Integration Ingenuity: Social Media Marketing Made Simple
The results, experiences, and insights gained through public relations efforts can jumpstart your social media marketing strategy. First, it is imperative to research available social media applications, including Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube, among others, to determine those that will most effectively deliver your message to your target audience. For instance, a real estate market with a high number of professionals may respond to messaging via LinkedIn, while markets ripe for first-time homebuyers may find value in an agent's educational video posted on YouTube. Employing a variety of these social media applications will yield the best results.
Agents should share public relations outcomes, including press releases, white papers, and PowerPoint presentations, as well as links to published articles, on their social media networks. There are free web-based tools that allow users to post to all of their networks at once (e.g. Ping.fm). Additionally, posting links to helpful and/or interesting industry articles that provide social media followers the latest news and information is always popular. Agents can further their success in building a fan base, and promote their brand, message, and image, by creating a list of tips and insights to share via their networks.
Social media marketing can easily be incorporated into your daily routine if you create a social media marketing calendar that includes real estate tips, upcoming events, articles, and links to industry news articles. Start with a two-month calendar and plan to post 3 to 5 times per week.
By tapping into your existing public relations efforts, industry knowledge, and personal news (e.g. '233 Main Street sold today!' or 'Beautiful colonial on Main Street now on the market.'), you will quickly enhance your professional reputation and engage with your target market in a new and accessible way. To find out more about creating and following an integrated public relations and social media marketing strategy, or if you would like assistance in getting started, contact an integrated marketing firm.

Linda Fanaras is the president and founder of Millennium Integrated Marketing, Boston and Manchester, N.H.