MAKE SOCIAL MEDIA

Make Social Media Marketing Your Calling Card

These days, it’s no secret that buyers begin their home search online. As the industry continues to take a digital turn, Realtors in the know must learn to utilize a whole new range of tools available to them—and for good reason. Social media is a dynamic hybrid of personal contact and targeted marketing. To make the most of this new medium, agents can’t settle for the occasional post and expect results. Instead, let’s consider a few techniques that will make your social media presence interactive, unmissable, and effective in generating business.

Your Profile is a Portal

Ideally, you’ll have profiles across Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and otherwise—but no matter what portal you’re utilizing, make sure your profile page is up-todate, well-curated, and easily navigated. Consider your profile a landing page.

Your photo, location, contact information, homepage, and a brief bio should all be readily visible so that potential clients can get an immediate sense for who you are and what your voice is. If a client wants to connect with you, it should be obvious how to do so. You might also incorporate a few savvier tools that make your profile more engaging—like hashtags.These searchable tags can help you lure potential clientele and give your audience a chance to explore deeper. #DreamHome #JustListed and #HomeInspiration are popular, existing tags to choose from, but you can cultivate your own hashtag by consistently tagging posts, which gives clients an extensive thread to comb through.

Interacting with Your Audience

Posting regularly is great way to appear in feeds, but engaging with your audience is just as important—and it helps you reach a new audience in the process. It’s a positive start to like your audience’s posts, pictures, and statuses, but commenting takes your engagement a step further and separates you from typical respondents. It’s also important that you diversify your engagements. In other words, don’t center every communication around your business, propositioning your services, or trying to sell. If applicable, present your value-add, but otherwise steer your engagement towards the personal. Let your clients know that you’re there, you’re human, and ready to work at their pace. Which leads us to our next point...

Blending the Professional with the Personal

Engaging with your audience is one thing, but what about generating original content? How do you strike the right balance between a Call to Action, industry updates, and a personal touch? Think of it this way: any post you create should provide a point of connection for your audience. Sometimes, you might be sharing a family photo, or commenting on some unifying current event—like the Super Bowl! Other times, you may be sharing a Coming Soon listing, or providing tips to spruce up a home for spring. Regardless, you should focus on quality. Is your copywriting engaging? Does it express your unique voice and personality, while maintaining clarity? Are you giving your audience something to connect with, even if you are sharing property photos or advertising an open house? Instill some fun and some personalization to every piece of content you make, so that clients can picture the voice and person behind the post.

Things are always changing on the social media frontier, but some rules never shift. Adding clarity, consistency, and personality to your online presence are three surefire ways to grow your business and make social media second nature.

TAMI BIEGERT

Tami Biegert – Top Agent with Realty Group, Inc. in the Twin Cities West metro area of Minnesota, is truly passionate about what she does for a living, and she makes it a point to go above and beyond for her many grateful buyers and sellers. Highly motivated, dedicated, and incredibly knowledgeable about the real estate industry, Tami is rapidly approaching two decades of helping her clients achieve their real estate goals.

Tami became licensed as a real estate agent in 2004, following a career working in the financial and title end of the industry. She began her career managing a small credit union and eventually worked her way to Title Closer and then up to the position of mortgage Loan Officer. This career path has imbued Tami with extensive knowledge regarding real estate transactions that places her head and shoulders above much of her competition. “It’s been very helpful – for both me and my clients – to fully understand the transaction from start to finish, having worked in all of the major fields that make a transaction come together,” says Tami.

In addition to working with buyers and sellers, Tami enjoys all aspects of the real estate industry, and during her long career has become well versed in areas that include new construction, custom-built homes and land development. “I really enjoy taking large parcels of land and helping my client develop it into smaller parcels to maximize their return,” she explains.

Currently, almost the entirety of Tami’s considerable business is based upon repeat clients, referrals and positive word-of-mouth, a significant achievement in the highly competitive world of real estate. “I believe that the reason for that is my longevity in the industry,” says Tami, when asked how she manages to engender such trust and loyalty amongst those she works with. “Also, I take a very down-to-earth approach with my clients, while still remaining professional. I go the extra mile for my clients, and I develop relationships with them, and after the transaction has been completed, I remain friends with most of them. I always place my clients’ needs ahead of earning a commission.”

There are many other reasons for Tami’s continuing success story, and chief among them would be her expert negotiation skills and her intelligent, leave-no-stone-unturned approach to marketing her listings, both of which combined translate into fast sales for top dollar, not to mention happy – and returning and referring – customers. Postcards, videos, and deft utilization of social media marketing are just some of the avenues Tami utilizes to gain maximum exposure for her listings.

When she’s not working, Tami enjoys nothing more than spending time with her family, which includes her two children. The family enjoys outdoor activities, and Tami also occupies herself with philanthropic efforts. As Founder of a local networking group called Northwest Community Connections, Tami helps raise considerable funds for in-need residents of her community.

“I really, really enjoy what I do,” says Tami, “and I definitely enjoy working with my clients. It is incredibly rewarding to see the transaction come together and watch you clients’ dreams become a reality. “It’s all about advocating for my clients and putting them first – you get back what you put into it, and that is an amazing feeling.”

For more information about Tami Biegert, please call 612-718-3876 or email Tami@tamibiegert.com

BONNIE BURAS & EMILY BLOOM HOSKIN

Bonnie Buras has lived in Plaquemines Parish her entire life, with her family lineage dating back to the town’s founding. Growing up, she was passionate about real estate, traveling with her father to see properties all over the country. At his suggestion, she decided to earn her real estate license and quickly made a name for herself, forging an accomplished, twenty five year career as a multimillion dollar producer. Later, she was joined by her daughter-in-law, Emily Bloom Hoskin, who began helping out as an office assistant while earning her Master’s in counseling. “After almost five years in counseling,” Emily says, “I was presented with such a wonderful opportunity to switch occupations and work alongside my Mother-In-Law; after all, when you think of New Orleans or Plaquemines Parish Real Estate, you think of Bonnie Buras.”

Today, Bonnie and Emily have joined forces as the Bonnie Buras Team, powered by Coldwell Banker TEC, where they serve clients throughout Plaquemines Parish and all of Louisiana. There, they have combined their years of experience and extensive professional network to facilitate transactions of all kinds, standing tall as the top earning team for Coldwell Banker TEC for the State of Louisiana since 2014.

When listing a home, Bonnie and Emily provide their clients with a diversified approach. After fully preparing each house for the market, they share it over a blend of digital and targeted social media campaigns, as well as print advertisements in the local newspapers. They also send out more than 3,500 mailers each month and host open houses to draw even more buzz to their listings. “We will do whatever we can to get our properties out in front of people,” Bonnie says. “But no matter what, we are careful to help our clients each step of the way.”

Elsewhere, the Bonnie Buras Team is just as focused when assisting their buyers. Emily leans on her background as a counselor to get to the heart of her clients’ needs, while Bonnie utilizes her decades of experience to ensure the transaction runs smoothly from start to finish. This multifaceted approach has earned the two a tremendous reputation throughout all of Louisiana, with the vast majority of their volume coming from repeat clients or referrals. “We live in a close-knit community,” Emily says. “Word of mouth is huge here, and you’re only as good as your reputation. That further motivates us to go above and beyond for all our clients.”

Outside their career, Bonnie and Emily are active within their community, sponsoring numerous charities and events around Plaquemines Parish. When she’s not with clients or giving back, Bonnie, a devoted grandmother, can be found spending quality time with her family, taking a cruise vacation, or relaxing with friends and colleagues on weekends. Meanwhile, Emily enjoys taking in the festivals and cultural hotspots around New Orleans with her husband.

Bonnie and Emily have strong plans for the future of their family business. With their annual volume ranking them consistently among the top agents in their region, they are most excited for the new opportunities that lie ahead. “In real estate, you get to do something different every single day,” Bonnie says. “And through it all, there’s nothing more rewarding than making a client’s dreams come true.”

For more about Bonnie Buras & Emily Bloom Hoskin call (504) 392-0022, visit www.BonnieBurasTeam.com or email BonnieBurasTeam@gmail.com