The platform offers a complex reporting system which on the surface provides all the insights you need. However, did a little deeper and this doesn't necessarily provide the full picture.
Both Facebook and Google want you to spend your ad budget with them. They are therefore going to make their own ad results look as strong as possible. Add to this the fact that they both use different reporting models and you'll quickly see they never match up.
However, used strategically, both platforms can offer a more holistic overview to your ads.
However, there are a few killer mistakes that are hindering business blogs and doing more harm than good. Here’s a roundup of a few common sins to steer clear of…
With 665 million daily users on Facebook and 330 million on Twitter, there’s one hell of a missed opportunity if neglected. Plus, now that around 83% of people search for properties online, it’s become more important than ever to have a strong digital presence.
So, how exactly can social media benefit your estate agency?
1. Increase sales
It’s personal and offers an approachable way for prospects to contact you. There’s something informal about social media which opens up a more friendly way of communicating. This has been proven to enhance interaction levels and lead to an increase in conversions.
Furthermore, if you share useful, interesting content on each platform, you’re actively interacting with prospects on a regular basis. As long as your strategy is engaging, you’ll should see an uplift in enquiries.
2. You can cut marketing costs
This is now one of the most affordable ways to market a business. With a solid strategy and great content, you’ll be able to generate some surprising results. Instead of taking out costly ads in local newspapers, you can now use social media to actively (and very specifically) target your key audience.
3. You’ll create a community of prospects
By setting up a page on Facebook, every new follower you acquire is a new person interested in your business. Now, as you grow your page, you’ll create a solid community of prospects who you can interact with daily.
A strong community is powerful when it comes to brand impact and enables you to connect with prospects on a more personal level.
4. It boosts your SEO and website traffic
Being active on social media is a sure fire way to drive more traffic to your website. Sharing useful blog posts and relevant properties will lead to an increase in click throughs. Plus, Google likes social media so being active on your chosen platforms will help to boost your SEO.
To sum up
These are just a few benefits that social media can bring to your business. In 2018, it’s all about being personal and showing that your brand has personality. So, what better way than using social media? By leveraging the power that each platform can bring, you’ll be able to generate some real results.
If you’d like to learn more or see how social media can benefit your estate agency, I’d be happy to help. Get in touch here.
Whether you’re writing for a client or for your own business, it’s important that your content is relevant and engaging. Strike a chord with a potential customer and they are far more likely to show preference to you over the competition.
So, without further ado, here are a few hints for writing content that converts.
1. Map out your audience
Take a step back and think about who your customer is. Who buys your products and reads your blogs? Get to know them and understand what makes them tick. Find out what their problems are and think about how you can help them through valuable content.
One way of doing this is to create a buyer persona. Ask yourself a number of questions about your target audience; things like what their hobbies are, what their job role is along with any daily challenges they may face. This will help you to get inside their mind and write content that appeals to them. To get started, check out this helpful template.
2. Label your customers
Once you’ve created a buyer persona for your audience, get labeling. Ok, this may seem like a weird one; grouping individuals under categories – who wants that? Well, in this day and age people actually like being labelled. Think about it – an email ‘For extreme triathletes only’ lands in your inbox. Are you happy with that? I know I would be.
By labeling people, you’ll make them feel like they’re part of something and are recognised for the thing they are good at or enjoy doing. Get this right, and they are far more likely to take action.
3. Don’t Pitch! Problem solve
The key to great content is to offer useful information that will help your reader. People don’t want cold hard pitches anymore – they can see straight through that. Always keep the 90% rule in mind: 90% informative, related to solving the reader’s problem and 10% for the call to action, keeping pitching to a minimum.
As an expert in your field, you need to be giving away as much as you can in terms of useful tips, handy ideas and experiences that will help your audience. If you’re in the health food market, there’s no good in churning out new offers and product details. This gets boring and isn’t what will bring health enthusiasts to your site. Instead, writing articles on ‘How to create a quick post workout meal’ or ‘Top 5 foods for flawless skin’ will be much more useful and encourage people to buy into the products you offer.
Gary Veynerchuck’s Jab, Jab, Jab Right Hook offers some great strategies on how to make your content stand out and hook your audience in.
4. Be honest
Admit your shortcomings and be real, people love honesty and warm to relateable stories. Portraying a perfect image 100% of the time is not believable. Showing authenticity, whether you’re a blogger or a multi-national enterprise makes you more human and easier to connect with.
Social psychologist, Fiona Lee, conducted a study to see if companies which admitted their faults were seen to be more credible. She found that those who admitted their strategic faults actually achieved higher stock prices the following year, showing that admitting to shortcomings made companies still seem in control despite their shortcomings.
That isn’t to say you should go overboard – find the right balance and your audience will find it easier to relate.
5. Get your call to action right
This is one of the most important parts of your content as if your call to action is weak, then you’re not going to see those all important conversions. Think about who you’re talking to and what action you’d like them to take. A simple ‘click here’ or ‘call now’ is ok, but you don’t want to go with this every time. Have a think on how you can expand on this, to really entice your reader to act.
‘Try it for free’ or ‘Download your free sample here’ are more likely to get a click as people feel like they are getting value. Remember that this is an essential factor so give this the thought it deserves. To give you a hand, here’s a handy guide to different types of CTAs.
However, there are a few killer mistakes that are hindering business blogs and doing more harm than good. Here’s a roundup of a few common sins to steer clear of…
1. Uninspiring headlines
Have you ever clicked onto an article with a boring headline? Probably not, right? So what’s to say your audience will? When conjuring up a title for your blog put yourself in your customer’s shoes. Think about their pain points, what questions they want solving and what’s going to compel them to click.
To put this into perspective, here’s two heading examples:
‘No results with your teeth whitening?’
This title says nothing. There’s no value being offered or incentive for a reader to click.
‘5 Myths you Need to Know About Teeth Whitening.’
Here we have a title that’s offering far more value. Firstly, it’s in the form of a ‘listicle’ (list) which is a proven format for blog success. Secondly, it’s providing readers with educational content – a clear incentive to click.
2. Poor Visuals
Images are a key factor in drawing a reader in. Your feature image should be vibrant and visually appealing as it’s your one chance to catch their attention and compel them to click.
Steer clear of overly ‘stock like’ images and opt for more relatable shots. There are some great free image resources out there now like Unsplash and Pixabay – so there’s no excuse!
3. Dull content
There are plenty of businesses that just blog for the sake of it and pay very little attention to the content they are putting out there. This type of blogging isn’t going to attract more businesses and can actually do more harm than good.
Take time to develop a content plan and think about valuable advice and tips that you can share with your audience. A great starting point is looking at questions that you get asked frequently. Answering them in a blog post can be really helpful for readers and will help them to engage with you as a brand.