According to this article on Sprout, Instagram users in 2018 are expected to go from 800 million to 1 billion. Instagram is more popular than ever, and if you’re not on Instagram yet, you should be!
On Instagram, you have the option of having a personal or a business account. If you have a business Instagram account, you’ll be able to boost (aka sponsor) your posts. (You can do this directly on Instagram or through Facebook.)
Follow these 11 Pro Tips for Realtors using Instagram for their Business
- A mix of business and personal posts is best.
People are on Instagram because they want to see moments from your day and beautiful images. Sharing a mix of business posts and personal ones is an ideal balance—people who follow you because you’re a realtor don’t want to see photos of your kids all the time, but every now and again, a photo of your little ones offers just the right personal touch. The same goes for your close friends—they don’t want to see your real estate stuff all the time, but they’ll probably love to see what you’re up to at work every now and then!
- Avoid being too salesy.
Instagram is about connecting with people on a more personal level. If you’re always asking for referrals and only posting photos of the home you’re trying to sell, people are more likely to ignore your posts or unfollow you. That being said, your Instagram should make it obvious that you’re a real estate agent, and people should know how to contact you. Including this info in your bio should do the trick!
- Take advantage of the bio section.
That being said, each Instagram account has a bio section. Be sure to include that you’re a real estate agent and what city or neighbourhoods you work in.
- Your profile is the only place where there is a clickable link.
Many people try to post links in the description of their Instagram photos, but these links are not clickable! Anytime you make a new post that you’d like to include a link with, you’ll want to direct people to click the link in your bio, and make sure you change it out to the correct link. Another great way to do this is to use linktr.ee, a free service that allows you to include multiple links in your bio.
- Try to curate a consistent look.
While you don’t need to brand everything or get too obsessive about your Instagram’s “look,” posting photos with a semi-consistent aesthetic can help establish your brand. Are you all about bright, vivid images? Or do you opt for simpler images with more neutral palettes? It may take you while to figure out what works for you, but once you find what you love, embrace it!
- Take advantage of hashtags.
Including a few relevant hashtags at the end of each post can help others find your content. However, it’s not the only way you should rely on people finding your content—hashtags are not a magical solution to getting more followers, but they’re one piece of the puzzle!
Extra Tip! You are allowed up to 30 hashtags per post; you should use them all. Also, it is cleaner to add your hashtags in a separate comment instead of the original post.
- Tag your location.
If you don’t want people to know your specific address, tag your general neighbourhood or city. This can help your posts show up in relevant searches.
- Spread the love & spend time on Instagram.
You have to give to get! Spend time liking others’ posts and leaving thoughtful comments. Also, be sure to respond to any comments that you receive.
- Check your Direct Messages!
Also known as “DMs,” sometimes it’s easy to miss direct messages, especially depending on your privacy settings. But this is where the magic happens! Make sure to check your DMs at least once a day in case anyone tries to reach out to you.
- Share your Instagram posts on Facebook (and other social media platforms you’re active on).
There’s an easy way to just hit “share” on Instagram posts, and you can select which other social media platforms you’d like to send your post to. However, you want to make sure that your post is still tailored for that specific platform. For example, if you tell people in your Instagram post to check out the link in your bio, that same message will get sent to Facebook where there won’t be a link in your bio. Open up Facebook after you’ve shared a post, and edit the text, tag it with anyone in the photo, and edit the location if you’d like.
- Create thoughtful Instagram stories.
Instagram Stories is a great way to share moments throughout your day that you don’t necessarily want to stay on your Instagram feed. This is a great way to connect with people in an even more personal way, but this will only work if you’re being selective about the moments you share.
