Using Location-Based Apps to Promote Your Real Estate Business
Social check-in is the trend these days and location data is what fuels many of the best mobile apps out there.
According to comScore, “The number of U.S. smartphone subscribers surpassed the 100-million mark in January 2012” and International Data (IDC) say that “157.8 million smartphones sold worldwide in Q4 2011, bringing the total for the year to 491.4 million units.”
The mobile market is undoubtedly huge, and people are constantly sharing where they are on Facebook, Twitter, etc., so don’t forget to include this fact on your marketing strategies this year.
- Yelp Mobile
Is free and helps you find great, local businesses on the go. Best of all, Yelp has a very active Real Estate category so make sure your company is listed here. - Foursquare
Said to have 15 million users having checked in over 1.5 billion times, and boasting support from 750,000 merchants with 2.5 million check-ins a day. This app encourages users to check-in at locations in return for virtual badges and points. - Google Places
If your business hasn’t claimed its listing on Google Places yet, you are missing out. Claim your profile and add info to your listing, including photos and video. Google uses places listings in local search results above standard results and users can rate and share their favorite businesses. - TaskRabbit
Allows users to post tasks they want done and what they are willing to pay. The app matches the task master with a nearby profile who makes the best offer. Although the app focuses on conventional services like repairs, errands and home services, it might still be worth a shot tagging your task with the keyword “real estate” or “open house.”
Location-based information, reviews from real people and word-of-mouth are driving consumer behavior. Even though you are promoting services and literally “goods”, you can still create strategies that will boost exposure and recommendations through “check-ins” and positive customer comments.
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