But creating a video to promote your listing or brand is just the starting point. We are asked all the time, “What do I do with this video?” The answer is not a simple one! Optimizing your publishing is actually more important than the video itself. Here are a few best practices for marketers who want maximum benefit from their video investment in the short and long term.

Hands down, YouTube is the first place to publish your video. The world’s second largest search engine also happens to be owned by the first (Google), which is great news for your SEO. Building a professional brand channel with links to your website and social media means that every video view is a brand impression and an opportunity to reach new business. For property videos, we recommend filling in detailed information in the descriptions, keywords, and title, and, of course, a link to your website or lead page. YouTube is the Number 1 source of web referral traffic.

When it comes to search results, videos generate a 157% higher ranking. Property videos with specific addresses typically rank on the first page of Google – an immediate boost to visibility. Marketers who are building an organic presence will also benefit tremendously from using local and brand name keywords to boost their website, blogs, and social media.

Most MLS (Multiple Listing Service) platforms are able to link virtual tours and videos, which distribute across many other channels. For this, we recommend keeping your YouTube video ‘Unlisted’ in order to see exactly how many impressions were generated through the MLS and its aggregates and to ensure that organic search results list your professionally branded video. Typically there are requirements that prevent agent identities, contact information, and branding, which is why we deliver both branded and MLS-compliant videos for most properties.

To maximize local and in-network reach, the next placement for video content is social media. Still the best way to connect with your direct sphere of influence, video is key in building your ‘social proof’ on Instagram and Facebook. For both platforms, we advise careful attention to the choice of video titles, descriptions, and thumbnail images to ensure the strongest first impression possible for your viewers.  

As organic reach for businesses and brands continues to decline due to new algorithms, paid promotions for video content are the way to go. With the targeting options available in Facebook Business Manager, it’s easy to reach people who are shopping for new homes or trying to sell, and to upload a custom email list.

Video content is shown to generate 1,200% more shares than text and images alone. Reaching existing and potential customers on social media has never been easier and video content is clearly the best way to do it. Agents and business owners should consider posting more videos to their social media channels to generate higher engagement and shares, which will ultimately expand their audience and reach.

Email marketing is an often overlooked distribution method for video, but statistics show that click rates are up to 90% higher when video content is offered as a direct link. Fresh video content is an incentive for your subscribers to navigate over to your website or blog, and it provides critical reach to the most possible viewers.

Even though building organic traffic to websites is often an uphill battle for even the most successful marketers, video is a proven way to improve your search rankings and retain visitors. The average user spends 88% more time on websites with featured video content. And a compelling video on your landing page (or a dedicated lead generation page) also impress potential clients and is statistically shown to increase conversions.

LinkedIn is quickly emerging as another top lead-generating tool for B2B marketers and real estate professionals. While ‘marketing your marketing,’ you are demonstrating to prospective clients that your advertising efforts are focused and professional. Each additional networking opportunity/platform (YouTube, Mailchimp, other social media channels) expands the organic reach of your advertising.

These ideas are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to publishing real estate video content. Consumer demand is constantly changing and agents not yet on board will soon embrace video marketing.

Keen Eye Marketing has been assisting top agents and business owners with media production, photography, social media, and paid marketing since 2009. If you’re ready to elevate your media marketing to the next level, we look forward to working for you.