The Future of Google: Web Strategists Predict How AI Overviews & Other Search Changes Will Impact Traffic [New Data]

More than 300 marketing pros told us whether their worst fears or wildest dreams have come to fruition since the launch of Google’s AI Overviews (formerly SGE) in May 2024.

The much-hyped and much-criticized event, which Google immediately scaled back after AI Overviews (AIO) served users with incorrect and potentially harmful info, marked the wide launch of AI-generated search on the world’s biggest search engine.

Now that Google has patched up its early missteps and SEOs have had time to observe traffic changes, we conducted a survey to determine whether the white-knuckled AI anxiety is backed by any evidence.

We’ve got the numbers on AIO’s effects on traffic, what SEO changes to look for in the coming year, and pro tips from SEO experts on how to adapt and optimize your web and content strategies.

Table of Contents

• What is AI Overviews?
• What other changes are coming to Google Search?
• How does AI Overviews affect web traffic?

What is AI Overviews?

During its beta phase, Google’s AI-powered search was called SGE, or Search Generative Experience. It’s now more commonly known as AI Overviews, and it’s Google’s response to AI-powered search engines like Perplexity, Brave, and Microsoft’s Copilot.

It runs on Google’s AI model called Gemini, formerly Google Bard.

Regular ol’ Google Search still uses a three-stage process, though Google notes that not every page will make it through each stage. Google Search first crawls web pages, downloading text, images, and videos; it then indexes that information and stores it in a database; finally, it serves search results to the user.

AI Overviews (AIO) integrates generative AI capabilities with Google Search results. Using natural language processing (NLP), AIO can effectively repackage search results as answers to your questions, not just a page of links.

Not every query will trigger an AIO response — a Google spokesperson reiterated to me that AIO is designed to appear when it’s helpful beyond the usual SERPs. And since web content changes and evolves, AIO is also dynamic.

If you’re not seeing any AIO, make sure you’re logged in to your Google account, and check Google’s growing list of countries where it’s available.

As of October 28, 2024, Google added more than 100 countries and territories to AIO list, including the U.K, Japan, Canada, Mexico, and Brazil. If you’re in Spain, France, Germany, or Ireland, you’ll still see only the traditional SERPs.

Here’s an example of how AIO differs from the usual SERPs. If I search “world without gravity,” AIO answers the questions it thinks I have, with source links for each point:

Image Source

Google unfortunately couldn’t have anticipated the amount of anxiety this search just caused me, but in terms of search intent, it’s done a pretty good job.

It found a number of popular science websites that have covered the question, which are listed on the right, and it used that information to organize questions and answers in natural language.

The more familiar SERPs still appear below the AIO:

Image Source

What other changes are coming to Google Search?

It’s likely that we’ll see more changes as Google fine-tunes AIO, especially with other AI-powered search engines gaining traction among users.

Braden Becker, a former HubSpotter who’s currently the global SEO lead at Faire, began with an important caveat about the effects of evolving AI in search, generally speaking: “I will say it depends on the industry. I think that‘s one thing I don’t hear enough of — this is not going to affect everyone equally.”

Some industries may be already feeling the effects, and some may not see any noticeable traffic changes for years.

Amanda Sellers, manager of EN blog strategy at HubSpot, says that “AI’s increasing ability to enforce E-E-A-T standards could push marketers to create content that’s richer, more nuanced and specific, and better accounts for search intent.”

Aleyda Solís, international SEO consultant and founder at Orainti, adds that Google is in a challenging position right now.

It has to make some choices about how it proceeds in the AI search landscape, and it has to match the quality, speed, and user satisfaction of these new players in the AI search game. The paradigm shift could, for the first time ever, pose a real threat to the search giant.

In other words, if users abandoned Google for other AI-powered search engines, it would obviously be bad for Google — “but it would be equally bad if [Google] tried to compete with ChatGPT or completely change their search interface all of a sudden. They cannot do that because they have skin in the game; they have a lot of adverts to show. So they’re trying to react [to AI searches] accordingly without harming their business model, which is extra challenging.”

Google seems to be stepping up to the challenge. In October 2024, Google announced a handful of updates that suggest a focus on alternate search channels, like video and voice.

In brief, if you use the Google app on mobile, you may see these updates:

• Generative AI now works with Google Lens, so you can point your camera, ask a question, and get an AIO response.
• Video understanding capabilities and voice questions: You can ask a question while taking a video or a photo to get an AIO response.
• Shop what you see: Snap a photo of a product you like, and Google’s AI models and the Google Shopping Graph will identify the item.
• Circle to Search: Available on Android devices, this lets you identify songs without switching apps.
• Search results pages organized with AI: Google promises that this will return “relevant results organized just for you.”

So how will AI Overviews change in 2025?

The better question might be, “How will AI Overviews change marketing in 2025?”

Most of the SEOs I’ve spoken with this year have noted a few patterns emerging from the last year of algorithm updates, and they generally see a need for content marketers to make these considerations:

Renew your focus on search intent and follow-up queries.

Continue writing content for your audience — not search engines — by considering user intent and follow-up queries.

Sellers says, “Google is so big as a distribution channel for primarily text-based content. And that means they are often the driver for best practices on our websites. But Google is emphasizing that we shouldn't be writing content for Google — we should be writing content for our audience.”

Evaluate where your content is reaching your customers, and whether that best serves your interests as AI searches increase.

If you’re in an industry where people even think your product or service is replaceable with AI — even if they’re incorrect — “you need to pay attention, and you need to adapt,“ says Becker. “You’ll definitely need to shore up your product-market fit positioning on how you use top-of-funnel content,” he says, “to clarify how you‘re different and why you’re still valuable.”

On the other hand, if you’re in “an extremely congested market where it's likely that folks will research their options a bit differently using AI, tofu content — top-of-funnel content — might not be your biggest lever anymore.”

In those cases, Becker says that “you might consider investing more in middle-of-funnel content, trying to reach folks when they've already done the bulk of the research.”

Beckers see this as a welcome change. “I think it ultimately reduces content bloat and forces businesses to take a closer look at who they're really trying to market to.”

Evaluate the specificity and helpfulness of your content.

At the end of the day, creating as much content as possible for a very general audience isn’t going to help your brand unless you’re considering whether your content is actually helpful.

Aja Frost, senior director of global growth at HubSpot, says to take the “experience” in Google’s E-E-A-T quality rating guidelines seriously. “It does really require explaining why you or the author are uniquely positioned to give advice,” she says.

An author bio is a good starting point, but ideally, those explanations should be woven into the content itself. (And it’s why I interview experts for my own articles.)

How does AI Overviews affect web traffic?

Since the launch of AIO in May 2024, SEOs everywhere have been closely monitoring web traffic.

Good news: By and large, publishers are reporting minimal changes to traffic. Dotdash Meredith (DDM), which owns more than 40 digital properties (including People, Food & Wine, and Travel & Leisure), reported a “negligible” impact on traffic.

In its Q2 report to shareholders, DDM’s parent company, IAC, wrote (emphasis mine):

“Since Google began to roll out AI Overviews in mid-May, the impact on our traffic has been negligible. Referrals from Google search queries produce less than half of our traffic, and based on our analysis, AI-generated answers are being served on roughly 15% of searches across our categories, with the highest frequency in Health, Technology, and Finance. Click-through rate differentials between pages with and without AI Overviews are minor so far, but it is still early and products change quickly, so the past isn’t prologue.”

In a HubSpot survey of more than 300 marketers whose role includes SEO, website management, web strategy, and/or web analytics, 42% told us that they didn’t have reason to believe that AIO or other AI-powered search had impacted their traffic. In fact, 41% said they’ve gotten more traffic since AI search has been implemented.

One way to stay on top of your AIO/SEO game is to evaluate the types of content you’re publishing.

In our survey, here’s the type of content that our respondents think will perform the best as generative AI search becomes even more integrated (note that they could choose up to three, so totals add up to a number far higher than 100):

• How-to, step-by-step guides, and other educational content (45%)
• Review/comparison content (e.g., product reviews, comparing top hiking trails, etc.) (37%)
• Opinion pieces or thought leadership content (27%)
• Content reflecting on personal stories/experiences (24%)
• Trendy/newsy content (19%)
• Templates/cheat sheets (16%)
• Webpages or posts featuring video or images (16%)
• Case studies (13%)
• Content featuring original data unique to your website/blog (12%)
• Expert interviews/profiles (12%)
• Listicle-style content (12%)
• Webpages featuring interactive elements (9%)
• Ecommerce or product-listing pages (8%)
• Gated/paywalled resource landing pages with lead-generation forms (2%)
• Other (1%)

Of course, it’s always possible that we’ll see more traffic shifts as more time passes and more data accumulates (and when and if it does, you can bet that we’ll be on top of it!). And, as Becker told me, when and how your company feels the effects of AI search will depend a lot on what industry you’re in.

Until then: Stay focused on adding personal experience to your content; consider bolstering certain types of content, like how-tos and reviews; and keep a close eye on those traffic analytics.

Editor's note: This post was originally published in July 2023 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

from Marketing https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/how-sge-other-google-search-changes-could-impact-your-traffic-data-predictions

More than 300 marketing pros told us whether their worst fears or wildest dreams have come to fruition since the launch of Google’s AI Overviews (formerly SGE) in May 2024.

The much-hyped and much-criticized event, which Google immediately scaled back after AI Overviews (AIO) served users with incorrect and potentially harmful info, marked the wide launch of AI-generated search on the world’s biggest search engine.

Now that Google has patched up its early missteps and SEOs have had time to observe traffic changes, we conducted a survey to determine whether the white-knuckled AI anxiety is backed by any evidence.

We’ve got the numbers on AIO’s effects on traffic, what SEO changes to look for in the coming year, and pro tips from SEO experts on how to adapt and optimize your web and content strategies.

Table of Contents

• What is AI Overviews?
• What other changes are coming to Google Search?
• How does AI Overviews affect web traffic?

What is AI Overviews?

During its beta phase, Google’s AI-powered search was called SGE, or Search Generative Experience. It’s now more commonly known as AI Overviews, and it’s Google’s response to AI-powered search engines like Perplexity, Brave, and Microsoft’s Copilot.

It runs on Google’s AI model called Gemini, formerly Google Bard.

Regular ol’ Google Search still uses a three-stage process, though Google notes that not every page will make it through each stage. Google Search first crawls web pages, downloading text, images, and videos; it then indexes that information and stores it in a database; finally, it serves search results to the user.

AI Overviews (AIO) integrates generative AI capabilities with Google Search results. Using natural language processing (NLP), AIO can effectively repackage search results as answers to your questions, not just a page of links.

Not every query will trigger an AIO response — a Google spokesperson reiterated to me that AIO is designed to appear when it’s helpful beyond the usual SERPs. And since web content changes and evolves, AIO is also dynamic.

If you’re not seeing any AIO, make sure you’re logged in to your Google account, and check Google’s growing list of countries where it’s available.

As of October 28, 2024, Google added more than 100 countries and territories to AIO list, including the U.K, Japan, Canada, Mexico, and Brazil. If you’re in Spain, France, Germany, or Ireland, you’ll still see only the traditional SERPs.

Here’s an example of how AIO differs from the usual SERPs. If I search “world without gravity,” AIO answers the questions it thinks I have, with source links for each point:

Image Source

Google unfortunately couldn’t have anticipated the amount of anxiety this search just caused me, but in terms of search intent, it’s done a pretty good job.

It found a number of popular science websites that have covered the question, which are listed on the right, and it used that information to organize questions and answers in natural language.

The more familiar SERPs still appear below the AIO:

Image Source

What other changes are coming to Google Search?

It’s likely that we’ll see more changes as Google fine-tunes AIO, especially with other AI-powered search engines gaining traction among users.

Braden Becker, a former HubSpotter who’s currently the global SEO lead at Faire, began with an important caveat about the effects of evolving AI in search, generally speaking: “I will say it depends on the industry. I think that‘s one thing I don’t hear enough of — this is not going to affect everyone equally.”

Some industries may be already feeling the effects, and some may not see any noticeable traffic changes for years.

Amanda Sellers, manager of EN blog strategy at HubSpot, says that “AI’s increasing ability to enforce E-E-A-T standards could push marketers to create content that’s richer, more nuanced and specific, and better accounts for search intent.”

Aleyda Solís, international SEO consultant and founder at Orainti, adds that Google is in a challenging position right now.

It has to make some choices about how it proceeds in the AI search landscape, and it has to match the quality, speed, and user satisfaction of these new players in the AI search game. The paradigm shift could, for the first time ever, pose a real threat to the search giant.

In other words, if users abandoned Google for other AI-powered search engines, it would obviously be bad for Google — “but it would be equally bad if [Google] tried to compete with ChatGPT or completely change their search interface all of a sudden. They cannot do that because they have skin in the game; they have a lot of adverts to show. So they’re trying to react [to AI searches] accordingly without harming their business model, which is extra challenging.”

Google seems to be stepping up to the challenge. In October 2024, Google announced a handful of updates that suggest a focus on alternate search channels, like video and voice.

In brief, if you use the Google app on mobile, you may see these updates:

• Generative AI now works with Google Lens, so you can point your camera, ask a question, and get an AIO response.
• Video understanding capabilities and voice questions: You can ask a question while taking a video or a photo to get an AIO response.
• Shop what you see: Snap a photo of a product you like, and Google’s AI models and the Google Shopping Graph will identify the item.
• Circle to Search: Available on Android devices, this lets you identify songs without switching apps.
• Search results pages organized with AI: Google promises that this will return “relevant results organized just for you.”

So how will AI Overviews change in 2025?

The better question might be, “How will AI Overviews change marketing in 2025?”

Most of the SEOs I’ve spoken with this year have noted a few patterns emerging from the last year of algorithm updates, and they generally see a need for content marketers to make these considerations:

Renew your focus on search intent and follow-up queries.

Continue writing content for your audience — not search engines — by considering user intent and follow-up queries.

Sellers says, “Google is so big as a distribution channel for primarily text-based content. And that means they are often the driver for best practices on our websites. But Google is emphasizing that we shouldn't be writing content for Google — we should be writing content for our audience.”

Evaluate where your content is reaching your customers, and whether that best serves your interests as AI searches increase.

If you’re in an industry where people even think your product or service is replaceable with AI — even if they’re incorrect — “you need to pay attention, and you need to adapt,“ says Becker. “You’ll definitely need to shore up your product-market fit positioning on how you use top-of-funnel content,” he says, “to clarify how you‘re different and why you’re still valuable.”

On the other hand, if you’re in “an extremely congested market where it's likely that folks will research their options a bit differently using AI, tofu content — top-of-funnel content — might not be your biggest lever anymore.”

In those cases, Becker says that “you might consider investing more in middle-of-funnel content, trying to reach folks when they've already done the bulk of the research.”

Beckers see this as a welcome change. “I think it ultimately reduces content bloat and forces businesses to take a closer look at who they're really trying to market to.”

Evaluate the specificity and helpfulness of your content.

At the end of the day, creating as much content as possible for a very general audience isn’t going to help your brand unless you’re considering whether your content is actually helpful.

Aja Frost, senior director of global growth at HubSpot, says to take the “experience” in Google’s E-E-A-T quality rating guidelines seriously. “It does really require explaining why you or the author are uniquely positioned to give advice,” she says.

An author bio is a good starting point, but ideally, those explanations should be woven into the content itself. (And it’s why I interview experts for my own articles.)

How does AI Overviews affect web traffic?

Since the launch of AIO in May 2024, SEOs everywhere have been closely monitoring web traffic.

Good news: By and large, publishers are reporting minimal changes to traffic. Dotdash Meredith (DDM), which owns more than 40 digital properties (including People, Food & Wine, and Travel & Leisure), reported a “negligible” impact on traffic.

In its Q2 report to shareholders, DDM’s parent company, IAC, wrote (emphasis mine):

“Since Google began to roll out AI Overviews in mid-May, the impact on our traffic has been negligible. Referrals from Google search queries produce less than half of our traffic, and based on our analysis, AI-generated answers are being served on roughly 15% of searches across our categories, with the highest frequency in Health, Technology, and Finance. Click-through rate differentials between pages with and without AI Overviews are minor so far, but it is still early and products change quickly, so the past isn’t prologue.”

In a HubSpot survey of more than 300 marketers whose role includes SEO, website management, web strategy, and/or web analytics, 42% told us that they didn’t have reason to believe that AIO or other AI-powered search had impacted their traffic. In fact, 41% said they’ve gotten more traffic since AI search has been implemented.

One way to stay on top of your AIO/SEO game is to evaluate the types of content you’re publishing.

In our survey, here’s the type of content that our respondents think will perform the best as generative AI search becomes even more integrated (note that they could choose up to three, so totals add up to a number far higher than 100):

• How-to, step-by-step guides, and other educational content (45%)
• Review/comparison content (e.g., product reviews, comparing top hiking trails, etc.) (37%)
• Opinion pieces or thought leadership content (27%)
• Content reflecting on personal stories/experiences (24%)
• Trendy/newsy content (19%)
• Templates/cheat sheets (16%)
• Webpages or posts featuring video or images (16%)
• Case studies (13%)
• Content featuring original data unique to your website/blog (12%)
• Expert interviews/profiles (12%)
• Listicle-style content (12%)
• Webpages featuring interactive elements (9%)
• Ecommerce or product-listing pages (8%)
• Gated/paywalled resource landing pages with lead-generation forms (2%)
• Other (1%)

Of course, it’s always possible that we’ll see more traffic shifts as more time passes and more data accumulates (and when and if it does, you can bet that we’ll be on top of it!). And, as Becker told me, when and how your company feels the effects of AI search will depend a lot on what industry you’re in.

Until then: Stay focused on adding personal experience to your content; consider bolstering certain types of content, like how-tos and reviews; and keep a close eye on those traffic analytics.

Editor's note: This post was originally published in July 2023 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

via Perfecte news Non connection

10 Best Event Registration Software Tools [+ What Makes Them Great]

I won’t pretend I’m an event marketer. But my mom has been a director of special events for over 20 years (shoutout to her), so I completely understand the importance of good event registration tools.

I’ve heard her rattle off the many tasks that need to be completed before, during, and after an event. And she comes from a small team, so it’s very easy for things to feel overwhelming … and quickly.

So, I did two things: 1) I sat down with my event pro of a mom to talk about her favorite event registration software, and 2) I scoured the internet to give you a few more options to choose from.

All I ask for in return? An invite to your next event 😉

Let’s get into it.

I’ve broken this list into three sections:

1. Free Event Registration Tools: You may see a familiar face here since it’s one option that’s always free.
2. An Event Director’s Favorite Tools: These are a couple of my mom’s picks based on her experience running events for a large, well-known non-profit for the last 20 years. (Here’s a hint: Great futures start there.)
3. Best Online Registration Tools: These are all of the highly-rated event registration tools that I found in my search that offer paid or both free and paid plans.

Pro tip: Before you start your search for the perfect event registration tool, I’d recommend creating an event checklist if you haven’t already. Might I offer HubSpot’s Ultimate Event Planning Checklist? It covers everything you need to know to seamlessly execute any event.

Anywho, happy browsing!

Free Event Registration Tools

1. HubSpot Free Online Form Builder

Download the Online Form Builder for Free

I know, I’m tooting our own horn a little bit here. But HubSpot’s Free Online Form Builder really does make it easy for you to design an event registration form.

The drag-and-drop builder lets you create, integrate, and share forms with your audience. Plus, all of the attendee contact information is automatically stored in your CRM. Nice.

What I like most: There are over 1,000 form fields and over 12 field types you can use to customize your event registration form. Plus, it’s versatile and offers plugins with tools like WordPress and integrations with tools like Gravity Forms.

You can’t really go wrong if you use a free tool like this for event registration (or as your Content Hub, CRM, Marketing Software, Sales Software, or Service Software, for that matter).

Okay, I’ll stop gushing now.

An Event Director’s Favorite Tools

2. Cvent

Image Source

Cvent’s event technology allows you to personalize your registration experience.

You can build automated workflows to collect signups. You can also customize the guest experience using targeted campaigns and Cvent's comprehensive library of event templates.

I asked my mom, an esteemed director of special events, what she likes most about Cvent, and she said, “the great thing about it is you can do as little or as much as you need it to do.”

“The first year we used it, we had an 800-900 attendee event, and we used to do all of the registration manually. Now, we’re able to use Cvent to print badges and set up self-registration with minimal involvement from our staff.”

Overall, she’s a fan of the scalability of the platform and the support it provides to businesses with little to no resources. She notes that this tool “has been a huge help for her small but mighty resource development team.”

Price: Contact Cvent for pricing.

3. OneCause

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OneCause offers a customized ticketing and fundraising platform. You can create custom ticket types, group packages, and promo codes for attendees. So, if you work at a non-profit or oversee donor events like my mom, this one’s for you.

Similar to Cvent, she likes OneCause because it cuts down her manual work by a ton. She says, “it allows us to sell tickets to attendees and sponsorships to our biggest donors.”

Plus, it’s really good for managing other event elements including silent auctions.

“My team sends the auction link to guests through OneCause, and winners get notified at the end of the night and pay directly via the platform. It’s super simple, and the backend is easy to navigate,” she says.

Price: Contact OneCause for pricing details.

Best Online Registration Tools

4. Google Forms

Image Source

I send a good amount of surveys to my team, and I always use the free version of Google Forms.

It works great for personal use, but I found that Google also offers a paid version for teams that comes with greater security and control over your data.

Google Forms allows you to:

• Create and send event registration forms for attendees and track all sign-ups.
• Drag and drop your form fields to customize the registration experience.
• Add images, videos, and custom logic to your form as you see fit.

What the G2 score says: Google Workspace has a G2 score of 4.6. Here’s what users think:

• Pros: Positive reviews say the tool allows you to easily “create a ticketing system for sign up by attendees” and “promote events through email marketing and social media platforms.”
• Cons: Others say the “formatting and design of the forms could use an upgrade” and they’d “love integration with Gmail” and other tools so they can embed short forms during the registration process.

Note: Since I don’t have personal experience with most of these tools, I sifted through the G2 reviews to give you an idea of what works best for users and what doesn’t. I’ll include insights like the above for each tool in this section.

What I like most: Since Google Forms Workspace requires a Google Business Plan, you’ll also gain access to Google's other products as well as more data storage, wider video hosting options, and added security and management controls for your events.

Price: Plans range in price from $6 to $18 per month.

5. Splash

Image Source

During my search, I learned that Splash was recently acquired by Cvent, but it’s still operating as an event marketing program for online, in-person, and hybrid events.

Splash allows you to:

• Design and customize responsive web pages and emails for your event.
• Share registration forms and RSVPs to support attendee signup.
• Create smart guest lists, targeting, and email marketing features to streamline event registration and promotion.

What the G2 score says: Splash has a G2 score of 4.4. Here’s what users think:

• Pros: Positive reviews say it’s a “user-friendly platform” that makes it “easy to create landing pages and registration forms.” They mention you “don’t have to be a designer or developer at all” to use it.
• Cons: Others say that the “website builder” and “some design aspects” are a bit limited, and the reporting features aren’t “exceptionally versatile.”

What I like most: To me, Splash appears to be the integration queen. You can use Splash with your marketing automation platform and CRM (hey there, HubSpot) to analyze event data and use it to inform your future campaigns and events.

Price: Try Splash for free, request a demo, or speak with a sales rep to learn about the right plan for your team.

6. Whova

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Whova is an event management tool that comes with some pretty robust event registration features. I’m talking branded ticketing experiences, retargeting campaigns, and exhibitor or sponsor tiering.

Whova allows you to:

• Create tickets within minutes and customize your registration workflows.
• Offer discount pricing for early-bird or group ticket purchases) and different types of tickets (e.g., single vs. multi-day pass).
• Ask attendees questions about your event during registration (e.g., what made them want to attend or what they're most excited for).
• Receive early registration payouts to help cover your event expenses.

What the G2 score says: Whova has a G2 score of … drum roll, please … 4.8. Here’s what users think:

• Pros: Positive reviews say the platform “simplifies event management” and “solves the backup that occurs during initial event registration.” They mention it’s a “one-stop-shop” for events and a huge “time saver.”
• Cons: Others say they got “lost in the app” given the many features, and that Whova probably needs “a few more capture points for visitors” on registration.

What I like most: From what I’ve seen, this platform works hard for that high G2 score. From embeddable registration widgets to real-time attendee tracking, you can find just about anything you need to run your event from start to finish.

Price: Contact Whova directly for a quote.

7. Eventbrite

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I’ve used Eventbrite to register for local meetups in Washington, DC, and niche fitness classes like puppy yoga. On the attendee side, it’s pretty easy to use for registration and to track my upcoming events.

On the event management side, Eventbrite allows you to set up your event registration in three easy steps:

• Enter your event details — the who, what, where, when, and why.
• Create your tickets and select the price or type (e.g., single vs. multi-day pass). You can also offer discounts for early-bird and group purchases.
• Open your registration and share the event via web page or social media.

What the G2 score says: Eventbrite has a G2 score of 4.3. Here’s what users think:

• Pros: Positive reviews say Eventbrite offers "multiple types of registration setups" and "management dashboards with good analytics tools." Users also like that you can "customize the registration look and feel" using your own graphics and logos.
• Cons: This one actually comes from an event guru (my mom, again). She said it "doesn’t work well for large events" that require "more detailed attendee data and tracking options."

What I like most: The simple three-step setup seems like it would work great for smaller-scale events and newer event marketers. Plus, Eventbrite is recognizable. As a consumer, I trust the platform as a reliable source to find events near me.

Price: Eventbrite offers both free and paid plans. The Essentials and Professional plans are free if you host a free event. Eventbrite will only charge you when you sell a paid ticket.

8. vFairs

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vFairs is another end-to-end event platform that helps you manage the entire event lifecycle. I looked through the software suite, and it includes check-in and badge printing software, virtual events software, event ticketing and registration software, and more.

vFairs allows you to:

• Create a branded event landing page to promote your event and capture registrations.
• Customize your registration forms through a self-serve, drag-and-drop module.
• Implement if/then conditions on the forms to personalize the data collected based on user selection.
• Securely collect payments through popular payment platforms like Stripe and PayPal.

What the G2 score says: vFairs has a G2 score of 4.7. Here’s what users think:

• Pros: Positive reviews say the platform is “extremely easy to use” and “incredibly user friendly” with little to no technical issues upon implementation.
• Cons: Others say the platform is robust, but “some features could benefit from more customization options.” And because it’s very comprehensive, it can be “confusing to navigate” at times.

What I like most: With vFairs, you can automatically trigger email workflows for different user segments both within the platform and through integrations with your CRM. I always love when tools remove the manual aspects of my work and play well with others.

Price: Contact vFairs for a customized quote.

9. RSVPify

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I poked around the RSVPify platform, and I can tell you it’s designed to handle events of all sizes — everything from casual events to enterprise and professional conferences.

RSVPify allows you to:

• Leverage customizable and responsive event registration and setup tools.
• Streamline ticket sales, collect donations, create custom event check-ins QR codes.
• Build an event website with event-specific templates and a variety of integration options.

What the G2 score says: RSVPify has a G2 score of 4.6. Here’s what users think:

• Pros: Positive reviews say the process for keeping track of guest details was “seamless and organized.” They mention the “modern interface” and say the platform provides a “simplified experience” for both admin and attendees.
• Cons: Others say there’s a “lack of customization for event emails and landing pages” and that added features like discount codes “weren’t easily accessible.”

What I like the most: It’s the versatility for me. Whether you need to host multiple marquee events simultaneously, an annual gala, or your wedding, RSVPify has a solution.

Price: There’s a free option available, and paid options range from $19/month (for personal events) to $39/month (for professional events).

10. Accelevents

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In my opinion, Accelevents is a great option for events that require advanced coordination. It’s a complete solution with ticketing and registration features like assigned seating, pre-registration, and the ability to sell add-ons like merch or subscriptions.

Accelevents allows you to:

• Design a custom registration experience for in-person, virtual, or hybrid events.
• Create custom flows with conditional logic, attendee segmentation, embeddable widgets, and unique link tracking.
• Build custom API integrations or natively integrate with your CRM and marketing automation tools.

What the G2 score says: Accelevents has a G2 score of 4.7. Here’s what users think:

• Pros: Positive reviews speak volumes about their chat support, citing that customer service is “SO FAST” and “10 seconds away and always ready to help.” They also mention it has the “best value for overall features and customization.”
• Cons: Others say the mobile app was “a bit cumbersome” and they ran into a “few bugs“ and “minor issues” while using the platform.

What I like the most: I am a big, big fan of stellar customer service. As I looked through the reviews, I saw tons of compliments for the Accelevents support team, and I think that’s a huge win — especially for tech products.

Price: Contact Accelevents for a free trial and to schedule a demo.

RSVPs Made Easy (Well, At Least Easier)

My advice for picking event registration software is this: Think about the registration features you absolutely can’t live without, and find a tool that does them well.

Most of the tools out there (and on this list) are comprehensive, but some are better than others in certain areas. Do the research, and choose the right tool for your specific needs.

Meanwhile, I’ll be here rooting for the moment you can sit back and watch all of those hard-earned attendee sign-ups roll in.

Editor's note: This post was originally published in January 2021 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

from Marketing https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/event-registration-tool

I won’t pretend I’m an event marketer. But my mom has been a director of special events for over 20 years (shoutout to her), so I completely understand the importance of good event registration tools.

I’ve heard her rattle off the many tasks that need to be completed before, during, and after an event. And she comes from a small team, so it’s very easy for things to feel overwhelming … and quickly.

So, I did two things: 1) I sat down with my event pro of a mom to talk about her favorite event registration software, and 2) I scoured the internet to give you a few more options to choose from.

All I ask for in return? An invite to your next event 😉

Let’s get into it.

I’ve broken this list into three sections:

1. Free Event Registration Tools: You may see a familiar face here since it’s one option that’s always free.
2. An Event Director’s Favorite Tools: These are a couple of my mom’s picks based on her experience running events for a large, well-known non-profit for the last 20 years. (Here’s a hint: Great futures start there.)
3. Best Online Registration Tools: These are all of the highly-rated event registration tools that I found in my search that offer paid or both free and paid plans.

Pro tip: Before you start your search for the perfect event registration tool, I’d recommend creating an event checklist if you haven’t already. Might I offer HubSpot’s Ultimate Event Planning Checklist? It covers everything you need to know to seamlessly execute any event.

Anywho, happy browsing!

Free Event Registration Tools

1. HubSpot Free Online Form Builder

Download the Online Form Builder for Free

I know, I’m tooting our own horn a little bit here. But HubSpot’s Free Online Form Builder really does make it easy for you to design an event registration form.

The drag-and-drop builder lets you create, integrate, and share forms with your audience. Plus, all of the attendee contact information is automatically stored in your CRM. Nice.

What I like most: There are over 1,000 form fields and over 12 field types you can use to customize your event registration form. Plus, it’s versatile and offers plugins with tools like WordPress and integrations with tools like Gravity Forms.

You can’t really go wrong if you use a free tool like this for event registration (or as your Content Hub, CRM, Marketing Software, Sales Software, or Service Software, for that matter).

Okay, I’ll stop gushing now.

An Event Director’s Favorite Tools

2. Cvent

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Cvent’s event technology allows you to personalize your registration experience.

You can build automated workflows to collect signups. You can also customize the guest experience using targeted campaigns and Cvent's comprehensive library of event templates.

I asked my mom, an esteemed director of special events, what she likes most about Cvent, and she said, “the great thing about it is you can do as little or as much as you need it to do.”

“The first year we used it, we had an 800-900 attendee event, and we used to do all of the registration manually. Now, we’re able to use Cvent to print badges and set up self-registration with minimal involvement from our staff.”

Overall, she’s a fan of the scalability of the platform and the support it provides to businesses with little to no resources. She notes that this tool “has been a huge help for her small but mighty resource development team.”

Price: Contact Cvent for pricing.

3. OneCause

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OneCause offers a customized ticketing and fundraising platform. You can create custom ticket types, group packages, and promo codes for attendees. So, if you work at a non-profit or oversee donor events like my mom, this one’s for you.

Similar to Cvent, she likes OneCause because it cuts down her manual work by a ton. She says, “it allows us to sell tickets to attendees and sponsorships to our biggest donors.”

Plus, it’s really good for managing other event elements including silent auctions.

“My team sends the auction link to guests through OneCause, and winners get notified at the end of the night and pay directly via the platform. It’s super simple, and the backend is easy to navigate,” she says.

Price: Contact OneCause for pricing details.

Best Online Registration Tools

4. Google Forms

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I send a good amount of surveys to my team, and I always use the free version of Google Forms.

It works great for personal use, but I found that Google also offers a paid version for teams that comes with greater security and control over your data.

Google Forms allows you to:

• Create and send event registration forms for attendees and track all sign-ups.
• Drag and drop your form fields to customize the registration experience.
• Add images, videos, and custom logic to your form as you see fit.

What the G2 score says: Google Workspace has a G2 score of 4.6. Here’s what users think:

• Pros: Positive reviews say the tool allows you to easily “create a ticketing system for sign up by attendees” and “promote events through email marketing and social media platforms.”
• Cons: Others say the “formatting and design of the forms could use an upgrade” and they’d “love integration with Gmail” and other tools so they can embed short forms during the registration process.

Note: Since I don’t have personal experience with most of these tools, I sifted through the G2 reviews to give you an idea of what works best for users and what doesn’t. I’ll include insights like the above for each tool in this section.

What I like most: Since Google Forms Workspace requires a Google Business Plan, you’ll also gain access to Google's other products as well as more data storage, wider video hosting options, and added security and management controls for your events.

Price: Plans range in price from $6 to $18 per month.

5. Splash

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During my search, I learned that Splash was recently acquired by Cvent, but it’s still operating as an event marketing program for online, in-person, and hybrid events.

Splash allows you to:

• Design and customize responsive web pages and emails for your event.
• Share registration forms and RSVPs to support attendee signup.
• Create smart guest lists, targeting, and email marketing features to streamline event registration and promotion.

What the G2 score says: Splash has a G2 score of 4.4. Here’s what users think:

• Pros: Positive reviews say it’s a “user-friendly platform” that makes it “easy to create landing pages and registration forms.” They mention you “don’t have to be a designer or developer at all” to use it.
• Cons: Others say that the “website builder” and “some design aspects” are a bit limited, and the reporting features aren’t “exceptionally versatile.”

What I like most: To me, Splash appears to be the integration queen. You can use Splash with your marketing automation platform and CRM (hey there, HubSpot) to analyze event data and use it to inform your future campaigns and events.

Price: Try Splash for free, request a demo, or speak with a sales rep to learn about the right plan for your team.

6. Whova

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Whova is an event management tool that comes with some pretty robust event registration features. I’m talking branded ticketing experiences, retargeting campaigns, and exhibitor or sponsor tiering.

Whova allows you to:

• Create tickets within minutes and customize your registration workflows.
• Offer discount pricing for early-bird or group ticket purchases) and different types of tickets (e.g., single vs. multi-day pass).
• Ask attendees questions about your event during registration (e.g., what made them want to attend or what they're most excited for).
• Receive early registration payouts to help cover your event expenses.

What the G2 score says: Whova has a G2 score of … drum roll, please … 4.8. Here’s what users think:

• Pros: Positive reviews say the platform “simplifies event management” and “solves the backup that occurs during initial event registration.” They mention it’s a “one-stop-shop” for events and a huge “time saver.”
• Cons: Others say they got “lost in the app” given the many features, and that Whova probably needs “a few more capture points for visitors” on registration.

What I like most: From what I’ve seen, this platform works hard for that high G2 score. From embeddable registration widgets to real-time attendee tracking, you can find just about anything you need to run your event from start to finish.

Price: Contact Whova directly for a quote.

7. Eventbrite

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I’ve used Eventbrite to register for local meetups in Washington, DC, and niche fitness classes like puppy yoga. On the attendee side, it’s pretty easy to use for registration and to track my upcoming events.

On the event management side, Eventbrite allows you to set up your event registration in three easy steps:

• Enter your event details — the who, what, where, when, and why.
• Create your tickets and select the price or type (e.g., single vs. multi-day pass). You can also offer discounts for early-bird and group purchases.
• Open your registration and share the event via web page or social media.

What the G2 score says: Eventbrite has a G2 score of 4.3. Here’s what users think:

• Pros: Positive reviews say Eventbrite offers "multiple types of registration setups" and "management dashboards with good analytics tools." Users also like that you can "customize the registration look and feel" using your own graphics and logos.
• Cons: This one actually comes from an event guru (my mom, again). She said it "doesn’t work well for large events" that require "more detailed attendee data and tracking options."

What I like most: The simple three-step setup seems like it would work great for smaller-scale events and newer event marketers. Plus, Eventbrite is recognizable. As a consumer, I trust the platform as a reliable source to find events near me.

Price: Eventbrite offers both free and paid plans. The Essentials and Professional plans are free if you host a free event. Eventbrite will only charge you when you sell a paid ticket.

8. vFairs

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vFairs is another end-to-end event platform that helps you manage the entire event lifecycle. I looked through the software suite, and it includes check-in and badge printing software, virtual events software, event ticketing and registration software, and more.

vFairs allows you to:

• Create a branded event landing page to promote your event and capture registrations.
• Customize your registration forms through a self-serve, drag-and-drop module.
• Implement if/then conditions on the forms to personalize the data collected based on user selection.
• Securely collect payments through popular payment platforms like Stripe and PayPal.

What the G2 score says: vFairs has a G2 score of 4.7. Here’s what users think:

• Pros: Positive reviews say the platform is “extremely easy to use” and “incredibly user friendly” with little to no technical issues upon implementation.
• Cons: Others say the platform is robust, but “some features could benefit from more customization options.” And because it’s very comprehensive, it can be “confusing to navigate” at times.

What I like most: With vFairs, you can automatically trigger email workflows for different user segments both within the platform and through integrations with your CRM. I always love when tools remove the manual aspects of my work and play well with others.

Price: Contact vFairs for a customized quote.

9. RSVPify

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I poked around the RSVPify platform, and I can tell you it’s designed to handle events of all sizes — everything from casual events to enterprise and professional conferences.

RSVPify allows you to:

• Leverage customizable and responsive event registration and setup tools.
• Streamline ticket sales, collect donations, create custom event check-ins QR codes.
• Build an event website with event-specific templates and a variety of integration options.

What the G2 score says: RSVPify has a G2 score of 4.6. Here’s what users think:

• Pros: Positive reviews say the process for keeping track of guest details was “seamless and organized.” They mention the “modern interface” and say the platform provides a “simplified experience” for both admin and attendees.
• Cons: Others say there’s a “lack of customization for event emails and landing pages” and that added features like discount codes “weren’t easily accessible.”

What I like the most: It’s the versatility for me. Whether you need to host multiple marquee events simultaneously, an annual gala, or your wedding, RSVPify has a solution.

Price: There’s a free option available, and paid options range from $19/month (for personal events) to $39/month (for professional events).

10. Accelevents

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In my opinion, Accelevents is a great option for events that require advanced coordination. It’s a complete solution with ticketing and registration features like assigned seating, pre-registration, and the ability to sell add-ons like merch or subscriptions.

Accelevents allows you to:

• Design a custom registration experience for in-person, virtual, or hybrid events.
• Create custom flows with conditional logic, attendee segmentation, embeddable widgets, and unique link tracking.
• Build custom API integrations or natively integrate with your CRM and marketing automation tools.

What the G2 score says: Accelevents has a G2 score of 4.7. Here’s what users think:

• Pros: Positive reviews speak volumes about their chat support, citing that customer service is “SO FAST” and “10 seconds away and always ready to help.” They also mention it has the “best value for overall features and customization.”
• Cons: Others say the mobile app was “a bit cumbersome” and they ran into a “few bugs“ and “minor issues” while using the platform.

What I like the most: I am a big, big fan of stellar customer service. As I looked through the reviews, I saw tons of compliments for the Accelevents support team, and I think that’s a huge win — especially for tech products.

Price: Contact Accelevents for a free trial and to schedule a demo.

RSVPs Made Easy (Well, At Least Easier)

My advice for picking event registration software is this: Think about the registration features you absolutely can’t live without, and find a tool that does them well.

Most of the tools out there (and on this list) are comprehensive, but some are better than others in certain areas. Do the research, and choose the right tool for your specific needs.

Meanwhile, I’ll be here rooting for the moment you can sit back and watch all of those hard-earned attendee sign-ups roll in.

Editor's note: This post was originally published in January 2021 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

via Perfecte news Non connection

15 Real Estate Social Media Marketing Strategies That'll Bring in New Business

Buying or selling a home is an important financial (and emotional) decision, and your clients want an agent they trust to protect their interests and help them navigate the complexities of the process.

That's where real estate social media marketing comes in. When applied correctly, it can be a great way to start conversations, share advice, and grow an ongoing relationship with buyers, sellers, and renters.

So, I’m diving into the value of using social media as a real estate agent, a list of tips and trends, and examples of social media posts you can incorporate into your real estate marketing strategy.

Table of Contents

• 15 Social Media Strategies for Real Estate Agents
• The Power of Real Estate Social Media Marketing
• Post-Pandemic Social Media Real-Estate Trends
• Social Media Marketing Platforms for Realtors
• Real Estate Social Media Content Ideas

The Power of Real Estate Social Media Marketing

A social media presence helps you build brand awareness and generate trust with your audience.

They may not be ready to make a purchase yet or even reach out to begin a conversion. But if they see you’re consistently active on your platforms or they come across one of your advertisements, they may make a mental note of what you offer and come back to you when they’re prepared to begin their process.

Not convinced? Here are a few stats to help you understand the power of social media marketing to grow your real estate business:

• 87% of realtors use Facebook, 62% use Instagram, 25% use YouTube, and 15% use TikTok.
• Real estate agents say social media is the best source of high-quality leads (CRMs and local MLS rank #2 and #3).
• 100% of homebuyers use the internet in their home search, and 76% use a phone or tablet.
• 41% of buyers looked online as the first step.
• 60% of Instagram’s 2+ billion monthly active users are between 18 and 60.
• 56% of adults aged 18 to 34 use TikTok.
• 27% of buyers say they would use social media to find their next real estate agent, including 32% of first-time buyers and 22% of repeat buyers.
• There are more than 5.17 billion social media users globally.
• The average person spends close to 2 ½ hours using social media every single day.

So, statistically speaking, your audience is already on social media — why not meet them where they are? What’s more, outside of the organic strategies I’m sharing here, social media also offers targeted advertising options tailored to audiences in specific locations.

Ready to put it into action? Let’s dive into some of the top strategies to build your real estate social network.

1. Promote the town, not just the house.

Homebuyers want to know the good, bad, and ugly of each town to which they're considering a move. Yet, most real estate blogs simply give buyers basic demographic statistics and perhaps some flowery language about the area.

Instead, use your social media channels to provide potential clients a far richer understanding of the markets you serve, letting them know the pros and cons of each neighborhood.

Many cities have a “@CityOf ...” social media handle, which you can mention directly in your posts. Use these handles to promote properties you have listed in that city. City accounts tend to be receptive to these shout-outs and might repost you — increasing your post's reach to their followers.

Instagram Business accounts are also prime real estate (pun absolutely intended) for you to post beautiful photos of the town in which your properties are listed.

2. Be yourself.

I‘ve heard of many realtors who pay a ghostwriter to write their marketing copy, yet this approach has its shortcomings. The copy simply doesn’t ring true; it fails to give clients a sense of who you really are.

Studies show that consumers want to make a personal connection with those whom they do business with, and there's no shortcut to writing your own authentic social media content that resembles who you are as a real estate agency.

Let your personality shine through across each social network you‘re on. It’s a great way to open a dialogue with a client before they ever pick up the phone. I love this TikTok example of two realtors showing off their personalities.

@indianahomegirls Our newest listing in Fishers has space for all the things! Comment STEP CLASS for more info 😂 #stepbrothers #funnyvideos #realestatetiktok #listingvideo #indianarealtor #fishersindiana #lipsync ♬ original sound - Amazon Prime Video Australia - Prime Video AU & NZ

3. Educate your buyers.

Some of the most trying days as a real estate agent prove to be great lessons we can share with our clients.

Talking about common real estate pitfalls makes your buyers smarter, giving them a smoother browsing experience and qualifying them to work with you.

Social media is the perfect outlet for this. If you have a blog, consider writing articles about home-buying tips. You can then use social media to promote them.

Perhaps you can tweet a “Real Estate Fact of the Day,” hashtagging #realestate while you're at it.

4. Chat with your followers.

Home buyers today expect instant responses to their questions, but where they ask those questions has changed.

Home buyers are calling real estate agents much less than they used to with questions about a property or neighborhood.

They're going online, using Facebook's Recommendations feature, and tweeting at real estate offices on Twitter.

Be ready for this outreach, answer them, and use these questions as an opportunity to start dialogue with followers who might be in the early stages of the buying process.

5. Respond to comments, good and bad.

Respond promptly and courteously to engage readers who post comments on your social media sites. One caveat: Don't feel compelled to respond to those who post abusive comments.

Social media does lure its share of online bullies, and not every remark aimed at you is worth your breath.

Resist the temptation to get into battle with your harshest critics, and acknowledge those who praise your service.

A lot of people who reach out to you are simply looking for more information about a listing — or a listing they might've thought was still available, but has been sold or rented.

Absorb their frustration and use their comment as an opportunity to pivot their interest to other properties.

6. Capture attention with hooks.

People’s attention spans are shorter than ever, which means to catch the attention of your target audience, you need to get them to stop scrolling for long enough to consume your content and (hopefully) take action.

The key here is to hook your audience with something that makes them stand up and say, “Heck, yeah, I want to know more about that.”

This video does a great job of sharing some great hooks (especially in video format):

@onbrandbysarah Hook examples for Realtors! This was hughly requested and there are tons of ways to make your videos more personal and compelling!!! Try it out ❤️ #hookexamples #videohooks #socialmediamarketing #realtors #realtoroftiktok #contentstrategy #businessmentor ♬ original sound - Sarah | Business Mentor 🪩

7. Be playful.

What’s something other real estate agents do that makes you giggle or roll your eyes? Play with it. This video is real and fun:

@stevenkimhomes ✨magic✨ real estate hack! #realtor #realtoroftiktok #realtorhumor #funny #forsale #magic #toronto #richmondhill #realestate ♬ The Reason - Hoobastank

8. Don’t just shout about your home listings.

It‘s fine to let people know about the homes you’re marketing, but don‘t make the house itself the primary topic of your conversation.

Think about common questions home buyers and sellers ask you, and turn these into posts. Provide valuable content and you’ll keep people coming back.

9. Be sure to use video.

There are more than 1 billion daily video views on TikTok.

It's tempting to skip the expense of shooting and editing a video, but online video is an important element of home marketing.

Think about it: Home buyers are visual buyers, and if done well, a video creates an emotional connection with them that they might not have from just a photo-based listing.

YouTube videos also improve your website's ranking in search engines like Google — a common place where home buyers and renters start their search for a new home.

10. Remember, you’re not only connecting with first-time buyers.

According to a recent report by the National Association of Realtors (NAR), 24% of home buyers in America are 41-50 years old or younger.

Just 26% of them are first-time buyers. If you think you're only talking to first-time home buyers on social media, think again.

Social networks like Facebook are great places to engage “fans” and learn what they‘re looking for from their agent, but keep in mind, they’re not all new to the buying process.

Have content suited for all levels of home-buying experience ready to serve up to your fans and followers — you never know whom you'll be connecting with.

11. Focus on your audience.

A post, link, photo, or tweet on your profile might look nice to you, but it means very little if it doesn't resonate with the people who are following your page.

Social media is more about listening than about talking. Pay attention to what people are saying about you and your brand.

Solicit and gather feedback through informal polls to your audience or via free survey services like Survey Monkey or Google Forms.

This will ensure each and every piece of content you share on social media reflects the interests of your customers.

12. Remember your existing clients.

Invite your previous buyers and sellers to join you on social media — they’re one of the most important parts of your real estate social networks.

That way, your sites become richer communities of shared experiences and objective advice from those who recently completed the home buying/selling journey.

13. Prioritize connections and relationships over going viral.

While going viral can feel good, it doesn’t mean you’re connecting with people who are actually potential clients.

After all, going viral likely means you’re getting views from people with little to no local interests, and in real estate, local is everything.

Instead, focus on creating meaningful connections with people who live in your area and help them get to know you. Sure, you can share your listings, but focus on why they’d hire you.

This could mean creating content that empathizes with their pain points and sharing behind-the-scenes photos and videos.

However, it also means going into forums and engaging with posts, responding to comments and questions, and being generally helpful.

14. Don’t go all in on one type of post.

Variety is the spice of life and of your real estate social media marketing plan. Or it should be.

Play around with different types of content and change things up periodically to continue building your audience and connecting with what they want. One way to do this is to pay attention to big trends and find ways to capitalize on them.

Test video, still images, humor, and different ways to highlight what your audience can expect when working with you.

15. Repurpose your content.

Shooting a video? Think about whether you can post clips to other platforms.

You may not want to share the same content exactly since different platforms have different audiences (and expectations), but you don’t have to create something new every single day.

You may be able to get a lot of mileage out of a single video or conversation and create dozens of posts from one original recording.

Post-Pandemic Social Media Real-Estate Trends

While social media has always been a valuable tool for realtors to leverage, COVID-19 restrictions led to trends that have continued to take center stage years after the pandemic ended.

Virtual Showings

Some agencies reserved virtual viewings for specific circumstances or luxury homes, but it has now become a common practice: “We used to keep our virtual tours for our luxury homes, but we’ve found it adds to the home buying experience for our clients,” says Lisa Alexander, president of Del-Co Realty.

Video Walkthroughs

When I sold a house in 2020 and bought one in a new city, beautiful photography and videography was a must for understanding the layout.

After that experience, I wouldn’t consider working with a realtor who wasn’t actively planning to use those resources to sell my home.

While these existed pre-pandemic, they’re now elevated to a must. After all, in addition to helping buyers get a sense of the home, video performs really well on social media.

3D House Tours

My favorite feature as a buyer was when realtors created 3D home tours on Zillow that could be shared everywhere, including other listing sites and social media. It gets 60% more views and 79% more saves, which means that many more interested eyes are on your listing.

While the pandemic is in the rear-view mirror (thank goodness!), it had a lasting impact on real estate social media marketing — which comes in incredibly handy for buyers who need to move quickly in highly competitive markets and potentially buy homes sight-unseen and for sellers who want their homes to sell for top dollar.

Social Media Marketing Platforms for Realtors

Not sure what platform you should use?

The short answer is to go where your buyers are — and the longer answer is to also use a platform you’re comfortable with.

With that said, here’s a quick rundown of the top platforms for real estate social networking.

Facebook

Facebook is an excellent tool for real estate professionals, especially when it comes to advertising.

It offers various high-quality options: targeted ads for local listings, Facebook Messenger for conversations with clients, and the ability to share multiple forms of multimedia: images, videos, and even live video.

Instagram

On Instagram, Realtors can create a business account and include contact CTA buttons so those who land on your profile can send you a message on the platform, an email about a property image they saw that intrigued them, or other personalized options.

The platform is great for sharing high-quality image and video content, and the image below is an example of a new property announcement.

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TikTok

I fully admit to being obsessed with TikTok. I’ve shared several examples of how you can use it to connect with your audience.

One of the best reasons is that you can build a following by being real without investing in high-quality or professional-grade content.

This is especially true considering that TikTokers favor behind-the-scenes type content, which is exactly what house walkthroughs are (the video below is an example).

Real Estate Social Media Content Ideas

Now that you’ve got your platform, what should you share? Here are a few ideas.

Go live for open houses and virtual showings.

Realtors can do this on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, and a benefit to going live is that the videos can be saved and later shared to your profile, acting as an additional form of content.

Answer audience questions.

All social media platforms are a great place to answer audience questions, as you can engage with your audience and develop a rapport that leads to a working relationship.

Another benefit to answering questions publicly is that it’s public, and everyone can see your responses. This can help interested buyers approach you with qualified, further-down-the-funnel questions.

Share customer testimonials and success stories.

All platforms are a great place to share customer testimonials, helping you use user-generated content to establish legitimacy and credibility with your audience. The Facebook post below is an example of a client testimonial.

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Share property photos, videos, and tours.

I touched on the virtual tours and videos above, but don’t forget to share them to social!

Property photos are a must for realtors on social media, especially on Instagram and Facebook. You can give clients a sneak peek of what to expect from the property and entice them to reach out to you to learn more through a virtual or in-person tour.

Here’s an example of high-quality property photos on Instagram:

You can share property photos on TikTok as still images, but the platform is better suited for video. Check out this example:

@the608angelica Girly has so much potenial💕 @Dom Murray . . . #housetour #realestate #oldhouse #victorianhome #wisconsin #historichome #hgtv #homedecor #home ♬ Sunshine - WIRA

And here’s an example from Instagram:

Share your realtor bio.

Relationships between agents and clients are important, as they trust you to take to heart the things that they care about and point them in the right direction.

As a result, using social media to share realtor bios is worth considering. Your audience can learn more about what you offer and reach out if it feels like a good match.

Have fun!

There’s a place for polished content, but you can also have fun with it, like this video that always makes me smile:

@nmccaslin I cant believe this home hasn’t sold… but I’m not giving up yet 😝 #realbroker #dancingrealtor #27goingon65 #sobertok #soberfun #realestate #owensboroky #realtortok #givemethemusic #persistant #treatyoself #marketyourself #workout ♬ everybody dance now танцуют все - 💫РЕТРОЛЁТ💫

Social media is (part of) the future of real estate.

One thing is clear to me — unless there’s a major change in our future, social media is a big piece of the puzzle for real estate marketing.

If you take the time to create a social media presence that includes high-quality photos of the properties you sell, you interact with clients, and you follow a consistent schedule, you’ll likely find yourself generating new clients and closing on more homes.

What’s more, at the end of the day, your followers may prove themselves to be your strongest property advocates.

This guest post was written by Leslie Mann, a real estate agent with Gibson Sotheby's International Realty of Weston, MA.

Editor's note: This post was originally published in September 2021 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

from Marketing https://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/5911/social-media-dos-and-don-ts-for-realtors.aspx

Buying or selling a home is an important financial (and emotional) decision, and your clients want an agent they trust to protect their interests and help them navigate the complexities of the process.

That's where real estate social media marketing comes in. When applied correctly, it can be a great way to start conversations, share advice, and grow an ongoing relationship with buyers, sellers, and renters.

So, I’m diving into the value of using social media as a real estate agent, a list of tips and trends, and examples of social media posts you can incorporate into your real estate marketing strategy.

Table of Contents

• 15 Social Media Strategies for Real Estate Agents
• The Power of Real Estate Social Media Marketing
• Post-Pandemic Social Media Real-Estate Trends
• Social Media Marketing Platforms for Realtors
• Real Estate Social Media Content Ideas

The Power of Real Estate Social Media Marketing

A social media presence helps you build brand awareness and generate trust with your audience.

They may not be ready to make a purchase yet or even reach out to begin a conversion. But if they see you’re consistently active on your platforms or they come across one of your advertisements, they may make a mental note of what you offer and come back to you when they’re prepared to begin their process.

Not convinced? Here are a few stats to help you understand the power of social media marketing to grow your real estate business:

• 87% of realtors use Facebook, 62% use Instagram, 25% use YouTube, and 15% use TikTok.
• Real estate agents say social media is the best source of high-quality leads (CRMs and local MLS rank #2 and #3).
• 100% of homebuyers use the internet in their home search, and 76% use a phone or tablet.
• 41% of buyers looked online as the first step.
• 60% of Instagram’s 2+ billion monthly active users are between 18 and 60.
• 56% of adults aged 18 to 34 use TikTok.
• 27% of buyers say they would use social media to find their next real estate agent, including 32% of first-time buyers and 22% of repeat buyers.
• There are more than 5.17 billion social media users globally.
• The average person spends close to 2 ½ hours using social media every single day.

So, statistically speaking, your audience is already on social media — why not meet them where they are? What’s more, outside of the organic strategies I’m sharing here, social media also offers targeted advertising options tailored to audiences in specific locations.

Ready to put it into action? Let’s dive into some of the top strategies to build your real estate social network.

1. Promote the town, not just the house.

Homebuyers want to know the good, bad, and ugly of each town to which they're considering a move. Yet, most real estate blogs simply give buyers basic demographic statistics and perhaps some flowery language about the area.

Instead, use your social media channels to provide potential clients a far richer understanding of the markets you serve, letting them know the pros and cons of each neighborhood.

Many cities have a “@CityOf ...” social media handle, which you can mention directly in your posts. Use these handles to promote properties you have listed in that city. City accounts tend to be receptive to these shout-outs and might repost you — increasing your post's reach to their followers.

Instagram Business accounts are also prime real estate (pun absolutely intended) for you to post beautiful photos of the town in which your properties are listed.

2. Be yourself.

I‘ve heard of many realtors who pay a ghostwriter to write their marketing copy, yet this approach has its shortcomings. The copy simply doesn’t ring true; it fails to give clients a sense of who you really are.

Studies show that consumers want to make a personal connection with those whom they do business with, and there's no shortcut to writing your own authentic social media content that resembles who you are as a real estate agency.

Let your personality shine through across each social network you‘re on. It’s a great way to open a dialogue with a client before they ever pick up the phone. I love this TikTok example of two realtors showing off their personalities.

@indianahomegirls Our newest listing in Fishers has space for all the things! Comment STEP CLASS for more info 😂 #stepbrothers #funnyvideos #realestatetiktok #listingvideo #indianarealtor #fishersindiana #lipsync ♬ original sound - Amazon Prime Video Australia - Prime Video AU & NZ

3. Educate your buyers.

Some of the most trying days as a real estate agent prove to be great lessons we can share with our clients.

Talking about common real estate pitfalls makes your buyers smarter, giving them a smoother browsing experience and qualifying them to work with you.

Social media is the perfect outlet for this. If you have a blog, consider writing articles about home-buying tips. You can then use social media to promote them.

Perhaps you can tweet a “Real Estate Fact of the Day,” hashtagging #realestate while you're at it.

4. Chat with your followers.

Home buyers today expect instant responses to their questions, but where they ask those questions has changed.

Home buyers are calling real estate agents much less than they used to with questions about a property or neighborhood.

They're going online, using Facebook's Recommendations feature, and tweeting at real estate offices on Twitter.

Be ready for this outreach, answer them, and use these questions as an opportunity to start dialogue with followers who might be in the early stages of the buying process.

5. Respond to comments, good and bad.

Respond promptly and courteously to engage readers who post comments on your social media sites. One caveat: Don't feel compelled to respond to those who post abusive comments.

Social media does lure its share of online bullies, and not every remark aimed at you is worth your breath.

Resist the temptation to get into battle with your harshest critics, and acknowledge those who praise your service.

A lot of people who reach out to you are simply looking for more information about a listing — or a listing they might've thought was still available, but has been sold or rented.

Absorb their frustration and use their comment as an opportunity to pivot their interest to other properties.

6. Capture attention with hooks.

People’s attention spans are shorter than ever, which means to catch the attention of your target audience, you need to get them to stop scrolling for long enough to consume your content and (hopefully) take action.

The key here is to hook your audience with something that makes them stand up and say, “Heck, yeah, I want to know more about that.”

This video does a great job of sharing some great hooks (especially in video format):

@onbrandbysarah Hook examples for Realtors! This was hughly requested and there are tons of ways to make your videos more personal and compelling!!! Try it out ❤️ #hookexamples #videohooks #socialmediamarketing #realtors #realtoroftiktok #contentstrategy #businessmentor ♬ original sound - Sarah | Business Mentor 🪩

7. Be playful.

What’s something other real estate agents do that makes you giggle or roll your eyes? Play with it. This video is real and fun:

@stevenkimhomes ✨magic✨ real estate hack! #realtor #realtoroftiktok #realtorhumor #funny #forsale #magic #toronto #richmondhill #realestate ♬ The Reason - Hoobastank

8. Don’t just shout about your home listings.

It‘s fine to let people know about the homes you’re marketing, but don‘t make the house itself the primary topic of your conversation.

Think about common questions home buyers and sellers ask you, and turn these into posts. Provide valuable content and you’ll keep people coming back.

9. Be sure to use video.

There are more than 1 billion daily video views on TikTok.

It's tempting to skip the expense of shooting and editing a video, but online video is an important element of home marketing.

Think about it: Home buyers are visual buyers, and if done well, a video creates an emotional connection with them that they might not have from just a photo-based listing.

YouTube videos also improve your website's ranking in search engines like Google — a common place where home buyers and renters start their search for a new home.

10. Remember, you’re not only connecting with first-time buyers.

According to a recent report by the National Association of Realtors (NAR), 24% of home buyers in America are 41-50 years old or younger.

Just 26% of them are first-time buyers. If you think you're only talking to first-time home buyers on social media, think again.

Social networks like Facebook are great places to engage “fans” and learn what they‘re looking for from their agent, but keep in mind, they’re not all new to the buying process.

Have content suited for all levels of home-buying experience ready to serve up to your fans and followers — you never know whom you'll be connecting with.

11. Focus on your audience.

A post, link, photo, or tweet on your profile might look nice to you, but it means very little if it doesn't resonate with the people who are following your page.

Social media is more about listening than about talking. Pay attention to what people are saying about you and your brand.

Solicit and gather feedback through informal polls to your audience or via free survey services like Survey Monkey or Google Forms.

This will ensure each and every piece of content you share on social media reflects the interests of your customers.

12. Remember your existing clients.

Invite your previous buyers and sellers to join you on social media — they’re one of the most important parts of your real estate social networks.

That way, your sites become richer communities of shared experiences and objective advice from those who recently completed the home buying/selling journey.

13. Prioritize connections and relationships over going viral.

While going viral can feel good, it doesn’t mean you’re connecting with people who are actually potential clients.

After all, going viral likely means you’re getting views from people with little to no local interests, and in real estate, local is everything.

Instead, focus on creating meaningful connections with people who live in your area and help them get to know you. Sure, you can share your listings, but focus on why they’d hire you.

This could mean creating content that empathizes with their pain points and sharing behind-the-scenes photos and videos.

However, it also means going into forums and engaging with posts, responding to comments and questions, and being generally helpful.

14. Don’t go all in on one type of post.

Variety is the spice of life and of your real estate social media marketing plan. Or it should be.

Play around with different types of content and change things up periodically to continue building your audience and connecting with what they want. One way to do this is to pay attention to big trends and find ways to capitalize on them.

Test video, still images, humor, and different ways to highlight what your audience can expect when working with you.

15. Repurpose your content.

Shooting a video? Think about whether you can post clips to other platforms.

You may not want to share the same content exactly since different platforms have different audiences (and expectations), but you don’t have to create something new every single day.

You may be able to get a lot of mileage out of a single video or conversation and create dozens of posts from one original recording.

Post-Pandemic Social Media Real-Estate Trends

While social media has always been a valuable tool for realtors to leverage, COVID-19 restrictions led to trends that have continued to take center stage years after the pandemic ended.

Virtual Showings

Some agencies reserved virtual viewings for specific circumstances or luxury homes, but it has now become a common practice: “We used to keep our virtual tours for our luxury homes, but we’ve found it adds to the home buying experience for our clients,” says Lisa Alexander, president of Del-Co Realty.

Video Walkthroughs

When I sold a house in 2020 and bought one in a new city, beautiful photography and videography was a must for understanding the layout.

After that experience, I wouldn’t consider working with a realtor who wasn’t actively planning to use those resources to sell my home.

While these existed pre-pandemic, they’re now elevated to a must. After all, in addition to helping buyers get a sense of the home, video performs really well on social media.

3D House Tours

My favorite feature as a buyer was when realtors created 3D home tours on Zillow that could be shared everywhere, including other listing sites and social media. It gets 60% more views and 79% more saves, which means that many more interested eyes are on your listing.

While the pandemic is in the rear-view mirror (thank goodness!), it had a lasting impact on real estate social media marketing — which comes in incredibly handy for buyers who need to move quickly in highly competitive markets and potentially buy homes sight-unseen and for sellers who want their homes to sell for top dollar.

Social Media Marketing Platforms for Realtors

Not sure what platform you should use?

The short answer is to go where your buyers are — and the longer answer is to also use a platform you’re comfortable with.

With that said, here’s a quick rundown of the top platforms for real estate social networking.

Facebook

Facebook is an excellent tool for real estate professionals, especially when it comes to advertising.

It offers various high-quality options: targeted ads for local listings, Facebook Messenger for conversations with clients, and the ability to share multiple forms of multimedia: images, videos, and even live video.

Instagram

On Instagram, Realtors can create a business account and include contact CTA buttons so those who land on your profile can send you a message on the platform, an email about a property image they saw that intrigued them, or other personalized options.

The platform is great for sharing high-quality image and video content, and the image below is an example of a new property announcement.

Image Source

TikTok

I fully admit to being obsessed with TikTok. I’ve shared several examples of how you can use it to connect with your audience.

One of the best reasons is that you can build a following by being real without investing in high-quality or professional-grade content.

This is especially true considering that TikTokers favor behind-the-scenes type content, which is exactly what house walkthroughs are (the video below is an example).

Real Estate Social Media Content Ideas

Now that you’ve got your platform, what should you share? Here are a few ideas.

Go live for open houses and virtual showings.

Realtors can do this on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, and a benefit to going live is that the videos can be saved and later shared to your profile, acting as an additional form of content.

Answer audience questions.

All social media platforms are a great place to answer audience questions, as you can engage with your audience and develop a rapport that leads to a working relationship.

Another benefit to answering questions publicly is that it’s public, and everyone can see your responses. This can help interested buyers approach you with qualified, further-down-the-funnel questions.

Share customer testimonials and success stories.

All platforms are a great place to share customer testimonials, helping you use user-generated content to establish legitimacy and credibility with your audience. The Facebook post below is an example of a client testimonial.

Image Source

Share property photos, videos, and tours.

I touched on the virtual tours and videos above, but don’t forget to share them to social!

Property photos are a must for realtors on social media, especially on Instagram and Facebook. You can give clients a sneak peek of what to expect from the property and entice them to reach out to you to learn more through a virtual or in-person tour.

Here’s an example of high-quality property photos on Instagram:

You can share property photos on TikTok as still images, but the platform is better suited for video. Check out this example:

@the608angelica Girly has so much potenial💕 @Dom Murray . . . #housetour #realestate #oldhouse #victorianhome #wisconsin #historichome #hgtv #homedecor #home ♬ Sunshine - WIRA

And here’s an example from Instagram:

Share your realtor bio.

Relationships between agents and clients are important, as they trust you to take to heart the things that they care about and point them in the right direction.

As a result, using social media to share realtor bios is worth considering. Your audience can learn more about what you offer and reach out if it feels like a good match.

Have fun!

There’s a place for polished content, but you can also have fun with it, like this video that always makes me smile:

@nmccaslin I cant believe this home hasn’t sold… but I’m not giving up yet 😝 #realbroker #dancingrealtor #27goingon65 #sobertok #soberfun #realestate #owensboroky #realtortok #givemethemusic #persistant #treatyoself #marketyourself #workout ♬ everybody dance now танцуют все - 💫РЕТРОЛЁТ💫

Social media is (part of) the future of real estate.

One thing is clear to me — unless there’s a major change in our future, social media is a big piece of the puzzle for real estate marketing.

If you take the time to create a social media presence that includes high-quality photos of the properties you sell, you interact with clients, and you follow a consistent schedule, you’ll likely find yourself generating new clients and closing on more homes.

What’s more, at the end of the day, your followers may prove themselves to be your strongest property advocates.

This guest post was written by Leslie Mann, a real estate agent with Gibson Sotheby's International Realty of Weston, MA.

Editor's note: This post was originally published in September 2021 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

via Perfecte news Non connection