From using video content to promoting your online listings, commercial real estate marketing can become pretty complex. When it comes to social media, LinkedIn is one of the most important tools to use.
There are thousands of prospects with LinkedIn accounts, but finding those potential leads and transforming them into your next professional opportunity can sometimes be difficult. Here are our top tips to use LinkedIn for CRE marketing:
- Create a personal profile and company page
If you’re new to LinkedIn, you first need to set up a personal profile page when you start your CRE marketing drive.
A personal profile is essentially your online resume. Make sure you include all your relevant experience and skills as well as a professional headshot so people can easily find you. You could also ask your colleagues and existing clients to write a recommendation for you which should give your profile a boost.
A company page can also help extend your reach by providing your existing and current coworkers, clients, and other connections with another means to find you and get information on your business.
- Link your real and LinkedIn worlds
Whether you go to an event, meeting or get introduced by a friend, try to find your new connections on LinkedIn within a couple of days.
When you do so, don’t just connect and leave it there. Send them a quick message, organize a meet-up, schedule a call, or start a conversation based on your shared interests. The more you can do to stand out, the more likely you are to be remembered.
- Use advanced search to your advantage
When you start to look for new connections on LinkedIn, the advanced search tool can help you find people based on their company, location, industry, and other factors.
If you have a premium account, you can drill down and search for more specific information. The relationship indicator will also help you see if you have any shared connections.
- Buy some advertising
Advertising is a traditional means to boost your CRE marketing efforts. On LinkedIn, its advertising tool lets you use the information available on users to target your campaign accordingly.
For example, if you have a 100,000-square-foot office in a Class A building in your portfolio, you could target ads to C-suite professionals with companies of 500+ employees in a specific location.
- Join some groups
LinkedIn Groups is a powerful tool to position yourself as a thought leader and find new prospects. These Groups tend to represent a range of different industries, regions and topics.
So, find a group that you want to build connections with or believe you have something positive to contribute. For example, if you have real estate in a specific location, join a local group.
When you’re in a group, make sure you contribute regularly. Comment on other people’s posts and share articles you think are pertinent to the group.
If you want to join a CRE-specific group, there are plenty to choose from. Here is a handful you may want to consider:
- The Commercial Real Estate Network
- CRE Tech
- NAIOP, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association
- Pete Asmus’ Commercial Real Estate Investment, Development, & Property Management
- Share or create original content
LinkedIn is a great space to demonstrate your industry expertise. Sharing and creating original content will help you build your audience.
For example, you could share links to relevant articles, provide updates on your business through your company profile, or post your thoughts on emerging industry news and trends from your personal account.
You can also post articles on LinkedIn. This is another valuable tool to help you build your audience and get established as a reliable source.
- Write good posts
As with any social media channel, LinkedIn is a busy online space. If you want to stand out, you need to make sure you write carefully crafted posts.
There’s no winning formula, but try to remember the following when posting:
- Include an image (to make your post stand out)
- Write your most compelling content first (as only the first 100 characters or so of your post will appear on the feed)
- Add keyword and hashtags (to help people find your post)
- Include a call to action (to compel readers to engage further)
- Engage with comments (to keep the conversation going for your post)
Some final tips on using LinkedIn for CRE marketing
Remember, LinkedIn is a professional social media platform. It’s designed for sharing career and industry-related news and advice. Make sure your activity on LinkedIn is helpful, adds value and helps build your reputation in the CRE space.
