Instagram has transformed from an app to simply share images with friends, to a booming and profitable platform for the modern businessman. The same marketing tactics that work for household brands and that have created mega-influencers on the app can also be applied to your business plan.

Here are a few tips and tricks on how to use Instagram to boost your real estate business.

Taking pictures on your phone and uploading them to your Instagram is a great way to show authenticity and promote your day-to-day. In fact, it’s highly encouraged for the majority of your photos. However, it’s likely you have professional images, and even videos, taken for most of your listings. You post these on the MLS to capture buyer attention, so why not do the same on your Instagram? Using the same images in a different format could capture a new audience or give the same audience a second look at the home for an additional touchpoint. Plus it can add a boost to your gallery’s aesthetic. This is a great way to leverage the resources you already have to drive traffic across more channels!

When you post a public Instagram it’s out for the world to see. But how do you target the home buyers and sellers in your local market? The answer is through specific hashtags, people tags and geotags.

When using hashtags, make sure you’re making them hyper local. For example, instead of #homesforsale you can use #gaineyranchhomesforsale. Adding the neighborhood narrows down the audience so that those finding your post through the hashtag are qualified leads.

Tagging the people in your photos, such as at a successful closing or a testimonial, can pin the post to that person’s tagged library increasing your reach to their followers! It may also increase the likelihood of a regram.

Geotags allow people who search that location see your photo in the results. A few real estate geotag tips include:

• When posting an image of a specific home, geotag the neighborhood. Home buyers might be home searching on the app and find your page.
• If you’re in a public location meeting with clients, such as a popular coffee shop, post a photo with a geotag! Consumers might see it and take note of your name.
• When you’re at your brokerage office for meetings or trainings and post it, use a geotag! It can be beneficial for networking with others in the industry as well as potential clients searching online.

Apps are constantly updating with new features. Make sure you’re always on top of the updates and spend time familiarizing yourself with them when they land. Be an early adopter of Instagram’s new features and you won’t get left behind.

Posting images to your Instagram gallery is a huge part of creating your online presence. But Instagram Stories, Lives and Highlights also play a big role. People want to see what’s going on in real time and in a more authentic way. How can you leverage these features for real estate? Here are some tips:

• Take your followers on a mini home tour of a new listing
• Give sneak previews of an open house by showing close-up teasers of things like a brand new appliance, the master shower head, hardwood floors, etc.
• Conduct in-person interviews with clients you take on home tours to get in-the-moment testimonials and feel their excitement through the screen
• Showcase the neighborhood of new listings including the surrounding homes to the nearby attractions

While posting creative and relevant content should be your first priority on Instagram, interacting with your followers, network and community should be a close second. Make sure you’re paying attention to the comments and direct messages you receive and respond to those that need it. Stay up-to-date on what your brokerage is posting and interact via comments and regram their posts as you see fit. Similarly, stay in-touch with fellow agents to contribute to industry topics and see what successful tactics they might be using online.

When you put these practices into place you’ll see your followers and qualified leads increase. However, as you implement them and increase your output, you’ll need to make sure you’re doing so in the most productive way. Download our eBook and learn how to effectively manage your social media in just 10 minutes a day.