How to Authentically Sell Yourself Inside Facebook Groups

Today we’re talking Facebook groups. Not your Facebook group, but other local groups that you’re a member of.

Facebook groups represent a huge opportunity for realtors. As hubs of engaged interaction, they’re a perfect place to find leads and establish relationships.

We’ve talked before about the types of Facebook groups that realtors should join. In this post, we’re focusing on what to do once you’re a member, and how to attract leads in a way that’s sincere, and not sales-y.

Read on for our strategies on authentically and successfully marketing yourself inside Facebook groups.

1. Know and respect the rules

It’s pretty common these days for Facebook group managers to set out ground rules for members.

These “laws” are typically about the type of content that can be posted (no advertisements, no bad language, no adult content, etcetera) and about respecting fellow members.

Before you dive in and start commenting on posts and publishing your own, review and memorize these rules.

If you don’t and you accidentally break a rule, you’ll be publicly told off or kicked out — embarrassing and bad for your brand.

2. Introduce yourself

When you’re ready to start participating, jump in with a personal introduction.

This introduction should include:

• Why you’re happy to be in the group
• Who you are and what you do
• Either a question or an offer for the group
• Lots of enthusiasm
• A picture of yourself (try to stay away from anything too formal or heavily branded; you don’t want to look like you’re only there to sell yourself, even if that is the case)

Here’s a template for an introductory post to get you started:

“Happy [day of week] to you, [name of group]!

Very excited new member here! I love connecting with [whatever the group focus and your target is; for example, fellow Vancouver cyclists/fellow Toronto design lovers/], and this seems like the perfect place for it.

A few details about me: I’m a realtor and [insert other relatable personal detail; for example, biking addict, adrenaline junkie, sommelier-in-training], and I’m passionate about helping [your target audience; for example, first-time buyers and retirees] find their perfect home.

It’s great to meet you all! I’d love to ask: [insert a question that’s relevant to the group; for example, What’s your favourite trail in Vancouver, or What’s your favourite Toronto home store?].”

OR

“It’s great to meet you all! If you have ANY questions about [your real estate expertise], please don’t hesitate to send me a message! I’d love to help.”

3. Engage with others

One of the golden rules for any social media platform is to be a part of the conversation. You get back what you put in.

Like, share and comment on other members’ posts. Answer their questions and offer up your advice or suggestions when asked for. Be thoughtful: take the time to craft well-written responses.

Being a supportive and active group member will go a long way in attracting the same kind of engagement on your own posts. And that’s what you need to turn interactions into leads.

Just remember: lead with authenticity, not with an advertisement. If you only ever respond in a way that promotes your business, you’ll annoy your fellow group members.

4. Stand out

To get eyeballs (and comments) on your posts, you need to be noticed. So don’t just do what everyone else does. Find a way to be different.

Some suggestions:

• Use funny GIFs, personal photos or customized graphics to accompany your posts. Having consistent imagery will create instant recognition around your content
• Post content that no one else is posting. If everyone else is asking questions or sharing complaints, cut through the noise with a super positive experience or “win”
• Share insider info. Maybe you recently discovered a “secret menu” at a popular restaurant. Tell the group! “Fun” posts like these can go a long way in making friends
• Let your personality shine through. Feel free to be a little bit weird, edgy, funny, or goofy

5. Mix up your content

The easiest way to avoid being too sales-y in a Facebook group? Don’t sell!

Instead:

1. Share a personal story or anecdote (this can include #realestatewins, so long as you’re sharing your happiness – not bragging).
2. Ask questions, or for recommendations and personal experiences. These can be related to your business, or not.
3. Offer up friendly advice. If you’ve noticed several group members asking questions about the same topic, create a post with tips and tricks. If you’ve been asked the same real estate question several times, in or outside the Facebook group, share your answer.

6. Make it easy on the eyes

Facebook doesn’t offer many tools for formatting your posts, so it’s up to you to make sure that your posts are easy for group members to digest.

Here are some dos and don’ts:

• DO include strong images that grab attention
• DON’T post long paragraphs without breaking them up into bite-sized chunks
• DO use short, snappy, sentences, and add line breaks in between
• DON’T abbreviate everything in an effort to be brief
• DO use capital letters, bullets, colons, asterisks and dashes to break up the text and highlight important words and details
• DON’T use realtor jargon, especially if you’re in a group that is not related to real estate
• DO tag people, places and businesses when appropriate

7. Be consistent

Every Facebook group has “celebrity members” — people that the whole group knows because they’re so active.

That recognition is key to using Facebook groups for finding leads. You want to be the first name that pops into someone’s mind when they’re thinking of local real estate agents.

Consistency is essential to being recognizable. You can’t post once and expect people to remember you.

Aim for at least one interaction per day — a comment, a share and/or a like. Publish your own posts as frequently as needed without seeming like you’re spamming the page; someone shouldn’t scroll and see your name as the author of 15 out of 20 recent posts.

There you have it! That’s quite a bit to get started with. Which point will you be putting into practice first?

Last Updated on August 12, 2022 by myRealPage