Now more than ever, people are spending much of their day on social media. Homebuilders have staked out their social presences and are doing their best to leverage them, but how do you deliver the authentic personal experiences buyers are looking for? What’s the secret? Get your salespeople on board.
Sales professionals are experts in creating personal connections — plus they’re right there in your new homes and on the property every day. By turning salespeople into social ambassadors, you can leverage their unique skills, connections with buyers, and property access to enhance and expand your social efforts.
(In case you missed it, we discussed how sales teams can extend the reach of homebuilder’s social media efforts in Part 1 of this article.)
Empower Sales to Create Personalized Content
Feeding your content stream can and should be part of your sales team’s regular tasks. They know your homes and community better than anyone, and they’re uniquely positioned to capture the experience of living there. Here’s how to put a social ambassador program into action.
1. Create workflows
Your social marketing team likely has regular calendars and cadences for social posting. To avoid disruption and keep everything in sync, it’s best to weave your sales teams into your social team’s processes. This can work in several ways:
- Content can be emailed directly to the social team, who can then create posts to be published within their regular cadence, giving the salesperson credit.
- Salespeople first post to their individual profiles, then tag the brand for resharing.
- If it makes sense for your company, salespeople may be given permission to post directly on your community’s main account — either directly through the social platform or via your social media management tools.
However you choose to operationalize things, make sure that all posts go through the proper channels for review and quality control.
2. Define content categories
Ask your sales team to focus on photos, videos and personal commentary in four categories:
- Quality materials and craftsmanship (e.g., beautiful stonework, unique molding, etc.)
- Progress (e.g., new pathways going in at the Amenity Center or materials arriving on a truck)
- Community lifestyle (e.g., beautiful sunset views, videos of birds singing or neighbors enjoying a trail)
- Company values in action (e.g., showing sustainable materials or participants at a volunteer event)
A Few Tips for Content Creators
- It’s best to leave out faces or personally identifiable elements unless you’ve gotten permission.
- Get small — tiny details can be really interesting and are often overlooked.
- Think grand — try a panoramic view or a sped-up drive-through of the property.
- Create moments — what does “morning coffee” look like in the breakfast nook of your model home? What about a picnic lunch at the Amenity Center?
- Always put your brand and your property in the best-possible light, and be professional.
- Share authentic personal experiences — that cute dog you met at the community park, today’s inspirational view, etc.
For more smart marketing strategies and fresh ideas, turn to Wick Marketing’s expert homebuilder support. For more than 25 years, we’ve helped builders and developers grow nationwide, and we can’t wait to get started with you. Email barbara@wickmarketing.com or call (512) 479-9834.
