9 Reasons You're Not Growing on Instagram: REALTOR Edition
Whether you’ve just committed to growing your Instagram following or you’ve been at it for a couple of years now, there are a few common things holding agents back from achieving the growth they want on the platform. Its time to take your real estate marketing on social media to the next level.
Sidenote: Audience size is not always correlated to income. But that’s another topic for another post.
Today, I’m outlining the 9 reasons you’re not growing on Instagram in hopes you’ll avoid the most common mistakes agents make in 2023.
9 Reasons You’re Not Growing on Instagram
Inconsistent Posting
If you’d like to grow your Instagram following you have to commit to using the platform on a regular basis. I’d start with at least 2-3 feed posts per week and 1-2 minutes of Instagram stories per day. The feed posts can be a variety of still photos, carousel posts, and Instagram reels (reels will likely help you grow more quickly). Your Instagram stories should include BTS footage that makes you relatable and builds your authority within your industry.
Not Including Quality Visuals
While your feed doesn’t have to be perfectly curated, you do want your followers to be able to easily recognize your content. You can do this by incorporating your brand colors and consistent fonts into your content. Additionally, having quality photos and videos with proper lighting will also help increase your engagement. While these things aren’t required to get started on Instagram, they will help you to build recognition, assuming, of course, you’re providing quality content. Lastly, you’ll want to skip the stock photos and showcase images that build your authority and demonstrate your commitment to quality.
Ignoring Instagram Stories
Instagram stories are your friend. The great thing about Instagram stories is that they’re off the cuff and they go away in 24 hours. So there’s a lot less pressure to make them “perfect”. Ideally, they’re a bridge to help your audience slide into your DMs. Every time you post in your stories you give your audience the opportunity to engage with you. You can also use engagement stickers like the poll or the sliding scale to elicit engagement. This can help you separate the most engaged followers and let you know which relationships to continue to nurture.
Lack of Engagement with Followers
Real estate marketing on social media is a two-way street. Set aside time to genuinely engage with your followers and other accounts you're interested in on Instagram. This will show the algorithm the type of content you’re interested in and you’ll likely begin to see more of it in your feed. You’ll also start seeing people that you engage with regularly begin to engage with your content too. Win-win!
Spammy Hashtags
When it comes to Instagram hashtags, you don’t need to overdo it. Include relevant hashtags only and avoid any type of hashtag that can be perceived as spam. When thinking about hashtags, consider your location, your area of expertise, and things your audience may be searching for. This will help you create a collection of hashtags that will help your content be more searchable.
Forgetting to Collaborate and Network
Once again, the point of real estate marketing on social media is to be social. Instead of thinking about every other REALTOR as a competition, begin to look for opportunities to collaborate. Think bigger than your local community. How can collaborating across county or state lines be beneficial? Go live together. Tag one another. In addition to other agents, you can collaborate with lenders and other professionals. Collaboration is the name of the game.
Avoiding Video Content
In 2023, you have to create video content on Instagram if you’re hoping to grow an engaged audience. It’s truly non-negotiable. Reels and lives will help to position you as an expert and build your authority in your community and beyond. Create reels. Go live.
Neglecting Analytics and Insights
Checking your Insights on Instagram can give you valuable information about what your audience would like to see more of. Look at the likes, comments, saves, and shares. Look at how many accounts your account has reached in the last 30 days. What resonated most? How can you incorporate more of what works? Data is my second favorite 4 letter word. I’ll let you guess my first.
Worrying About Going Viral
Going viral doesn’t guarantee that you’re connecting with the right people. Instead of worrying about a single post going viral, focus on creating a collection of content that tells the story of who you are, who you serve, and how you serve them. And if you happen to create some viral reels along the way… think about it as icing on the cake!
If your goal is to grow your Instagram following in 2023, be sure to avoid some of the most common pitfalls that I see when auditing my real estate marketing client’s accounts. It’s absolutely still possible to grow an engaged following of raving fans on Instagram and sell a sh*t ton of real estate while doing it. Remember, you’re not too old, it’s not too late, you have the voice of an angel and you’re always camera ready.
Now that you know the reasons you may not be seeing growth on Instagram, find me on Instagram and Pinterest for more real estate marketing on social media tips! Be sure to grab your free Instagram resources here!
If you need support creating a sustainable real estate content strategy, DM me on Instagram @candicecarcioppolo.
