Realtors: Get to Know the People in Your Geographic Farm – Create a Neighborhood Group on Facebook

This Facebook marketing tip relates to the groups marketing tool in Facebook. For clarification on where this tip fits into the greater Facebook marketing picture, please view our post Facebook Foundations: Facebook’s Marketing Tools Explained.

Are you a geographic farmer?  If so, then Facebook groups represent an outstanding opportunity for you.  Groups create a space where people with something in common can gather to interact and have discussions.  Why not create a place where neighbors can interact?  Simply create a Facebook group for your farm or community of expertise, and invite the neighbors to join.

This Facebook strategy is most effective when you live in the community you are creating the group for as you are one of the neighbors.  What if you don’t live in your farm? There are many agents who are still experts in that community, even though they don’t live there. So, if you can provide a place of value for residents to gather and converse, it can be an effective strategy for a farm, even if you don’t live there.

Here is an example of a group from a condo community created by a Realtor and the type of conversation that can happen in this space (click on image to see larger view):

Note that because this is a closed group, this conversation is not being seen by non-members of the group.  Note also that you don’t have to be Facebook friends with everyone in the group.  You can still have a conversation without group members having access to your full profile.

Creating A Facebook Group:

1. Search the word “Groups” in the search box at the top of the page and click the link that follows, it will take you to a page that has the “Create A Group” Button.
   
2. Fill in the Create Group screen and select the “Create” screen:

• Group Name:  Give your group a name – Recommend the neighborhood name followed by the word “Community” or “Neighbors”.   Do not include your name, or your profession, or your brokerage.  The point is create a place that neighbors are attracted to.  Then should understand that this isn’t a space where they are going to be sold to.  This is a community resource for them to connect with others in the neighborhood.  Also note the little pull down carrot located next to the group icon – this will allow you to select an icon for the group that is different from the default icon.  For community based groups, the tree is a good choice.
• Members:  If you are Facebook friends with anyone from the community, you can add their name here and they will be added to the group.  You will need to add at least one friend to the group in order to create it.
• Privacy:  There are three types of groups you can create.  For this purpose, I recommend creating a Closed group.  This means that the members of the group are public, and the content is private.  With this setting, all the discussion of the group is not visible unless they are a member of the group.

Your group is now created.

Edit Your Group Settings:

Go to the Edit Group button located in the upper right hand corner of the page:

1. Basic Information:  Add a group description mentioning that this group is for owners and residents of the community and designed as a place for neighbors to have discussions about the community they live in.
2. Profile Picture:  Add a community profile picture

Add Group Members:

Now all that is left is adding community members to the group.  The simplest way to do this is to include in the group neighbors who you are already Facebook friends with.

If you are not Facebook friends with the people in the community, you will need to publicize the group in traditional marketing ways.  Suggestions for this include:

• Create a flyer telling people about the new group and post it in common community areas (such as at the mail boxes in a condo community) telling people about the group.
• Create a flyer and door knock, or distribute to the neighbors of the community.
• Create a postcard mailing to the farm notifying them of the new community group.

Group Content:

Although all members of a group can post content (and hopefully some of them will initiate discussion), be prepared to post some relevant information to the group that is appropriate for the medium and will help your business development goals.  Posting a few times a week is recommended. Relevant content includes:

• Community events – maybe there is a garage sale coming up, or a block party, information from the Home Owners Association meeting
• Latest news from the Home Owners Association
• A referral to a gardener, or a plumber, or a locksmith
• Photos of the most festive neighborhood homes decorated for the holidays
• Real estate market summary for the neighborhood
• Local school schedule
• City information that affects the neighborhood – Are there building code details that affect that particular neighborhood?
• Resident needs:  Is there a need for a babysitter?
• Neighborhood facts of interest:  What year was the community built?  Who was the builder? How far is it around the perimeter of the community.
• Welcome new neighbors

Note that the above list does NOT contain any type of real estate sales pitches or mention of your listings.  Over time, if this is a very active group, it may become acceptable to the group for you to post your listings.  However, if group members feel that this is a forum where they are being sold to, they will leave the group, or not contribute.  And, first impressions count.  Do not post your listings or any sales pitches as you are building traction in your group.  The most effective techniques with this tool involve building a relationship with the group members.  You are doing this off line already.  This is a modern evolution of the same technique.

If you are a farming agent who has an expertise in a neighborhood, you have connections there.  You know details that position you as an expert.  You may even live there.  By facilitating a community focused group on Facebook, you can be forming connections with people who live there, learning what the needs and interest of the neighborhood are, and establishing yourself as a knowledgeable resource on the neighborhood.  Anyone think that might bring them some business over time?

This article is part of a month long series of tips, tricks, and strategies for real estate marketing with Facebook. View additional posts from our “Tip a Day” series on Pixel Coaching.