Wednesday, 3 July 2013

LinkedIn 101: Inbound Marketing for Realtors

Are you a realtor that is new to the social media craze? Have you set up your Facebook and Twitter accounts but have yet to figure out LinkedIn? You aren’t alone. Check out our latest webinar on LinkedIn 101 for some easy tips and expert advice for beginners straight from our business development manager, Claiborne Yarbrough.
inbound-marketing-for-realtors
With inbound marketing for realtors, it is crucial to “cover all your bases,” whether you’re using blogs, podcasts, video, SEO or social media marketing. For realtors, that social media aspect involves professional networking, such as on LinkedIn. People normally go to at least one of two different places for information when they are researching a service or product: 1) The internet or 2) People they know. With LinkedIn, people can search and find you, learn about your experience and credentials, and as an added bonus, you can even work in some professional recommendations.

If you are concerned about inbound marketing for realtors, here are some of the basics that Yarbrough covered in the LinkedIn 101 webinar today.
  1. What is LinkedIn?
  2. Who is supposed to use LinkedIn?
  3. What are some best practices?
  4. What should you avoid in LinkedIn?
  5. What are some new features of LinkedIn?
LinkedIn is a valuable database of professionals. It is the world’s largest professional network that allows people to share and find opportunities in the workplace. Some people may wonder why they should join multiple networks when they already have a solid foundation on another site, such as Facebook. While Facebook and Twitter and other networking sites are great for socializing, they aren’t necessarily the best tools to use when trying to make professional contacts. Hence, LinkedIn. It is a fantastic tool for inbound marketing for realtors.

By making a LinkedIn account, you will have more control over what people can find when they Google your name over the internet. For realtors, this is especially important as potential customers will be searching your name before using your services. The site allows you to share a wealth of professional information about yourself, your education, background, credentials, and more. Signing up is free and it could quite possibly be one of the best “investments” of your career as a realtor. Most of your contacts are probably already on LinkedIn and reconnecting is as easy as uploading your address book. LinkedIn helps you maintain your current business relationships and also assists you in finding new ones, creating an effective networking strategy when it comes to inbound marketing for realtors. You can find potential customers and they, in turn, can find you.

To utilize your LinkedIn profile in the best way possible, you should be fully aware of all the tools available at your disposal. Groups allow professionals in the same industry or with similar interests to share information, find answers, post and view jobs, make business contacts and establish themselves as an industry expert. Yarbrough insists that it is more important to be active in a select few groups then to be a member of several. Establish your presence in a few relevant groups by posting interesting content often.

One best practice is to use a professional photo on your profile. Like Yarbrough states in the webinar, if you don’t have a profile photo, potential contacts will not take you seriously. Also, many people make the mistake of setting up their professional profile much like that would their social profile. While a summer vacation photo may be acceptable on your social media accounts, it is not at all a good idea to use this on your LinkedIn.  Realtors must have a photo in which they are dressed professionally. A best practice for inbound marketing for realtors is to invest in a quality headshot for your profile photo to get a good first impression among other business professionals and possible connections and customers.

If you’re feeling intimidated, set aside some time of each day to get acquainted with your LinkedIn account. Make sure that you are fully utilizing its tools as a best practice for inbound marketing for realtors. Get out there, make connections, join groups and start a professional relationship today. For a more in-depth conversation, check out Claiborne Yarbrough’s webinar here.

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