Real Estate Marketing: How to Use Pinterest to Grow Your Business

Oct. 15, 2013 - PRLog -- Facebook and Twitter greatly outweigh Pinterest in users, but Pinterest’s unique appeal may be best suited for those of you in real estate. Pinterest’s greatest charm is in its visuals. On this site, people connect through the sharing of images. Sounds pretty perfect for a real estate agent, right?

First of all, what is Pinterest?  Pinterest is essentially a tool for collecting and organizing things you like via an online pinboard. These pinboards allow you to create and manage collections of your favorite things—a visual take on the modern social bookmarking site.  And just like other social media sites, Pinterest also has its own lingo: a pin (something you share on Pinterest) and a board or pinboard (a group of pins that you’ve categorized together—you can separate pins by their varying topics).

Every day users “pin” ideas for DIY projects, decorating tips, recipes, wedding and event ideas, fashion, bucket list plans, places to visit, items to purchase, etc.—you name it, it’s there. So what business do real estate agents have with Pinterest? Here are some ideas:

1.       Set up a board for your listings. Always use images as it lends an opportunity to showcase the homes.  If you end up with multiple boards on your page, be sure that this one is placed at the top so that visitors can easily locate it.

2.       Set up a board for your community. You’re not just selling a home; you’re selling the entire neighborhood. What is the town like? What kind of restaurants, shops, and businesses are there? What is there to do? This board can be used to display your knowledge and love for the area—something you’ll want your clients to fall in love with too.

3.       Set up a board for home décor. Pinterest users are DIY fanatics, and this board will appeal to the average user.  You can link to sites explaining how-to’s and coordinate with images.

4.       Set up a board for tips and suggestions. Use this board to provide suggestions for home-buyers, like tips on stress-free moving, for example.

5.       Set up a board to display your own interests. Yes, it’s okay to get personal. Viewers will appreciate the sincerity, and this will allow you to better connect with your audience.

6.       Set up a board for everyday use. Pin some recipes, cleaning, tips, or home project ideas. This keeps your audience interested in you beyond the point of sale.

7.       Use hashtags. Hashtags are everywhere—Facebook, Twitter, and even Pinterest. By using hashtags, you will connect with a broader market (http://blog.paveya.com/bid/339867/Social-Media-Marketing-...). Use appropriate hashtags that are relevant to your geographical location and consistent with your messaging.

8.       Promote through contests and giveaways. Just like other social media sites, contests are a great way to stay engaged with your followers. Remember, engagement leads to more followers and, ultimately, more clients. Photo and video contests are a creative way to get others involved.

You could ask your followers to submit photos of their favorite kitchen and #hashtag their reasons for their choice, then provide the winner with a prize of your choosing, like a day at the spa or a dinner at the local tavern;

Have followers vote on their favorite listing on your page—this will give you insight into the minds of your audience and provide you with good customer feedback;

OR

Ask your followers to engage in a video contest where you ask participants to make a short video explaining what they most like about working with you or which home you helped them find. This will require more effort on both your part and theirs, and the prize should reflect that, but it may provide you with some unique and authentic marketing material.

Pinterest’s greatest appeal is its visuals, and as a real estate agent, your business thrives on the use of images. Through this promotion, Pinterest will help your clients get excited about what you’re selling.

If you would like suggestions on how to increase your audience using Pinterest, or you need assistance getting started, the social media experts at Paveya are here to help. Call us at 855-372-8392.

We look forward to helping our customers CREATE leads, CONNECT with customers, and GROW their business.