Are you looking for ways to promote your business on social media without spending a fortune on targeted ads?
Pinterest offers ample opportunities for real estate agents to show their expertise, offer value, and build lasting client relationships. Best of all, you can make an impact without spending a dime.
Keep reading to find out how you can become a Pinterest rock star and, ultimately, how you can use that newfound influence to drive sales.
How do I get started?
Anyone who’s promoted their business on Pinterest knows that content curation is the name of the game.
Pinterest users create categories of content, called “boards,” and “pin” interesting links and images to those boards. While this is a useful way for individuals to keep track of things they might want to read or reference later, agents (and other salespeople) can use Pinterest to present useful or interesting content and establish their authority on a given topic.
The first thing you need to do is create an account. If you’re already active on Facebook or Google, you can connect your Pinterest account to either of those—which will make it easier for your existing connections on Gmail or your personal Facebook page to find you.
From there, you’ll set up your profile and begin curating content—starting by creating boards and then filling them with images and links your clients will really appreciate.
What kinds of boards should I create?
Before you get too far into your Pinterest efforts, spend some time thinking about who your audience is. What will they find interesting, useful, or amusing? Which types of content can you share that will add value to their lives?
Here are a few ideas to get you going.
Home Improvement Tips
Whether you’re staying connected with past clients or trying to get on good terms with prospects, you can brand yourself as a valuable resource by sharing content homeowners will appreciate.
When you’re putting together this board, you might include small-scale upgrades that the average homeowner could take care of themselves, such as gardening projects and interior design ideas. The key is to give your audience information they’re likely to seek out at some point, which will make your Pinterest page a go-to source.
Neighborhood Resources
Speaking of being a go-to source of information, it also helps to collect information relevant to the market you serve. Think of yourself as a sort of concierge service, offering up links to community events, local contractors, and even restaurants your clients might enjoy. Be sure to do some keyword research, so what you post has a better chance of showing up in search engines.
When you’re titling this board, be sure to include the name of your community. When you do this, you’re likely to get new followers from around the neighborhood, who you can then begin to build relationships with.
Helpful Links for Buyers/Sellers
When they’re getting ready to move, buyers and sellers alike will take to the web to look for help with any concerns they might be having. The goal is to have a collection of resources that will help each group in their time of need.
What’s great about Pinterest is that, within your boards, you can create individual sections. So, you can have a board titled “Helpful Links for Buyers/Sellers” with separate sections for various concerns buyers and sellers face, such as moving tips, getting a mortgage, etc.
Here are some useful links to start out with. (Simply click the Pinterest icon on the left-hand side of the page at each link.)
Buyers:
Moving Tips for First-Time Home Buyers
Speak the Home Buying Language
The Benefits of Buying a Home in Your 20s
Sellers:
Selling Your Home? Declutter First!
Sell Your Home Faster with These Staging Tips
The Truth About Selling Your Own Home
Seasonal Content
While this may not directly relate to real estate, sharing content related to different seasons (such as recipes and DIY craft projects) can be a great way to get people to visit your Pinterest profile. Once there, they can check out all the other great resources you have to offer—increasing the odds they’ll check in with you more often.
Hobbies
Do you have a hobby you can speak about with some authority? Is it something a few of your clients (or potential clients) might share enthusiasm for? If so, you could consider creating a board for it. In addition to drawing in more potential leads, you’re letting your personality shine through into your social media presence. That will go a long way in building trust and increasing the likelihood that more of your followers will one day work with you.
Proactively build your community.
As with any other social media platform, you’re not going to become an overnight sensation without putting in any work—just as rock stars don’t get to where they are without touring, doing interviews, and putting in the hard work to promote themselves.
One way you can encourage people to follow you is by following them first. Search for people in your sphere of influence. Follow people who they follow who might be interested in your services, based on pins they’ve previously saved (e.g. recent listings, articles about buying or selling, home improvement tips).
You can also promote your Pinterest profile by linking to it from your website or other social media profiles. Promote it as a resource for existing clients, as well as for your leads who haven’t yet committed to buying or selling.
How do I stand apart from the other agents?
Write helpful descriptions.
While it’s relatively common for people to simply pin something to one of their boards without comment, Pinterest does allow you to type a description for anything you share. This is yet another chance for you to show your expertise.
If you enjoyed an article full of packing tips and have one of your own that was overlooked, you can include it in the description. For example:
“Lots of great tips for people looking to move! I’d also like to add that you can never buy enough bubble wrap.”
Make sure your links aren’t broken.
This seems like such an obvious strategy, but you’d be surprised how many Pinterest users never bother to do any maintenance on their boards. By regularly making sure that all of your links work, you’re not only creating a better user experience, you’re also sending the message that you’re organized and good at following through.
Be creative when naming your boards.
Whatever topic you’re intending to tackle, the odds are high that there’s already another agent out there pinning similar content. Don’t be afraid to have a little fun!
You can differentiate yourself from other Pinterest users by injecting your personality into your profile. For example, instead of naming one of your boards “Dessert Recipes,” you could say “Indulge Your Sweet Tooth with These Recipes.”
You’re allowed up to 100 characters in your board names—make them count.
Craft your own high-quality blog posts.
While you’re busy curating all this awesome content, don’t forget about making your own. If you’re having trouble finding a blog about a given topic relevant to your audience, take that as a sign that you should create it.
In addition to providing your customers with even more value, the added benefit of pinning content you’ve created is that you’re driving people to your website. Once there, they’ll easily be able to see whatever you want them to—from listings to your contact information.
On that note, make sure your website is aesthetically pleasing and easy to navigate. Remember: every positive impression you make on potential clients will bring you a step closer to winning their business.
How do I leverage the relationships I build on Pinterest?
When you’ve noticed that someone has been following you for some time and has been enjoying your content (Pinterest will notify you when someone saves one of your pins) you can work on taking that relationship to the next level by sending a private message.
Here’s an example of a message that you might send:
“Hi [name]! Nice to make your acquaintance. I see that you were interested in a couple of my pins about events in [name of neighborhood]. I’m actually a real estate agent in the area, and I am always on the lookout for new clients. If you know anyone who’s looking to move, or if you need any more information about local events, don’t hesitate to ask!”
If you don’t know this person outside of Pinterest, be sure to give them your contact information. Another thing you can do is to ask for their email, with the promise that you’ll send them regular market reports and other valuable resources. The idea here is to get to know this person better, while also making an effort to move them a little further along in your sales funnel.
Now that you know what it takes to be a Pinterest star, consider this your time to shine. Get out there and start curating amazing content that will build trust, enhance your existing relationships, and keep your business top of mind.
If you’re looking for some amazing content that you can start sharing with your clients right away, be sure to follow American Lifestyle and Start Healthy magazines! There are plenty of great articles, delicious recipes, and gorgeous photos for boards of all types.
And, if you’re a ReminderMedia customer, you can easily pin our content using the Social Media Shares feature in your account manager. Watch this short video to learn how.
