First impressions are key to running a successful ad campaign. As you know, real estate is for the most part visual. When someone sees a nice house they typically get excited about the idea of buying a home. They visualize family gatherings, their dog running around the yard, relaxing on a loft or a balcony while sipping their morning coffee etc.
This is why it’s important to create a visually appealing ad.
Below, we’ve included examples of what to do, and what to avoid when creating a Facebook/ Instagram listing ad. We’ve also included tips and recommendations for you to use.
Here is an example of a visually appealing ad:
What makes it great: The home is front and center to draw attention, and the message is very clear with what to do. The agent is clearly associated with the listing and clear contact information with the broker logo clearly visible. The agent is associating herself with a great listing!
Here are some examples of a non visually appealing ad:
What’s wrong: The image feels very generic and uninspired. The message is generic as well and makes no mention of the specifics of the home. There is no positive association between the quality of the listing and the agent.
What’s wrong: Wow. There is a lot wrong here. Ads with too much text will not perform well on Facebook, as will ads with any un-readable text. Stock imagery is also a poor choice. If you’ve got the listing, then show the listing. Everything else is secondary, including You. You’ll have time to brag about yourself on your profile, or website.
Tips:
1.) Create an image that captures the attention of your potential home buyers and sellers.
- Incorporate a high quality, clean background image that invites someone to imagine themselves in that space or home.
- A few examples are rustic images, the listing interior ie: living room or kitchen, a loft in the city, backyard/ entertainment area. You don’t need to tell the full story in the ad, just enough to inspire them to click it. The best image may not be the front of the house.
- Avoid putting text in the background image:
- Text in images is often hard to read, and it takes away from the image. There is plenty of room for text in your ad's message and headline. Remember, the goal is to click, not read the ad.
- An ad is likely to perform poorly if it has too much text, and there’s a chance that Facebook rejects it.
2.) Create a captivating body/headline with a call to action that targets those in the area that you choose.
- For example: “Imagine coming home to this gorgeous 4 bedroom home in ___. Click Learn More for more info” or “You could be coming home to this stunning 4 bedroom home in ___. Click Learn More for more info”
- You can also complement your ad viewers depending on the target location you choose.
- For example: “you’re so modern” or “you deserve this.”
- Let your audience know that they deserve to buy themselves a nice home.
- Complement how well they manage their funds, a great decision-maker, or someone who simply takes care of their family if the home is in a family-friendly neighborhood.
3.) Choose the right audience
- One of the steps in creating your ad is choosing a target location. You have the choice of targeting near your listing or selecting a city or zip code of choice.
- Do the research and see which buyers or sellers you want to target.
- For example: if you’re selling a home in Poughkeepsie NY (rural area) and want to target the Manhattan NY (city area) neighborhood, you’re able to type in that zip code.
4.) Be the agent they trust
- People want to work with someone they like and trust. While creating your listing ad, you have the opportunity to demonstrate that you are a great person to work with.
- Include a professional profile photo in your ad with your logo, name, and phone number so they can easily get ahold of you. Make sure these are consistent with the information you provide on your other online and offline channels.
- If you want to promote yourself outside of the context of a listing, you may consider subscribing to a Brand Pro plan. Brand Pro ads highlight your expertise as a local real estate agent in your market area and run consistently over the course of your subscription (i.e., every day). To get started, simply click the “ADS” tab at the top blue ribbon of the page, then click the orange button at the top that says “Get Started.”
If you have any questions please let us know by emailing us at support@postamo.com or by calling/texting us at 855-494-7776.