The latest Facebook Timeline news has many nervous about their business pages being lost in the fold. Bombarding your “like-ers” with a constant barrage of updates will no longer be enough to get you noticed. And, for those that actually want to generate clients from being on Facebook, it’s time to let go of a few bad habits that are causing you to miss out on potential eyeballs and future business.
Here are four of the worst practices of a business page and how to avoid them:
1. Being a Robot (Automation)
Automation is great for convenience, but adding robots to your life can have negative consequences on social media’s most saturated platform. On Facebook, the scientists have built in code to flag and de-prioritize your scheduled posts from tools like HootSuite. To get and keep attention in the Facebook feed, post your shares and updates live when at all possible.
2. Facebooking too Frequently (posting too often)
When it comes to Facebook posts, fast is not always better. Real sharing should happen at a moderate pace. Now Facebook’s Newsfeed and Ticker features give you extra opportunities to expand your exposure. While you’re sharing content, consider giving your viewers a few moments to like, comment, and garner some extra attention for your page in the Ticker before you post again.
3. Too Much Social, Too Little Business
A real estate agent’s Facebook page should be about…real estate. That means it’s ok to feature listing photos and other business information routinely. If you’re not, you may want to reexamine your page’s purpose.
When sharing real estate info, just be sure to make it engaging and interesting. Remember to ask two questions about your posts “what about this is interesting?” and “What am I sharing that someone doesn’t already know?” If your answer is “nothing” to both, you may want to rethink your post.
Also, remember your Facebook page is only valuable if it brings you business. People like to do business with experts. Make sure your page and posts feature information and updates that highlight your expertise — like news, facts, and your blogs to show prospects that your not just a sales person.
4. Working Bankers Hours
Facebook never sleeps. And while that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t, remember much of your audience isn’t glued to their newsfeed during the day. Posts in the evening and weekends are much more likely to be read. Experience is the ultimate guide to when and how often you should post, but some informal online research from The Marketing Blog has shown that Saturday at 11 a.m. is prime time when it comes to getting the most eyeballs on a post.
Facebook (like most other social mediums) is a tool. And, tools are only good when you know how to put them to work. Avoid these missteps and check out our latest handout on Facebook for Real Estate Agents for insight on making one of the biggest social phenomena work for your business.


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Legacy Comments
Hi Jovan. Nice post…
I love reading Facebook content. It doesn’t seem to be going away!
Thanks for writing,
Ken
Don’t agree with your last statement completely. Facebook is most used 8am-11am on weekdays. People check when they get to work and sometimes that’s it. As a Realtor I always work all day Saturday and Sunday and that’s when my news feed is the least active. People don’t seem to check as much over the weekend since they aren’t bored for a moment at work. I say post your listings at 8am Friday morning for them to be fresh on your mind that weekend while out looking. Other than that I think your article made some great points.
I keep a personal wall and a business page – how well does this work?
Lynn-
I do too. I’ve a business fb page and a personal one also. Many “fb friends” have denoted both pages.
Sincerely,
Wayne
I disagree that your page should only contain Real Estate! Facebook is a “social” media platform and too much business turns people away. People want to know we have a life too!
Cindy, great point. I agree too much hard core business content is bad. Agents need to balance promotion and lighter sharing, but I think there’s a lot of room to be both social and business focused.
This is a great article. One other suggestion that I have is to be engaging on other people’s facebook page and being active on what your friends are doing as well.
Hi Jovan,
Great topic as always. Auto-posting some content from your blog can be helpful, so long as it isn’t graffiti without the punctuation. However, too much automation means that it’s canned and robotic and there isn’t an actual human interacting on your FBPage.
Also, the frequency at which content is being posted on FB is different from Twitter. Quality Volume versus speed of thought one liners that we can Tweet can also be robotic.
The art of Social Media will be recognized btw that we connect, and to not leave out the emotional components that have been lost in this new form of expression. A few high-quality posts are certainly more well received, and may actually be read rather than speeding by messages as if we were on the 101 going 65 mph reading billboards.
Have a dynamic week!
Holly Campuzano
http://WWW.HouseFinity.Com
This is a great article. One other suggestion that I have is to be engaging on other people’s facebook page as well so you show interest in their lives!
A real estate FB page should be about real estate, and FB is only valuable if it brings business. I never would have thought of that. This according to the post is “telling me something I didn’t already know”?
“Reader” it seems basic, but you would be surprised how many people suffer from mission creep online. We just wanted to remind those “creepers” of the basics.
Hi Jovan,
Informative post…I’ve recently became more involved in Facebook and have started integrating the business aspect into my personal page. I just dont see how I will be able to manage a seperate Facebook page for real estate. Facebook is very consuming on a personal level and takes time to maintain – to be involved in other posts as well as making sure I put a few good, menaingful posts out there daily.
But I will be creating a business page for myself this week and see how it goes!
Sabena
Hi Jovan,
Informative post…I’ve recently become more involved in Facebook and have started integrating the business aspect into my personal page. I just dont see how I will be able to manage a seperate Facebook page for real estate. Facebook is very consuming on a personal level and takes time to maintain – to be involved in other posts as well as making sure I put a few good, menaingful posts out there daily.
But I will be creating a business page for myself this week and see how it goes!
Sabena
Sabena, Good luck and check out our handout if you need some input on where/how to get started and what you should post where (Page vs. Profile).
OVERSHARING needs to be avoided! Your professional friends and your clients really do not care about your every move, your dance or gym class, your 10,000 pet,children, or grandchildren pictures, or what you had for dinner. What about YOU is going to help ME? That is the answer they are seeking.
Nice post… but the timeline is really different, Facebook has always said that the Timeline would eventually become a mandatory part of everyone’s Facebook experience
With tools like Hootsuite and account connect features, the automation makes managing social efforts a challenge and automation seems like the solution yet when posts are grouped together the social efforts become lost. Even though it is a challenge to do it the ol’ fashioned way the results are far better.
Hi Jovan,
Auto-posting content from, a blog can appear as graffiti without punctuation. Too much automation and robotic content may leave out the human component that sends a caring messaage. A few, high-quality posts a week are better than content that is often times auto generated.
Have a dynamic week!
Holly Campuzano
Great info. Thanks for this post.
I wonder is the time when people are more likely to read your post based on age. Are buyers 25-34 going to be viewing the same time as 55+?
Kevin, that’s great question. Looking at the demographic data on their blog I couldn’t find that sort of info. If you come across any answers, please share them here. We’d loev to have some sort of post/share on time/age correlation.
Great posting and great ideas! I would have never known to look out these for these things. Thanks for the information.
My FB page is a personal documentation of my life made quasi-public. My clients may see photos of me dancing at a wedding, my daughter’s birthday cake, and the occasional rant while in line at the DMV. What they WON’T see is an advertisement to sell my services. Maybe I’m not using FB to it’s fullest potential???
this post is about Facebook Business pages
BUt even in your own personal page, that as a real estate agent, you are always on duty, so why not share some business success in your personal FB page?
I imagine an attorney, or doctor, even a architect would share their successes sometimes. Why not you?
Now don’t go complaining about the overpriced sellers, or unrealistic clients! Save that for coffee with co-workers or a business only area like Trulia Agent 2 Agent or something.
Not doing that though, could cost you some money.
San Diego, sounds like you’re an interesting friend to have. Check out this handout to help you get more out of Facebook. I recommend you setup a Page. Worst case scenario you get some free advertising and friends who want to keep up with or find your business will have a dedicated place to go.
Also, Pierre’s advice is great. Remember social media is about sharing/engaging. Selling is something different (even thought it will happen organically from time-to-time).
I disagree with putting your listings on Facebook and making it Real Estate. It is a social network not business network. You should have a business page to do that.
Donna, Thanks for the feedback. That’s exactly what we suggest. Post your real estate info (and listings) on a Facebook PAGE. The more personal sharing is for your profile. Pages are a great place to sell.
Your profile page is like your living room where you entertain your family and friends, your business page should be kept separate, none of your friends want to constantly see all of your listings or business stuff on their feed all of the time, however every once in a while a business topic does come up with family and friends when i am sitting in my living room.
Perhaps it’s just me … but posting real estate ads on the social side of things is annoying. When I see agents doing this — I think of “Ned” from “Groundhog Day”…
Create a fan page and keep it there..
Thanks so much for that information. It the same here in Europe. We are trying to be very active on the facebook, but sometimes we are running out of new ideas to introduce to the clients….
Somethimes i wander…what else….?
Regards from Spain
To be honest, innovation is good BUT somethings, like buyer interest in real estate, don’t change. Don’t be afraid to reshare content that garnered you high engagement after two or three weeks.
Jovan, thanks for the article. I noticed once the FB Timeline went into effect, it automatically set up a business page for me. Have others found same or is there something I need to be aware of? I have gone as far as checking with other agents in our office, as well as our broker and all have told me they did not set it up. It is just a blank page with our agency name on it; Just curious before I start to alter it.
If anyone else has any input please feel free to comment.
Jovan what’s up dude? Long time no talk. I agree with a lot of what you said here. Two things I would add:
1. When you are trying to engage people on a biz page, if all you do is share RE related stuff constantly with nothing of interest to the readers, they won’t pay attention to your page or interact with you. One way to get good engagement is to share things about your community. Share on businesses and events in the area and it will bring a much greater engagement.
2. Instead of just always making statements on your page, ask it in question form. The questions encourage people to respond to you. When they responde, it is also important to reply to their comments and why not ask another question to bring them back again?
Good stuff!
Hey Jeremy,
I hope all is well on your end. Those are two great engagement tips. I think more and more Facebook is becoming a great way to engage for agents if they do it the right way.
Good reminders. I like the ones about not posting too often and not using automated posts.
Great post, Jovan. And a lot of great feedback from other agents.
Thank you.
Thanks for sharing. Good tips, some great feedback and good timing, I’m working on my fan page now and this and keep all this information in mind.