Take 5 - Unleashing the Potential of Facebook and Instagram for More Referrals 
With Danielle Boutin
TRT: 4m 06s
Video Transcription

Danielle Boutin directly addresses camera:  Are you struggling with getting business from Facebook and Instagram? I've got some success secrets.
I'm Danielle Boutin, CEO of Get Social in Lake Worth, Florida. Let's take five minutes to talk about engagement strategies on social media that can lead to more business referrals.
First, you should prioritize engagement with your audience over merely posting content. The algorithm favors profiles that engage and display your content to those you communicate with most often. So make sure you're regularly commenting, liking, and sending direct messages to your friends and people in your newsfeed, and create content that encourages your followers to do the same.
Social media is a contact sport and a long-term game.
It will take time to see a return on your investment. You should actively engage with different people on your friend list daily. I suggest you dedicate at least of 15 minutes to this task. Respond to messages and comments on your posts and look beyond your newsfeed to find friends who don't regularly appear on your feed. Beyond simply liking their posts, leave comments of more than three words or send a personalized direct message. The goal is to ensure you stay top of mind within your "social sphere of influence." 
Now, let's talk about what you post. You want posts that encourage conversation. One of the methods I like to use is Instagram and Facebook stories, where I post polls, questions and quizzes.
Pick fun, non-controversial or political questions and capitalize on certain times of the year. For example, during football season you can ask 'What's Your Favorite Team,' or in the summer, ask where people plan to vacation.
You can use Stories to get advice on local services and things to do or even gather feedback about a favorite outfit or a product you're considering buying.
You can also make your questions real estate related, such as 'What is holding you back from buying a home' or 'Are you thinking of buying in the next year?' These are great ways to learn about your audience and open the door to further conversation via a direct message, online one-on-one chat, or even to a phone call.  
And that should be your ultimate goal — take the conversations from quiz responses or engagement via comments to a direct message, and ultimately to in-person conversations.
Remember, conversations in DMs should not be used to sell but to engage and connect genuinely. This can lead to business opportunities in the long run. As I like to say, "Deals are done in the DMs."
Regarding posts, aim to provide value to your followers via an educational video, a news article with your perspective or information about the local area. These posts aim for your followers to either comment, send you a direct message, save for the future or send to a friend.
A tip to get your followers to take one of these actions is to include direction on what you'd like them to do next. Guide your audience on how you want them to move forward by having a call to action within the post.
Be careful, though, not to use spam triggers such as "Like my post" or your post may not be treated as favorably by the algorithm. Instead, say things like DM me to learn more, Save this post for later or tag a friend who may find this post helpful.
And finally, one of the most important things I can share with you is that the best social media real estate influencers don't just post about real estate. Intertwining personal or more "human content" keeps your page fresh, relatable and is the key to moving your online relationships forward.
Whether it's a video of a local restaurant, a post about your child's volleyball team or something motivational, it is essential to be authentic, be passionate, know your brand and share more than just your standard real estate content.