You'll continue to increase engagement when you capture your followers' attention in less than seven seconds.
Every day, consumers are inundated with marketing communications from many companies. It could seem tough to cut through the noise if you're trying to communicate with your clientele. During a discussion at NAR NXT, The REALTOR® Experience, in Boston on Wednesday, Albert Opraseuth, strategy director at Uncommon Creative Studio, asked, "Remember how many messages you received on your phone apps just today that you've been exposed to."
In their discussion of ad trends and social media marketing best practices, Opraseuth and Ronnie Beltran, senior vice president of communications strategy at Havas Media, emphasized the value of comprehending and interacting with various fan communities, the efficacy and reach of social media platforms, and the impact of women's purchasing power.
The Fandom Age
Asking the audience, "What are you into?," is the key to establishing basic engagement with a brand or message. What appeals to you? "Opraseuth said." A segmented demographic must be the main focus of marketing communications. However, establishing friendships in real life is more complex. "I would never state in my introduction that I am 39 years old and earn X sum of money." People simply don't meet each other that way. Therefore, brands shouldn't interact with consumers in that way. They ought to treat them like human beings.
Realizing that everyone has a passion and that there is a convention or online community for anything is essential to connecting with your audience. According to Opraseuth, 62% of fans have a favorable opinion of brands that have been active in their fandoms for a long time. Taylor Swift fans, known as "Swifties," Comic Con devotees, and even NAR NXT regulars are a few examples.
Conclusions:
Your friend is data: To determine which fandoms are most pertinent to your audience, use statistics and analytics.
Make genuine connections: If fans believe you are attempting to take advantage of their fandom for personal gain, they will not hesitate to call you out. Brands need to build relationships with fans and be true to the fandom.
Fandoms are among the world's most creative communities, thus creativity is essential. You must provide them with something that will excite them if you wish to join them.
Participate Locally
According to Beltran, "consumers still find comfort in physical proximity and community, even though they are deeply connected to the national and global digital world." Local advertising fills the need, particularly for real estate agents.
Conclusions:
Using location-based marketing increases engagement, according to 84% of marketers.
When they concentrate on localization, 25% of marketers see an improvement in conversion rates.
When an advertisement is locally tailored, 72% more customers answer the call to action.
Many Of Your Audience Uses Social Media
If you believed that people were using social media excessively during the COVID-19 outbreak, you may be shocked to hear that, overall, people from different demographics are using Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube even more. "Beltran said."
Customers used social media for an average of one hour and eleven minutes in 2020, with 28 minutes of that time spent watching videos. By 2024, the total duration had increased to an hour and twenty-three minutes, of which 49 minutes, or more than half, were spent on video.
Beltran claimed that "both the algorithms and the content are improving," particularly with regard to the technology that makes it possible to edit and publish entertaining videos quickly.
Short videos are actually 2.5 times more interesting than long ones. With the rise of YouTube clips and Instagram stories, social media companies have just realized that short-form videos need to grab your attention inside the first seven seconds. Beltran stated, "That is the window of [algorithm] ranking science."
Opraseuth stated, "This is a chance for all of us to consider where we are and where we need to be, depending on who we're communicating to, and then looking at our social channels."
Even while short films have a lot of power, professionals—especially those in the real estate sector—should still use single-topic "verticals" to convey a deeper message after establishing credibility and generating interest.
Customer testimonial films will be a crucial tool for real estate professionals, according to Beltran, who also noted that 44% of consumers prefer longer videos after they delve in to learn more.It's possible that half of real estate professionals don't update frequently or maintain audience engagement.
Conclusions:
Interact with your audience: 73% of buyers say they are more inclined to conduct business with companies that respond to their social media posts. Answer messages and comments right away.
Make use of social proof: according to 72% of consumers, a company's credibility is increased by favorable reviews and testimonials.
Just 57% of NAR members post often on social media to keep up a steady presence.
Women Are Your Main Audience
In the consumer space, young women are the group with the quickest rate of growth. In 2011, Beyonce famously sang, "Who runs the world? "Girls," said Beltran. That is even more true now than it was in the past. Women are doing well and have achieved notable advancements in politics, society, and sports.
Women make about 65% of NAR members in the real estate industry. Additionally, women make up 24% of first-time purchasers, up from only 11% in 1985, according to the 2024 NAR Profile of Home purchasers and Sellers. Furthermore, women currently make up 65% of college applicants, paving the way for a big cultural and economic shift soon.
"Showing up with them, not for them" is the greatest way to effectively engage a female audience, Beltran added, with women spearheading brand relationships and messaging.
Conclusions:
Demonstrate solidarity by taking action: Companies must connect with and represent women in ways that go beyond stereotypes.
Employ research and insights: In a sea of oversimplification, brands that take into account these subtleties stand out.
Put your words into action: Companies that support women are the ones who bring about significant change.