Worried about Facebook Timeline Changes? Content Marketing will Save the Day

Facebook is changing their algorithm for their news feed. Don't let that throw your real estate marketing off track. Use content marketing to keep things running smoothly.

In light of the big changes going on at Facebook, it's understandable that we have been receiving tons of phone calls from nervous Realtors®, wanting to know how to get their ads in front of homeowners' eyeballs. Facebook is going to make this change. That is a fact. I understand that getting massive amounts of ad traffic from Facebook's original ad policies was a great thing. The new policies, however, are going to all but make this impossible if you are simply "paying for play" with nothing more than a straight up advertisement, as you may have been doing in the past.

So what is the trick here? It's simple. In fact, it's something I've been writing about for years now. At this point, though, it has never been more important, so I wanted to take a moment to discuss it again. The trick to continuing to get eyeballs on your Facebook promotions and end up in as many homeowners' news feeds as possible is approaching all your marketing and ads from a content marketing perspective.

With that in mind, I want to share three quick tips that will get you started on the right path.

Step 1: Define Your Audience

I often refer to this as crafting client personas. No matter what you want to call it, this step is critical if you want to successfully make a content marketing shift that will benefit your Facebook marketing. You see, part of Facebook's new timeline algorithm is doing away with paid published posts and showing users more of what they engage with, what their friends engage with and what is actively being discussed. If you don't define who you are trying to attract, you are not going to have any clue what your target group might be interested in seeing from you. That means your messages will be off the mark, they will choose to ignore you, and your promoted content will not have the reach and exposure you want.

Remember, Facebook is lining things up around being liked, shared and discussed by people. This is the basis of content marketing. You want to be putting out relevant messages that are of interest to your target audience and that establish you as the thought leader in your marketplace.

Step 2: Show Your Differentiating Factors

Another great way to start a conversation with the homeowners you are targeting on Facebook is by opening dialogue that discusses your specific differentiating factors. Do not be afraid to compare yourself to others. Doing so isn't giving other agents in your marketplace free advertising. It is separating yourself from them. There are two important reasons for this. Many homeowners think every agent is exactly the same. Because of this, in their minds, if agent Jane Smith has been in their neighborhood for years and seems to be doing a lot of business, why would they consider hiring you over them? Pointing to your differentiating factors can show them why you can do better for them.

The second important reason for this is to cater to the homeowner's selfish sensibilities. By nature, as humans, we are all a little bit selfish. If you can go beyond simply pointing out your differentiating factors and draw SPECIFIC lines to how your differences will benefit the homeowner in the sale of their home, that is going to get them liking, commenting and sharing your content.

Step 3: Optimize Your Content for, and Promote Your Content across, Multiple Channels

This great content you are putting out undoubtedly took you a little bit of time to develop. Why not capitalize on it by spreading it across multiple channels? This is another great opportunity for you not only to spread your content and brand further, but also another great way to "game the system" with the new Facebook algorithm.

So when you create that great content and start promoting it, also create a version of that content that is suited for Instagram and run advertisements there also. Why, you ask? It's simple. Facebook owns Instagram. In many ways, the advertising engines for each platform are intertwined. So, if you can come up with a great way to also display the same content, in a format that works on Instagram and will get likes and comments, you are going to win in the eyes of the new Facebook Timeline algorithm.

So there you have it. Truth is, there are many things you can do to make yourself successful, in spite of this shake up over at Facebook. Content marketing is a giant piece of the puzzle and these three steps will get you going and on your way.

To view the original article, visit the Leading Agent blog.