New Instagram Features: Group Profiles, Candid Stories, and Notes

As a business owner, it's important to stay up-to-date on the latest and emerging social media features in order to connect with both current and future customers. That said, look no further! Here's a rundown of the latest and emerging Instagram features in 2023 you need to know about:

• Group Profiles: A feature that allows users to create and join profiles to share posts and stories with a specific group of friends. This new feature seems akin to Facebook Groups.

• Candid Stories: A feature that allows users to capture and share what they’re up-to in real-time. This looks like an attempt from Instagram to compete with BeReal. It’ll function much like TikTok’s NOW feed, whereby Candid Stories will only be visible to “friends”—which is an unclear term—who’ve also posted a Candid Story that day. Facebook intends on testing the same functionality.

• Notes: A short messaging feature that allows users to share thoughts and updates with friends in the platform’s Inbox section. Like Stories, Notes last for 24 hours. Additionally, they can only be seen by followers whom you also follow or your designated Close Friends and are limited to 60 characters. Note replies present as DMs.

Now that you're up-to-date on the latest Instagram features, it's time to start thinking about how you can utilize them to benefit your marketing efforts.

23 Marketing Channels to Boost Your Business in 2023

As you consider your marketing strategy for the new year, it's important to think about the various marketing channels that can help you reach your customers and clients. From cross-platform video and social media to email marketing, local SEO, and voicemail-drops, there are many options to choose from. Here is a list of 23 marketing channels to consider incorporating into your strategy for 2023.

1. Cross-platform VIDEO + CONTENT + SOCIAL: Create and share video-first content across various platforms and social media sites. It's important to consider the specific preferences and behaviors of your target audience when determining which platforms to use:  e.g. Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn, and so on. Focus on creating content that is relevant and useful to your local community.

2. Email marketing: Send targeted and personalized emails to your subscribers in order to nurture leads, contacts and, ultimately, to promote your services. Always include a clear call-to-action and segment your email list to send relevant content to specific groups.

3. Cold/warm calls and/or voicemail-drops: Reach out to potential customers or clients via phone calls or voicemail-drops. Use this channel to personally connect with people and to follow-up on leads.

4. Texting and/or DMs: Use text-messages and/or social media messages (e.g. Instagram Direct, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, et al.) to quickly reach out to people and/or send targeted promotions or updates. Monitor the rules to do so in compliance. Consider testing chatbots (e.g. ManyChat) to lead-capture or automate routine customer conversations, FAQs, or questionnaires.

5. Events + parties: Host or participate in events or parties to connect with people in-person and build-up brand awareness. This could include hosting a party for clients, happy-hour get-togethers, or for instance, a block-party in your geographic farm area.

6. Open Houses: Conduct open houses regularly to meet prospective buyers and/or sellers. The lead-generating faculties of open houses are often overlooked. Don’t make that mistake. Promote them to build-up your brand, personally invite the neighbors to attend (some may become future sellers), and ready yourself for some mega follow-up. Most leads aren’t ready when you meet them, so be prepared to keep in touch. 

7. Google Business Profile: Claim and optimize your Google Business Profile as well as actively manage and respond to customer reviews. Your Google Business Profile is of considerable importance. If you wanna leverage it for all it’s worth, check out my roughly 3-hour, on-demand training:  GOOGLE BUSINESS BOSS😎. Click HERE to learn more.

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Looking to go fully-optimize your Google Business Profile to attract more business in 2023 (from sellers, especially)? Then check out my new course, GOOGLE BUSINESS BOSS 😎:  More "come-list-me" calls from your Google Business Profile.

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8. Google Ads galore: Use Google Search campaigns to capture leads and Display Network ads targeting (or retargeting) your audience(s) on other sites and apps across the web. Local businesses should also consider Local Services ads. Search campaigns target specific keywords and appear in search results, while Display Network campaigns target specific audiences and appear on various websites and apps.

9. Alternate PPC: In addition to Google Ads, there are other PPC (pay-per-click) platforms such as Bing Ads and DuckDuckGo Ads.

10. YouTube ads: YouTube is the largest video sharing platform, and it offers various types of ads including in-stream ads (which play before, during, or after a video) and in-feed ads (which appear in the suggested videos column). They’re massively underutilized and capable of reaching a wide audience…. So get after it!

11. Social ads: Use social media advertising on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn to reach specific audiences and promote your business. For instance, use these ads to promote your organic content to an audience of your choosing, to drive traffic to your website, or to generate leads.

12. Print/Postage: Use print materials such as flyers, brochures, or postcards to create consideration for your business.

13. Blogging: Use a business blog to share expertise, industry updates, and company news with customers. Consider repurposing your social media content—each post becoming its own blog.

14. Podcasting: Host or appear as a guest on a podcast to share your expertise to cultivate an engaged audience.

15. Signage/outdoor-advertising: Use physical signs or advertisements in outdoor spaces to promote your business. This could include storefront signage, billboard ads, or event banners. Mind your budget, of course.

16. Sponsorships: Sponsor events or organizations to build brand awareness and show support for your local community. This could include sponsoring festivals, sports teams, schools, or other events or organizations. You may even sponsor a local podcast, for instance.

17. Online profiles: Create and optimize profiles on review or directory sites such as Yelp, Zillow, Realtor.com, and so on to showcase your business and manage your online reputation. Sites like these have tremendous SEO—so don’t neglect their importance.

18. Agent directory sites: Run a Google search for the “best REALTOR…” in your marketplace and see who’s running ads. Odds are it’ll be agent-referral sites like Homelight, UpNest, Dwellful, MyAgentFinder, and so on. The ones paying for ads are likely the ones most worth ensuring your profile is properly set up and optimized in order to reach inquiring customers.

19. TV commercials: Consider using TV commercials to reach a wide audience, but be mindful of your target audience and budget. You may also look into media purchases with streaming services like Amazon Prime or HULU.

20. Radio ads and/or radio show: Explore radio advertising to reach a local audience, or host or be a guest on a radio show to share your expertise and build your personal brand.

21. Local publications: Consider advertising in local newspapers, magazines, or other publications to reach a targeted audience in your area.

22. Door knocks/drops: This channel involves physically going to people's homes or businesses and promoting your products or services. Door-drops refer to leaving promotional materials at people's homes or businesses.

23. Online groups/communities: Join and participate in online groups or communities on platforms such as Facebook Groups or Nextdoor to connect with and promote your business to a hyperlocal audience. Follow the guidelines and rules of each group and be respectful of the community.

With so many marketing channels available, it can be overwhelming to determine the best ones for your business. It's important to test and measure the effectiveness of each channel, and to continually review and adapt your strategy as needed. By staying up-to-date on the latest marketing trends and technologies, and by staying true to your brand and target audience, you can set yourself up for a successful 2023.

The Importance of Building Credibility with Video on Social Media: Don't Just Chase Followers

Are you a real estate agent who’s considering giving up on social media video marketing because you're not seeing the followers or views you desire? If so, you may be mis-measuring whether or not what you’re doing is working.

It's important to remember that social media success isn't just about gaining followers or becoming “social-media famous.” To the contrary, it's more about building a reputable brand and making an impact with your clients. Granted, it’s reasonable to expect hearts, likes, comments, views, and so on—after all, those are algorithmic signals that your content is resonating with users.

Notwithstanding, if you've ever had a client mention one of your published videos during an appointment, for instance, then your video marketing efforts are already working.

Real estate is a know-you, like-you, trust-you form of business. If your videos are consistent with your brand and help to establish you as a credible and reliable source of information, then you are on the right track.

So don't be discouraged if you're not seeing the vanity metrics. They matter to a certain degree, of course—but only because the algorithms care.

Instead, focus on creating high-quality, informative videos that align with your brand and help to establish you as a trusted source in the real estate industry. Your efforts will pay off in the long run as you build a strong and reputable agent-brand.

The Magic of Multichannel Marketing: How to Boost Your Brand and Drive Sales in 2023

As a business owner or marketer, you know that the key to success is getting your brand and message in front of as many people as possible. And the best way to do that is through multichannel marketing. I call it multichannel marketing magic.

For instance, if someone sees your marketing across multiple channels versus only in one place, it forms an illusion 🤹‍♂️ that they’re seeing and experiencing your marketing more frequently than is actually the case. That means more bang 💥 for every buck 💵 in your budget.

You may, for example, spot a product on a billboard while driving, and then, that same day, see it again in an ad online. Now, suddenly, it has your full attention—as if you’re seeing it EVERYWHERE. That’s the illusion of multichannel magic.

So… If you had, say, a $1,000/month marketing budget—to spend it all in ONE place versus allocating it across multiple channels would be, the way I see it, borderline wasteful. The trick is for folks to see you EVERYWHERE, over-and-again.

Don't just rely on one channel for your marketing efforts. Embrace the power of multichannel marketing and take your business to the next level.

6 Overlooked Places to Include Calls-to-Action (CTAs) to Boost Conversion Rates

If you want more business, sometimes it’s simply a matter of presenting customers with an offer.

A call-to-action (CTA) is a statement or button that prompts a prospective customer to take a specific action, like visiting a certain web page, downloading a PDF, or filling out a contact-form.

Some calls-to-action are “lead-generating” in nature and some are “lead-converting.”

• Lead-generating:  e.g. home valuation offers, a custom home search, downloading a buyer- or seller-guide, or sign-up for a newsletter.

• Lead-convertring:  e.g. schedule a buyer or listing consultation, making a referral, or placing an inbound call, text, message, or email.

Loads of businesses overlook the importance of calls-to-action in their marketing usually because they aren’t clear on the customer’s journey and, thus, don’t know which offers will or won’t move customers forward. My advice:  define your CTAs and incorporate them all throughout your marketing. 

Including calls-to-action throughout your marketing can help to clarify the desired action for your audience, track the effectiveness of your marketing efforts, and ultimately, yield more business.

6️⃣ Overlooked Placements to “Nest” Your Calls-to-Action:

1. Email Signature:  Your everyday emails have nearly a perfect open rate. What’s more, the average professional sends 40+ emails a day. All that said, your email signature is a prime spot to incorporate your business’s calls-to-action. Keep it non-excessive, though—too many CTAs will water-down your results.

2. Google-Business-Profile Products:  Use the Products section of your Google Business Profile to link-up your calls-to-action. For example:

• Search for homes

• Request a home valuation

• Schedule a property tour

• Download buyer/seller guide

• Join the team

3. Social Profile Link-in-Bio:  Profiles on platforms like Instagram and TikTok apportion users one clickable link in their profiles. What’s more, these sites don’t permit links to be included in posts. Thus, the "link-in-bio" functions as “link dispatch,” of sorts. Use tools like Linktr.ee or Liinks.co to direct traffic to your content and CTAs.

4. YouTube Default Text:  In your YouTube Studio, tap Settings and then Upload Defaults to compose pre-set text in the Description field that’ll appear automatically with every next video you upload. Formulate text that'll drive viewers to your calls-to-action:  e.g. social media links, key landing pages, your sign-ups, and so on.

5. Pinned Posts:  Use the "Pinned Post" feature of platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok to feature select posts. For instance, pin a post that’s the most exemplary of your content in terms of what new followers can expect of you and/or pin a video that outlines what you do and how customers can opt to do business with you.

6. Messenger Chatbots:  Messenger bots (like ManyChat) are activated by direct-message keywords. In your Instagram bio, for instance, instruct users to message you terms like “Buy” or “Sell” to activate automated chat sequences tailored to your CTAs—like a home search, home valuation, or a different type of offer. Construct custom dialogues to your liking.

Google Ad to Promote Your Google Business Profile at the Top of the Local-Pack

Wanna run a Google Ad that promotes your Google Business Profile in the highly coveted “Map-Pack” section of Google’s search results page? Say “YES!” if you’re marketing a local business!

The Map-Pack (AKA the “Local-Pack”) is a section in Google’s search results that lists the top three Google Business Profiles adjacent to a square-shaped map whenever someone searches for a type of local service. If someone runs a search like, “Best REALTOR in Charlotte,” for instance, Google will display a Map-Pack.

The money—in terms of getting FOUND by prospective customers—is in the Map-Pack because customers are generally inclined to search for a type of business versus one in particular. If a customer looks up your business by name, for instance, they’re obviously not discovering you for the first time.

Up until recently, the only way to rank in the coveted Map-Pack was to have done so organically. However, Google seems to be testing a new ad placement top-of-list in the Map-Pack.

It’s called a “Local Search Ad,” which, technically, can appear in Google Search or Google Maps. It’s different from a traditional Google Search Ad in that it directs traffic to your Google Business Profile versus your website.

To run one, just search your business name in Google to load your Google Business Profile control panel, tap the “Advertise” button, and click-through the steps in Google Ads’ guided wizard. (If you don’t see a guided wizard, then your Google Ads account is probably set to “Expert Mode,” not “Express Mode.”)

When you come to the step that asks for “Keyword Themes,” choose terms applicable to buyers and sellers who are searching for agents, not houses, for instance.

Chances are, it’ll automatically incorporate themes like “ Houses for Sale,” et al. My advise:  remove those and add in themes like “Listing Agent,” “Real Estate Broker,” and so on. The point is for your ad to place in the Map-Pack, which appears when someone searches for a type of local business, not houses for sale.

Gen Z’s Top Social Media Platforms (and How It Impacts Brand/Business Marketing)

Per a Yahoo-conducted survey, Gen Z’s most-used social platforms include:

• YouTube:  88%

• Instagram:  76%

• TikTok:  68%

• Snapchat:  67%

• Facebook:  49%

• Twitter:  47%

Though Gen-Zers aren’t necessarily in-market for buying/selling homes (yet), it’s essential to monitor the trends in terms of which platforms are gaining the most adoption so you can allocate your efforts/energy accordingly.

Candidly, different polls and surveys over the past several years have produced different findings. For instance, some polls have shown YouTube as the top-utilized Gen-Z platform for years. However, per Yahoo’s recent findings, two platforms, in particular, have seen rapid adoption within the Gen-Z demographic over the past year or so:  YouTube and TikTok.

No matter the report, survey, or poll you take into account, a few trends appear to be universal:

A. TikTok’s growth is explosive!

B. YouTube definitely hasn’t peaked.

C. Instagram’s still growing—but in a less-exciting way.

That being said, here are my practical takeaways:

1. A brand without VIDEO is INVISIBLE. On search engines and social networks alike, video is the cash of currency.

2. Platforms with robust search 🔎 tools are growing. Evidently, users wanna discover the content most relevant to their interests. Go figure🙄

3. Platforms with the best content are the most desirable. It’s less about attributes or features of a platform and more about its community of creators. The point being, if the best content creators, in your opinion, are on TikTok or YouTube, for instance, then follow ‘em.

Home-Valuation Seller Lead Generation Campaigns for Realtors in 2023

About two weeks ago I participated in a MEGA listing-agent mastermind hosted by Tom Ferry. We’re talking about agents/teams listing-and-selling hundreds of homes a year.

Each member of the mastermind shared their top tactics for generating seller business and, to my surprise, home-valuation styled campaigns are paying-out dividends right now.

I know, I know… you’re thinking… “Weren’t those overplayed like four years ago⁉️” That’s what I thought too.

However, as real estate headlines fear-monger about the future of housing ad-nauseam, consequently, many homeowners are wondering about A.) the value of their home and B.) the timing of their next move.

Tools like HomeBot, NAR’s REALTOR® Property Resource (RPR), CloudCMA, or HomeValueLeads, for instance, equip agents and/or teams with websites that capture seller contact info when performing an automated/aggregated range of value to inquiring homeowners. Just like always, though:  the money’s in the follow-up. 📲

At a super high level, there are a couple different ways to deploy a campaign like this:

• PAY-PER-CLICK:  Setup search campaigns across Google, YouTube, Bing, and DuckDuckGo that link to your home-valuation landing page.

• DIRECT MAILERS:  Print and distribute a simple mailer that states the offer directly above a QR-code hyperlinked to your home-valuation landing page.

The part that was most astounding to me was the impressive rate of conversion these agents/teams have been achieving -- anywhere from 1.5% up to 10% of leads entering into signed listings w/in 30 days of initial lead-capture. In case it’s not self-evident:  WOW! 🤯

Beat Social Media Algorithms by Establishing a Content Cadence 🔂

It’s never just ONE video — it’s a video show! Lemme explain…

The typical Instagram user follows between 150 and 200 accounts and spends, on average, 53 minutes a day in the app. Moreover, they divide their attention between multiple feeds:  Home, Explore, Reels, Stories, DMs, etc.

What’s more, the conventional Instagrammer posts four times per week (per Shopify research). Bearing all that in mind plus accounting for paid promotions and AI-suggested content, for instance, it all adds up to A LOT of competition for eyeballs and attention.

The fact is, your next post will only be seen by a fraction of your followers.

And so, consequently, it’s imprudent to put all your eggs🥚in the basket 🧺 of a single video or post. Why? Simple… because not everyone’s gonna see it. In reality, every video posted is merely a cog in the ⚙️ wheel, so to speak. You’re building-up a body of work.

That means you’ve gotta get super clear on the overall mission of your content. What’s your overarching/underlying objective? Odds are, it’s to generate business—i.e., buyers and sellers. Notwithstanding, you obviously can’t just say “list with me” or “buy with me” all the time. That’d get old real quick!

My advice:  produce content that treats followers like clients. Share advice endlessly and nobody’s gonna call you salesy; they’ll just call you. 📲

A one-off video is, for all intents and purposes, invisible. On the other hand, VIDEOS—all working together—will build your brand.

How to Market Your Business on Social Media When it’s ALWAYS Changing

Social media is kind-of unstable. Hear me out…

Algorithms change at random, platforms rise and fall, media formats come and go. Instagram, for instance, is so hellbent on keeping up with TikTok, that it’ll practically abandon its core competences in reckless pursuit.

Nonetheless, content marketing IS modern marketing. It’s like I’ve said time-and-again:  marketing without content is like a bow without arrows. It’s empty! So don’t mishear me… because I’m definitely NOT advising that you cease your social media efforts. At the same time, don’t let it be the end-all-be-all.

End of day, WHAT are you building and WHERE else are you leveraging your content? For example, in blog posts, digital ad-campaigns, or repurposed in postcards? (Remember my “thumb-mailer” video? https://bit.ly/thumbmailer).

Frankly, content creation is way too much work to limit its distribution.

Given the ever-changing impermanence of social—it’s critical to have at least one foot of your marketing on a steady base. Like email, for instance—always there for you, steady as a rock. So build your list of subscribers! Video may be my favorite marketing “format,” but—as far as marketing channels go—email’s the G.O.A.T.

The Silver-Lining of Leads that AREN’T Ready to Transact When Generated

What’s your plan to EARN a prospective customer’s business?

Per Market Sherpa, 73% of leads (across all industries) AREN’T ready when generated. That’s no surprise—in fact, it’s somewhat of a relief. Especially in real estate… because, if your leads were ready as soon as you got ‘em, then—based on the data—your rate of conversion would absolutely tank. Lemme explain…

According to research from the National Association of REALTORS® the vast majority of home buyers and sellers opt to hire a real estate agent with whom they’ve worked in the past or by virtue of a referral. Here are those percentages over the past several years:

HOME SELLERS:

• 2017:  64%

• 2018:  63%

• 2019:  66%

• 2020:  67%

• 2021:  68%

• 2022:  63%

HOME BUYERS:

• 2017:  54%

• 2018:  53%

• 2019:  53%

• 2020:  53%

• 2021:  60%

• 2022:  50%

(Sidebar:  due to a severe lack of housing inventory in the first half of 2022, many buyers, likely frustrated with losing in multiple offer situations, resorted to contacting listing agents directly and/or inquiring about homes via yard-signs. What’s more, first-time-homebuyers—due to affordability issues, mostly—accounted for far fewer sales than in prior years. As the marketplace adjusts and “normalizes,” I’d wager REPEAT/REFERRAL percentages will reclaim lost standing.)

If you Google “Best Realtors in {CITY},” for instance, you’ll get a wide array of results:  Yelp, Google Reviews, agent-referral sites like MyAgentFinder, Zillow, and more. The tricky part, however, is that those sites hardly ever list any of the same real estate  agents, which begs the question:  can they be trusted?

Consequently, many consumers simply opt to work with a real estate agent they’ve used in the past or place their confidence in the recommendation of a trusted confidant. And herein lies your opportunity to move your leads from “friend-zone to end-zone,” professionally speaking.

With time, the intent of your leads will mature. That’s your window of opportunity to “win ‘em over”—to become the know-you, like-you, trust-you AGENT-OF-CHOICE.

Try This if Google is Filtering Your Google Business Profile Reviews

Missing or filtered Google reviews⁉️

It’s a pretty common tale because of Google’s automatic review filter, which is ever-so super keen to filter out legitimate reviews and practically defective when it comes to filtering out the actual fake ones.

Seriously… have you ever tried to get a spam review removed? It’s darn-near impossible!

That said, here’s an approach to try if all or some of your legitimate reviews aren’t getting published.

In other words, you asked a client for a review, sent them your special review intake link, and then they submitted a review. However, unbeknownst to you or them, it was filtered by Google. Later on you might’ve followed-up asking for the review again—but they claimed they’d already done one. And, in fact, they can even see it on their end—but to anyone else, it’s “unpublished.”

If this is happening to you (and only if), instead of sending folks to your custom review intake link, try this:  perform a Google search for your business. Doing so should trigger your Google Business Profile to show in what’s known as Google’s “Knowledge Panel,” as if you’re a customer searching for your business organically.

From there, copy the URL in your browser, which will preserve your search query that triggered your profile to display in Google’s results page.

Finally, send THAT link to customers and ask them to manually select the “write a review” button about midway down your profile’s “Knowledge Panel.”

Typically Google filters reviews when it suspects a business is using some unfair means to procure them—like paying for them, for instance. It’ll mark ‘em as SPAM and then they’ll be unpublished.

Between you and me, though, Google’s a downright lousy judge of what is or isn’t a SPAM review. Kind of like my dog (Rosie 🐶) losing her ever-loving mind whenever a squirrel 🐿 glances at her funny—like it’s plotting to steal her bone 🦴… but  I digress.

This isn’t a guarantee by any means, however, it removes you, the business owner, from the equation. You may also wanna peruse Google’s official review policies. Here’s a link to do so: https://bit.ly/3ReseG1.

Google “Retires” the Google Business Profile Manager, Replaces with Control Panel

Google took something away they said they wouldn’t…

If you’re a local business, you probably don’t need any reminding of the importance of your Google Business Profile. It’s the gateway into getting discovered in Google search results by prospective customers. E.g. “Best Realtor in _____” and those types of search queries—the “money searches,” if you will.

Historically, you’ve edited and managed your profile via a backend dashboard and portal, dubbed, the “Google Business Profile Manager.” Everything was in one convenient spot! But now it’s different.

Roughly a year ago, as you may recall, your “Google My Business” listing was renamed a “Google Business Profile.” No sweat, though— it was just a name.

Sidebar:  despite the total rebranding of “Google My Business” to “Google Business Profile,” the mobile app wasn’t discontinued until this past Summer.

That’s when things really started to change. At that point, Google provided users with a means to manage their profiles directly in Google Search or Maps, on desktop or mobile.

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Looking to go fully-optimize your Google Business Profile to attract more business in 2023 (from sellers, especially)? Then check out my new course, GOOGLE BUSINESS BOSS 😎:  More "come-list-me" calls from your Google Business Profile.

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All you’d have to do is Google search for the name of the business (e.g. “Felicia Lewis Group, San Diego, CA” or whatever word-phrasing normally triggers your profile to populate) and a control panel would instantly appear directly in Google’s search results page.

So then, here we are… Google said it wouldn’t do away with the Google Business Profile Manager, but it lied/fibbed/bluffed/changed-its-mind/whatever-term-best-describes-it. Point is, the Profile Manager is gone.

The good news, however, is that (nearly) all the functionality and terminology is the same — it’s just accessed directly in Google Search or Maps.

One lost feature, though, is that the built-in “Google My Business website” has been removed. Of course, you’re still able to link to your business’s domain/URL, no problem.

Also, if you manage multiple Google Business Profiles, you can still access them via business.google.com -- only, if/when you select any of them, it’ll open up a new browser tab and you’ll be in the same control panel as everyone else.

Instagram Feed is Shifting to WAY More "Suggested Content" (like TikTok's For You Page)

During a recent earnings call, Zuckerberg said about 15% of what users see in their feeds on Facebook is “suggested content.” On Instagram, that percentage is slightly more than 15%.

Historically, users have ONLY seen feed posts from accounts they follow or paid placements, with the exception of “suggestions” – as in, “since you follow her you should follow him too” or “so-and-so commented on so-and-so’s post” types of prompts.

Now, however—in trying to keep up with TikTok—they’re slipping in more-and-more AI-suggested content. It’s the “For You Effect,” if you will.

Granted, the Reels feed has been made up of mostly suggested content from the get-go. It’s Insta’s main feed that’s changing. Who knows… maybe someday down-the-road instagram will merge those feeds in some way, shape, or form 🤷!?

You may call, back in July, for instance,  Instagram pushed a partial update whereby a bunch of users’ Home feeds suddenly went full-bleed (i.e., a 9:16 aspect ratio like the Reels feed) and 75% of the content they were seeing was “suggested.” Suffice it to say, the change was NOT well received so Instagram made a statement and reversed the update.

Welp, per Zuckerberg, the current game-plan is that by the end of 2023 the percentage of “suggested content” users will see in the main feed will surpass 30%.

How do you feel about that⁉️ Here are my (off-the-cuff) thoughts:

• Followers/Friends (really) won’t matter. On TikTok, for instance, audiences are somewhat fluid—meaning, they’re comparatively unfixed and ever-changing. Users see what they see in the For You page because TikTok’s algorithm decided it… and whether or not a user follows an account is a relatively unimportant ranking signal (all factors considered).
  
  On Instagram, though, who you follow (and who follows you) matters big-time—at least, for now it does. Notwithstanding, as feeds become more-and-more crowded with suggested content — assuming Instagram continues to parody TikTok’s approach — then who users follow will matter less-and-less (algorithmically speaking).
  
  From a marketing standpoint, FREQUENCY—i.e. when an audience sees you again-and-again—is fundamental in terms of advancing would-be customers from “attention” to “action.” In this context, its potency could be significantly diminished. So…

• Build your email list. Social media is, let’s face it, a shade volatile these days: ever-evolving algorithms, platforms pivoting their core-competences to compete with newcomers, and so forth. But email is steady as a rock 🪨
  
  🚨 If email marketing poses a steep learning-curve, make sure to check out my course, INBOX HERO 📥: Tapping into the marketing G.O.A.T. - EMAIL 🚨

• Social becomes less-and-less local. Chances are that most of your friends on Facebook, for instance, probably live proximate to you. That’s your community. Sure, you’ll have out-of-area family, friends, peers, and so forth—but the bulk of your connections probably live locally. Your Instagram is likely similar (or, perhaps, was in the beginning).
  
  Suggested content will change that. Interest-based algorithms like TikTok’s For You page, Instagram’s Reels feed, or, per Zuck's comments, Facebook and Instagram’s main feeds will distribute content to users here, there, and everywhere. It’s not a bad thing, per se—it just means that the local impact of organic content on social will most likely shrink.
  
  Personally, I’m encouraging my coaching and consulting clients to promote their content with paid ads that target locals in their marketplace.

Why You Should be Focusing on Customer Experience Throughout Your Business

(Photo 📸 courtesy of @followupboss from their epic FUBCON event earlier this month.)

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 the details. Especially now, as the market’s adjusted.

Days-on-market is up, conversations with buyers and sellers are more-and-more complex, and the competition is intense.

My advice:  get super clear and granular about your customer experience. Do that, and it’ll radiate into EVERYTHING else you do:  your marketing efforts, your prospecting conversations, and all through your business — you’ll become known it.

4 Tips to Power-Up the Performance of Your Instagram Posts

One of the top factors Instagram evaluates to determine whether your next post is gonna be widely distributed through the feeds or not is dubbed, “time spent on post.”

If someone sees a post of yours—in the Home Feed, Reels Feed, Explore Page, or wherever they might see it, for instance—do they immediately scroll past it OR do they spend a bit of time with it? That’s the question—because, if they park for a bit, it signifies INTEREST in your content. 

The way it works is that Instagram will essentially distribute your post to a sample-size audience, see how it does, and then, based on that, distribute it to a wider audience (or not) – and so on.

Fact is, Instagram is deeply motivated to retain users in the platform for as long and often as possible. The more cumulative time users spend on Instagram, the more abundant its opportunities to place ads that generate company revenue. That’s the game!

Hearts, comments, and post engagement are certainly valuable data points Instagram takes into consideration – however, time spent on post, is (in a way) tied directly to Instagram’s ability to make money.

What’s more, whenever you publish new content, the clock ⏳ starts ticking. Instagram is programmed to showcase “recent” posts — not old ones. That means, the quicker your next post is able to garner attention—while it’s fresh and new—the better it’s bound to do in terms of overall reach and distribution.

If you wanna ensure your next Instagram post is primed to perform, here are some tips and best-practices to keep in mind:

• Think about how you start your videos. Does it immediately hook the viewer? Recent Facebook research found that viewers who watch the first 3 seconds of a video are more likely to go on watching for longer durations. The battle of “attention” is in the beginning.

• Add eye-catching subtitles. Keep in mind, the sound is set to mute 🔇 in certain feeds, like the Home feed, for instance. If folks don’t know what you’re saying, they’re gonna scroll.

• Beef-up your post caption. If folks are scrolling and tap “more” to expand your caption, that’s just your post racking up the time spent on post points!

• Don’t neglect the comments thread. If you can drive comments, mentions, replies, pin different comments, and so on—that thread, in its own right—is a time-spent-on-post magnet. 🧲

Seller-Focused Marketing: “ Your Home Deserves the Spotlight”

During a coaching session last week one of my clients said he’d received three “come-list-me” calls from ON-MARKET SELLERS 🏡 who were looking to make a change in representation. Be warned… sellers aren’t waiting for listings to expire to replace ineffective listing agents (even if it isn’t the agent’s fault, per se).

They all said they’d looked him up online and got the sense that he prioritizes marketing — which is what they all cited as the likely culprit of their nonsuccess.

For instance, they Google-searched the “best realtor in____,” his Google Business Profile ranked, they perused his reviews, clicked and surfed his website, and even looked him up on Instagram.

Customers are doing WAY more than just Googling businesses these days. It’s a full forensic audit 🕵️ of your online presence. When customers look you up, will they say about you what they said of my client?

My advice:  show sellers what they’re missing in your marketing. (Constructively… don’t ⛔️ go off hating on other agents.)

For example, try out a tagline like this: “Your home 🏡 deserves the spotlight.” Integrate it across ALL your marketing channels:  videos, postcards, ads, billboards, emails, referenced in reviews, PDFs, website headings, you name it. Make it your own, standardized program for sellers. Why? Because sellers expect more... so show ‘em what they’re missing!

Just talking linguistics for a moment… In the book “BUILDING A STORYBRAND,” author Donald Miller discussed the difference in addressing external problems versus internal problems in your marketing communications.

• External Problem:  the property is sitting and needs to sell

• Internal Problem:  the agent should do whatever it takes

We could probably tweak the language of those problems, but I think the point conveys. Using words like “deserves” addresses an internal dissonance—that something isn’t as it could or should be. YOUR home DESERVES the spotlight.

TikTok Search VS. Google Search: a new era of SEO?

Bold prediction:  TikTok is and isn’t going to replace Google as the dominant search engine.

Per a Google exec, approximately 40% of 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚐 𝚙𝚎𝚘𝚙𝚕𝚎 when looking for a lunch🌮spot, for instance, don’t go to Google Maps or Google Search. – they search on TikTok or Instagram. But there’s a catch…

And it isn’t just TikTok and Instagram encroaching on Google’s search-supremacy turf. For instance, 55% of product searches start on Amazon. And, let’s not forget about YouTube (Google-owned), which has been steadily gaining search volume year-over-year.


It’s funny… Whenever I post something about the importance of Google Search on TikTok, I always get angry comments about how TikTok is a more popular search engine and Google’s dead 🙄… blah blah blah. Not quite!

First off, that sort of commentary conflates terminology. TikTok isn’t the same type of search mechanism as Google. Google uses a more scientific process for ranking results by order of relevance. It’s an 𝘦𝘹𝘢𝘤𝘵-𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩 𝘮𝘰𝘥𝘦𝘭 whereby I ask and it answers. TikTok, on the other hand, isn’t quite so linear. It’s more of a visually immersive “discovery engine.”

In other words, users don’t search as if TikTok’s a calculator solving a math problem. They search, in a way, without expectation—that is, they’re not necessarily looking for an “exact match,” which definitely signifies a behavioral shift in online search. Granted, if you’re hungry and looking for a lunch spot nearby, surely there’s some expectancy in terms hoping to find some decent dining options.

Nonetheless, relevance on TikTok is more about social influence—i.e. what a user thinks about a business’s posts or infers about that business by way of other users’ posts about it—versus Google’s system of empirically ranked results.

To be honest, though, I’d argue that method of usage is functionally no different than placing confidence in online reviews. What I mean is, searchers will still have to be able to find 🔎 that business on TikTok in order to decide whether or not  they vibe with it. I suppose TikTok search is more like a magic 8-ball… the results are a bit of mixed bag versus “exact-match”—and maybe that’s the fun of it.

Again… there’s this big debate that TikTok is a more popular search engine than Google and that it’s a totally new way of discovering businesses and content. While TikTok is definitely gaining adoption as a search platform, Google still reigns supreme. What’s more, online search still is and has been a two-step process:  A. find options, B. pick one.

So… here’s the moral of the story:  as the titans of search and social fight🥊 it out, keep making content and publishing it everywhere!—videos, blogs, reviews, and more! Be relevant no matter where customers may find and “vibe with” you.

Top Marketing Channels to Build Your Agent-Brand in 2023 (for Realtors)

If you wanna insulate your real estate business from peaks 🏔and valleys 🏜… then invest in your agent-brand.

As the real estate market continues to adjust, consumers will (naturally) become more scrutinizing of agents. They’ll wonder:  “Why should I listen to you?”

Notwithstanding, every time you share a video, publish a quality review, or, for instance, send an email that showcases your expertise and trustworthiness – it’s building your agent-brand.

I promise… your leads or any other would-be customer is gonna look you up online—Google, Instagram, and/or elsewhere. The question is, does your brand back-you-up OR hang you out to dry?

Here’s what I advice:  become the “I see you everywhere,” agent-authority in your local marketplace.... Or don’t… but don’t expect buyers and sellers to come running either.

Here’s a list of marketing channels you maybe oughta consider:

• Over-index on vertical ↕️ videos (Reels, TikToks, and YouTube Shorts).

• Every week or so, run a FB/IG ad-campaign that promotes your existing posts (those videos up there ⬆️) in your local marketplace as well as to your database contacts. (Tutorial)

• Knocks, drops, pickups, & pop-bys go a long, long way! Get yourself into hustle mode.

• Email Marketing is the G.O.A.T. 🐐—make sure to check out our #MarketingPRO course, Inbox Hero 📥

• Don’t miss out on YouTube In-Stream Ads – i.e., the commercials that play before, during, or after YouTube videos. (Tutorial)

• Google Display Network ads are, frankly, cheap & easy! Make ‘em part of your marketing mix. (Tutorial)

• Invest in EVENTS:  open houses, community get-togethers, buyer/seller seminars, investor meetups, client parties, happy-hours, and more. 

• Mailers, signage, publications, and other physical-marketing mediums—though on the pricier side—have distinct advantages. Don’t brush them off w/o serious consideration.

I could go on-and-on (and on-and-on… 🤣) — but that’s not my point. The point is to build your AGENT-BRAND.

Marketing isn’t “One-and-Done” – it’s a commitment!

Nobody mails just one postcard, posts one video, or sends one email and expects it to suddenly start raining deals. It doesn’t work like that -- as if it’s one-and-done. 

The RESULTS are in the REPETITION. 🔂.

So trust the process. Your ongoing marketing activities—bit-by-bit and day-by-day—are developing into something BIG. ↗️.