Appraisers, like those in many other professions, have learned that social media is now a must-have for conducting business. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other platforms offer valuation professionals the opportunity to engage their target audiences, brand their companies and potentially develop reputations as experts.

Beyond basic posting and linking, there are many ways social media can help increase the effectiveness of an organization’s online presence. Here are five simple ways appraisers can enhance their social media sites:

1. Use a social media management system. Social media management systems are convenient tools for appraisers who spend more time in the field than behind a desk. Systems like Hootsuite, Buffer and TweetDeck allow users to schedule posts to Facebook, Twitter and other platforms days, weeks or even months in advance. Hootsuite is perhaps the best known SMMS, but there are others that serve the needs of the business.
2.  Include images. A picture really is worth a thousand words. Photos, graphs and videos are especially important in social media. Facebook posts with images get the most engagement, and tweets with images get 150 percent more retweets. Also, incorporate links to the company’s social media channels into other marketing and advertising tools, e.g., website and email signature.
3. Use an analytics tool. All the time spent posting, tweeting and linking doesn’t mean much unless companies reach their target audiences. This can be measured by using an analytics tool. Most SMMS, including Hootsuite, have one, but there are other analytics tools with functions like monitoring an online presence in real time.
4. Keep learning. As social media continues to evolve, its influence as a business-building tool will evolve as well. Learning new social media skills can be nearly as important to appraisers as keeping up-to-date on the latest changes in the valuation profession. Contact educational institutions or professional associations for classes and seminars, or investigate online courses such as those on lynda.com for convenient and typically inexpensive training. Also, check out what other appraisers are doing on social media.
5. Be consistent. Determine a posting frequency that works best for the company and stick to it. There’s a much better opportunity to increase followers with consistent, quality posts. And be sure the content provides value to the audience. It’s fine to promote a business, but don’t be too self-serving.

Appraisers, share your social media tips.