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Hey there, home stagers! Let's talk about something important:
“Social media”.
Now, I know most of you are already using social media to promote your beautiful home staging projects, but I have a little secret to share with you.
Brace yourselves because this may sound harsh:
You've been doing it wrong!
Yup, you read that right.
You’ve been doing it all “Wrong”.
But don’t worry, you’re not alone. Since the 90’s, marketers have been selling us on the idea that we MUST be doing a lot of things. The problem is, their motivation was selling us their services, not actually getting us the results, we need for our businesses.
In this blog post, we're going to explore a better way to leverage social media and build stronger relationships with your real estate agent and clients—the ones who bring you the most repeat business!
So, let's dive in and discover how to transform your social media presence into an engaging and fruitful platform!
Before we get to the good stuff, let's dispel some common Home Staging social media habits.
If you simply search other Home Stagers social media accounts, you will quickly see these very same mistakes repeated over and over again…
Common Home Staging Social Media Habits:
1. Focusing on the Finished Project Only:
Remember, your social media may be the first place your clients go to see what you are capable of. It's not just about the end result—it's about the journey. 100% of Home Stagers show the finished project, without ever showing us what they started with. And I’m not talking about before and after photos. I’m saying share the transformation process, the challenges, and the solutions you overcame in order to get to that beautiful result. Your audience wants to see how you solve problems and do the things they don’t have the time or patience to work through.
2. Focusing on Yourself Instead of the Client:
I get it. Since the beginning of time, marketers have told you to build your “personal brand”. And it’s true, you should build your personal brand. But they did not mean that you should have your face awkwardly in the corner of every video, smiling and showing us walk through videos with cleavage shots and the constant fear that you’re gonna trip while walking backward! Dear God! Please stop those!
While it's essential to showcase your expertise, don't forget that your clients are the heroes of the story.
Here’s something you almost NEVER see…
When was the last time you had your client or agent in a video with you? Talking about the project and the transformation?
By highlighting their experience, their goals, and the positive impact of staging, you build a deeper relationship with your client. You also create content that they are more likely to share and post on their social media. You also give your audience new personalities to meet and follow along with your brand’s story.
3. Treating Social Media as a Portfolio:
Let’s clear this up right here…
Your social media account is NOT your “portfolio”!
Ultimately, you want people to go to your website to view your portfolio. It’s on your own website where potential new clients can click on your content, book time with you, and sign up for your newsletters. You want them on your own platform. You do NOT want them on social media, browsing, swiping and moving on.
Please for the love of God, stop these weird, self-indulgent habits. They do NOTHING to build your brand.
So, let me ask you this…
Have you ever considered how you could leverage social media to build stronger relationships with your clients and agents?
Picture this…
You have a handful of real estate agents who consistently choose your home staging services and bring you business month after month. These agents trust you and appreciate the value you bring to their business.
Now, ask yourself, what are you doing to build and strengthen that relationship? How are you making them feel like they are the most important clients on the planet?
Now I’m going to flip everything you know about social media on your head…
Are you using your social media to feature your clients and make them “the star”?
If not, it's time for a change.
Treating Your Social Media Account like an HGTV Show:
Let’s recognize something here…
For the first time in human history, you have a device in your pocket that has the capability to create photo and video footage, that would have in the past cost millions in production, editing and distribution costs. You have it in your literal “Back Pocket”.
You also have apps that range in cost from FREE, to a few dollars a year, that make editing your videos and photos so easy that even an elementary child can create stunning videos.
We also have Social Media Networks that come standard with most phones, that give you the ability to broadcast your content to millions of viewers, globally.
Can we take a pause and just remember that as little as 20 years ago, the ability to distribute media like that was reserved ONLY for the large television networks and cable providers.
If no one has put that into perspective for you lately, let me be the one.
We live in unprecedented times. You no longer need to wait for a production company to come to you. You have even greater technology right there in the palm of your hands.
Okay. So, let’s pick up where I left off…
Most of the Home Stagers I’ve worked with would LOVE their own HGTV show.
So, Imagine this…
What if you treated Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube like your very own HGTV Network?
What if you simply filmed your next staging as though “it” were an actual HGTV Show? Shoot! You could even give it an amazing HGTV style name!
You might even treat your next staging project like episodes in a series!
So, what’s involved in creating your own Home Staging show? You really only need a few simple things:
1. Your smartphone
2. A tripod
3. A gimble
4. Wireless Bluetooth microphones
5. Your social media accounts
What Makes an HGTV SHOW:
So, let’s breakdown the elements of an HGTV Show…
1. A brief introduction or Sizzle reel, introducing the show:
Simply create a quick animated logo, or string together a few different photos and videos with a signature theme song, along with your logo. This should be a very simple intro and move right into the video.
2. Introduce the client or agent and feature the project:
As the star of your own show, you serve as the host and guide. Your job is to introduce us to the client, the project and guild us through the project. You should be pointing out important information and showing us how you solve problems with your team.
In this first part, simply introduce your audience to the client or agent. Share the goals of the project and highlight your client or agent.
3. Introduce your team:
Every HGTV show features the designer as the leader of their team. The designer is the star, but they are surrounded by a cast of loveable and qualified contractors and team. Focus on the team. Highlight their personalities and strengths.
4. Solve a Problem:
Every HGTV episode encounters some sort of problem or design challenge. They do this so that we can see the designer and their team solve a problem. This is crucial in the development of any storyline.
In your case this might be a difficult room. Or maybe you discover an issue with the home. Or maybe it starts to rain.
The goal is for you to show the audience that you can solve problems on the fly. By showcasing your problem-solving capabilities, you tell future clients that you are the person that can make their lives easier.
5. The “Big Reveal”:
Every HGTV show ends with the “Big Reveal”.
Why? So, we can see the physical transformation, and we can empathize with the excitement of the client or agent. They do this so that we can live vicariously through the client or agent’s reaction. This is what wins our hearts every time!
BONUS!
HGTV is paid through brand sponsorship and advertisers. So, let me ask you this…
Could you be getting paid too?
What if you sold advertising on your own social media “HGTV” show? Could you be selling local ads to restaurants, shops and businesses? With complete control of your production, couldn’t you sell cameos and advertising?
Does this make sense?
We use social media the way we do because way back in the early 2000’s marketing companies like HubSpot and Hoot Suite learned that they could teach us “everything we need to know about social media”, only to let us try, fail and hire them. To this day, entrepreneurial and enterprising “stay-at-home” workers have adopted that same strategy in order to get you and me to pay them money.
So, it’s not your fault that you have been doing social media wrong. But now that you know how to use it the right way, you should jump at the opportunity to reimagine how you leverage social media.
I did it myself. Back in 2017, I went live for the first time in front of 2,200 people. And by featuring other people, celebrities and manufacturers, my 1-hour a week Facebook Live show cleared 3.2 million views. I know for a fact that by featuring your client and agents, you will change your social media engagement.
Are You Ready to Start Using Social Media, Right?
It's time to move beyond the superficial selfies and weird TikTok trends and start leveraging social media to forge deeper relationships with your real estate agent clients. Treat your social media account like an HGTV show, showcasing the process, highlighting the client, and sharing the "Big Reveal." Use storytelling to captivate your audience and strengthen your partnerships. Remember, social media is not just a platform for beautiful images; it's a tool to connect, inspire, and solve problems.
So, what are you waiting for? Grab your camera, bring your clients on board, and let the world witness the magic of your home staging expertise!
All businesses have a story. I want to share yours!
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