3 Steps to Dominating Social Media in 2018

The key to setting any resolution isn't to just make a wish with something vague and hope it comes true that year. It takes a bit of planning, honesty, and small, realistic goals.

Getting yourself more involved in social media is the same way. You can't just say, "I want to do more on social media in 2018." What does that even mean? Do you want to post more pictures of your family? Share more witty memes?

Or are you talking about your business and how you can harness social media to gain at least one lead per month? Now you're talking about something realistic with an endgame in mind. So how do you go about harnessing your social media to get one lead per month? Read more for three easy steps that can help you reach your social media goals!

Step 1: Set a Schedule

The easiest way to make a habit of something is to set a schedule to keep you accountable. (And do it for 21 days, but that's another article for another day.) Make yourself a content schedule to post two to three times per week. Here's an example:

• Tuesday: Business successes (recent closings, under contracts, etc.) or local love! Show off a place that makes living where you live great!
• Thursday: Open house schedule for the weekend or local market performance
• Saturday: Real estate advice. Tips on staging your home, appealing paint colors, or even tips on how to prepare for the home buying process!

When you set a set a schedule, you keep yourself accountable. If you have a hard time trying to post three times per week, I would recommend picking ONE day and using it to create and schedule your content for the whole week. You don't want all of your content to go out at once and then stay dormant for the rest of the week—that's not a good look. It's beneficial to consistently post to keep yourself in front of your audience.

Step 2: Evaluate your Content

Once you have your content schedule set, it's time to see if it's working and figure out where to make adjustments.

Utilize tools like Facebook Insights; it's part of your Facebook Business page! It's filled with useful information like when your audience is online, who is part of your audience, and where they're located. This information is invaluable, as it helps you form your content strategy to help you assert yourself as a leading real estate expert. For example, if you notice that your posts aren't getting much engagement (likes, comments and shares), try looking at the "posts" section of your Insights. It may be that you're posting at inopportune times. There, it will show when your audience is online, so you can determine when to post in order to put your content in front of the most users with the most efficiency!

The path to every goal has hiccups, but evaluating at least once a month will help you better learn who your audience is so you can tailor your content to their needs!

Step 3: Try New Trends

"Trying new trends" may sound like a strange resolution, but it is anything but. Trying new things is fun, challenging, but oh-so-rewarding!

When new technologies become available on social networks, be one of the first people to try it out and post something using the technology. This strategy has two GIANT advantages for your real estate business. One is that it will show your audience that you are both comfortable and up-to-date with technology, and also that you will utilize every possible resource to get a home sold. The second benefit is that when you are an early adopter of a new technology—like Facebook Live, or Instagram stories when they first launched—the social networks will give your content preferential placement in others' newsfeeds to encourage them to try the technology. This preferential placement is HUGE because it's essentially free advertising—and if you harness it right, like for a listing or open house, it can get in front of a lot more people than normal.

Don't be afraid of utilizing social media to help grow your business and increase your presence! It can only help you! As always, happy 2018, and best of luck for a successful new year!

To view the original article, visit the Homes.com blog.