First impressions are lasting. In the world of real estate, sometimes a first impression is the only opportunity you get to make a sale happen.
Because of this, in the past few years there has been a major influx in advocacy for the use of professional photography for your listings. People are incredibly image-driven, and having compelling imagery can truly determine how quickly you find a buyer for your listing. One of the ways you can maximize the power and reach of your imagery is to establish a bold presence on Pinterest.
Commonly known as the social media hub for moms and brides-to-be, Pinterest allows you to discover, collect, organize and share visually compelling images on your “boards” by “pinning.” Each board represents a theme to help you categorize where you want to put a given “pin.” Although fashion, recipes and parenting posts run rampant on Pinterest, there is also a huge DIY (do it yourself) and home design element. This makes Pinterest a natural fit for a real estate presence — but only for those willing to do it consistently and well. Stick to these basic rules, and you’ll hit the ground running:
- Complete your business profile by ensuring all information is filled out, including your bio, profile photos and website URL. Verify your business presence on Pinterest by following their steps, which involve the addition of a small line of code into your website. Nothing will change on your site, this just lets Pinterest and all “pinners” know you are who you say you are and lends more credibility to your presence. (Get help verifying your business on Pinterest.)
- Find your friends through a quick name search or by connecting your account with Facebook, and follow a few good resources for content. This could be DIY masters, home improvement businesses, furniture companies, interior designers — there are plenty to choose from. This will give you a steady stream of pins coming into your home dashboard. When you see something you like from someone you follow, you simply “repin” it to one of your boards by clicking the “pin it” button and selecting which board and description you’d like to use.
- Add the “Pin It” plug in to your browser’s toolbar. This will allow you to pin to one of your boards at the click of a button when you visit a site or blog with an image and topic you’d like to add to your pinboards. (Here is some information to help you get started.)
- Populate your profile with a minimum of five boards to start, with five or more pins per board. Make it your goal to pin 10 or more pins (original or repins) per week to keep a steady stream of new content, all the while building up your boards. Starting at least one or two new boards per month will help you build your presence without overwhelming you as you gain confidence on the platform.
- Board ideas: Featured Listings, Home Equity on a Budget, Painting, Living Room Inspiration, Easy Bathroom Makeovers, Landscape on a Budget, Garage or Closet Organization, Local Area Photo Board, Buyer Tips & Tricks, Seller Tips & Tricks
- Get the word out by letting your current social media following know they can find you on Pinterest, and provide a link to your profile. Now this part is key: After telling them where they can find you, ask them how you can find them. Tell your followers you want to follow them, and ask them to put their Pinterest handle or URL in the comments below the post or as a reply to your original statement. Then, actually follow through, and connect with them on Pinterest. This benefits both sides, as opposed to just you.
- As with any platform, it’s important to reciprocate through connections and outreach instead of just hoping people will find you. That means “loving” or commenting on the pins of others or asking questions, repinning useful content found through your dashboard or search, finding other area businesses and people to follow and interact with, and continuing to occasionally follow pinners who put out great content that you appreciate. Spending a few minutes doing this every time you log in is a great habit to get into, and could build you a strong network of pinners, potential clients and business associates!
- Have very little time to dedicate to another social presence? If you need a scheduling tool to streamline your time spent on this new platform, try Tailwind. Tailwind is extremely affordable and can help you organize, schedule and automate your pin publication.
As a relatively lesser-known platform, Pinterest can prove to be an extremely helpful resource within your field: driving traffic to your site, increasing your brand exposure, and connecting you with those who might need your services or find your advice and activity useful. Take a little time to explore the platform if you’re not familiar, and take advantage of the help center if you have any questions. In very little time, you can create a valuable pathway to connect with people who might need something from you someday.
Bill Fishkin is the CEO of Neighbrhds, which creates custom curated, Realtor-sponsored mobile apps aimed at neighborhoods, communities and municipalities across the U.S. and Canada. He is also the founder and CEO of SynMedia, a full-service social media, marketing and design agency based in California.