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If you’re wondering what Pinterest is, you’re not alone. Most people, including real estate agents, know very little about this social media platform - if anything at all. If you’re one of them, then you’re missing out on big benefits that come with using it.
Pinterest is a free-to-use social media platform and powerful visual search engine where users share images, videos and blog posts with their followers.
Posting is known as “pinning”. Whatever you pin gets added to your “board”. Your board is a collection of pins, typically with a common theme, for example, homes with great entertainment features. You can also pin items to the boards of other users (if given permission), as well as browse what they have pinned.
Pinterest’s goal is to connect everyone in the world through the ‘things’ they find interesting. From these interesting facts, you can see they’re making it happen.
With so many users - many who plan to buy a home in the future - this is a good place to help you achieve your goals. Pinterest has the potential to:
Pinterest has a powerful ability to generate highly tailored results unique to the keywords that users are searching for. With this in mind, your pins need to contain keywords when you’re describing them. This will ultimately help users find your posts. Remember, any form of digital marketing is pointless without being discoverable.
The key is to choose two or three keywords that most capture what the pin is about. Then incorporate these into your description.
Before you create a content plan for Pinterest, it’s important to remember that the platform is highly centred on the lifestyle of individuals. It's a place where people share their tastes, likes and discover new interests. In this process, it allows them to discover likeminded people.
Once you take this into consideration, Pinterest becomes a goldmine to attract new clients to your real estate company. After all, selling a home is ultimately selling a lifestyle. You can create boards that showcase the lifestyle that your homes offer. From living in luxury to enjoying wide-open gardens spaces, use the platform to promote sought-after and unique residential features.
The content plan you create for Pinterest needs to be engaging, add value and capture the attention of those who come across your pins. It needs to convince users that your posts are worth clicking. And don’t forget to add attention-grabbing image/s and well-written descriptions with every pin you create. Side note: Descriptions have a 500-character limit.
Blogging: If you have a website that enables you to post area profiles and news articles (or blogs), these will be great to share on Pinterest. It will also drive traffic back to your website when users click on it. These will need to be unique, engaging and written professionally. In this way, you will be seen as trusted and reliable. Write and share articles that are relevant to your brand, such as latest property trends, advice and tips and area information.
Below are examples of news articles you could share on Pinterest for a real estate company based in Randburg:
Listings: What better place to promote your listings than a platform that focuses on stunning visuals. So don’t let your listings hide on your website. Instead, release them into the world of Pinterest. Share homes that have been expertly photographed with beautiful features such as designer finishes, well-manicured gardens and trendy entertainment areas. Be sure to provide a link of the property listing in the description.
Video: Uploading videos on Pinterest is becoming more popular among businesses. It has now become simpler to upload thanks to the now easier-to-use video uploader located under the business profile section. Videos that perform well are those that are inspiring, encourage an action and provide step-by-step “how-to” tutorials. Take a look at a walk-through video of a home in Bel Air, Los Angeles.
If you already have a social media presence on platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, you may be thinking of overlooking Pinterest. However, if you do, you will miss out on unique marketing opportunities that only the platform can offer. The magic of Pinterest lies in how it allows you to organise the content you post. Thanks to ‘boards’, your pins can be organised into various themes. For example, this board from UK property company, Marsh and Parsons, is titled “Property tips & advice”. Once you open it, users can see the number of pins it contains and the number of followers the company has on the platform. And below this information, you will be able to see and interact with every pin contained in the board.
Once you start creating pins and boards, those following you (including your potential clients) can save it to their own Pinterest account. This gives your real estate agency a permanent home on their account.
Experts say you should post a minimum of three pins per day, with a maximum of 30 pins. You’ll get your best engagement after working hours. The best time to post is between 8-11 pm. The best day is on Saturday.
PRO MOVE: Creating boards offers many great opportunities to be found on search engines and build your network with other industry experts. For SEO purposes, create a board that has your business name, address and phone number in the description to help people find you when they do a search, whether on the platform or Google.
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