#17 Brand Building Through Facebook

What this episode covers

In today's episode, David discusses how to build your brand through Facebook. Why Facebook? Facebook is where he got all of his property deals and you can too! Facebook is a very powerful tool. Brand building is the key to your success in property and in packaging deals. Marketing is what we are. You are a marketer. And if you are going to have a good property business, you need to tell people what you do and how you do it. A few people dedicate enough time to marketing but people, property investors should know that marketing is the lifeblood of your business. And Facebook is a great tool to learn so you can be visible and secure the deals you deserve. David shares with you what you need to learn about Facebook marketing and how to do it right. And the best bit,  this is all for free, unless you want to use Facebook Ads which will cost you. David talks about finding the money, finding the people to invest with you, or the deal packages out there, people who have got the money to buy your deals, and pay you a fee for sourcing it. Listen and learn. KEY TAKEAWAYSFacebook profile and Business Page. You have to have a Facebook account. Once you have a Facebook account, you will need to set up a Business page. This way, your personal and business life would be separate. Especially when your loved ones, maybe, does not want to see the business side of your Facebook account. Business page. You can post all of your property stuff here. Your profile friends will not see it unless they like your page, and they want to get access to it. That a different thing. The other thing that a Facebook page gives you as opposed to your profile is the ability to advertise. Facebook Ads. You can target your market. You can focus maybe on one street, town, zip code, etc. You know your area. You can target investors and deals alike. Your story. Start talking about your story in property, if you have a property story, but if you haven't got a property story, talk about stuff you've done that is not in property. Talk about who you are, what you are, what your corporate background is, what your job history is, what your passions are, talk about your family. It's really really important that you position yourself as somebody who can do things for people. Credibility. The purpose of getting your message out there is to build credibility in your Facebook marketing. Credibility is the absolute key. Engagement. You have got to engage. You have to go on to the forums and start showing your face, talking about what you do, and encouraging others. Whatever it is that you do at the start, you have to engage. Join in a conversation in a forum. Be visible. Profile picture. Your profile picture should be your face, not a picture of food or a horse. It doesn't show your character. Will it suggest about your character? Is this more to learn about your character? And you want to be up and transparent. Put your picture on your profile. Contribute and add value. When you go on and join an existing conversation, you'll find the topic the topic that actually you got the experience of, that actually you've done, that actually you've lived through, that actually was a big problem for you and it took 12-18 months of your life to sort that out. Why don't you share... "Oh I had this in my life and I found that if you do x, y and z, it can make it a bit easier and can get you there quicker. But you know, it is a struggle I feel your pain. I wish you every success with this." You can do that. Whatever is it in your life that you think you can do, make sure that you do it. Property groups and forums. There are a lot of Facebook groups out there that you can join. Try joining 3 to 6 groups. Just try to check the feel of the group, if you don't like it then leave. See if it is fit for you, if they are encouraging, etc. If you do this for the next 4 to 6 weeks, you can build up a hard core of maybe five or 6 supportive groups where you are recognized and are comfortable with. Build your own content. Little microblogs are really helpful. It will build over time. if you do not know what to post, try telling your story, your journey. Start diarizing your journey. So, from day 1, take a picture and tell a story about it. Video. This is the best way to reach more people. People with successful businesses use video. The reason they do it is that it gives you more reach and more engagement, which is what you need. Practice shooting a video with your Smartphone or iPhone. It doesn't have to be perfect, but it should be enough to be posted. Just practice. Practice makes perfect. Interviews. Interview people who 2-3 steps ahead of you in the journey. Talk to somebody who has done a few deals. What's the secret? People will want to know that. It is a great way for you to get penetration into the market. It should be a Landscape video. You can invest in a tripod holder so the video won't move and it would be at eye level. Other content can be a reaction to the news. Newsjacking. There is so much news out there. There is always something in the news that people will want to know about that can you can create content. Crowdsourcing. Get people's opinion. For instance, I picked a new logo for my business, what do you think? Should it be number 1, should it be number 2, should it be number 3? Colours? Go out and ask people what they think, and they will engage with you. Poll survey. Start a poll. Set up a poll. I have a list of this and this, which is your favourite? So people can vote. It builds engagement. Use as many tools and mediums as possible. BEST MOMENTS"I don't need many people. You don't need many people to come and buy your deals.""But marketing is the key. Facebook is the tool. You have got that facility now. If you haven't got a Facebook profile, set one up. You need to be on Facebook.""Just start talking about your story, who you are. Property is a people business. Property is about people. So, you have to establish yourself as the go-to guy, the go-to girl in property to attract investors to your course.""If you go out there and do it if you are going out there looking for a deal, you will find the deal. So, diarize your journeys with a photo.""Everything is virtually free." ABOUT THE HOSTDavid is a property expert with over 25 years' experience and his own portfolio of 26 units. His current rent roll is in excess of £10k per month. He is also a partner in a Deal Sourcing and Packaging business in the North West of England and has sourced over 250 properties for investors since 2004. In recent years he has, by necessity, had to develop an expertise in LHA strategies. This area is increasingly becoming a niche for him and he enjoys empowering other landlords by sharing the knowledge he has gained. The ultimate purpose when sourcing properties in this sector for investors is to minimise risk while maximising profit. He has had to find answers to the challenges of Tenant Find, Management, ensuring rents are paid and the transition to Universal Credit. These are strategies he uses in his own business and also on behalf of investors. His investor clients regularly achieve annual gross yields of over 20% with high occupancy rates and voids resolved, sometimes within hours. CONTACT METHODDavid’s LinkedIn David’s Facebook

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