It is no longer a question of whether or not a commercial real estate company should have an active social media presence. Remember the 90’s when companies realized they needed to build a website? Well, now we're in 2-0-1-7 and so it is with social media platforms. The benefits far outnumber the negative misconceptions of time it takes to post and manage. And the analytics demonstrate the effectiveness of these tools to for three main reasons and more:
- Grow brand awareness
- Increase search engine optimization
- Reach and engage with your customers (yes, even B2B customers)
The commercial real estate industry has been slow to adopt social media as a mainstream marketing tool. The reality is that CRE clients (aka corporate America) have already embraced social media — which means that your CRE company needs to leverage it to build your brand and grow their business. But this must be done strategically.
Few CRE companies do it consistently and even less do it well. A notable exception is Cushman & Wakefield maintaining an active presence on multiple platforms. Barbi Reuter, COO of Cushman & Wakefield, writes for and launched the blog PICOR Connect, Trends in Commercial Real Estate. Reuter once stated:
Don’t let yourself be scared off by the vast world of social media. Think of it as an opportunity to give your brand a personal touch, and to more closely connect with the community around you. The blog became the hub, and our social channels the spokes through which we share our messages.
Companies can no longer expect to reach specific targets via traditional marketing that pushes out messages through advertising, brochures, direct mail, email, flyers and even websites. (Yes, email and websites are now considered traditional marketing efforts.)
Social media has granted permission and access to consumers to share their opinion openly with the world, both good and bad. Being able to address both appropriately and timely can create lifelong brand advocates. There are three components to launching and maintaining your social media presence:
1. Pick your Networks
Although there are literally hundreds of social media platforms available, the most popular ones for B2B include: LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and blogging. All have their unique advantages.
- Facebook allows daily communication, transparency, brand exposure and industry engagement
- Twitter is an instantaneous news feed of engagement and a great source for driving website traffic
- YouTube is viewed by millions of subscribers daily and serves as an impactful messaging tool for showcasing images that speak volumes about your brand
- Blogging positions a company as a thought leader and serve’s as new website content for the search engines ultimately increasing SEO
2. Develop a Messaging Plan
Developing a strategic messaging plan is the first step to executing social media and many companies will engage outside experts to write the plan based on specific goals. The plan can then be executed by an in-house team or be maintained by an outside resource. Experts in social media should propose a plan that is customized to the CRE company internal capabilities, objectives and budget.
Having an active presence on social media is no longer an option for CRE companies and, in fact, can be a detriment for some if they do not have an active voice online. If you are still questioning the value of social media, you are already behind the curve and your competitor may soon pass you by as they glean customer insights, increase brand awareness and grow their business through social media.
To learn more about how social media can impact your businesses bottom line or to simply get started, contact our Digital Brand Strategist, Chelsea Cannon at chelsea@infinite.com.
