When it comes to lead generation, social media is vital for real estate agents looking to develop a successful marketing strategy. As you grow your presence on social media, engagement follows suit…but only if you use these platforms to connect—and stay connected—to your audience.
Posting self-made videos, sharing educational information and promoting your listings are tried and true social media methods for generating more leads. For those who are looking to boost their engagement and brand awareness, however, adding giveaways across your social platforms can help generate more traffic and offer a fun and unique experience for your clients and leads.
Before diving in, you first want to understand who your audience is and what they value. If you have a specific niche, such as luxury properties or relocation services, be sure to tie this into the wording and prizes, ensuring your clients and prospects get what they need while showcasing your knowledge and experience in that particular area. Also, be sure to package this prize, whether it’s content or a material item, in a way that will make it compelling to your audience so they take part and engage in your post.
Next, you want to determine the prizes. Of course, we aren’t talking about all-expense paid trips to a tropical island or a new car. Be sure that whatever you choose to give away won’t break your own bank. Below is a list of suggestions for contest and giveaway prizes you can try!
– Exclusive Content: No matter your niche or demographic, content is always king. Put together a high-quality relocation guide, a detailed checklist for staging a home or even an in-depth community guide to help them get to know their neighborhood. Even create a premium eBook that details the buying and selling process, showcasing your experience in the industry.
– Gift Cards: When someone purchases a new home, it is likely that they will have many expenses in the near future. Offer a gift card to a local or chain hardware store to help with home improvements. Go the shopping route with a gift card to Amazon or food delivery services to help take cooking off their mind during a move. Be sure to keep these gift cards between $50-$100.
– Short-Term Subscription Service: Most subscription services today offer a three-month trial period for their products. There are many options available, such as food and cooking boxes, like HelloFresh, and even more specific boxes for pet owners, like BarkBox. Whether your followers are new homebuyers or seasoned homeowners, this prize option can reach a wide range of your audience.
– Personalized Gifts: Everyone loves a personalized gift, and offering something special for your clients and leads can showcase your dedication to maintaining relationships. From a personalized doormat for a family home to a custom return address stamp, or even a monogrammed cutting board, your options are endless.
– Real Estate Services: A giveaway can be a prime opportunity for you to collaborate with other real estate professionals. Consider asking a local landscaping service to offer a month of lawn care or get in contact with your favorite real estate photographer or home stager to offer their services in exchange for promoting their company across your social media. This will not only be a fantastic prize for the winner, but it will also help keep you top of mind in the industry and connected to your community.
Once you’ve decided on your prize, it’s time to create your giveaway post! Be sure to keep it simple and fun, giving each of your followers the chance to join in the conversation. Here are some giveaway ideas to kick off this new piece of your social media marketing strategy.
Engage With Stories
This post will not only help you boost engagement, but will also give you the opportunity to get to know your audience. Ask your followers to share their favorite story or memory of their home-buying and selling experiences. Maybe they have worked with you in the past and would like to share a success story, which will only showcase your services further. This can also shed light on what your audience expects in terms of services, support and relationships with their real estate agent.
Ask for Photo Submissions
Another idea to get your followers engaged is to ask them to share photos. Around the holidays, ask your audience to submit a photo of their decor around the house. Suggest they post the room they most want renovated and why—the perfect post for a home improvement gift card giveaway! Have a little extra fun and ask for photos of family pets, with a pet-related prize for the winner.
Poll Your Audience
For an even simpler giveaway, create a poll for your audience to take part in. From easy and fun questions about homeownership to sharing stock photos of different versions of the same space, such as a light vs. dark kitchen, you can easily gather data on what the buyers and sellers in your market are looking for. Facebook, Instagram and Twitter all offer polls that are easy to create, as well as saving the responses and data for you to refer to later.
Whichever format you choose, be sure to let your audience know that this post is a giveaway and have fun with it! Use caps and emojis to really showcase the excitement. Explain what the contest entails, be it a photo submission, a story or participating in a poll. Next, list out the steps required to be considered. Be sure they are following your page and prompt them to like this post, or even share it, to really give your engagement an added boost. At the end of your post, let them know when the winner will be announced and what they will win! And to assure contestants that your process for choosing the winner is done fair and square, you can use a number generator or name picker to randomly select the winning participant.
See below for some example giveaway posts:
Understanding your audience is important, especially for real estate professionals. Hosting a giveaway on social media can help you learn more about the buyers and sellers in your market, as well as offering a way for you to boost engagement and brand awareness in a unique and fun way. Your followers, clients and prospects, as well as your overall business success, will thank you!
Paige Brown is RISMedia’s content editor. Email her your real estate news ideas to pbrown@rismedia.com.