Are you making one of these three mindset mistakes on social media? 

Let’s face it, no one’s first piece of social media content is perfect. Even your 100th piece will have room for improvement. 

But you won’t even get to the 100th piece if you let one of these three mistakes get in your way. Or, if you do, these mistakes can keep you stuck posting safe (read: boring) content that few, if any, of your ideal clients see—let alone engage with. 

You can do better. So, let’s get started. 

Mistake #1—Not posting with an ideal client or target audience in mind 

When @thebrokeagent and I do Instagram audits in the Coffee & Contracts Facebook group, one of the biggest mistakes we see on Instagram is when agents are trying to appeal to everyone instead of focusing on a specific ideal client.

Think about it like this: Have you ever clicked on someone’s profile and felt like every post was answering the exact questions you’ve been asking? 

Or maybe you just really resonated with what they were posting about and felt seen? 

You probably hit that follow button immediately so you could continue to learn from this person. 

That’s what you want your audience to feel when they see your content. 

So, if you haven’t identified your ideal clients, now would be a good time to do that. And to help you out, here are a few examples: 

  • First-time home buyers
  • High-end buyers
  • Downsizers
  • Real estate investors
  • Relocators 

Ask these questions to help you identify your ideal client:

  1. What type of properties am I most familiar with?
  2. What type of transactions do I excel in?
  3. What demographic do I connect with most effectively?
  4. What are the common pain points of my past clients?
  5. What geographical areas do I specialize in?
  6. What unique services or value can I offer?
  7. What are my clients’ goals and motivations?
  8. Who do I enjoy working with the most?

Once you’ve figured out your ideal client, start speaking directly to them in your posts. 

Mistake #2—Letting the fear of being cringe stop you from posting videos

What do you think is the #1 reason real estate agents are not utilizing social media to grow their business? Lack of knowledge? Lack of confidence? Too new to the industry?

We took a poll a while ago and this was the winner by a long shot! And I get it, because I experience this too:

It’s the fear of being cringe. 

We’ve all been there—the awkward, uncomfortable feeling of putting ourselves out there for the world to see. 

But here’s the thing: it’s 2023. Gone are the days of buying ad space and plastering your face on billboards and benches. Today, people’s attention is glued to their phones. The digital world is the new frontier for marketing, and if you want to be a successful business owner, it’s time to understand and leverage that shift. 

The first step to getting over the fear of being cringe? Just get started even if it feels uncomfortable.

Take the following steps to move through and then beyond this fear: 

  1. Lay the groundwork—The first step to creating standout content for your niche is to know your audience, their pain points, and what you can do for them. Consider investing in professional branding, photography, and videography to make the best impression. 
  2. Smart content strategy—Diversify and repurpose your content. A well-shot long form video can be cut into multiple short-form pieces for Reels, YouTube Shorts, and TikToks.  
  3. Outsource and delegate—If you’d rather spend more time on the top income-producing activities for agents, consider hiring a virtual assistant or a social media manager to help with your social media content creation, scheduling, copywriting, etc. 
  4. Quality > Quantity—Your main goal should be to keep people on your content longer. So, create with your ideal client in mind, use hooks that will grab their attention, and give them a reason to watch every post to the end. 
  5. Create enticing lead magnets—Free downloadable gifts are the bait you use to entice your audience to subscribe to your email list. Just make sure your lead magnet and your emails deliver so much value your audience will be glad they signed up.  
  6. Master email marketing—Once you have access to an ideal client’s inbox, stay top of mind with regular and valuable email updates, starting with their free lead magnet and continually adding value with market updates, insider tips, Coming Soon listings, etc. 

If you’re still unsure about what to post, we can help! Coffee & Contracts helps you to build a strong foundation to get started with, helps to guide you with what type of content to post, and provides a community of agents and coaches cheering you on every step of the way 

Mistake #3—Thinking of social media as a stage rather than as an online portfolio

The idea of personal branding has always freaked me out, to be honest. The idea that I was supposed to be “building a personal brand” kept me from showing up at all. 

It just felt so inauthentic and dishonest. And I doubt I’m the only one who feels that way. 

So, here’s how I have been reframing this recently…

Instead of picturing social media as a stage, picture it as an online portfolio. 

  • Showcase your work
  • Share your unique perspective, and 
  • Build real connections

You don’t have to give speeches on your Stories every day and have a posting schedule to help your potential clients. You have a unique perspective and only you have the power to share it.

So do your future clients, colleagues, and friends a favor, and start showing up.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by all the details that go into creating posts for social media, sign up for BAMx and get my course, “Mastering Canva Design for Real Estate Agents.” Use the discount code HALEY for 10% off your subscription!