Lee Davenport

By Lee Davenport

You may not have been in Atlanta to experience Super Bowl LIII but a quick scroll of the related hashtags will have you reliving some of the greatest moments of the week as if you were there. Capturing and memorializing such cherished experiences that sparks engagement, camaraderie, and a warm-fuzzy brand sentiment is the definition of social media magic.

Can we get that magic in our businesses even as “solo-preneurs”?

We may not be able to hire an award-winning social media agency. We may not have paid staff and more than 50 volunteers helping us on social media. We may not be able to spend 24-hour days doing social media. But, there are some important and feasible takeaways we can adopt from the Atlanta Super Bowl Host Committee and Sparkloft Media for our own social media strategies.

The Social Media Club (Atlanta Chapter) hosted a fantastic discussion from the leaders of the Social Media Command Center for Super Bowl LIII at the Metro Atlanta Chamber.

Here are two winning tips from Super Bowl LIII’s social media magic:

Pre-Write For The Win!

With the festivities of hosting a Super Bowl (there were approximately 153 official Super Bowl-themed events in Atlanta and countless non-official), we can easily miss the experience if our phones stay tethered to our hands and faces. Similarly, our business clients would rightfully become annoyed at our efforts to capture moments as opposed to being alert as a trusted advisor.

But because of their prep work, the LIII panelists did not miss a beat during the Super Bowl. They pre-wrote answers to frequently asked questions online, so they would have responses ready without waste precious time in the moment. They pre-planned branded content in expectation of “what-if” scenarios on topics from crisis management to touchdowns to the rumored reunion of Atlanta’s own Outkast or a marriage proposal to Kylie Jenner.

How can we translate their win into our win?  Have a time set aside for prep work. For example, before the start of each week, or at the start of each day, think about share-worthy moments. Case in point, is a client closing on her first home today? You know that is a shareable moment so go ahead and prewrite your congratulatory post or video. That way all eyes can be on your client during a joyous, and at times overwhelming, moment. Your attentiveness will likely only improve her perception of your service. She may even share her amazement, “How did you ever have time to post such a sweet message about my closing when we were glued to our chairs?” Magic, darling!

Sparkloft Media recapping their Super Bowl social media magic. Photo by Lee Davenport.

Pre-Listen For The Win! 

Are you listening to what is being said about the real estate industry, real estate in your area, and your firm’s brand? Do you use social media and other online resources to stay knowledgeable? You should! It’s called “social listening,” which is not the same as digitally-stalking a person. It’s about listening to various voices online to gather data and a collective sentiment.

The LIII panelists shared that social listening analysis was a fundamental key to their engagement success. Before for any clicks, shares, or posts, the team listened. They didn’t just do what felt good and made sense. They stopped, looked, and listened in order to craft a superior strategy that allowed them to operate and excel with half the staff of prior years. The LIII social media team was able to anticipate social media volume trends and spikes based on past Super Bowl experiences. They were able to develop more than 850 FAQs. They were able to get to 10,000 Instagram followers—the almighty number currently needed for brands to have the Swipe Up option, which is vital for information sharing—fairly quickly (about 1 week).

How can we apply this same magic? If you are just getting your business on a particular social media platform, do some prep work. Even if you’re already on social media, pause, and listen to what your potential and past clients are saying. Who do they engage with, and how often? Who do they avoid, and why? With social listening on platforms where most people eagerly overshare anyway, your potential clients will indirectly divulge everything they want from your social media posts before you even start. Your business and lead generation will be savvier for social listening.

How can you manage social listening? The LIII panelists used SpredFast as their tool of choice for social listening. If your budget needs something more affordable, Google Alerts and Mention.com are great ways to automatically keep up with digital conversations on topics you choice, just on a smaller scale. Social listening to various voices should help you target your marketing and reduce the struggle of finding and connecting with your future clientele on social media.

Ultimately, the LIII panelists shared how they became the champs of prep work. That is truly the magic of social media business success!

I would love to hear from you. Give me a shout on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Google+, or by visiting LearnWithLee.Realtor. Want more of the best practices from our nation’s top producers? Grab your copy of the short read, Profit with Your Personality. And, be sure to tell the real estate agents you know to get a copy of the 5-star rated workbook, Plan to Win!, to transform their real estate sales game plan. Here’s to your success.

Dr. Lee Davenport is an Atlanta-based real estate coach who trains agents, teams, brokerages, and other business organizations on how to use today’s technology to work smarter. Join Lee’s free RE Tech Insider’s Club by visiting www.LearnWithLee.REALTOR.