70% of the clicks happen within the first 2
days.
• The remaining 30% clicks come all the
way through 30 days and beyond.
And thanks to the bulletin-board-esque
style of the site, it is very easy for your old
pins to be found. But selecting the right
keywords is critical!
The posts on Pinterest have
the longest lifespan of any
social media site.*
14
READ THIS!
3 Simple Ways to Find the Right Keywords on
Pinterest
*Bill Gassett, 2014

22. Stats
& Plays

23. In a study of more than 5,000 businesses,
HubSpot found that traffic from LinkedIn
generated the highest visitor-to-lead
conversion rate at 2.74% —which is 277%
higher than Twitter (.69%) and Facebook
(.77%).
Make sure your company (not just you) has
a presence on LinkedIn. Not only is your
company page a source of information for
prospects, you can share posts with
followers just like other social network sites.
LinkedIn generates social
media’s highest lead
conversion rate.*
15
HOT Resource: Getting Started with LinkedIn
Company Pages
*HubSpot, 2015

24. Actively manage your identity. Make sure
your LinkedIn profile is up-to-date and
don’t forget a profile photo!
Remember, this isn’t Facebook so replace
that family photo with a professional
headshot.
Adding a professional
photo to your profile makes
you 14x more likely to be
found on LinkedIn.*
16
*LinkedIn, 2015
READ THIS! DIY Headshots - Even with your iPhone!

25. We know from past NAR survey results that
homebuyers have been frustrated with the
lack of negotiation skills displayed by their
agent. Here’s your opportunity to flaunt
your abilities by making sure it is one of your
top 5 skills on LinkedIn.
The next step is to convert those endorsed
skills into a recommendation. Ask past
clients if they’d be willing to write a brief
recommendation that highlights your best
qualities. You’d be surprised how many say
“yes!”
LinkedIn users with at least 5
skills listed on their profile
receive up to 17x more
profile views.*
17
*LinkedIn, 2015
READ THIS! 10 Ways Agents Can Get the Most out of
LinkedIn

26. Stats
& Plays

27. YouTube is a mix of educational and
entertaining videos. For real estate agents,
educational videos tend to receive the
most views and shares.
The key is keeping them brief (under 60
seconds if possible).
YouTube overall, and even
YouTube on mobile alone,
reaches more 18-34 and 18-
49 year-olds than any cable
network in the U.S.*
18
*YouTube, 2016
WATCH THIS:
Awesome Agent Video to Attract More Homebuyers

28. If your YouTube channel is full of videos,
chances are viewers will spend some time
viewing a number of them (or at least
sampling).
Make sure you have a good variety and
organize your YouTube channel into
playlists so it’s easy to identify relevant
content (i.e. homebuyers, home sellers,
homeowners, agents, etc).
YouTube users are the most
engaged, spending an
average of 40 minutes
during a mobile session - up
more than 50% last year.*
19
*BrandWatch, 2016
WATCH THIS:
Example of Real Estate Playlists

29. Talk about endless opportunities! Unlike
other social media networks saturated with
agents, YouTube is yours for the taking.
There are plenty of ways (and inexpensive
resources) to produce video content for
your business. You can repurpose
infographics into explainer videos, create
short how-to videos or a real estate market
update. Consider creating a profile or
company history video too.
Only 9% of U.S. small
businesses are using
YouTube.*
20
*Fortune Lords, 2016
HOT Resource: Make Videos for as Low as $5

30. One more thing
before you go…

31. Know More. Sell More.
Housefax PRO™ is a marketing
solution for every aspect of your real
estate agency.
From attracting quality leads, to
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more homes, Housefax is a
recognizable stamp of trust that
creates confident homebuyers.
Don’t have a Housefax PRO Account yet?
Join today and your first Housefax Report is FREE!
Go to: https://housefax.com/pro/about

32. Solutions for Every Part of
Your Business
Be a Trailblazer. Show buyers and
sellers you’re different. Offer a
Housefax Report with your photo and
contact info to stand out from the
crowd.
Attract Higher Quality Leads. Housefax
customers are serious homebuyers. Use
Housefax Lead Links on your website
and in social media to find them.
Win New Listings. Demonstrate your
expertise. Share a Housefax Report
during a Listing Presentation.
Sell More Homes. Eliminate buyer
doubt and save more deals. Offer a
Housefax Report during Open Houses
and Buyers Tours. Avoid surprises during
home Inspections.

33. Housefax. There’s only one.
877-598-6634
housefax.com/pro/about
facebook.com/housefax
@housefax
PROsupport@housefax.com
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