Social Media Success — Selecting Your Network
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I was recently invited to speak at an event in Portugal attended by representatives from the property industry across the Algarve region of the country. The hot topic of the day was social media and how estate agents, rental companies and property developers could use the various networks to generate interest in their properties and ultimately drive sales and rental income.
While nearly everyone who attended the event claimed to be “on” social media, very few were actually using it to its full (or anywhere near its full) potential. Most simply had a Facebook account where they listed properties. Some attendees were on Twitter but did little to build engagement, and while there was a smattering of interest in Instagram and Pinterest, few could see a business case for building an audience via these channels.
It has to be said that there was a degree of skepticism in the room about the value of social media. This was despite the fact that the event would not have taken place if it were not for a series of social engagements via LinkedIn earlier in the year. In this respect, I could argue that social media marketing works so well, the people it actively engages might not even realize they are being marketed to. In an age where people increasingly hate the hard sell, this is not a bad thing.
One of the main problems my delegates had with social media was their belief that very few people in Portugal (certainly within their target market) were actually using social media. As most of the people in the room were targeting foreign property investors, particularly from the UK (second only to the U.S. in terms of Twitter users), this objection didn’t hold much weight. They were also surprised to learn that social media was actively consumed by much older age groups than they initially considered. Twitter can boast that it has more users over the age of 35 than under this age group.
Side Note: More than one delegate told me that when clients were looking for accommodations while visiting Portugal to view potential properties, their number one priority was Wi-Fi. This alone should inform them of the value of technology to their client base.
