If you aren’t using video in your real estate marketing strategy by now, you’re making a huge mistake. Ditto social media. But, you should be working outside of YouTube and Facebook to grow your business. You should consider joining Snapchat.
Over 150 million people use Snapchat every day to exchange videos and photos — called Snaps — to family members and friends. These can be viewed for up to 10 seconds before they disappear. Users can also watch their friends’ Stories, which are a chronological series of Snaps, follow Events from around the world, and engage with curated news content from the Discover menu. Colorful filters, face-swaps, emojis, artwork and other special effects also come into play using various features of the app. The versatility, the (perceived) impermanence, and the breadth of customization available have all contributed to the app’s runaway success with users of all ages.
Snapchat holds the key to social media marketing’s future. Bold statement, right?
But Snapchat is experiencing growth that is outpacing every other social media network out there, and incredibly, it’s only four years old.
Those 150 million Snapchat users watch over 10 billion videos per day. Every day, Snapchat reaches 41 percent of all 18 to 34 year olds in the United States – and that number is from a Nielsen poll from September 2015. But it’s not just the millennials who are tapping into the app. Over half of all new users signing up are over the age of 25.
What this means is that there’s a huge opportunity here for your content to stand out, and for it to reach a demographic that will be starting to make future plans to buy a new home, if not immediately in the market for one. Snapchat is an easy way for you to connect to and understand your next generation of home buyers.
There’s so much raw potential here. Let’s get started.
Geofilters are small art graphics that show up over a Snap. When Snapchatters in the location of your choice take a Snap, they’ll be able to select your Geofilter to explain where, when and why they took the Snap.
Geofilters are completely flexible – you pick the parameters on a map for the location where you want the filter available, as well as the date and time it should run. Costs are based on all these factors, so the upfront investment is relatively low. In fact, custom, on-demand Geofilters start at just five dollars.
And, they’re fun. Completely customizable, you can put your logo, or work in creative branding elements.
Geofilters are perfect for promoting a location-specific event, like an open house or company party.
For example, say you’re hosting a launch party at a new luxury apartment development. At the launch, you could have an on-demand Geofilter with the building’s branding. Attendees can then take Snaps of themselves enjoying the building’s amenities and add your Geofilter. All of their followers will then see the Snap, with the Geofilter and your branding on it.
At C.A.R., we’re using Geofilters for our events, like the Mid-Year Market Outlook and YPN breakfasts, as well as to celebrate REALTORS® Real Estate School graduates and welcome them into their new career.
Another way to stand out to potential clients without investing any money whatsoever is through your Snap Story.
Over a third of Snapchat’s daily users create Stories, the daily chronological collection of photos and videos from their lives. Remember that we mentioned Snapchat users are watching an incredible 10 billion videos a day? Stories give you an opportunity to broadcast photos and videos that you can shoot directly from your phone or tablet, to your followers, that lasts for 24 hours only.
Stories are a great tool for REALTORS® to use in their marketing strategy. You can create a story for special events, like a virtual house tour or open house, or you can walk followers through the inspection process. Stories are great for sharing your industry expertise, via behind the scenes content and employee interviews. You can shoot quick, rapid-fire Q&As, share quick “days in the life” narratives, or dish out tidbits of advice on anything from saving for a down payment to putting in an offer. Or, you can share sneak peeks at new listings or services. Stories are a simple way to establish yourself as a professional and an industry expert to your followers.
And, Stories are a great way to build loyalty. Snaps disappear after you’ve watched them, and stories last just 24 hours. So, a Snapchatter has to vigilantly follow you and your business on Snapchat. This also means you have to be diligent in creating content (which you should be, anyways) – but since Snapchat operates using only your mobile phone’s camera, it is really easy to add interactive, interesting content to your Story in just 10 seconds or less. Video, in particular, really can’t get any simpler or cheaper.
Over 150 million people use Snapchat every day to exchange videos and photos — called Snaps — to family members and friends. These can be viewed for up to 10 seconds before they disappear. Users can also watch their friends’ Stories, which are a chronological series of Snaps, follow Events from around the world, and engage with curated news content from the Discover menu. Colorful filters, face-swaps, emojis, artwork and other special effects also come into play using various features of the app. The versatility, the (perceived) impermanence, and the breadth of customization available have all contributed to the app’s runaway success with users of all ages.
Snapchat holds the key to social media marketing’s future. Bold statement, right?
But Snapchat is experiencing growth that is outpacing every other social media network out there, and incredibly, it’s only four years old.
Those 150 million Snapchat users watch over 10 billion videos per day. Every day, Snapchat reaches 41 percent of all 18 to 34 year olds in the United States – and that number is from a Nielsen poll from September 2015. But it’s not just the millennials who are tapping into the app. Over half of all new users signing up are over the age of 25.
What this means is that there’s a huge opportunity here for your content to stand out, and for it to reach a demographic that will be starting to make future plans to buy a new home, if not immediately in the market for one. Snapchat is an easy way for you to connect to and understand your next generation of home buyers.
There’s so much raw potential here. Let’s get started.
