When it comes to engaging with clients and building a following, live streaming can help any agent take their social media strategy—and their personal brand—to the next level.
From hosting live Q&As about current market conditions to developing a talk show for hundreds—or thousands—of potential clients, live streaming is a great way to stand out and reel in some fresh eyes on your listings and brands.
Here are a few tips to help you incorporate live streaming into your repertoire:
What Are You Going to Discuss?
While real estate is its niche, an agent can discuss many things within that topic during a live stream. Do you want to show them a day in the life of an agent? How about a deep dive into a particular market and why it’s a great place to live?
Whatever topic you plan to cover, map it out along with some talking points you plan to hit during your broadcast. Run through the show a couple of times before going live.
A helpful guide is to pick topics that will add value to your viewers (i.e., information on new loan programs or tips for understanding a part of the buying process).
Location, Location, Location
Where you decided to broadcast your live stream is essential to setting the tone for your videos. Find a place that will add to the appeal of the video. It can be at your office, your home or even at a listing.
It’s ok to get creative, but wherever you choose to record, make sure it’s well lit and not distracting to your viewers. Avoid noisy environments.
Be Authentic
A significant appeal of live stream videos is the connection between the content creator and the audience. Don’t worry about making everything perfect. Instead, focus on engaging with your audience. Answer questions that pop up in the comments. Use the same humor and charm you would use to work with buyers and sellers face to face.
Bottom Line: Have fun with it.
Pick Your Platform
Deciding which platform will work best for you and your live streaming is important when trying to reach your target audience demographic.
Facebook, YouTube and Instagram offer streaming features and are the three most popular social media platforms for millennials (24-39 years old).
Facebook Live lets you broadcast to your page, group, profile or event using the Facebook app, while Youtube Live lets you reach your audience in real-time. When you stop streaming on with YouTube Live, an archive of your live stream is automatically uploaded to your channel and can be made public, private or unlisted on the platform.
Then there’s Instagram Live Stories—live videos in Instagram Stories that connect with your followers in real-time for up to one hour. When the stream ends, the live video will go away unless you share a replay of it to your story.
Consistency Matters
As you develop your style and audience, it’s essential to be consistent. Go live at a regular time to help build a following. Stay on-brand with the type of video you are offering your audience.
Deviation from scheduling or the format of your live streams can frustrate your viewers or drive them away. However, consistency with your content will help build trust among your audience and help build your following and pool of clients.
Jordan Grice is RISMedia’s associate content editor. Email him your real estate news to jgrice@rismedia.com.
