Making smart social media predictions can make the difference between sinking or swimming in the new social media landscape.  It can seem like a constant game of catch-up, trying to stay ahead of the curve and on top of social media trends. It is, afterall, one of fastest-moving marketing strategies available to real estate agents.

The good news is that if you’re tuned in to social media news, you can get a good idea of what to expect next on each platform and integrate new social media tools into your marketing strategy before they are oversaturated.

These are the social media predictions and relevant tips you need to pay attention to if you want to rock marketing in your hyperlocal niche.

1. Utilize the Power of TikTok

In the past year, two of the past leading social media platforms, Facebook and Twitter, have drastically declined in popularity and users. This isn’t to say that these networks are not useful, however, visually focused platforms (and slightly less controversial platforms) have taken over in the content-sharing space.

Audiences are more knowledgeable than ever about the barriers and controls of many social media platforms and are moving towards organic video platforms such as TikTok. During the pandemic, TikTok blew up with homemade content. Now, the platform is leading the movement towards more AR(augmented reality) and VR (virtual reality) features. This is fact is especially relevant for real estate agents who cater to the socially and internet-conscious populations of millennials and the up-and-coming home buyers of Gen Z.

2. Authenticity Rules

Your audiences are becoming increasingly aware of the falsity on social media platforms and the ease of constructing an image that doesn’t really exist. Platforms such as TikTok, have seen a major takeoff among all age groups because of the rawness of content and the opportunity for fair competition. Organic content rules in all categories and audiences are craving simplified content with less and less visual frills (e.g. overwhelming graphics and over-choreographed video content). The next time you put off creating a video because you’re not wearing the perfect outfit or aren’t in the most picturesque setting, think again. The spur-of-the-moment and authenticity of your message can take you a lot further than aesthetics these days.

In fact, a recent studies by Playsee show that 86% of social media users want to see more authentic content and videos that  reflect their daily lives.

3. Pay Special Attention to SEO

The content creation world grows exponentially by the day. Algorithms are having to create new ways to really niche down content and make sure that it connects with the right target audience. Using the right keywords in posts, videos, hashtags, descriptions, tags, and more can make the difference between your post or someone else’s making it on the explore page. It’s not just about ranking higher. The right content in front of the correct buyers or sellers means free lead generation for you and the potential to tap into a continuous wealth of warm leads. Click-throughs, likes, comments, shares – essentially any type of engagement with your posts, tells social media algorithms to provide more of your content to audiences.

Now more than ever, algorithms on visual platforms  are pushing harder to get your message in front of the right user base. Being smart about SEO makes it easier for you and them. For example, include hashtags that are industry related and branded to draw users back to your real estate business pages.

4. Short-Form Videos Are Key

Fortunately and unfortunately, our attention span as a population has continued to dwindle, but our appetite for video content has not. The magic solution: short-form video. Major video platforms are leaning towards short-form video to provide the most amount of value in the least amount of time and keep users locked to their screens. The quick serotonin boosts of short videos have increased mobile phone usage by 50 minutes each year since 2013 (just take a look at your own screen time stats ). Short videos create the illusion of spending less time on mobile while actually increasing the amount of mobile time spent overall.

As a marketer, it’s in your best interest to take advantage of this. As a real estate agent, you are the ideal provider for this type of content. You have precious, time and money-saving tips that can be easily communicated in a number of seconds. Try out a social media marketing campaign based on short and powerful video content. Short videos are considered 15 second of less. For example, you can offer numbered tips related to one real estate-specific topic and repost the content on a number of platforms such as Tik Tok, Instagram, and Youtube Shorts.

5. Understand Your Niche Audiences

As much as social media connects us, it also unites small communities with peculiar things in common. Young professionals in the west loop? Middle-aged moms in a particular neighbourhood in Tallahassee? More and more people are uniting in smaller groups over niche interests using hashtags and community profiles. Think about how the many intricacies of the services you offer and the populations you serve. How can you identify relevant niches and build content that appeals to them? The more hyperlocal and smaller the pool, the more likely people are to see your content and engage with it.

As you gain the trust of those in your relevant niche following, you can begin to strengthen your own community that revolves around your personal brand and philosophies. What unique perspective can you bring that will unite your target clientele?

6. Drone Footage is Commonplace

Remember when google drone footage was the new and exciting thing? That was over ten years ago. This social media ‘prediction’ has been developing for years. Now, drone footage is a standard option for high-quality video footage in the world of social media. Not only do people want to see the inside of the home, but they also want to know how the overall area looks and where it is located in relation to other important zones.

While not mandatory, drone images add a new level of attractiveness and professionalism to the real estate listings that you share online. If you’re not quite ready to invest in a drone yourself, professional and well-lit photography is the bare minimum.

7. Use Each Social Media Platform in Different ways

Click on any of your favourite real estate influencer’s Instagram profiles and you will find links to many of their other profiles across the web. If they’re handling web strategy correctly, you’ll find slightly different content and formats on each platform. Your real estate audience is more clever than ever, and if you want them to follow you on multiple platforms, you have to give them a reason to.

On a basic level, your website is home base: the place where your person band lives and people can go to find out details about your contact information and the services you provide. TikTok is the place to share biteable, relevant audience-facing information that will enrich their knowledge and get them thinking in a matter of seconds. Instagram is where you can show your personality and give a sneak peek into your personal and professional life. LinkedIn is still strictly professional: a great place to shamelessly share your achievements and make connections with other real estate professionals to boost each other’s careers. Facebook and Tik Tok are great new sources and spaces for community building based on specific opinions and interests.

Use each platform in a way that is compatible with its format, and you’ll see big results.

8. Get an Adaptability Plan

With a few of the top leading social media platforms taking a dip, there’s more opportunity for new platforms to gain a large and loyal following. In order to hop on the first wave, it’s best to have simple profile elements in place: an updated and professional profile photo, clear brand and logo, and a basic biography, at the least.

This isn’t to say that we suggest jumping on every new platform that comes out. However, you don’t want to get stuck in analysis paralysis or caught up in creating new, perfect content when the next big thing blows up. At the beginning of most new social media platforms, users are still trying to figure out what it’s best used for. With time, it is the user (that includes you) that steers the direction and usability of the application.

9. Collaborations Catch New Eyes

There’s something exciting about seeing two knowledgable people work together to create interesting content, especially if you are a fan of them both. Even more so if it is an unpredictable duo. Collaborative posts are up in popularity around the end of 2022 continue growing in popularity as we move into 2023. Collaborative posts can simply mean that one post shows up on more than one social media account at the same time. However, the posts that get the most engagement show both people in the actual content. In the real estate industry, this could look like a top agent and interior designer working together on a staging video. Or a real estate agent and community leader promoting local fundraising events. Collaborations are most popular on Instagram and TikTok (where they are referred to as duets) however they are likely to appear on other social media platforms soon enough.

10. Drop the Sales-y tone For Good

One thing we can leave in 2022 without question is the classic stiff, sales-y tone of the 80s and 90s. Some old-school real estate professionals are still holding on to their uncomfortably formal style of communication almost as tightly as they are holding on to their printed listing presentations. Social media is about connecting on a human level and robot-style professionalism just won’t cut it.

It’s not suggested to try and integrate every new slang or viral word into your real estate marketing text, however, the tone should be conversational and casual. Imagine speaking to your online followers in the same way you may speak to your neighbour (not your corporate boss, but not quite your best friend).

11. Track Metrics That Align With Your Business Goals

This social media prediction was a long time coming. Finally, social media users and social media marketers alike realizing that likes are not everything. In the real estate business, quality over quantity is the secret to a long and successful lead generation strategy that creates long-term returns.

Unfortunately, likes don’t generate leads. However, an engaged follower that clicks on your website and shoots you a Whatsapp message can become a long-time client and an excellent source of referrals. As they say, sometimes it ‘only takes one’ to make a real difference.

Shares, detailed comments, and account follows, are only a few of the more relevant real estate metrics that better reflect the current and future success of your social campaigns.

Conclusion…

Social media strategies are forever evolving because the apps themselves are constantly changing. It’s up to us as real estate professionals and marketers to stay up to date in order to make accurate social media predictions. Then, we can understand how we can adapt to them to improve our own businesses.

Social media managers are great, but with an ear to the ground, you can likely stay on top of your social media presence yourself – and do a great job at it! At the end of the day, it’s all about creating rich content in order to be as useful as possible to your stakeholders and improve lead generation.

Take updates into consideration and create content that works with social media platforms to achieve your real estate business goals.

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