3 essentials for your Facebook business page

Facebook continues to be a great platform to engage with existing clients and to establish a marketing plan for your real estate business. Having a free Facebook business page can set you up for success.

One big mistake is not taking Facebook–or any social media–seriously. I could insert a statistic about millennials or link to a study that says they will continue to be an influential group in the real estate market.

But I’m not going to do that.

If you only target your Facebook strategy to one segment, you are missing out on building other relationships in the online space.

I’m offering three essentials you need on your Facebook business page. Updating–or setting one up–will benefit your organic online search results. Having your previous brokerage information or an old address on your page only hurts your credibility online.

Contact information
Having basic contact information makes it easy to find your official business page on Facebook. Aligning the information with your other online marketing pieces also creates consistency.

There isn’t a perfect science to how you should name your page. However, since you are a Realtor®, you have some options.

At minimum, you should use your first and last name: John Smith. Not only does it help consumers find you, but Pennsylvania regulations require that advertisements contain the full name (or nickname) on your license. If you are in good standing with the National Association of Realtors® (NAR), you can show that by using John Smith, Realtor®. NAR has an article just about usernames you can reference as you build your online profiles.

In addition to naming your page properly, you need to list your broker’s information. Even though this marketing is online, you should follow the basic advertising rules enacted by the Pennsylvania State Real Estate Commission, which require including the brokerage name and phone number in an “equal size.” Although it can often be difficult to have things exactly even in size since Facebook controls the fonts, it is important to enter the brokerage information everywhere it can be entered just to be safe. This includes using the ‘about’ page and section on Facebook will allow you to post the required information.

Profile photo
I recommend using a photo of you! Clients work with you, a live human, throughout a transaction. Using a logo as your profile photo actually does you a disservice. You want clients to remember your name and your face when they talk about their real estate transaction.

Use your professional headshot and crop it. Don’t use a photo from last year’s company summer picnic. You want your profile photo to be an accurate description of how a client should expect to see you throughout the transaction.

Cover photo
Perhaps some of the greatest real estate on your Facebook business page is your cover photo. This is where you can have some fun and show your personality. Use a photo of a home you just sold (with permission from the buyer or seller). Add your logo and/or company name to a photo of you working with a client.

Don’t forget about your cover photo. Use this space as the location you can update with the seasons, holidays, or other major events in your local community.

There are a few tools you can use to create cover photo images with logos. Check out Canva, an online tool. Photoshop is another option. For a list of dimensions for the photo, visit this Sprout Social Social Media Images post.

These simple yet effective steps can make your Facebook business page moving on the way to success.