Social media is a terrific way to find new customers and stay in touch with those you've served in the past. Since most of your new customers are bound to find you online, cultivating an active digital presence makes a lot of sense. By posting regularly, you can foster trust and build a true rapport.

That said, it takes a certain level of social savvy to use these tools to their utmost. Social media is always changing, and that means learning and re-learning the best ways to use it. If you stay ahead of the curve, you'll attract business more easily.

Social Stories represent one great innovation many real estate agents aren't using yet.

• What Are Social Stories?
  Humans are storytellers by nature. One of the best roles of social media is to enable that impulse, letting people weave tales about their lives as events happen. Social Stories is the name given to a set of Facebook and Instagram features that help facilitate this. They take the form of photos or short video clips, a maximum of 15 seconds long. Story content is available for only 24 hours.

• Why Are Social Stories Important?
  More than one billion accounts across a wide range of platforms have been exposed to Stories. Experts estimate Stories are growing about 15x faster than standard News Feed posts. They are becoming a dominant form of content creation for both individuals and businesses. Content marketing with Social Stories is exploding. Plus, they can even be bundled with ads.

• Why Do Real Estate Agents Like Social Stories?
  Social Stories have become very popular with real estate agents who are in the know. That's largely because of features that allow you to provide a panoramic view of a property using a set of still photos. This empowers agents to give web viewers the feeling of being present at a home for sale.
  
  Not only that, but incorporating ads into Stories means you can easily lead viewers directly to an active listing. Prospective customers are more likely to follow up and come see a property in person when they see a Story about it they like. Plus, the time-sensitive nature of Stories helps add urgency to the process. Buyers won't just assume the property will be available later.

• Besides Virtual Open House, How Can You Use Stories?
  You can use Stories virtually any way you can imagine. It's great for brand building. Let people see your shining personality with a candid video glimpse behind the scenes. Or, incorporate social proof by getting one of your thrilled customers to record a brief message. Stories are just as versatile as other forms of video content, but they're bite-sized and convenient.

• Are There Any Cautions About Using Social Stories?
  The main thing to remember about Stories is that they are only available for 24 hours. With that in mind, you should always strive to post your stories at the best time for your audience. For weekdays, mid-afternoon or early evening in your timezone works best. For weekends, a post in the late afternoon or early evening will garner views, but mornings can also work.

• You Can Learn to Make Stories a Powerful Part of Your Online Strategy
  Why Homesale Realty? Because you deserve to build a business that will reach all your goals. With Homesale, new agents have the opportunity to benefit from proven education, technology, and tools for growing their business. We'll help you lay a foundation for success.

Contact BHHS Homesale Realty to discover more. We look forward to helping you.