Many real estate agents use social media and blogging in some way to push their business and reach new clients. However, a large number of these agents aren't using networks such as Facebook, YouTube, or even Snapchat, as effectively as they could to encourage engagement and conversions.

When it comes to creating online content that enhances your business, there's a simple rule to follow: 50/30/20. 50% of everything you share online should be entertaining and engaging content that's in line with your branding. 30% of your content should be informational. It should help your audience answer the questions they have regarding your service (in other words, give them the 411 on what's going on with the real estate world in their neck of the woods). Finally, 20% of what you offer online should be promotional - push your offering without, well, seeming pushy.

This 50/30/20 rule is a proven formula for online success; however, an overwhelmingly large number of real estate agents only focus on the sell-portion of the equation. Rather than push their offering 20% of the time, agents use their Facebook page and personal profiles for nothing more than posting their available listings.

With this approach, your audience becomes accustomed to seeing nothing but promotional posts from you. As a result, your posts become the equivalent of the ads found on newspapers - irrelevant.

If you want to keep your audience engaged with your online persona, you have to begin to offer them more than just your hard sell. You have to follow the 50/30/20 rule.

But how?

Keep your audience educated on the market

As a real estate agent, you are an expert in the field of housing. Why not use that to your advantage by becoming a valued resource for folks looking to buy or sell a home?

Create blog posts (and then circulate these posts on social media) that explain whether it's a good time to buy or sell. It's likely that you receive reports or data that help you gauge the housing climate; share those reports with your readers – people love to see graphs and data. It's an easy way for them to validate what you have to say.

Pro tip: Folks aren't keen on having to read too much. At the same time, you may not be too excited about writing thousands of words. Rather than always writing blog posts, consider making a simple YouTube video or an infographic that tells your story in a simpler format.

Keep in mind: if someone is in the market to buy a home, chances are at some point during their journey they'll search, online, for answers on:

1. Whether it's a good time to buy
2. Which neighborhoods/towns offer the best value/school district etc.
3. How to know "how much home" they can actually afford

They're looking for answers to these common questions. Why not be the source they turn to?

There is virtually no limit to the type of informational content you can share with your audience. As an expert in the field, you know the common questions your clients have. Start creating blog posts that address these questions and concerns, including:

• Share ideas on how people can increase the value of their home
• Teach people how to invest in real estate
• Discuss the ups and downs of staging a home vs. keeping it empty
• Write about a really specific - but little known - process such as explaining what an underwriter does (few people talk about this, so when your audience searches for this answer online, they'll stumble upon you)

Keep your audience entertained

As important as providing information is for your audience, this approach - alone - won't help you stand out among all the noise. There are plenty of resources your prospects can turn to for their information. You need to find a way to stand out and become their preferred source.

Providing entertaining and engaging information will help you differentiate yourself from others. Feel free to share funny real estate-based stories from around the country - or globe - with your readers. Create a YouTube video that highlights the unique characteristics of your city's neighborhoods (that, alone, will likely help you rank high in Google when your readers search for "Which neighborhood should I move to").

Share lighthearted pictures (yawning kittens always do well) and use captions that are real-estate related, but that aren't designed to push a listing. For example, find a picture online of a large dog in a very small doghouse. Add the caption: "When you know it's time to upgrade your living situation." That's it. No: "Call us for your next home." No blatant sell. Just an entertaining picture that will put your branding in front of a large audience.

Make it easy on yourself to find and share content

Real estate agents have the opportunity to really use social media and content sharing to propel their business. Buyers and sellers turn to the web as a huge resource during their journey and with the right kind of content, agents can be easily found by these audiences, no matter where they are in their personal purchase/sell cycle.

But being able to create the amount of quality content to be shared regularly may seem like a full-time job of its own. How can anyone expect to be able to create and share this amount of content when they're busy trying to do their jobs as real estate agents?

That's where Vizoop comes in. At Vizoop, we make social media marketing fast, easy and effective for real estate agents. We're constantly creating high-quality content that you can easily share across your networks as a way to cleverly promote your business, using the tried and true 50/30/20 model.

Are you looking for an article discussing why now is a fantastic time to sell? We have it. Do you need a fun and lighthearted article that breaks down the benefits of buying a house vs. a condo? We have that too. Rather than recreate the wheel and spend hours each week on your social media marketing, why not turn to Vizoop - your go-to resource for essential real estate content worth sharing with your audience.

Learn more about how we can help you capture, engage, and convert your audiences via social media. Contact us today!