When we think of Facebook, we are generally thinking of a way that we can communicate with others. It could be a relative or perhaps a long-lost friend from school. Facebook is good that way. It can help us restore connections with people that we haven’t seen in many years.
However, those who are involved with running a real estate business will often neglect some of the features that Facebook has to offer. They can mistake contacting a potential client with contacting an old high school buddy. Obviously, this is not the same thing. As a matter of fact, confusing the two can easily become detrimental to your business!
Not all pages are created equal
When you decide to create a Facebook account, you’ll be given a personal profile page that contains some information about you. If you collect snow globes and prefer to read romance novels, that kind of information would be found there. In other words, it’s about your personal life.
If you wish to add friends to your Facebook site, you do so through their personal pages. You can also see their recent posts if they have given permission for you to be able to do so. On a Facebook personal profile page, you can also choose who can view photos. You also have the option to share posts with those who you have designated as “Friends”. This is not an option on a business page.
What About a Facebook Business Page?
When looking at a Facebook business page, you’ll see a strong resemblance to a personal page. But there are considerable differences. First of all – you can’t add any “Friends”. But that doesn’t mean that all your contacts will be “adversaries” – quite the opposite.
All kidding aside, the reason for this has to do with the fact that a business page is designed to communicate with the public. Thus, we have the difference between a “Page” and a “Profile”. With a Page, you can run an advertisement – but not on a Profile. On a profile, you can choose your friends. But on a Page, anyone who clicks “Like” will become a follower.
So, What Are the Advantages of Using a Business Page?
Here is a breakdown of the advantages of using a Facebook Page for your real estate business:
• First and foremost, a Facebook Page will operate much like a website would. This allows your Page to be recognized by Google and various other search engines.
• Consumers are becoming more and more reluctant to visit unfamiliar websites due to viruses, malware, and/or scams. Having your real estate information sitting on a Facebook Page will tend to make a potential client feel comfortable visiting it.
• A Facebook Business Page can even be prioritized for real estate agent SEO. Although it’s possible to set up a profile page to be recognized by Google, a Facebook Business Page will generally do better with getting indexed by search engines. And don’t forget – Facebook can close your account if they catch you doing that.
• A Facebook Business Page has a call-to-action button. This can lead a viewer to a webpage or send a message to an agent.
• A Facebook Business Page will allow you to schedule posts without having to log in each – like you would on a profile page.
• With a Facebook Business Page, you can have other people work on your page. This means that you can assign them specific tasks and give them certain Page function permissions. These permissions can be altered or revoked at any given time.
• Third-party services that can post to your page will only work with a Facebook Business Page and not a profile page.
• It’s a simple matter to launch an ad campaign using Facebook’s Business Page tools.
No One is an Island
The ultimate goal of Facebook is to create communities in which interact for the benefit of all. This is exceptionally true with a Facebook Business Page. Your real estate business Page will collect “Followers” and “Likes” instead of a profile page’s “Friends”. Just by clicking “Like” a visitor to your Page will also become your Page follower. This means that your posts will show up on their feed, along with posts from their friends.
You can also ask your friends to share your Page, as well. This type of referral carries a lot of weight in the form of social backing. It shows that specific individuals recommend you and your services as a real estate agent. This is quite different than being connected to someone as a “Friend” since this could be for any reason at all.
If You Have a Business, Run it Like a Business!
At this point, it should be obvious that if you wish to run your real estate business as a professional, you need to be using a Facebook Business Page as opposed to a profile page. This way, you’ll have all the advantages that Facebook provides for a business like yours. In addition, you will avoid the possibility of having Facebook close your account due to a violation of their service agreement!