Recent changes have occurred on LinkedIn, have you seen them? One of these changes is the addition of what they call a hero image. LinkedIn has not released any definition on what a hero image is, it just is.
A hero image is similar to a Facebook cover image.
To start this is just for LinkedIn premium account holders, but it will soon be making its way to all LinkedIn Profiles. For your branding this is a great opportunity to showcase both your expertise and give access to your contact information in a fun and visually appealing way. Some of the many ways you can use this in your real estate career are listed below and you have heard them all before.
Use your cover image/hero image to:
- Promote events
- Share your value statement
- Showcase your unique make up
Hero Images, Cover Images and Profile photos
There is an additional aspect that I want to cover before we move forward. Similar to Twitter, Facebook, and Google+ LinkedIn created an image space for the user to use how they want to. This is one of the least utilized areas of marketing that real estate agents use. Look at your Facebook page, how many likes do you have? How many Twitter followers do have? Do you understand the value of Google+? Using these image spaces effectively is critical to your online branding.
Become the Hero in your Real Estate Market
LinkedIn is a little different because of the business to business feel of the social network. In real estate what business to business means is referral buyers from one city to another. As you reviewed the list above I am sure you have seen these ways of marketing in seminars, on webinars and in classes. What I propose is that you take this valuable real estate and create a unique selling point for your services. If you are in a destination city like Tucson then it is even more of a reason to prominently use your hero image as a place to brand and advertise. Imagine having a client’s home within your hero image on LinkedIn, it will help you on two levels. First, if the home is visually appealing it could mean that you have a sale before incoming clients even make it to your market place. Second what other agent in Tucson is doing this? Would this not be the real estate definition of competitive advantage? If you sell that home you will become your real estate markets hero for sure.
Where to start (even when you don't have a hero image)
Beginning this form of marketing by checking if you have the hero image, remember that it will be rolling out to all users soon. Even if you do not have the hero image yet, you can still get started on your cover image marketing strategy. Create a simple template that prominently displays your contact information and branding and leave an area for a listing of the month. If you do not have listing then use this space to create some buzz about a list of homes like “first time buyers specials” or “investment homes with 10+ cap rates!” Have a call to action explaining how to get a hold of the list and make sure you track it. Use a FREE online tool like picmonkey to resize your image for the specifications of each social network.
Next steps
To close, I want to say that this is a different way to market and it will take time to fully realize the success of it. If you are creating a monthly listing then you must change it monthly. This will take time and discipline. If you create a clean template it will decrease the time that you will need each month, however it will not eliminate it. The key here, as with all marketing, is measurement of efforts.
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