Facebook is a great social media channel to showcase who you are—with more in-depth or longer content, videos and photos. It is the most popular social media channel, used by 79% of the world’s internet users, and the one where you are most likely to find owners and residents. People will often turn to Facebook to determine if a company is “legit.”
Facebook allows you to upload photos and videos, share insightful content or articles
and give updates on your business. These capabilities can help you to gain exposure to new prospects and establish a solid relationship with owners or prospective tenants. Facebook is also helpful for communicating with your existing customers or tenants. Whether it’s through comments or messages, it’s easier than ever to interact with your audience, providing you with the opportunity to build your reputation! Having a dedicated Facebook profile, separate from your personal account, is also a great way to drive traffic to your website. By posting blogs, listings or other links to your website, you grow the exposure of your business, and a business page will also allow reviews.
- 1.86 Billion Active Users
- 214 Million Active Monthly Users in the I.S.
- Facebook Drives 25% of All Web Referral Traffic
- 79% of Internet Users Use Facebook
- 62% of Adults 60+ Are Now using FaceBook - a 14% increase over last year
- The average user spends nearly 50 minutes a day on FaceBook
- FaceBook posts with images see 2.3 times more engagement
- 73% of people say they use FaceBook for professional purposes
- Content consumption on FaceBook has increased by 57% in the past 2 years
- 39% of marketers are adding video to their social media strategy within the next year
TIPS FOR FACEBOOK
- Try posting content at least 2-4 times per week. Types of posts could include a blog post, a news article or even a photo.
- Posts with images tend to see much higher engagement because they are eye-catching so try to always include an image in your post.
- Make sure the “About” section of your page is up to date and filled out.
- Double check to make sure your phone number, website and address are correctly listed. This is imperative for when your audience is trying to contact you!
FEATURES TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF:
- CTA Button - Facebook provides the option to have a customizable CTA (call-to-action) button at the top of your profile. Here you can link to your website and drive traffic back to your site.
- FB Messenger - This tool has become a popular way for users to get in touch with businesses due to its simplicity. Your responsiveness over messenger reflects your customer service, so don’t ignore it! Try to respond to all messages within a few hours.
- 360˚photos - The new feature allows you to view a photo from different angles as if you were physically there seeing what you are viewing. It’s very simple to do too! All you need to do is take a panoramic photo and upload it to your page.
- Live video - Facebook Live is a more recent feature but has become wildly popular. Even other social media platforms are taking after the trend by adding their own take on it. The feature allows you to live record and share videos with your followers.
CONTENT IDEAS FOR FACEBOOK
- Run a contest to increase your engagement with your customers or tenants without a lot of effort. Perhaps a photo contest of the local area or a caption contest for a photo you post.
- Link to your blog posts or third party articles.
- Use Facebook as a blog, if you don’t have one, sharing stories or articles you’ve written.
- Share listings for vacant properties.
- Share upcoming events or community interest stories.
- Publish handy information for common areas or emergencies.
- Use the 360˚ photo feature to showcase vacant properties.
SPENDING MONEY ON FACEBOOK
Facebook Ads let you boost posts and have them show on the newsfeeds of your own customizable audience based on location, age, gender, language, interests, and behavior. A little money here can go a long way and help get your name out there, but it also can get expensive. Most property management companies will not spend money for year-round promotions. They may, however, try putting spend behind a specific post in order to gain exposure and add followers or achieve a specific short-term goal. For example, you could advertise a post showing photos and details on a vacancy or new building. Short campaigns that you track closely are worth trying. If you see results, try more.