Monday, October 4th, Facebook and their other properties, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger went dark. It started a flurry of activity as people didn't know if it was their internet connection, or something they are doing wrong. It was almost inconceivable that the social media giant could have a real technical problem. But it did.
It was amazing to me how many calls and emails I received when their social media links on their websites were not working. Or they wanted to know what to do with advertising their new listing. Seriously?
If you are putting all your marketing eggs in the Facebook basket, you are selling your Sellers short. FB ads can be a part of a strategy but they should never be "the" strategy to sell a home for a client!
Yesterday was a real wakening call for all those that use FB as their advertisement. If I were to advise agents on how to market new listings online, I would recommend posting on Google My Business every day, LinkedIn as often as possible (this is a network of real working people, not those that have the luxury to sit on FB all day), email marketing campaigns, and I would probably recommend Google Display Ads. Why?
If you want to truly reach your demographic, you have the best shot at reaching working people in most generations with display ads. Many workers use the internet throughout their day in their tasks. Rarely are they sitting on Facebook! If you have a move-up seller, then the house they are probably selling is a great homeownership entry level home for first time homebuyers! The younger generations, like Gen Xers under 40, Millennials, and Gen Zers don't use FB, as they have said many times... "I'm not going to be on the same social media platform that my parents and grandparents are on! Gross!" They are found on Instagram perhaps, but TickTock for sure, which isn't good for ads. That leaves you with generating leads online (SEO, yes, as I've said many times) and Google ads that can reach the demographic you need to market to in order to sell your listing.
Depending on the home, your marketing strategy should coincide with the type of home, price point, and demographic that would be potential buyers for the home. It takes a plan and thought and yes, work. Marketing a listing isn't a "one-size fits all" moment.
I hope you got something out of this blog. I welcome your comments. Reach out to me if you would like to learn more.
Comments