Social Search Engines
5 December 2019
Kristen Cowell
Lead Designer, Identity Marketing
“People and social culture is constantly evolving and now social media is being used as a mini search engine. This is what you need to have to survive the sociocultural shift in social media marketing.”
As little as 3 years ago, the standard approach to finding out information about a real estate agency was to search their name through online search engines such as Google. As social media takes centre stage, there’s been a siginificant shift in the social norm of ‘Googling’ an agency. That shift? We’re moving away from Google and toward socials.
Envision this, John and Mollie are sitting at home on the couch watching The Block – selling their home has been on their radar for a while now. Mollie is scrolling through Instagram and decides to search the name of a real estate agency she had seen a DL for in her letterbox. Instead of leaving Instagram, opening a browser tab, googling an agency and looking at their website for introductory information – she simply searches for the agency’s Instagram profile.
This setting, although fictional is a common occurrence, which makes social media platforms not only a specialised search engine, profiles act as a miniature website too. Going back to the above scenario there are two options for what happens next:
01.
The agency she remembers doesn’t have an Instagram page. Mollie subconsciously thinks to herself, if they’re not available on social, how available can they be for my home? She then searches for real estate agencies in her area to see if another agency profile appears.
02.
Mollie finds the profile with ease and she likes what she sees. There are homes for sale like hers, they’re presented well and she can easily see information about who the agency is, what they specialise in, the fact that they work in her area and that they’re passionate about real estate. Mollie now has a vested interest and can decide whether she wants to contact through Instagram, visit the office or phone the number provided on Instagram.
Although it’s a dramatised scenario, it does beg the question: are you relaying vital information on your social media platforms or are you expecting your market to take extra steps to find the same information?
As someone who lives and breathes social media, these are the 3 things that I recommend to include in your social media profiles to survive the sociocultural shift:
Who you are
A Facebook and Instagram profile with content that showcases your name, the agency you’re with and insight into your professional personality.
That you’re passionate about it.
There’s nothing more appealing than a real estate professional that is passionate about their profession.
Where you do it.
Get local and let them know that you know the area better than anyone else.
Tip 01 – Hashtags are also an important part of being found on sites such as Instagram. By establishing the right hashtags and using them where appropriate, you’re working to ensure that you can be found in the right circumstances.
Tip 02 – Don’t forget to completely fill out the information sections on your Facebook page. Areas such as services and the website address are often neglected.
As a final note, Instagram and Facebook are not direct search engine competitors, they are however a compliment to one another. Active social media accounts can enable your website SEO to improve, as well as social media accounts directing your market back to your website.
