How to Format IGTV and Instagram Reels “Cover Photos”

Instagram Cover Photos (a.k.a. “thumbnails”) are the preview-images associated with your IGTV uploads and/or your Reels. And they’re tricky to format properly!

In some cases, you’re able to upload a separate image file (e.g. PNG) whereas in other cases you can only select a frame from within the video itself.

Perhaps you’re thinking:  “WHO CARES?!” Fair question. Here’s the answer(s):

1. Covers entice prospective viewers to click-and-watch a subject video.

2. Covers help to keep your IG Profile Grid looking sharp.

As I’m typing/filming this, Instagram currently offers four (4) different video-sharing placements:  Feed, Reels, IGTV, and Stories—and they’re all a tad different 😒.

(**FYI, this post doesn’t address Stories**)

1. FEED

   1. Aspect Ratios:  Feed videos offer the most flexibility in terms of accepted video dimensions. 1:1 to 16:9 — that is, square, portrait, landscape, and/or widescreen formats.

   2. Runtime:  Uploads must be at least one (1) second long (e.g. a GIF) and up to a max of 60 seconds.

   3. Cover:  Feed videos don’t offer an option to upload a separate image file (PNG, JPEG, et al.) as a cover photo. One could, however, drop a cover photo (a.k.a. “thumbnail”) into the video file itself while editing. That way you could drag your finger over the scroll bar and select it manually.

2. REELS

   1. Aspect Ratios:  Instagram Reels are intended for mobile viewing. Hence, they require a 9:16, vertical aspect ratio. Basically, hold your phone upright, point, and tap record.

   2. Runtime:  Uploads may not exceed 30 seconds in duration.

   3. Cover:  Select a frame out of the video file itself OR upload a custom-designed, vertical cover photo. That image file must be vertical—i.e., 9:16.

3. IGTV

   1. Aspect Ratios:  IGTV also offers some flexibility in terms of video dimensions—similar to Feed videos. It’ll take landscape, widescreen, portrait, and/or vertical videos.

   2. Runtime:  Uploads must be longer than a minute and up to 15 minutes (when uploaded via a mobile device). Videos can run for up to 60 minutes when uploaded via the web.

   3. Cover:  Same as with Reels, just select a frame out of the video file itself OR upload a custom-designed cover photo. That image file should be vertical—i.e., 9:16. I’ll explain why later on…

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Free PDF Download

I’ve put together a quick visual aid to help demonstrate the ideal aspect ratios and dimensions for formatting Instagram Cover Photos so that they display properly when viewed across the app. Fill out the form below to download the PDF.

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The Common Issue:

If you opt to share your Reel or IGTV upload to the Feed—and you definitely should!—the cover photo placeholder on your profile grid expects a 1:1, square aspect ratio. That means it’s gonna cut-off the top and bottom portions of your vertical thumbnail image, displaying only the centermost square section of it.

Candidly, it looks sloppy. Text and objects bleeding over the edges, sometimes there’s letterboxing—it just looks tacky.

Here’s how you can work around it:

• Make sure the portions of your vertical cover photo don’t have important elements (e.g. text, a face, etc.) above or below the top-and-bottom folds.

• Like the video demonstrates, create a square cover photo superimposed overtop of a vertical background (a branded watermark, for instance).

• Technically, it’s only a single image file. To the naked eye, however, it looks like a square on top of a vertical rectangle. Boom -- now it looks good no matter where it’s viewed.

5 Different Types of Marketers (for Real Estate Agents)

Just like there’s more than one way to crack an egg 🥚—there’s more than one way to MARKET your business. My advice… start with what comes to you most naturally and build on it!

Swipe through the images and tell me: WHAT TYPE OF MARKETER ARE YOU🤔

1. Digital Marketer: Lead-gen. focused. Utilizes Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising (e.g. Google Search Ads) to drive website traffic. Search-engine optimized. Extensive social ads: Facebook, Insta, & beyond. Nonstop retargeting (e.g. Google Display Ads). Business fits inside a sales funnel.

2. Content Marketer: Thinks and acts like a media company! A modern Creator: blogs, videos, emails, and all-things content-publishing. Social-media savvy; brand-strong. Attraction-based lead gen. (inbound & organic). Followers, comments, and DMs—cultivates a growing & engaged audience.

3. Relationship Marketer: People-first POV. Extraverted & conversational: calls, texts, comments, & DMs. Past clients, friends/fam., neighbors, networking contacts, agents, et al. Active in both social media & in-person group settings. Gift-giving, pop-bys, and client parties. All about connection: repeat & referrals.

4. Traditional Marketer: Mainstream branding and advertising: TV, radio, billboards, signage, and sponsorships. Top-of-mind centered marketing machine. Online ads, postcards, events, open houses, and even swag — whatever it takes to get the message out! Call-to-action centric.

5. Direct Marketer: Cold-calling, door-knocking, sales-and-conversion focused. All the $$$ in the follow-up! Portal inquiries (e.g. Zillow), PPC-to-IDX web leads, expired listings, FSBOs, absentee owners, and NODs. Make the calls, book appointments, repeat!

Improve the Reach and Performance of Facebook and Instagram Posts (How the Algorithms work in 2021)

Wanna improve the reach and performance of your Instagram and Facebook posts? You’ve gotta cater to the algorithm! 🧮

Today’s video is an overview of the algorithmic themes shared mutually between Facebook and Instagram. Technically, for instance, Instagram itself has multiple algorithms (each with slight differences) built into its various feeds:  e.g. Home, Explore, Reels, and Stories.

That said, this video is about understanding the primary algorithmic principles governing ALL the feeds—Facebook’s and Instagram’s—so you can plan and publish content that generates results.

• 1️⃣ Historical Relationship:  FB and IG rank content based on the viewer’s documented relationship with the publisher. By “documented,” I’m referring to conduct such as Reactions (e.g. ♥️, 👍, 😡, 😮, etc.), Comments, Saves, Shares, Views, Searches, and/or Messages. So when you engage with them or vice versa, it signals the algorithm to rank future content accordingly. In other words, the best thing you can do to prime followers to see your future posts is by interacting with what they post:  DM-ing with them, replying to their Stories, and so forth.

• 2️⃣ Preferred Interests:  the algorithms are designed to give users more of the stuff they like. Both networks deploy fancy tools to discern the subjects/objects of uploaded images and videos:  optical recognition, sentiment analysis, etc. That means if you post a picture of a beach 🏖, for instance, the platforms are able to spot it and know exactly to whom to show it in order to drive the most interactions. So get clear on your content topics!

• 3️⃣ Format Preferences:  Instagram and Facebook monitor they types of media with which users tend engage most readily. For instance, some users are more prone to interact with photos or carousels, some may get hooked by livestreams, and others may go bananas 🍌 for short-form, vertical vids. Point is, it’s prudent to vary your content because it’s hard to predict what type(s) of media may rank for a given follower (or non-follower). Mix it up:  photos, videos, and more! 
  
  Notwithstanding the foregoing, we should all pay attention to recent remarks from Adam Mosseri, Head of Instagram. About a week ago he stated that IG isn’t just a square 📸 photo-sharing app. Not that photos will stop being a part of the platform, per se—but more to the effect of how the platform has and will continue to evolve.

  He said Instagram is focused on four (4) key areas:  Creators, Video, Shopping, and Messaging. He also indicated that IG is an “entertainment app” and made direct reference to competitive pressure caused by TikTok. So, in the coming months, they’re going to start giving extra priority to videos—my guess is Reels, in particular—and will also begin recommending “for you” content in the Home Feed versus just in the Explore Feed.

• 4️⃣ Timeliness/Recency:  recently published posts and/or stories always get a bump algorithmically.

  In his famous TED Talk, Seth Godin said: 

“Every week, the number one best-selling DVD in America changes. It's never "The Godfather," it's never "Citizen Kane," it's always some third-rate movie with some second-rate star. But the reason it’s number one is because that's the week it came out—because it's new, because it's fresh.”

Same principle applies on FB and IG. Your content has better odds of ranking “… because it’s new; because it’s fresh.” It’s just human nature!—meaning, when the content is new, it’s more likely to drive interactions. In fact, I’d argue the first 10 minutes to an hour of a post could be make-or-break in terms of the extent to which the platforms will rank/recommend your content.

• 5️⃣ 𝗣𝗼𝗽𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆:  when a post (or story) accumulates lots of interactions (e.g. likes, shares, saves, views, comments, etc.), it signals IG and/or FB to extend its reach to a wider audience. In other words, when a post performs, it get’s shown to more people—pure and simple!

All-in-all, it’s important to understand how the platforms rank content—because what’s the point of creating content nobody sees? It’s sort of a game… So learn the rules and play to win!

The Market Belongs to Those Who Market

I’ve said it before (and I’ll keep on saying it!): The 𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒆𝒕 belongs to those who 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭!

Thus, you have put yourself in the game if you wanna be on, what @tomferry calls, the ᴄᴏɴꜱɪᴅᴇʀᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ꜱᴇᴛ of buyers/sellers in your local marketplace.

Granted, the 𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒆𝒕 is, quote-unquote, “𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚙𝚕𝚒𝚌𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚍.” Nevertheless, YOU’RE THE BROKER!—and so it’s up to you to identify the challenges preventing would-be sellers from taking next steps and to clear a path forward.

Game on, friends 👊

Supercharge Your Email Marketing Lead Generation with Alex Berman

If you’re looking to take your #EmailMarketing to the next level, you can’t miss this (super technical) interview with cold 🥶 email marketing expert, Alex Berman. To watch/listen, tap the LINK IN MY BIO.

⚠️Fair warning, this #MarketingStream episode goes from 0 to 60 💨 in terms of subject matter complexity SUPER FAST. Alex flat-out knows his stuff!⚠️

In the show, Alex explains:

‣ The nuts-and-bolts🔩 of how email marketing actually functions -- and how it differs from just personal emailing (e.g. Outlook, Gmail, Yahoo, et al.).

‣ Top email marketing mistakes/pitfalls to avoid. Specifically, what causes emails to filtered out of inboxes and marked as SPAM (along with solutions and workarounds).

‣ Recommendations of best-in-class Email Service Providers (ESPs). Included in that discussion, Alex talks about the importance of “warming-up” your email address prior to use.

‣ Pro-tips to boost email campaign performance (i.e., sending frequency, subject lines, message formatting, and more). PLUS types of emails to send (and not to send).

‣ How to navigate 🧭 new and impending privacy restrictions.

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝗽𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗱𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀! What’s more, it was a really fun conversation!

As you’re watching/listening, keep in mind, we discussed email marketing from the standpoint of two different objectives—so the conversation bounces back-and-forth quite a bit.

1. Increasing sales and conversions.

2. Positioning your brand and nurturing relationships.

Grab your notes 📋 and strap in for 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺, 𝗲𝗽𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗱𝗲 𝟬𝟬𝟳.

ᴛʜᴇ ꜰᴜʟʟ ᴇᴘɪꜱᴏᴅᴇ ɪꜱ ᴀᴠᴀɪʟᴀʙʟᴇ ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇꜱᴇ ꜱᴛʀᴇᴀᴍɪɴɢ ᴘʟᴀᴛꜰᴏʀᴍꜱ:

🖥 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗧𝘂𝗯𝗲

🎧 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆

🎙 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲

YouTube In-Stream Ads VS Organic Upload?

Does running an 𝑰𝒏-𝑺𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒎 𝒀𝒐𝒖𝑻𝒖𝒃𝒆 𝒂𝒅 damage or impede the future “organic” performance of an uploaded video? Answer: most likely.

YouTube excels at presenting streamers with videos to watch that it thinks they might be interested in, which is why it’s so critical to optimize your uploads accordingly.

Ultimately, YouTube’s algorithm considers two (2) principal factors: A. Click-Through Rate (CTR) and B. Watch Time (aka, “Audience Retention”).

🅰️ CTR means that when a prospective viewer is shown your video—in a YT search, as a recommended video, or somewhere on YouTube’s homepage, for example—YouTube checks how often viewers click to watch. The more clicks, the better (algorithmically speaking).

🅱️ Watch Time refers to the aggregated time viewers spend watching a video. The longer viewers watch a the video, the better its performance.

With, especially, “Skippable” In-Stream ads (far more cost-effective ad formats than “Non-Skippable,” just FYI), the viewer is given an option to “SKIP AD” after 5 seconds, which, if clicked, ultimately hurts your vid’s CTR. While YouTube analyzes the traffic source of the view—that is, how the viewer found your video (e.g. search, browse features, or via an ad)—whether it was paid or organic doesn’t technically matter from an algorithmic standpoint.

Granted, if your ad’s watch-retention is off-the-charts good, then (theoretically) it shouldn’t be a problem. That’s just not the norm.

Notwithstanding, it’s worth noting that some experts have suggested that videos utilized ads essentially give up the possibility of organic performance over time. In other words, once YouTube learns your willing to pay for performance, then, in a manner of speaking, 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚐𝚒𝚐 𝚒𝚜 𝚞𝚙.

My thought is, if the video is TIME-BOUND, like a monthly market update, for instance, then its hopes of organic performance over time are nonexistent anyhow due to the short-lived nature of its content. So use it for an ad! On the other hand, if the video is TIMELESS, think twice before you run it as an ad.

The Difference Between Creating Content for Social Media and SEO

Did you know that there are two types of content that you can create?

There’s an ongoing debate about whether it’s better to create short-form content or long-form content...

Short-form content for social media platforms like Facebook or Instagram doesn’t get shown past a few hours or couple of days after your followers scroll through them. Sometimes this gets you feeling like you’re on a hamster wheel creating content non-stop!

Long-form content (such as blog posts) for search engines like Google or YouTube, which take advantage of the power of SEO tend to get more reach long-term (sometimes even years!) because there are always people searching for this type of content.

HOWEVER, this is a much more competitive space for content creators especially when it comes to ranking on top of the first page of Google.

Which one would you pick to create?

How to Optimize Your YouTube Channel and Videos for Search to Get More Views

#YouTube is not a social network; it’s a search engine (mostly).

When you think about it, social networks are kind of like listening to the radio. For instance, if you don’t like what the DJ’s playing, just scan to the next station (if that’s still a thing). In the same way, if you don’t like a certain post on social, just keep scrolling down the feed.

But YouTube is different. It’s both: a search engine AND a social network.

(**Technically speaking, the parts that make YouTube somewhat like a social network versus a just standalone search engine include its Home and Subscription feeds plus its Suggested Videos boxes on sidebars and end-screens.**)

What’s more, it the second-most popular website on the planet, runner-up to its parent company, Google—beating out the likes of Amazon, Facebook, Zoom, and more.

So, consequently, it’s important to properly configure your channel and video-uploads to be seen by the largest possible viewer audience. Here’s what to know and do:

How to Setup Your YouTube Channel:

1. Utilize the YouTube Studio (studio.youtube.com) to optimize your channel. Start in the main Settings tab, in which you should specify Channel Keywords and link to your Google Ads account.

2. While still in the YouTube Studio, click the Customization tab to format your channel. In the Branding section:

   • A. Attach your Channel Icon image (i.e., your profile pic). Ideally, it’s your headshot.
     

   • B. Upload Channel Art (i.e., the Banner Image spanning across the top of your page). YouTube recommends using an image that’s at least 2048 x 1152 pixels and 6MB or less. Here’s a link to more info about Channel Customization.
     

   • C. Insert your business logo as a branded Watermark (i.e., YouTube will overlay your logo in the lower-right of all your videos, no matter where they’re viewed).
     
     In the event another channel adds your video(s) to a playlist of their own, if users discover your content via YouTube’s browse features, and/or if your video is watched outside of YouTube, perhaps embedded into a blog, the branded watermark acts as a name tag of sorts, symbolizing that the content belongs to your channel.
     
     Some YouTubers attach a custom-designed “subscribe” button instead of their business logo. That’s fine, only, when it’s clicked, it doesn’t deep-link to your channel’s subscribe URL, just to its homepage. Granted, from there, it’s only one more click to actually Subscribe—so, to each their own, I suppose.
     
     

3. Navigate to Basic Info (still in the Customization tab) and compose a Channel Description (probably just using your bio), add Links, which will turn into little icons on the lower-right of your Channel Art, and, once you’ve surpassed 100 subscribers, create a custom URL for yourself.
   

4. In the Layout section of the Customization tab, specify a Featured video for returning subscribers and/or link-up a Channel Trailer (i.e., a video that gives non-subscribers a glance at what your channel is all about).
   

5. Still in the Layout section of the Customization tab, scroll down to the Featured Sections portion of the page and customize to your liking. The Sections are the “shelves” of videos on the homepage of your channel, arrayed from left-to-right (on desktop). For instance, you can feature a single playlist, add multiple playlists to a single row, specify where to position a livestream in the event you start a broadcast, feature other channels, or even showcase a playlist of other channels’ videos (e.g. the “guest appearances” playlist on my channel).
   
   If you don’t add sections to the homepage of your channel, your page will, by default, only have a single section (i.e., just one row) containing all your uploads. In other words, it’ll make your channel look like it’s void of content even when you may have a ton of it!
   

6. In the Studio, tap Playlists in the menu and navigate to the “New Playlist” link in the top right. Create playlists to organize your videos.
   
   If you’re producing, for instance, a weekly show of sorts—whereby all the videos belong together—you can mark the playlist as an “official series.” Note: a video can only be included in one series—though it can be in as many “regular playlists” as you’d like.
   
   The major benefit of playlists is that they help encourage viewers to consume your videos in succession versus just one-and-done.your videos in succession versus just one-and-done. From an algorithmic standpoint, this is huge! Group your videos into topic-specific playlists to encourage binge-watching.

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The YouTube Algorithm:

The YouTube algorithm considers two primary variables: A. Click-Through Rate (CTR) and B. Watch Time (aka, “Audience Retention”).

CLICK-THROUGH RATE:
The Click-Through Rate means, that when a prospective viewer is shown your video—in search results, as a recommended next video, or in YouTube’s browse features, for instance—YouTube monitors how often viewers click to watch. If they do click to watch, that signals YouTube to keep distributing your video far and wide. If they don’t click, then YouTube stops, pure and simple.

Your video’s thumbnail (i.e., the preview image attached to the upload) and its title are the top factors influencing the CTR of your videos.

WATCH TIME:
Watch Time is what it sounds like: the total amount of time viewers spend watching a given video—or better yet, a channel’s videos combined together. You can think about Watch Time through a couple of different lenses:

• Qualitatively. Create and share videos that hold viewers attention AND fulfill on the implied promise(s) of the video’s thumbnail and title Otherwise, if your video suggests one topic but covers another, that’s a bait-and-switch. As a result, the viewer is likely to bounce pretty quick. And it’s just simple logic—from YouTube’s POV, the longer a person watches a video, the more opportunities there are to show ads.

• Quantitatively. The more videos a channel has to show its viewers and subscribers, the greater YouTube’s willingness to display said channel’s videos in its browse features and/or in search results.
  
  Consider this: you could make the world’s greatest video, however, if it’s the only upload on your channel, there’s no video for that user to “watch next”—at least not on your channel. I call that, a “cul-de-sac channel”—it’s a dead-end for YouTube. There’s a network effect component at work—a greater number of videos increases Watch Time, which motivates the algorithm to start working on your behalf.

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7. Optimize each and every video you upload. Watch my video above for detailed instructions and best-practices for crafting a search-ready title, specifying your video tags, and composing the description. Consider using a tool like TubeBuddy to aid you in your optimization efforts.

8. Leverage YouTube features to the hilt! Try incorporating hashtags, video chapters, adding CTA links in the description, end-screens, cards, and more. Do every little thing you can to get one big result: MORE VIEWS!

Whether by a mechanism of search or social, it’s mission-critical to setup your YouTube channel and your video-uploads properly to maximize your viewership and dominate on YouTube. The goal is for your videos flourish over time, attract business, and enable you to win in the game of content. Stop waiting; start creating!

Guide to Up Your Client Experience (P.S. it's all in the little things)

How do you 🆙 your #clientexperience? HINT: it probably isn’t some paradigm-shifting, comprehensive process or program. To the contrary, it’s more likely bite-sized, modest improvements that, when added together, tally up to more than the sum of the parts (paraphrasing Aristotle 🧐). Stuff like:

∙A better means of managing and replying to client communications (e.g. email, texts, DMs, et al.)
∙Clear(er) direction about upcoming steps of a transaction
∙Access to resources and FAQs concerning all-things real estate (e.g. “How to ____” or “When to ____”)

The Nat’l Association of REALTORS® reported that 91% of buyers, for instance, claimed they’d use their agent again (or recommend them). However, only 13% of buyers actually re-hired an agent. So evidently the client experience extends way, way beyond closing! In other words, it’s 𝚌𝚕𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚝-𝚏𝚘𝚛-𝚕𝚒𝚏𝚎 or bust!

What’s more, the cost of generating a new client far exceeds the cost (and profitability) of producing repeat and referral business. It’s not that I’m warning against lead generation (not at all!). It’s just that repeat/referral business appreciates over time. Moreover, every past client becomes a multiplier of future business opportunities (i.e., repeats/referrals).

Bottom line: the best way to grow your business is to win the unwavering loyalty of every client, every time!

5 Essential Types of Content You Should Be Creating and Posting on Social Media

It’s common knowledge that agents are supposed to post more videos, post more stories, post at least once a day, etc. - etc.

In fact, there’s no shortage of rules and best practices about "𝙝𝙤𝙬" to post, "𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣" to post, or "𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚" to post, but there’s not nearly as much guidance about "𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩" to post, which, for many agents, is a major pain point.

Your content—pics, vids, graphics, and more—should cover five primary topics, listed below. And you get to decide how often to post in one subject versus another. After all, it’s your brand.

1. Real “Me”
2. Knowledge Broker
3. Hyperlocal
4. Agent BTS
5. Social Proof

Keep up the stellar content, friends 👊

The Best SALES technique is Service

Don’t ever forget it: 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗾𝘂𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲!

Customer experience isn’t one big thing you do especially well; it’s all the little things added up.

From listing to close, search to sale—the differentiation of your services is in details.

Happy weekend, friends!

Explaining Today's Real Estate Market ft. Dr. Jessica Lautz

The 2021 real estate market explained... Here's everything you need to know

☑️ The #realestate inventory crisis 🏠
☑️ Rising cost of materials 🏗(e.g. lumber, paint, et al.)
☑️ Feverish 🥵 levels of buyer demand
☑️ Multiple-offer “mayhem” (and, consequently, rapidly appreciating home prices 🏷)
☑️ Super low mortgage interest rates (and what to expect)
☑️ Generational buyer/seller shifts: multi-gen households, pet priorities 🐶, and more.

In today’s #MarketingStream episode, I’m joined by Dr. Jessica Lautz @jessica.lautz, Vice President of Demographics and Behavior Insights at the National Association of REALTORS® @nardotrealtor —and we’re taking on ALL OF THE ABOVE! Inventory, purchasing, new construction, and more!

End of the day, #marketing is all about crafting a message that connects/resonates with the consumer. In fact, your marketing is just the megaphone 📣 for your message. It’s like Tom Fishburne said:

“The best marketing doesn’t feel like marketing.”

So if your message is out of context, it’ll gonna fall flat. On the other hand, if it addresses a problem, a perception, or a desire of the consumer, it’ll cut straight through the noise.

Grab your notes 📋 and strap in for 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺, 𝗲𝗽𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗱𝗲 𝟬𝟬𝟲.

Watch the full episode here: https://geni.us/cZ38D6 (LINK IN BIO)

ᴛʜᴇ ꜰᴜʟʟ ᴇᴘɪꜱᴏᴅᴇ ɪꜱ ᴀᴠᴀɪʟᴀʙʟᴇ ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇꜱᴇ ꜱᴛʀᴇᴀᴍɪɴɢ ᴘʟᴀᴛꜰᴏʀᴍꜱ:
🖥 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗧𝘂𝗯𝗲
🎧 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆
🎙 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲

The 2021 Real Estate Market Explained: Everything You Need to Know

☑️ The #realestate inventory crisis 🏠
☑️ Rising cost of materials 🏗(e.g. lumber, paint, et al.)
☑️ Feverish 🥵 levels of buyer demand
☑️ Multiple-offer “mayhem” (and, consequently, rapidly appreciating home prices 🏷)
☑️ Super low mortgage interest rates (and what to expect)
☑️ Generational buyer/seller shifts: multi-gen households, pet priorities 🐶, and more.

In today’s Marketing Stream episode, I’m joined by Dr. Jessica Lautz, Vice President of Demographics and Behavior Insights at the National Association of REALTORS® — and we’re taking about everything you need to know about today's real estate market. Inventory, purchasing, new construction, and more!

End of the day, marketing is all about crafting a message that connects/resonates with the consumer. In fact, your marketing is just the megaphone for your message.

It’s like Tom Fishburne said:

“The best marketing doesn’t feel like marketing.”

So if your message is out of context, it’ll gonna fall flat. On the other hand, if it addresses a problem, a perception, or a desire of the consumer, it’ll cut straight through the noise.

Grab your notes and strap in for Marketing Stream Episode 006!

In today's discussion:

0:00 - Intro
2:42 - Introduction of Dr. Jessica Lautz
3:58 - Inventory Shortage in Various Market Places
7:20 - The Relationship Between Affordability and Inventory
8:45 - What would you tell a buyer that is competing against cash offers?
9:46 - What direction is the real estate market headed towards?
13:19 - Are there more buyers, less inventory or a mixture of both?
18:27 - What caused the housing supply shortage?
24:39 - How should agents be communicating with their customer base?
26:18 - What has changed with consumers and housing?
28:00 - How much of a birth-rate decline have we had?
29:23 - Did the pandemic cause a premium per square foot?
32:37 - Buyers Looking for Multi-generational Homes
34:49 - Outro

5 Pro Tactics to Increase Your Instagram Story Reach

About a week ago I shared a poll in my Instagram Stories asking whether my followers received more engagement via their Posts or Stories. 75% of respondents answered: STORIES. Granted, that could simply be the result of publishing more Stories than Posts. It wasn’t a scientific survey, after all. But regardless, it’s something to think about.

Fact is, if you want to maximize your reach/results on Instagram—from a content standpoint—it’ll take a combo of Posts and Stories.

To me, Posts are logs 🪵 on the fire ; Stories are its kindling wood. In other words, Stories help to spark the flames of engagement as well as keep the fire burning. (Too cheesy of an analogy, LOL .)

In-between your Posts and when you Post, keep adding Stories. Because each and every time you add a new Story, you refresh back to the top of the Story Feed.

With Stories, it all boils down to the viewer list. Algorithmically speaking, the Story Feed and the Home Feed function similarly but not totally the same. Depending on the size of your phone’s screen, for instance, you can only see a handful of recent Stories until you scroll to the right.

Question is, whose Stories rank in the Feed first? Answer: the users with whom you most interact most frequently (DMs, comments, reactions, and interactions, for example).

So for all intents and purposes, that means when you comment on someone’s Post, for instance, and they reply to your comment (or vice versa), that exchange signals Instagram to (respectively) prioritize your content for that individual whenever you publish new Posts or Stories. The same principle is at work in your DMs too. Have you ever noticed how it tends to be the same handful of users who always view your Stories first? That’s the algorithm at work.

So whenever a user sees your Story, in a way, it’s priming them to see your future Posts too. And every time you add a new Story, it’s another opportunity to be seen. That’s the game and, in my opinion, a big perk of Instagram Stories.

Here are FIVE pro tactics to increase the reach of your Instagram Stories:

1. Make use of Story Stickers. Stickers are interactive, graphic-designed elements you can lay overtop of the image, video, or background of your Story: polls, questions, quizzes, countdowns, swipe-meters, captions, and more. Whenever a user “interacts” with a Sticker, it’s cues Instagram to prioritize your content for that individual. Views are fantastic, as mentioned above—however, interactions are next-level (from an algorithmic standpoint). Plus, it never hurts to make use of the features Instagram provide to its users.

2. Never-don’t have a Story. Continually adding to your Stories helps to maintain (and grow) your active audience. Gaps in publishing new Stories (and/or Posts) causes audience erosion. Remember… Keep the fire burning! If users aren’t on your top viewer list, they’re on someone else’s.
   
   What’s more, the life of a Post is (at most) two or three days. After that, the Post is filtered out of both the Home and Explore Feeds. Sure, Stories last for only 24 hours but, by comparison, they are WAY easier to produce. I.e., Stories provide a “kindling wood” sort of substitute to keep the fire going in between Posts.

3. Add up to 10 Hashtags via the Text Tool. Simply enter the “#” keyboard character and then start typing the first letters of a hashtag. Let the system auto-complete the chosen hashtag and tap to select it. ️ Don’t copy/past hashtags! Once added:
   
   • 𝗦𝗵𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗸 ‘𝗲𝗺: perform a thumb-and-pointer-finger pinch gesture to resize to your liking.
   • 𝗛𝗶𝗱𝗲 ‘𝗲𝗺: add another Story element overtop of the hashtag text.
   • 𝗖𝗮𝗺𝗼𝘂𝗳𝗹𝗮𝗴𝗲 ‘𝗲𝗺: tap the color wheel and then press the eyedropper icon to match the font color with its background.

4. Use the Location-Tag Sticker. This will help boost “discoverability” in the IG Explore Feed.

5. Drop-in (exclusive) VIDEO content. Selfie-styled 🤳 thoughts and commentary, behind-the-scenes footage, and more. Maximum video duration should be capped at 60 seconds, which instagram will auto-chop into 15-second, Story-sized clips. PRO TIP: use the new Captions Sticker to dynamically subtitle your video.

6. BONUS: Mention another (influential) IG User. It goes without saying, don’t go tagging famous Instagramers you don’t know or when it’s completely irrelevant. That’s SPAM. However, when appropriate, make the mention!
   
   For instance, I get mentioned in a lost of Posts. When that happens, IG alerts me in the Notifications tab, wherefrom I can go in, like the Post, and leave a comment. That’s great and all—however, sharing that Post to my Stories requires a lot of extra steps. On the other hand, when folks mention me in their Stories, the alert goes straight into my DM inbox and includes a simple “Add to Story” button. One tap and I’m able to share that user’s Story to my own.
   
   My point is, if the right influencer opted to share your Story, the result could be monumental. So instead of only mentioning users in a Post, try (also) sharing your Post to your Stories and mention said influencers in the Story.

Strategies to Win Multiple Offers in Current Real Estate Market

In case anyone missed the memo: it’s 𝐦𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐞-𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐚𝐲𝐡𝐞𝐦 out there!

- Listing inventory is (extremely) low.
- Buyer demand is off-the-charts.
- Ergo, the marketplace is pretty-darn merciless.

In today’s livestream I’m joined by @brianscates (Minneapolis, MN) and @liveplaylovehalifax (Halifax, NS) to talk through tactics and strategies to win the contract: advising/prepping buyers, purchase-offer hacks, agent-to-agent scripts (and schemes 😉), and more.

If you’re tired of writing-up ✍️ loosing contracts, this is a conversation for you!

2 Types of Psychological Questions To Ask

This question... so simple, yet so powerful!

When you ask someone "At what price would you be crazy enough not to sell for?," you're asking a specifically calibrated question. This short video from my previous #PantanaProTips episode breaks down the nature of this powerful question that you can use to get new leads!
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Generate Seller Leads with this Proven Facebook Ad Strategy: Name Your Price (Part 2)

The question remains: At what price would you be CRAZY not to sell?

Today’s training is PART II of Tom Ferry coaching member, Matt Curtis’, NAME YOUR PRICE campaign - and this time around, we’re talking about Facebook Lead Ads.

Home values continue to soar in real estate markets across US and abroad. In fact, in many cases, homeowners are literally earning more in equity month-by-month than the cost of their mortgage payment. In a way, it’s as if they’re being paid to own the house!

But the thing is, home-equity is like casino-chips; it’s all worthless until you cash-out.

Hence the question: at what price would you be CRAZY not to sell?!

MAKING THE AD CREATIVE:

Before jumping over to the Facebook Ads Manager to setup and run the campaign, you’ll need to design a simple graphic (like Matt’s) to use as the ad’s primary media asset. Consider using a tool like Canva or an alternative.

The way Matt’s image is configured is ideal. Like Matt’s, yours should include a pic of you with a text bubble superimposed that states the primary call-to-action (CTA): “NAME YOUR PRICE.”

Below the text bubble, Matt’s graphic lists out sample sale prices and then marks through them, indicating just how rapidly median home values have jumped up in his marketplace. Finally, a circle is drawn around the highest number, signifying current market conditions.

So the image-text reads like this:

• CTA Text-Bubble: “NAME YOUR PRICE”

• Price-Building Bullets: Not $###,###, Not $###,###, But $###,###

CREATING THE FACEBOOK AD:

1. Launch your Facebook Ads Manager open. Simply navigate to facbook.com/adsmanager OR navigate to the “Ads Manager” from within your Facebook Business Manager (or Business Suite).

2. Ensure you’re in the “Campaigns” tab and then tap the green “Create” button to start.

3. Select the “Lead Generation” option and press “Continue.”
   
   NOTE: Due to recent privacy changes—e.g. iOS 14.5’s App Tracking Transparency Framework (ATTF)—Facebook’s Pixel has been severely impaired. Watch/listen to the Marketing Stream episode I recorded with Ylopo CMO, Juefeng Ge. Because of that, using a Lead Form (aka, “Instant Form”) versus directing traffic to an external website has a serious advantage. As long as users remain in the platform, Facebook has optics. However, if an opted-out iOS user clicks at CTA button in your ad and leaves Facebook, even if your site is properly Pixeled, Facebook will be in total darkness.
   

4. Once the campaign-builder launches, specify “Housing” in the “Special Ads Category,” scroll to the bottom of the page, and press “Next.” After the screen loads, make sure you’ve agreed to “Facebook’s Lead Ad Terms.”

5. Scroll down to the “Audiences” box and input the geographic area you’d like your ad to target. Directly above the map widget, there’s a drop-down list. Tap it and choose “People Living in this Location.” That way, you’re truly targeting locals.

6. Scroll back up and take a peek at the “Budget” box. Tinker with it until you’re satisfied with the daily estimates displayed along the right-hand sidebar. I’d recommend a daily budget for “Lead Generation” campaigns.
   
   **If your campaign is estimating zero leads a day no matter the adjustments you make, it doesn’t necessarily mean that’ll be the outcome. It just means, based on the historical performance of your past ads plus myriad other variables, Facebook is struggling to forecast the results. Just move on.**

7. Scroll to the bottom of the page and press “Next” to enter into the “Ad Creative” stage of building-out the campaign. At the top of the newly loaded page, ensure your Facebook and Instagram accounts are linked-up. Find your way to the “Ad Creative” box. If Facebook auto-inserted an image (like your Page’s Cover Photo, for instance), just tab the blue text that reads, “Clear All.” Then, under the “Media” heading, tap the drop-down menu and choose, “Add Image.” Pull in the graphic you made earlier on.

8. In the “Primary Text” and “Heading” fields, add your copy and headline. Try using the “add another option” feature to give Facebook a few variations to trial.

9. Change the “Call-to-Action” button from “Sign-Up” to “Learn More.”

10. Scroll down to the “Instant Form” box and tap the button, “Create Form.” Refer the video for step-by-step instructions.

11. Publish your campaign!

NOTE: Be sure to ALSO watch #PantanaProTips episode, Agent's Guide to Generate SELLER LEADS (Using Facebook Lead-Form Ads), published back in April, 2021. It contains a super detailed tutorial for building Facebook Lead-Form Ads.

NAME YOUR PRICE, done-and-dusted. Friends, no doubt, we’re facing a substantial inventory crisis in housing markets here, there, and everywhere. However, I’d argue that there are just as many in-market sellers as ever; they’re just not in-the-market, if you catch my meaning. It’s up to you (and your marketing) to reach those individuals and outline an action plan to help them move forward (so you can list-up those properties).

PLEASE leave a comment to let me know what you think of this training. Also, make sure you turn on notifications when I publish new content so you don’t miss out on future episodes.

Happy listing & selling!

Every Video Needs A Thumbnail (YouTube, LinkedIn, IGTV, IG Reels, Facebook, etc.)

𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐘 𝐕𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐎 𝐍𝐄𝐄𝐃𝐒 𝐀 𝑻𝑯𝑼𝑴𝑩𝑵𝑨𝑰𝑳‼️ (That is, a still image that acts as a preview of your video.) YouTube, LinkedIn, IGTV, IG Reels, Facebook, and more!

Whenever you upload ⬆️ a video—no matter where—the social platform monitors how often the video is shown to potential viewers versus how often those potential viewers opt to watch the video. 𝘝𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘰𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘨𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘮𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘶𝘴, 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘢 𝘸𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦.

The difference often boils down to the thumbnail—even if it’s only viewable for half a second. The thumbnail is, for lack of a better term, pure “clickbait.” Its purpose is to entice viewers to choose to watch the video. Make ‘em irresistible to click! (But also, they should be relevant to the vid because if someone clicks to watch and then bounces straightaway, that’s not good either 😉).

If a YouTube user runs a search that ranks your video, for instance, and then scrolls past it for another, they’re sending YouTube implied feedback to stop ranking your video.

Point is, the better the thumbnail, the better the click-through rate (CTR). The better the CTR, the more views 👀 you’re gonna get.

Generate Real Estate Seller Leads with This Proven Marketing Strategy: Name Your Price! (Part 1)

“Yes, really… NAME YOUR PRICE.” That’s the email-offer Tom Ferry coaching member, Matt Curtis, is sending out to his database - and it’s creating new listing opportunities in abundance!

(As we all know) listing inventory is alarmingly low 📉, so don’t expect houses to just fall into your lap. Today’s MARKET belongs to agents who MARKET to create inventory when and where there is none.

If you’re looking for a seller-focused lead generation strategy, you’re in the right spot! Today’s video will outline a word-for-word email campaign designed to source listings straight out of your database.

Keep in mind, the National Association for REALTORS reported that approximately 67% of sellers identified a real estate agent to list and sell their property by way of repeat business or a referral from a friend, family-member, or neighbor. In other words, roughly 2/3 of your listing opportunities are likely stashed away in your DATABASE, ready and waiting on you! So let’s get to work.

Heads up... I’m planning to release a series of videos devoted to the NAME YOUR PRICE campaign. Today’s video is focused on the database email. I’ll layout a Facebook ad strategy in the NEXT VIDEO.

The “Name Your Price” Email:

Email composition is an art form. It’s words! To that point, according Oxford English Dictionary, there are more than 170K (English) words currently in use. Point is, you must choose your words strategically!

Parts of the Email:

1. Subject Line: casual, clear, and engaging; all lower-case.

2. Personalization: utilize merge tags to incorporate recipients’ first names—e.g. Hi {FIRST NAME}.

3. Opening Line: fulfills on the subject line; creates curiosity and sets up a basis for the offer.

4. Calibrated Question: yes-or-no question poignantly asked directly before making the offer.

**There are two types of questions: open-ended and closed-ended. Open-ended questions ask “Who,” “What,” “How,” “When,” “Where,” or “Why.” They’re designed to draw out more meaningful responses versus closed-ended questions, which typically result in a “yes” or “no” type of answer.

A calibrated question is, technically, a close-ended question, only, it’s intended for closing; it’s to be asked at the moment when a definitive (or rhetorical) response is exactly what’s needed.

For example, “At what price would you be CRAZY not to sell?”**

1. 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗹-𝘁𝗼-𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 (𝗖𝗧𝗔): a “Name Your Price” button linked to a Google Form.

2. 𝗣𝗿𝗲-𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴: first CTA has been skipped; addresses the primary objection or challenge preventing offer acceptance/action.

3. 𝗔𝗹𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿: hyperlinked text embedded in the pre-frame (i.e. no buttons); links to same destination as the CTA.

4. 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴: builds on pre-frame to position offer as a solution to the problem/challenge.

5. 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗹-𝘁𝗼-𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 (𝗖𝗧𝗔): a “Name Your Price” button linked to a Google Form.

TRIPLE-STRIKE CTA

Notice how Matt’s email embeds his offer again-and-again throughout the email copy.

The first CTA button, “Name Your Price,” is inserted toward the beginning of the email. Then, in the event his case wasn’t strong enough to get certain viewers to click, he pre-framed the most common/likely objection, followed by a soft offer to “let us know”—which was hyperlinked to the same destination URL as the first CTA.

Finally, he re-used the primary CTA button at the end of the email to make one last pass.

---

Here’s a shortlist of some Email Service Providers (ESPs) to analyze:

• BombBomb

• MailChimp

• SendGrid

• AWeber

• Convert Kit

• SendFox

• Sendinblue

• Omnisend

• Keap

• MailJet

• Constant Contact

• Drip

PLEASE leave a comment to let me know what you think of this training. Also, don’t miss Part 2 where we breakdown the Facebook ad strategy!

Lead Generation Tips: Why a Strong Online Presence Matters for Your Brand

So someone hears about you, and you may have a new lead. Congrats! But at this point it doesn’t really matter because this someone is going to Google your name or your company. What matters is: will they find you? If they do, what will the search results show?

Your brand’s online presence is more important now more than ever, so it’s crucial that your leads are able to find you on Google because that’s what all modern consumers do when considering a product or service.