You know that feeling of not being able to get a jingle out of your head? Or maybe you keep reciting a slogan that almost everybody knows and can repeat?
Big brands have nailed the formula for getting us to receive their messages. Whether it’s conscious or not, the catchy TV commercials, computer ads, and other types of media advertisements are the ones that lodge themselves inside our brains before we even know we memorized them.
This directly applies to real estate. As an agent, it should be your goal to have your name pop into a potential client’s mind, as seamlessly as a slogan or jingle, whenever buying or selling a home comes up. One of the most effective ways to continually put your name at the forefront is by sharing on social media.
But how much should you post? And where’s the balance between helpful and annoying? What’s the optimal amount to post to your platforms, anyway?
According to Dan Wilkerson from LunaMetrics, “To ‘know’ the best is an impossibility. You can only predict and measure.”
This answer may not be crystal clear, but Dan goes on to say in his article that there’s no “magic,” one-size-fits-all number for posting on social media and ramping up followers, likes, and retweets. It takes time and a bit of practice to predict, measure, and adjust, as needed.
Yet without supporting research, predicting can be as good as guessing. And guessing is close to what many agents do — a habit to avoid if you want to separate yourself from the pack.
Make every post count: 5 ideal practices for 5 major platforms
Our Facebook marketing guide (with a free download!) will go into a lot more detail to set you up for social media success, sometimes overnight.
You can also use these recommended practices tailored to each major social network, based on real studies from social media thought leaders, to get your posting on track:
1. Facebook
Plan of attack: Facebook’s the network known for its low-volume/high-value. Posting too frequently is a mistake. When you do post, make sure it’s of high quality and impact.
HubSpot’s recently updated report suggests sharing no more than one time a day if your audience ranks below 10,000 followers. Smaller brands that post too often may see a dip in engagement.
Optimal frequency:
- 2 to 5 times a week.
- Peak times: 9 AM to 1 PM on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday.
*Note: Facebook and Instagram are the top two social platforms used by real estate agents.
2. Instagram
Plan of attack: Instagram is also a network with low-volume/high-value posts, with high-volume/low-value stories. Here, it’s better to focus on tagging the right influencers and carefully picking hashtags to boost both efficacy and reach.
Since stories only last for 24 hours, you can share more content in this format. Not as many studies have been conducted on the ideal post frequency for Instagram. But a new Hootsuite guide suggests shooting for sharing two stories as a daily target (based on recs from the 2021 Instagram Creator Week).
Optimal frequency:
- 2 to 3 times a week.
- 2 stories a day. (You can also automatically share your Insta stories to your Facebook page.)
- Peak times: 11 AM to 2 PM on Tuesday and 11 AM Monday through Friday.
*Note: When investing your time in a platform, consider your audience. Instagram, for example, has a majority of millennial-aged users, making it easier to reach first-time homebuyers.
Partnering with a social-savvy loan officer can amp up your online presence and help you sell more houses. Find out why.
3. Twitter
Plan of attack: In contrast, Twitter is a social platform that’s high-volume/low-value. Sharing more frequently here is A-Okay since conversations are happening at such a rapid pace. So, replying to relevant tweets can be just as important as tweeting.
In her analysis, Louise Myers, creator of one of the top 25 Twitter marketing blogs, found that stats supporting the “ideal” number of tweets swing widely, from one to 51 times a day. She says as many as 23 tweets a day may be the sweet spot, while Hootsuite recommends a more conservative 1 to 2 tweets per day.
Optimal frequency:
- 1 to 2 tweets a day.
- Peak times: 9 AM to 3 PM on Wednesday and 9 to 11 AM Tuesday through Thursday.
*Note: Don’t spread yourself too thin; focus most of your time and energy on 1 to 2 social platforms.
4. LinkedIn
Plan of attack: LinkedIn is another network with low-volume/high-value.
LinkedIn provides its own preferred practices for using the site — released in a market report that indicates that sharing up to 20 posts a month could help you leverage 60 percent of your followers.
Optimal frequency:
- 1 post a day.
- Peak times: 9 AM to 12 PM Tuesday through Thursday.
*Note: Always play to your strengths. If you love to write, LinkedIn may be a prime place to publish. If you’re a photog, concentrate on Instagram and Pinterest.
5. Pinterest
Plan of attack: Like Twitter, Pinterest is high-volume/low-value.
And like other social platforms, Pinterest’s algorithm is also regularly changing. While more was once better when it came to pinning, now Pinterest is putting a hard stop on more than 50 pins per day (made up of your own, as well as outside, content). Exceed this limit, and you could be flagged for spam. Tailwind, a social media scheduling app, advises pinning from 15 to 25 times a day.
Optimal frequency:
- 15 to 25 pins a day.
- Peak times: 8 to 11 PM Saturday and 2 to 4 AM/PM on any day of the week.
*Note: It helps to remember that there’s no “perfect” way to post across social media. But posting the right content to the right channels can yield strong results over time.
Measuring and tweaking can help you fine-tune your approach so that you’re not wasting energy over-posting or missing opportunities when you under-post. Filling up your platforms with a wide range of market-facing content is another smart way to keep your name at the forefront whenever members of your audience are ready to make a move.
The difference between frantic and focused? The lender partner you pick
You have enough on your hands with social media. Luckily, you can ease your marketing burden based solely on the partnerships you make. Realtors who partner with Cornerstone loan officers get the help they need to come up with clever new ideas for their social strategy. Click here to find out how you can leverage our co-marketing materials, look like an expert, and attract more leads.
For educational purposes only. Please contact your qualified professional for specific guidance.
Sources are deemed reliable but not guaranteed.