At this point, everyone (and their cat) has an Instagram account. And, as a real estate agent, you’ve probably read a hundred articles telling you that Instagram is a must-have marketing tool, especially when you’re selling to millennials. Those articles are not wrong, but when it comes to effectively marketing real estate on Instagram, choosing the right profile type can make all the difference.
Currently, there are three different Instagram profile types available: personal, business, and creator. Each offers a set of unique strengths and weaknesses which we will explore so you can determine which profile will best meet the needs of you and your clients.
Can I market real estate on Instagram with a personal account?
In short, no. Personal Instagram accounts have access to all kinds of great, standard features that can help you engage with clients. Things like story highlights and reels are visually stimulating tools that are excellent for showing off listings, virtual open houses, and even glimpses of your life. However, these profiles lack many of the bells and whistles that make growing your client base and engaging with them easier.
Third-party apps like Later, which are used to schedule posts in advance, will not work with your personal account. You also won’t find features such as ads, inbox management, and call-to-action buttons on a personal account.
And perhaps most importantly, both the business and creator profiles provide access to various insights regarding new followers, impressions, and so much more that you won’t find on the personal profile.
One feature the personal profiles have that the others do not is the ability to make your profile private. However, that’s probably counterintuitive to your main goal.
So, now we know that personal Instagram profiles are best saved for posting cute cat content or snaps of what you had for lunch, but how do you decide between a business and creator profile? Let’s take a look.
How can you build your real estate brand with an Instagram business account?
Business accounts offer several features that will make engaging with clients easier. For example, with a business profile, you can add contact and call-to-action buttons to your profile. These buttons appear at the top of the page and give interested clients an easy, one-click option for reaching out to you via email, phone, or location. Action buttons can include things like “book now” or “reserve”. These buttons make reaching out simple and more appealing to your clients.
Building a following on Instagram happens overnight for some, but for most of us, it takes a lot of work, time, and dedication to posting. Business profiles offer insight tools that help track new followers, profile views, website and email clicks, and more. This will give you a better idea of what content gets the most traction from your following.
The business profile even lets you run your own ad campaigns!
Instagram reports that 90% of users follow at least one business account on the app. Of those, 2 in 3 people surveyed claim that Instagram business accounts help them better engage with brands. And 50% of people are more interested in a brand when they see ads for it on the ‘gram.
Additionally, your direct messages can be filtered into three categories: primary, general, and requests. This feature is a huge help for any agent who needs help with time management and organization.
If your inbox is always filled with similar requests from clients, another business feature you will love is quick replies. In your business settings, you can draft quick replies to some of your most frequently asked questions. These replies are then associated with a shortcut so you can respond even quicker and more efficiently.
Other beneficial features of the business account include branded content approval, promoted posts, Instagram shopping, and more.
What can real estate agents do with a creator account?
Creator profiles provide many of the same features as the Instagram business profile. However, it is not without limitations. For example, the use of third-party post-scheduling apps like Later is not currently compatible with a creator account. According to Hootsuite, this is one of the main differences between the creator and business profiles.
However, the creator profile does give you access to the creator studio dashboard. Here, you can gain additional insights that the business profile doesn’t cover. On this dashboard, you’ll be able to track follower growth, when your followers are online, and how far your posts, stories, and IG TV videos reach.
The differences between business and creator profiles are few. If scheduling posts in advance is a feature you’re not interested in, then the additional follower insights offered with the creator profile may be worth it.
If you’re looking for further inspiration for marketing real estate on Instagram, be sure to check out these ten amazing real estate accounts you should be following in 2021. And read all about how these real estate agents are generating leads on the app.