Building a Real Estate Lead Base Through Pinterest

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When it comes to being a Realtor, finding leads and building relationships are critical.  Most people now understand that online marketing and social media are amazing tools to assist with both.

Most people, however, only think of Facebook and Twitter when you say "social media."  There is, in fact, another HUGE social media platform that can help expand your lead base and garner you even  more recognition...and that's Pinterest!

What Is Pinterest?

Pinterest is a visual social media platform where you can "pin" ideas, inspirational quotes, videos, or photos covering a variety of topics on boards.  Side note --- on Pinterest you "pin", you don't "post." (kind of like how on Twitter you "tweet")

Boards are mini-categories that you create on your Pinterest page and they can range from anything from "Things That are Blue" to "Songs From My Childhood."  You have absolute freedom to create boards on the topics you care about and want to talk about -- which is part of what makes it both so appealing and addictive.

It's also super fast to use!  The premise is simple --- you search on a topic, scroll through images and when you see something you like, you pin it to one of your boards...instantly sharing it with all of your friends and followers.  That's it!

The Facts Make It Appealing

This simple little platform that runs on visual stimuli and emotional connections has been slowly gaining momentum and is now one of the top online contenders with over 176 million registered users.  Interestingly enough, as much as Twitter seems to be a male dominated platform, Pinterest seems to have struck a chord with women as it has an 85 percent female user base.

Based on recently released stats, Pinterest has become more than just the forth most popular online platform, it's also one of the only platforms to be a consistent hit across multiple generations (that's right, Millennials, Gen X'ers and Boomers all dig them some Pinterest).  Aside from Facebook, it's one of the best platforms for finding all the generations in one place.

Here are a few food for thought stats about Pinterest:

  • 4 of the most popular categories on Pinterest are Food & Drink, DIY & Crafts, Home & Home Decor, and Holidays & Events
  • 83 percent of active users prefer to follow a brand or small business over a notable celebrity
  • The median average age of a Pinterest user is 40
  • Half of Pinterest users earn $50k or more per year, with 10 percent of those Pinterest households making greater than $125k annually
  • 49 percent of Pinterest users claim to use Pinterest in lieu of catalogs --- what's more, 29 percent say that they choose Pinterest searches over traditional search engines
  • Pinning on Pinterest accounts for half of iPad's daily social sharing traffic numbers
  • Sharing videos and images is one of the most popular forms of content that is shared online

So based on those statistics, it's clear that Pinterest is becoming the place to be for online business owners, but I bet you're still wondering how Pinterest fits into Real Estate?  Glad you asked!

Take a second look at those stats above and you'll notice that your target audience for first-time and move-up home buyers are all hanging out on Pinterest.  And, if they are all there, why wouldn't you be there?

How to Work Pinterest as a Realtor

Now that you know the facts, I guess you're wondering how to get started?  Here are a few tips to help you kick things off:

  • Create a username that's catchy, but that is also easily ties into you and your business so users can find you and will associate it with your company
  • Build basic boards that tie into real estate but that aren't completely self-promoting....such as, inspirational quotes, beautiful landscaping or kitchen remodeling ideas, or holiday home decorating and design
  • Then mix your basic boards in with boards about you and your business...such as, current listings, tips on how to purchase a home, your upcoming open house events, or even a board that is totally devoted to videos and photos from you and your staff so potential clients are able to start building a connection with you, the real person and not just a flat photo they saw in a magazine ad

With Pinterest, it's the images that grab your attention -- so you want vibrant, crisp images.  And with videos, make them fun, entertaining and educational.  If you give your audience what they want, then they'll share it on their own boards.  And when pins of great images, ideas or videos get shared, new potential customers are exposed to you, your company, and wait for it....your listings.

As with all other forms of social media, don't forget that it's about creating a relationship and fostering those two-way conversations, so post things you know they'll like, post things you like, and then post things about your business.  No matter what, remember to just have some fun-- oh and make sure you engage every day (5-10 postings a day is best).

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