Did you know that more than 300 people engage with Instagram Stories every day?  Without using Instagram Stories, you could be reaching about only 24% of your potential client base and if you do use it you greatly increase your odds to practically 100%.

You might be wondering why and even how this is important as a real estate agent.  Consider this…

• Stories are more raw and real, bringing a human element to your brand/business.  If you want to grow your brand and stand out, connecting with your audience on a human level is key.
• Posts can take up to 1 day to shoot, edit, and then publish.  Stories are done in a few minutes and there is no need to worry about lighting, properness, etc.
• Instagram’s algorithm loves stories.  So much in fact that it favors Instagram Stories.  The more stories you share, the more eyeballs it will bring to your account.

When creating an Instagram story, there’s really only one rule of thumb:  Know your audience and deliver them the right content and message.

If you want to get brownie points from the Instagram story algorithm, use the special features they have such as location tag, poll, question, and the “love meter”.  When you use these features that reward user engagement, Instagram favors your content and will push your story to the front of the line in your followers’ feeds, as well as prioritize your static Instagram posts and allow you to get more eyeballs.  This will also make it more likely for you to show up on the discover page where people can learn about you and you gain more followers.

How To Create An Instagram Story

Haven’t created an Instagram Story yet?   Let’s get you started, ???? click here to get a step-by-step guide from Instagram on how to create your first story.  Even if you have created a story before, you should check out the guide to get additional tips and tricks on how to utilize all the features.

Utilize The Highlight Feature To Save Instagram Stories

The Instagram Highlights feature is a great way to save your story on your profile.  This feature is designed for you to save stories and keep them on your profile after they disappear from your story in 24 hours.

Something to keep in mind when you are creating cover icons for your highlights —  stay on brand and be consistent.

There are plenty of different highlight themes that real estate agents can use on their Instagram profile.  Here’s a handful that we recommend and the kind of Instagram story content that would go with each highlight topic.

Instagram Highlight Theme Examples For Real Estate Agents:

• Buying Tips – Advice on buying a home.
• Selling Tips – Advice on selling a home.
• Client Testimonials – Happy past clients.
• Support Local – Reasons why it’s important to support local and showcase favorite places in your area and mention what makes them great.
• Market Updates – Monthly market stats and other hot topics about your area.
• Design Inspiration – Home designs you love and know help a home sell well.
• Open House Tips – Advice on getting a home ready to sell.
• Meet Me – Pictures of you behind the scenes.  Personal content but not too personal.  Keep this in line with your brand image.
• Listings – Pictures of new homes, digital flyers, listing videos, video walkthroughs.
• Just For Fun – Real estate memes and jokes that amuse you but also would amuse your audience.

How To Create An Instagram Highlight

Follow the easy tips below to create an Instagram Highlight.  If you want to use icons and keep the cover pic for each clean, you can purchase icons from a stock image service such as Adobe Stock Images or Shutter Stock.  We suggest doing this because it keeps your profile clean and more professional looking.

1.  Open the Instagram app and then tap on your profile pic in the bottom right corner of your screen.
2. Tap on the + located under your bio, or if you do not see that, tap Story Highlights.
3. Tap to select the story or stories you want to add to the highlight, then tap Next.
4. Choose a cover pic or icon, then tap Add (iPhone) or Done (Android).*You can add additional photos or videos to your highlights when you post them by selecting the ♥︎ on the bottom right and says “Highlight” under it.

Time To Start Posting Instagram Stories!

Now you have the basics.  Time to put this new knowledge into action.  Get started with creating Instagram stories and highlights today!  There’s no time like the present, especially when it comes to social media.  It’s all about the now!

If you have questions about this post you can email [email protected] or DM us on Instagram via @zentap.now

Looking to get help with creating branded content and videos?  Check out the branded marketing solutions Zentap offers just for real estate agents!  zentap.com