Video is becoming increasingly important in real estate marketing. Which types of videos should you be using?
Video is taking over. It is anticipated that even Facebook could become all video by 2021. That’s just 3 and a half years from now. While video can still be a challenge for some real estate businesses to create consistently, and well, and for many consumers to digest due to internet challenges, it should be a top consideration for all those in real estate marketing.
Now is the time to start building up a video presence, mastering the medium, finding the right team members to help make it look good, and to accumulate a good library of dynamic content. So, what types of real estate videos should you be creating and using now?
YouTube
YouTube is still the king of video channels. Many millennials may not have ever written an email, but they spend hours on YouTube. It attracts billions of users and hours of attention each day. It is a great platform for getting in front of new clients, as well as reengaging with past contacts. Videos loaded to YouTube can stay safely up in the cloud, and can be connected or used to feed websites, real estate blogs, and to create training courses. You can even leverage other people’s video skills with in video ads.
Facebook Live
Facebook Live is growing fast. It not only offers the reach and visibility of the giant social network, but the limited time urgency and exclusivity ingredients important to successful marketing. A major component which has largely been eroded by the internet over the past few years. Facebook Live events can be used to deliver special offers, to connect with real-time information, and to bring more connection. It also increases the authenticity of your brand. And it’s a great way to get started with video. If you don’t nail it, it’s okay, that video doesn’t have to stay a part of your permanent marketing or feed.
Instagram Live
Instagram is perhaps one of, if not the fastest growing social networks today. Many people who don’t like or use Facebook, are on Instagram. So far, Instagram doesn’t save your live videos. That can be a plus and minus. It’s extremely unique and powerful content, but you can’t keep using it. Instagram is getting busier with marketers, but may be one of the least convoluted platforms for now. This may offer newer brands and professionals and edge and opportunity to make a big splash before everyone else jumps in.
Virtual Tours
Embracing video marketing in real estate is not just about where to post, but what to create and publish. Virtual tours are an obvious entry point and staple for virtually all real estate marketers. Realtors, investors, and others can all benefit from showing them off. Visuals in general are becoming more important in real estate marketing, and videos like these can really make all the difference in which listings get noticed, and acted on. This can be outsourced to professional video and photography companies, but with smartphones now equipped with amazing cameras many will find they can create great versions themselves.
Neighborhood Videos
Real estate professionals are now realizing that more than ever, some of the best value they have to offer potential buyers, and sellers, as well as renters, is the ability to share their local expertise. Looking at Google maps and reading neighborhood articles is great, but nothing really brings it together and to life like video. Few real estate marketers are doing this. And it could be a great way to get ahead and stand out. Use these videos to show what it’s really like to walk around, eat out, shop locally, go to school there, visit the gym, and more.
Website Videos
Text content is still vital and very important for real estate websites. Don’t expect to get much action without great content. However, we are all short on time, and expect to get information faster, and desire to see if sites are really legit or not. Videos are a great way to champion these challenges fast.
Video Ads
From Google to Instagram to Youtube video ads have proven to be very powerful and profitable. They may cost you more than text ads or static image ads, but they are definitely worth embracing and testing. Your cost per click or lead may be higher, but your conversion rates may be better too. Start with text based ads if you need to, then reinvest profits in expanding into video.
