On the 421st episode of the MailRight show, Robert Newman and Jonathan Denwood discuss how real estate agents can utilize Instagram for lead generation in 2024 by leveraging the algorithm, creating engaging content, and collaborating that effectively converts followers into clients. Robert Newnan is the founder of InboundREM, which focuses on inbound marketing strategies and SEO. Jonathan Denwood is the joint founder of Mail-Right, a platform that offers real estate CRM, produces a great website solution, integrates IDX, and offers drip marketing with landing pages so you can run your Facebook campaigns.
Introduction
Instagram is not a one-size-fits-all lead generation. It is really for two or maybe three different audiences.
Some realtors make money off Instagram lead generation and can be classified into two. The first one is realtors, who rarely use any tool other than Instagram to communicate. Those people who might buy houses do everything on Instagram. They look for stuff to buy, follow famous people, decide things, and research. Everything happens on Instagram for them. The second one is the exclusive rare big luxury agents like Joyce Ray and Jade Mills, along with others like Arlene Rutledge and many more. If you’re a luxury agent in LA, chances are you have an Instagram account.
Why? Because many young people, especially fans of celebrities like Beyonce and Jay Z, are on Instagram. You can get leads from these types of people. So, depending on your focus, if you’re after celebrities or top brands, or if you’re targeting influencer audiences, then Instagram is where you should be. If you’re somewhere in between, like most people, Instagram is still a good option.
Create A Business Profile
Looking at a business Instagram account can be helpful. It gives benefits without needing advertisement. However, in some places, using advertisements on Instagram is important as it makes things easier.
When you set up your account as a business, you get more features, and it doesn’t cost anything. For example, you get more filters for your page, which helps organize your content better. Different types of businesses have various account options, but they all give you more features. These features are helpful if you use Instagram a lot or plan to.
Overall, it depends on what you want from your profile. Business profiles are great if you want to get deep into it. However, a public profile might be better if you have a good or well-known reputation.
Use Hashtags
Hashtags are the major way people find your content. People who love Instagram also love Twitter, and hashtags are a big reason why. There are free services that show you what hashtags are trending. So, using hashtags with your Instagram posts is essential.
Posts from microblogging sites, like Twitter, don’t stick around forever; they get pushed down as new ones come up. So, using hashtags is like refreshing your position in the feed. That’s the whole point of hashtags. Some people, the real pros, know how to find stuff using hashtags. That’s why it’s good to mix it with niche hashtags that stick around longer. The downside is that not many people look at niche hashtags. The more popular the niche, the more often people use the hashtag. So, if you want people to see your content, you’ve got to get serious about using hashtags.
Here’s a tip: Putting a hashtag on every post by hand is a pain. You can find a tool or pay someone a few bucks to do it manually. Alternatively, you can use an automated system, but you still have to enter hashtags manually.
Geotag Your Posts
Utilizing geotagging can effectively engage with potential customers in your area.
When you post photos for your business on your Google Local Business page or Instagram, it’s best to do it from your phone. This way, the images get tagged automatically. It’s the same for both Google and Instagram. They use geotagging, meaning they add a location to your post based on your location. Then, they show it to people who might be interested. Facebook, which owns Instagram, is making much money from ads. They use technology to show people ads, and it works well. So, when you tag your posts or use hashtags, it’s similar to how geotagging works on Instagram.
Some people might not know how to do geotagging on Instagram. Instead, they use hashtags to connect their posts to specific places. It’s kind of like tagging your location.
For real estate agents, especially those not part of a big national company, it’s essential to focus on local areas. Using geotags helps Google know where you are, which is good for your business. You can even use geotags on other platforms like Pinterest. This helps both your customers and Google know where you work.
Gone are the days when real estate agents tried to cover huge areas. Now, it’s better to focus on specific neighborhoods. You can even specialize in certain real estate types, like helping with divorces or probates. And don’t forget about the type of homes you work with!
Use Instagram Reels or Stories
Reels on Instagram are like short videos, similar to TikTok. They’re usually about 30 seconds long and full of interesting content. People use filters and captions to make them look cool. Instead of telling a big story, it’s more about sharing daily activities.
Some people, like real estate agents, use reels to get attention and make deals, but that’s not super common. Reels are usually like teasers. They catch your eye and then lead you to other stuff, like a channel with more detailed content, like pictures of houses for sale. Instagram is fast-paced, so using it for lead generation is energetic. It takes more time than you might think, even though it’s quick to post stuff.
To use Instagram for lead generation, you need a business profile. Then, you can create filters to organize your content. You start with a reel or story to catch attention, then guide people to your filter about properties for sale. That’s how most people do it with reels and stories.
The cool thing about Instagram is that you can show off your lifestyle, like your neighborhood or the things you enjoy. For example, you could post a picture of a parade or a beautiful view near your selling house. This helps draw people in and gets them interested in the property.
Reels and stories are great for getting attention, but for serious lead generation, you need to have deeper content elsewhere. It’s like using them to build an audience and then showing them the real deal elsewhere.
Partner With Influencer
It might not seem to make sense as a real estate agent, but there are plenty of reasons why two agents in the same city might want to trade channels.
For instance, someone lives in Van Nuys, about 60 miles from another in the San Fernando Valley. The person lives in the southern part, but there’s another agent at the northern end. If that person weren’t in real estate, he’d have four or five cities within 20 minutes. But he wouldn’t serve the whole Valley because it’s enormous, and it would take him an hour to an hour and a half to reach the other end, even without traffic. With traffic, it could take hours.
Someone else might handle the north part while the person handles the south. Why? Because in big cities, people often switch around within the same metro area. You build your channel with people who are similar but not competing. You might do a video together or just swap channels. This happens often in gaming, where content creators team up and share audiences.
