Social Media Marketing Tips for Real Estate in 2024
Social Media Marketing Tips for Real Estate in 2024
The African real estate market is as dynamic as every other, with opportunities aplenty for investors and residents alike. Hence, navigating the dynamics of the African real estate market demands a keen understanding of where potential customers spend their time in order to reach them.
Social media has transformed the world to a global village, where connection, information, and aspiration converge to provide a powerful platform to engage with prospective buyers across Africa.
In this article, we go beyond the normal stuff you read online to give you actionable social media tips for property marketing. Out with the old, and in with the new as we explore up-to-date strategies to market your property.
But first, let’s talk about why one shoe does not fit all and why tailored social media strategy for the African real estate market is necessary.
Tailoring Social Media Strategies for the African Market
In Africa, social media usage varies widely across regions and demographics. To effectively connect with the diverse audience, property marketers must adopt a localized approach. For instance, consider a property marketing company operating in Kenya, South Africa, and Nigeria where WhatsApp is a dominant communication channel with a penetration rate of 97%, 96%, and 95% respectively, according to Tyntec.
By integrating WhatsApp Business into their social media strategy, the company can facilitate direct communication with clients, share property updates, and address inquiries in real-time.
In Nigeria, Instagram reigns supreme in showcasing aspirational lifestyles, while platforms like Jumia cater specifically to property seekers. Understanding these nuances is the cornerstone of tailoring your message and resonating with your target audience.
Social Media Marketing Tips for Real Estate
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Understand diversity and go hyperlocal
Imagine trying to sell the same property to a young professional in Lagos and a retiree in Cape Town. A one-size-fits-all approach simply won’t work. By understanding the distinct aspirations, needs, and communication styles of different audiences within each region, you can craft content that truly resonates.
This means using relevant languages, hashtags, and local references. It also means acknowledging cultural sensitivities and adapting your tone accordingly.
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Avoid dry descriptions and tell stories
Gone are the days of dry property descriptions. Scratch that! Gone should be the days of these dry descriptions because people still market that way. Today’s African consumers crave stories and anything short, people may scroll past your listing like it was never there.
Instead, use powerful visuals and narratives to show people beyond the fancy walls and shiny lights in your property. Tell a story to showcase the lifestyle associated with your properties. Highlight the vibrant communities, local amenities, and cultural experience that comes with owning or renting property in a particular location.
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Don’t just wing it. Understand what works
Understanding the broader African social media landscape is crucial. But understanding each platform’s strength is even more vital. This allows you to fit in, and enables you to create the type of content users of a specific platform expect.
Consider creating targeted Facebook Groups for specific communities, like first-time buyers or investors, to drive deeper engagement and lead generation. Utilize Facebook Live Q&A sessions to address common concerns and showcase your expertise in real-time.
For Instagram, Reels and Stories are short, visually-driven formats that are perfect for highlighting properties, neighborhoods, user-generated content, and local hotspots in an engaging way.
The WhatsApp Business App allows you to create a business profile, share product catalogs, and communicate directly with leads and clients. With it, you can send targeted updates, answer basic inquiries, and provide personalized customer service, fostering trust and building relationships.
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Africans love mobiles. Take it to them there.
In Sub-Saharan Africa alone, there were 415 million smartphone subscriptions in 2022 and an expected number of 689 million by 2028, according to a 2023 Statista report. This rapid growing rate of smartphone usage and internet access has made mobiles the major gateway to social media in Africa.
This demands a mobile-first approach. So, optimize your content for smaller screens, prioritize fast loading times, and leverage features like Instagram Reels and WhatsApp Business App to capture attention and connect with your audience on the go.
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Avoid autopiloting and track performance
Marketing your property on social media extends beyond sharing posts and counting likes. First, understand your goals. Then determine the important metrics to track in your journey. Avoid vanity metrics and track only those that contribute significantly to your growth.
Tracking performance metrics is crucial for optimizing marketing strategies and analytics tools help property marketers gain valuable insights into audience behavior, content performance, and campaign effectiveness.
This data-driven approach enables marketers to identify trends, refine their targeting strategies, and allocate resources more effectively. Moreover, by measuring key performance indicators such as engagement rate, conversion rate, and return on investment, marketers can continuously iterate and improve their social media marketing efforts.
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Engaging with the Audience
Interaction and engagement is the primary reason people come to social media. So it’s important to engage with your audience after listing your property. Respond promptly to inquiries, comments, and messages.
Additionally, host live Q&A sessions and virtual property tours (if you have the resources) to provide an interactive platform for potential buyers to interact with the brand and gain valuable insights into the properties on offer.
Social media is beyond an engagement platform, it is a powerful marketing tool to sell properties. To get results from social media marketing, consider outsourcing your property to a company who understands the African real estate industry and the nitty-gritty of social media. Afrikmore understands the needs, language, and behavior of different segments of the African market. And as a modern innovative property marketing company, Afrikmore leverages the power of social media to find buyers/tenants for your property.
Outsource your property to us. Contact us now!
