Devising your strategy
There are so many different social media platforms these days that it can be difficult to know where to start. But remember, social media is called social for a reason, because it’s all about conversations and connections. There’s nothing worse than feeling like you’re shouting into a black hole and getting nothing back.
The important thing is to work out which platforms your target audience are likely to be on and prioritise those. For example, if you’re based in Malaga and are marketing to retired international expats, you might find that Facebook works well for you, while if you’re a Barcelona agent marketing swanky apartments suitable for relocating young professionals, you might decide Instagram is the place you need to be.
Some of this will be trial and error, but we advise starting with no more than two to three platforms to concentrate on. Apart from anything else, every platform is different, and you’ll find there’s a lot to learn if you want to do it well.
Planning your content
The idea of constantly coming up with fresh content for your social media accounts can be a little off-putting at first, especially when everyone in your office already has a full-time job. But put some time aside, or delegate to someone who can, and you’ll soon find that it is well worth the investment.
The good thing is that you’re offering a visual service, so you should have no shortage of photos to share. But make sure you don’t get carried away, sharing beautiful photos with no purpose behind them. Everything you share needs to be relevant to your audience and add value in some way.
Set yourself a target for how often you’ll post and try to stick to it. One post per day on each platform is a good starting point, but if you feel this is too much, go more slowly. The most important thing is that you start, keep the quality high and remain consistent.
Set yourself up a content calendar either on a spreadsheet or on paper, diarise a morning each month to fill out your content ideas, and prepare as many posts as you can up front. You might find that setting a theme for each day of the week helps you generate ideas. For example, on a Monday why not share a stunning picture from the area of Spain in which you operate, with information about local sights to see? On Tuesday you could share a testimonial or piece of feedback, on Wednesday a round up of new properties that have hit your books, etc.
Here are some content ideas to experiment with:
- Share properties that are on the market – choose the best photo you have and include a few key features and details to intrigue the viewer to click through to the listing for more.
- Share case studies of property sales or purchases that have gone particularly well.
- Share testimonials or reviews that have been left for you on Facebook or sent via email.
- Share photos from special events or festivals that are taking place in the local area.
- Share pictures of local customs, traditions or products that will give an insight into life in the area.
- Share examples of properties that have successfully sold recently.
- Share photos of local activities or tourist attractions.
- Provide quick tips and advice for potential buyers or those looking to move to Spain.
- Share positive news stories or reports about the region.
- Post details of the kinds of properties you’re looking to include in your portfolio – to encourage people who are considering selling to contact you.
- Reshare articles from other companies that could be of use to people looking to relocate to Spain. You’ll find plenty of useful location guides, blogs and podcasts on the Kyero site that you are most welcome to share on your platforms.
Executing your plans
Once your content calendar is fleshed out for the month it’s just a case of creating your posts and either scheduling them to save time, or posting as and when you get the opportunity.
Use a free graphic design site like Canva to create templates for testimonials, tips and any other regular content you plan to post. That way you can quickly adjust your wording, making it much more efficient to create numerous graphics in one go so you have a batch ready to use. And if you have brand colours, use them. The more consistent your social media posts are in terms of look and feel, the better they will help build credibility and recognition among your audience.
Don’t be afraid to repurpose content across your platforms, but make sure you tweak it slightly to suit, i.e. for Twitter you may have to reduce the word count, while a post that has been designed for Instagram and includes lots of hashtags might not look quite right on Facebook.
And remember, it’s important you reply to any comments and messages you receive. Not only that, you should actively search for conversations to get involved with. Add value where people are asking questions about your area of expertise or offer advice to those looking to relocate. All the time you’ll be building authority and reputation and getting yourself noticed for all the right reasons.
Measuring your results
Each social media platform has analytics built into it, so you can find out which posts are receiving more engagement in the way of likes and comments and which are not. Put a note in your calendar to visit your analytics pages towards the end of each month and you should be able to use this information to make choices about the kind of things you post in the future. Over time, you’ll also learn whether what you’re doing is generating leads for you.
It’s important to remember that social media is not a quick fix. Each platform takes time, effort and consistency to work well for you. And it may be six months or so before you really start to gain any traction. But stick with it and you’ll gradually start to see it working. And what’s more, you might even enjoy yourself in the process.
