Social media is needed for every business these days, but especially for housebuilders. Having a presence on social media allows you to build an audience - particularly in the first-time buyer age bracket. It allows you to add some personality and show a softer, more approachable side to your business that people can connect with. It is a platform that truly cannot be ignored and, on top of your organic social activity, you can target paid advertising to particular demographics and at key browsing times.
Organic Social Presence
First things first, you need to focus on your organic social presence. Creating a Facebook and Instagram page is the first step in building your brand online. Once you have your pages up and running, it is important to post regularly, you may find a scheduling tool useful here. Creating a posting plan is essential to ensure you stay on top of regular posting.
Generally, you should aim to include 80% ‘fluffier’ posts such as interior images and lifestyle content, these post styles encourage a community feel amongst your followers as well as showcasing your properties and selling aspirations to your potential customers. The other 20% of posts can focus on sales, promotions and offers.
When creating your posts, it is important to think about your brand's tone of voice and how you want to portray your brand online. If this is something you need a bit of help with, our team are experts in crafting engaging copy that is tailored to your brand.
Boosted Posts
Having an organic social presence is the initial starting point but to reach your audience you may want to consider boosting your posts. With a reasonably small budget, you can reach thousands more potential purchasers. Boosted posts can be promoted on Facebook and Instagram, increasing your brand awareness.
Paid Social Advertising
To use social media to its full potential, you should include paid advertising in your digital strategy. Being able to showcase your homes and developments to a specific audience is a great way to promote your brand and available properties. Facebook and Instagram allow you to overlay multiple targeting options so you can really hone in on your potential purchasers. There are multiple campaign types available for your adverts but we recommend using traffic for website clicks, lead generation and brand awareness, especially if your social pages have a relatively small following.
Top Tips For Social Media Posting
Creating unique content is essential to make your brand stand out in the competitive new homes industry. A few of our tips to help are:
- Create content that is easy to engage with, including open-ended questions in your copy
- Make the most of Instagram’s Stories, utilising their link stickers, polls and question boxes
- Reply promptly to comments and messages
We know that the world of social media marketing can feel a bit overwhelming so if you're looking for some help with managing your social media channels, talk with one of our team, or take a look at one of our social media case studies.
