I’m not going to lie-when I first heard of Snapchat, I laughed at the whole idea. It seemed like it was just a silly fad that would go away in a few months. It’s just another way to text pictures to your friends, but the pictures disappear, so I really couldn’t see any professional use for it.
But, as you no doubt already know, Snapchat didn’t fade away and disappear. In fact, the opposite happened. More and more people started using it, and now it’s getting so big that it could soon be battling Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook to be the most popular social network.
Over the past few years, I’ve seen a lot of real estate agents and other pros getting on Snapchat, so I decided to do some research of my own. Could it be the next big social media marketing tool for house flippers and other real estate investors? Well, I’m really not sure!
Snapchat has some really interesting things going for it, but at the same time, it also has some real disadvantages. So let’s take a minute to explore the pros and cons of the latest social media platform to go mainstream. Then you can decide if it’s a waste of time or a real estate marketing gold mine.
Pro - Real Estate Marketing Has to Be Visual
If you only had one medium to market a house, what would it be? Would you go with a killer listing, or would you do a cool walk-through video? Obviously, you’d do the video. Why? Because real estate marketing is visual. So is Snapchat. Plus, it’s instant. Want to preview a listing to buyers in your area? Snap it and send it out, or add it to your daily stories and it’ll be available to view for the next 24 hours.
Con - Discovery Can Be Difficult
When it comes to discoverability, Instagram is my absolute favorite. While Twitter might have originated the idea of the hashtag, Instagram took it and ran with it. You can reach so many people who would otherwise never have seen your content, and you can do it just by adding a couple of trending hashtags.
Why do I bring up Instagram and hashtags? No such luck with Snapchat. The first time I created a snap, I added a few hashtags in my video’s text, only to find out that they did absolutely nothing for me! On Snapchat, discoverability isn’t built in the way that it is with Instagram and Twitter. Instead, you have to find people through your contacts or through your other social media accounts. It can be done, but it’s a little more difficult than I’d like.
Pro - Everyone’s Doing It
It may not be perfect, but Snapchat is definitely a lot of fun. And it’s the latest thing to hit social media. The next generation of homebuyers is using it, and so is Taco Bell (no, really). From your best friend to your favorite restaurants and other businesses, everyone is getting on Snapchat.
So, is Snapchat the next big real estate marketing tool? I’m not sure, but I do know that a lot of people think it is. And a lot of people are finding ways around some of its built-in stumbling blocks. So, if you’re in the real estate investing business, I’d say give Snapchat a shot and see what you can do with it. You might be surprised where you find your next lead or how your next buyer finds you!