Join us for an enlightening conversation with Chelsea Petersen of the Modern Agent Social Club. Chelsea takes us through tips on bringing your true self to social media so you can build the ‘know, like, trust’ factor with your sphere. We talk about how you can add in more of who you are to your message and build an audience that really relates to you. Chelsea gives some practical tips for using Facebook and Instagram and talks about how to get started on video in your social media. Alissa comes equipped with all of the questions you may be thinking if social media feels uncomfortable for you. Chelsea’s tips and philosophies are perfect for Realtors and entrepreneurs alike. Tune in to find out how to have fun while making social media work for you! Find Chelsea online at www.thechelseapetersen.com and Instagram @themodernliferealtor.

The following is a rough transcript provided by Otter.ai.

0:01
Hey friends welcome to hustle humbly.

0:03
It’s Alyssa and Katie and we are two top producing realtors in the Baton Rouge market working for two different companies where we should be competitors. But we have chosen community over competition.

0:13
The goal of our podcast is to encourage you to find your own way in business.

0:16
So stop comparing yourself and start embracing your strengths. This is episode 12. Okay, Episode 12. All right, and we want you to introduce yourself, you guys today we have a guest. It is Chelsea Peterson, she is going to tell us what she does. And then I’ll tell you how we met. But Chelsea, you tell us who you are and what you do. Awesome.

0:36
I’m so excited to be on the podcast. I’m Chelsea Peterson and I am a real estate agent in a small town in Wisconsin. I, since the last day about a year and a half ago started a online social media membership as well for real estate agents. But I’ve been in the industry for almost seven years. And I’ve approached my business with modern marketing methods and not the old school tactics. So that’s kind of how I have run with things and seen success and really stay connected with my sphere on a regular basis.

1:08
I love it. So this is Alyssa, you guys have not met but she does follow you on social media communicate via Instagram. So your Instagram friends. And that’s what I want to say. So you and I met through the internet. Probably like a year and a half a year ago. It’s been a little while I was it’s been a while I was listening to a lot of Gary Vee, which I still do. And he preaches his dollar ad, Instagram strategy. So I had just gone into the top had like real estate hashtags. I just said hashtag real estate and I looked at the top posts and you had a beautiful picture. And so I clicked on it. And I said something because he says you go and put your two cents on everybody’s post that is in your field or your topic or whatever. And I just loved everything you did. And we kind of became friends. And we talked and I think you’re a great supporter of ours and you love the podcast. So we’re really super excited to have you here. And you’re going to talk about the power of social media. And I think it’s very evident. And that is how we met.

2:06
Yes, definitely. I forgot. That’s how we like I don’t remember how we even connected. Yes. So I’m glad you have the exact story. That’s it from Gary Vee and shows how that works,

2:15
usually and commented on one of her

2:17
Yes. So I just went to one of her post it was hashtag to real estate and I said I don’t even remember was picture of your your could have been your desk. It was something cute. And I just thought, Oh, this is a cute picture. And I said whatever I said, and it wasn’t love. It was love it. First comment that’s so funny. And you were right, yes, she responded back. She’s an awesome user of the of social media on Instagram, Facebook, just really good at actually participating. And I think that’s the key to making it work. Whether you’re talking to another business person to a client, you actually have to not be a bystander, you’ve got to actually talk to the people on social media, for sure.

3:00
It’s like being social. So that’s like the whole other end of it. It’s like more than the posting, it’s like, you have to have that social interaction. That’s what it was designed for. So when people just go on there, and they post like a listing, but then they disappear, you’re not really going to get connections or friendships or build those relationships, because you’re just, you’re just using it as like a sales platform, not a like social platform, which is meant to be social. So Right. That’s where you get the results is the social for sure.

3:28
So tell us about kind of, I mean, I know that’s what you do. But tell everyone like how you get them there and what what it means to be authentic and to be yourself on social media and like what is your philosophy?

3:40
So my philosophy is the way I like to explain it is kind of like showing up on social media, like it’s a cocktail party. So instead of like I said, going there just posting your listing or sales pitch or like cheesy real estate posts that would only attract other real estate agents, do you want to like stay top of mind with your sphere and connect with them? And provide value like show up? Like it’s a cocktail party as in? What would you say to someone in person, like you’re not gonna go up to them and be like, open house Saturday one to 330 you’re gonna like say like, how are you Nice to meet you. Like ask them questions, have one on one conversations. And then that’s how you build that relationship, like building rapport, just like you would in person, you can do the same thing on social media, which you did to connect with me. And then if I would have just ignored it, this never would have developed into a friendship or, you know, so that’s how you take it to that next level is you really have to be social. And that’s, I think, a long time ago, when social media first started, people used it as like that sales pitch platform, I would just use it as like a place to shout their message. And that’s why they’re, you know, making it more and more important that you are having conversations that’s what they wanted it to be. So if you’re following what Facebook and Instagram wants, you’re gonna see you’re gonna be rewarded from right by being able to build a connection. So the How small is the town that you’re from a Is that super small we live in it’s called Lake Country. So there’s a bunch of small towns connected. So I’m in Oconomowoc, which everyone loves to try and say. And there’s so I would say, like our town, I think it’s like 20,000. And I’m probably wrong, those super tiny, but we’re like a community of like, six or seven small towns all in are connected and called Lake Country. We have lots of lakes around us. And it’s really pretty out here. And I just like the small town feel it feels like a Hallmark

5:31
movie. Yeah, it’s out. Do you know how many realtors are in your marketplace? And you’re bored.

5:37
Now, okay, I probably should do. I’m always

5:39
here, I serve on our board. So I’m always I like relate everything to board size. Like, we have 3100 realtors in Baton Rouge. So I was just curious, which feels like a lot.

5:50
We have. So the company I work for the brokerage that I work for, we have like 1500 agents, but that is like southeastern Wisconsin. So it’s not just my city. So that way, you can look at it company size, we’re bigger in Wisconsin than the average. We’re a lot bigger than the average size office. But that’s going you know, multiple counties wide. So when

6:13
Yeah, you out? When did you get your license? I don’t even think I know this in the spring of 2013. Okay. Katie

6:20
is awesome at Instagram. And I struggle with being relatable and opening up and using it as like a platform, if you will, like I struggle with just being outside of your real estate brain. Yeah. And just like, opening up and being like, get to know me or, and I think it’s because I struggle to care what people think,

6:44
Oh, I don’t care what people think. But as a side note, we just finished recording our INIA gram episode. So we’re very deep in who we are right now.

6:54
Like, I have heard people say, like, did you see so? So what they posted on Instagram? And I feel like I’m scared to be like vulnerable on my social media.

7:05
Okay. I love that. You’re saying that? Because I did want to ask Kelsey, what is the struggle you find that agents are having? Like, what’s their roadblock when you tell them to be themselves and put themselves out there? What is their roadblock? I mean, Alyssa is having a roadblock like what do you tell them?

7:20
I think the first roadblock would be that you either feel like you’re a real estate agent. So if you start sharing anything that’s not real estate, you will lose that professionalism, like you will come across and people will be like, well, I thought she was a real estate agent. Now why is she talking about her family or football, her travels or whatever that is. So I think that’s one roadblock. And then the second one too, that would be like, Okay, if I say get beyond that, and just put yourself out there so that when when you let people into your life, and they feel like they know you then they start to know, like trust you. And then they feel more comfortable taking the next step with you like reaching out or saying like, I want to meet with you to talk about listing my home, if you had a personal connection, they you’re more relatable to them. So if you just share little things, and I always say like you don’t have to share private things. It’s whatever you feel comfortable sharing. So maybe it is just like your favorite place to travel doesn’t have to be every aspect of your day in your life. But if they find some point of connection with you, that connects them to and are like, Oh, she’s a real human. I always say like show the human behind the for sale sign. Yeah. So pick something about yourself that your interests, your favorite hobby, and start sharing that like intertwine it in real estate posts. And then people can see like, oh, that I know who she is. I’m feel connected to her now like I always share about friends like it’s the show Friends. It’s not anything like earth shattering. I’m like, just be like, really don’t have to think of something crazy unique. Or I think that’s the second part too is people think I need to be so different. If I’m going to share about me and I feel boring, or I feel like what do I have to share? Like Katie shares a lot of her staging, like tips, and then she’ll show her own house and like that’s like the good. Like, that’s a combination. All right, of like both real estate and your personality. But you know, it’s like, it’s evident that it’s a passion of yours, too, from looking at your feed. So you don’t have to think of like, you know, something, I have to share all every detail on my life. It’s just like pick little things that you can kind of mix in without feeling boring, because people really connect with just the real everyday. Yeah, not the, you know, not to like, oh, I sold 48 houses and I helped 25 families move or whatever, like people connect with like the real life. Tell me this

9:28
when you started. You mean you weren’t always here? Like this wasn’t always your system when you started selling real estate? How did how and why did it change? So

9:38
when I first started, I the market really wasn’t that great. When I first started it was 2013. And I was young, and I didn’t really I came into this office and they were like call your sphere every week and send them postcards and do all these. I don’t know like when I went in I just didn’t feel like any of those things felt like me. I was like, I don’t know. I just feel like they I mean, like a, like a, like a bagging giants pitcher, I, you know, and I saw, I was like, I don’t want to do those things, I don’t want to door knock, I don’t want it. Like, if you’re telling me to get all pumped up and go knock on doors, that’s just not my thing. And I decided, like, I’m gonna do this my own way. So if I’m going to call my sphere, I’m not going to call them and harass them, I’m going to call them with a purpose or like to meet them for coffee or build a relationship, not just call them and that kind of started translating into social media because this that’s where people that’s where I’m people were. So I’m like, instead of calling you every day, or every week and being like, who do you know, looking to buy or sell? I was like, let’s flip the script. And let’s just have these connections on social media, because it’s not like I hear people say all the time, well, no one in my sphere is looking to buy or sell. And I’m like, Well, everyone that you know, know someone who’s going to move in the next year. So it’s not just about right now, like, does your best friend’s mom and she moving today? No, but staying in front of them. And social media is a way to do it for free. For number one is that I had no money, the market wasn’t that good. So I was like, let’s try social media and stay informed them for free, provide value, and then have that like, again, that cocktail party mindset where it’s like, I’m not just on here to ask for your who you know, looking to buy or sell. I want to like, connect with you and have conversations and stay top of mind in a way that’s not that. Basically,

11:21
I like the idea of thinking of it as the cocktail party. I love a cocktail party.

11:26
She’s a good networker, so that works for you. Oh,

11:29
yeah. So thinking of in social media is social? Like, I know, that’s so obvious. But it’s really making me think about the posts. Right? And are they interactive? And do they matter? Well, yeah, right. How do you get better engagement? Like what do you think is a key to making people interact with your posts?

11:51
So I think there’s two key things, the number one would be to have your caption, say something that would spark a conversation. So I see like, when I’m scrolling through, I’ll see a lot of just statement captions, like love this new listing, or, you know, something, I’m like, Well, what do you say to that, or love this kitchen? You know, it’s something that you have to like, ask the question. So call to action, having, you know, double tap F or tag a friend who would love fill in the blank, and then just getting people to have that conversation with you. So tell me your favorite book, like it doesn’t always have to be real estate related or tell me your favorite home feature. So just getting that if you don’t ask the question, people are not going to respond, because it’s such a busy world on social media. So as people are scrolling, if you’re not telling them to engage with you, they’re not going to at all. And then the second part to it is you being the one that goes out and engages with them. Because so after I post, I will go and engage with all my followers for like, 10 minutes, and then I engage with my stories, because stories are such a huge, like stories have more engagement now than the posts in your feed. So it’s like, it’s always following staying ahead of the trend, staying ahead of the curve, and like Okay, now, where are people? So then like scrolling through stories, like commenting on someone’s story, and it doesn’t have to be this long, you know, excessive comment. Like when Katie commented on my photo, it probably wasn’t this like, No, it was a paragraph No, or, or like, it should also not be this sales pitch. It should just be like an interaction, like, Oh, where’d you get that? Take those staging accessories from if you’re communicating with another agent, or congratulations on your closing? I love your closing gift idea. Just like regular interaction. So if you’re talking to your sphere, it might be Did you have fun in Florida? What was your favorite place that you went? If they were just on vacation? Or you know, like, like asking genuine questions that that would create a conversation. So even when you are engaging, it’s also not having statements, it’s having conversation starter,

13:44
you want them to respond even when you’re just making comments. Yeah, that makes sense, right? So when you say that you go and, you know, engage with your followers, you made a post outside of the post you’ve made, you’re going on to theirs and saying, Hey, I like your new fall blanket or whatever it is that they’re doing, like you’re just engaging with whatever posts they’ve got out there. And then eventually, those people get used to communicating with you and come post on yours. Right? I mean, I think

14:09
and I’ll also go like, whoever is interacting with my posts, and I’ll go to their feed, because you’re not seeing everyone. So then I’ll go click on their feeds and like, like one of their recent posts or comment back with them, and then you’re just staying in that community mindset. We’re always having conversations.

14:24
I think that’s a good point. I really do think it is a mindset thing where you’re either an observer or you’re a participant, like people on social media, they’re stalkers out there who love to look at every single thing, and then I’ll see them in person and they’ll be like, Oh, I loved your whatever posts. I’m like, Oh, I had no idea you were even looking at my social media because they’re literally just looking like they never and it’s when you flip that switch in your brain because I didn’t even I did it. When I flipped the switch. And I said, I’m just going to comment, every like on every single thing. I’m going to like stuff. I’m just going to participate. That’s when people will start like come back towards you and participating with what you’re putting out there. Right? I think that’s good. Okay.

15:06
I’m just a two way street. Yeah, I’m just just taking it all in all of this and taking it in, because you have two opposite ends of the spectrum over here with, I feel like I do, okay, every now and then if inspired, but I can’t just like write something meaningful every single time, right? Like I overthink it. Or if I ask a question, and nobody answers, but be so sad.

15:32
And that’s happened. And what I tell people is, it’s getting consistent with it, because the more consistent you are, the more people start to feel like, okay, she’s, she’s on here, like, she’s being social. This isn’t just like a one time post, right? And then they get comfortable taking action with you, especially when you’re giving that back to them. Yeah, so it is a two way street. And a lot of times agents are like, well, I don’t have time to do all this. But my mindset with it was, well, I’m not spending time door knocking, I’m not spending time calling 75 people a day. So this is my method of communicating interacting thing in front of people without ever bombarding them, I guess, because I was,

16:08
you know, this is your strength. And this is what’s natural and fun and exciting. And it doesn’t drain you, it energizes you. And that’s kind of what our platform is all about is just finding what works for you. And I do think like, this intrigues me, because it’s not natural for me, but I could see it becoming natural for me. It’s just kind of a new thing to me. So I’m taking it all in and observing it and coming up with a plan coming up with a plan and my brains, right. My biggest thing right now, for example, is I have a private Instagram provide two and a half year old that, like my friends and family follow, and it’s like, full of just her. That one gets so much more attention than my personal Instagram, which is my personal slash professional Instagram. And I feel like, sometimes I feel like I want them to merge and just be one. But it’s kind of just the privacy thing. Right? You know,

17:07
how do you handle that with when you were helping people who have children? Like, do you have any thoughts on that? Like what I mean, when you’re sharing yourself? I mean, I try not to put my kids out there too much, either. But sometimes I’ll show them pulling up a sign or doing something, but I feel

17:21
almost nervous. Do it gets like the most attention. Yeah, it’s like, because people want to know you. That’s I mean, that’s she’s probably the biggest part of my life right now. And my Instagram personal doesn’t even know

17:34
about it. Right? Like, so when you’re using for businesses all here’s a new house.

17:38
Yeah, or my dog? I know the dogs. Yeah. You know, but they just don’t know anything about me. And it’s like, I want my friends and followers to see all of me because that’s my authentic self. And she is the biggest part of my life. And I talk about her the most. But she’s like, totally absent.

17:57
Right? So how would you handle that Chelsea?

17:59
So I think it depends how comfortable you feel, bringing her into it, like you said, What you said is that that those get the most engagement that gets the most attention. And that is going to be the case because that is the authentic, your authentic self. And people are no getting to know you, or they do know you so they like it. I think if you wanted to keep that personal so that you’re not having your daughter out there. 100% of the time, you could decide how much do you want to put out there and bring in little bits and pieces of it. Like maybe you have or hold up the sign, but it’s like not showing her whole face or you don’t have to have every picture of your daughter, but start incorporating that. So I like that a lot of times I recommend just having one account and because you do combine both of your personal and your business life, because that’s what keeps people entertained. If it’s just business people are like, okay, that I don’t want to be sold to, but if it’s the combination and people are interested, but then I do hear people say well, I have kids and I don’t want them all over social media and I think that’s to be your decision then keep your personal account with for like it isn’t personal but bring a little bit yeah,

19:02
yeah, like person pulling her in a little.

19:03
Yeah, I think you can put her in without putting her in danger or making it feel unprofessional. Yeah, yeah. I think like,

19:11
family photo where you introduced like, this is my daughter and like, maybe you avoid saying her name. Yeah, you know, wherever you feel comfortable, what you feel comfortable putting on versus not and then keep your personal one where your family and your friends can still see. Right? All the stuff you want to put out there. Okay,

19:27
I want to ask a question about the difference between so are you using certain I know you’re on Instagram and Facebook? Are those the only two platforms you focus on? How do you suggest people deal with different platforms?

19:39
I’m only on Instagram and Facebook. I have a LinkedIn but that it’s not even active. So I just found where my people are would be my number one and then so I was at a conference in March and I heard a speaker use the terms that your Facebook business page is like your front yard like you want it to look nice. People are going to drive by If you want to be active, so if someone comes to check you out like a prospective client, there’s something on there that can get a feel for who you are what it’s like to work with you. Hopefully you have some type of educational content on there or resources they could ask for or learn from you on and then you’re like, Instagram is more like your backyard, like where the party is happening. So that is like cocktail party. So that’s where Instagram is really my number one focus, it’s where I’ve made a lot of my connections and built relationships, it’s Instagrams more of the conversational platform where you’re gonna have those, you know, in get into DMS, leave comments on people’s feeds, and build those relationships where Facebook is like, it is like the front yard where you I want to have a presence because people are going to find me there, they want to run ads, you have to have a business account. But Instagram is my place. So for other people, I say, you know, a Facebook is your place, if that’s where all your people are, then I would more heavily focused on Facebook as your email marketing platform. And then, so for me, I kind of mix it up, but my I would say 90% of my strategy is

21:05
Instagram. I would say right now the majority of my people are on Facebook. Okay. But I’m enjoying Instagram, more and more, right? And I’m learning about it. And I’m like, I’m enjoying it. But I’m still just kind of tiptoeing in

21:21
Yeah, figuring out Yeah, to figure it out. Yeah, I know. Like I’m there people who use Twitter, which I can’t figure out at all.

21:28
I feel like Twitter’s like it has a lifespan of like a fruit fly. It’s you tweet something, and it’s

21:35
use Twitter, you’ve got to like be on it all day long. Yeah. And iPads. And I just don’t know if I have the patience for that. Yeah,

21:42
you can’t do it all. So I like both on one thing best at that. Yeah. And it’s really like Instagram, don’t underestimate the power of creating new connections, especially with your community, right? Because there’s so much power in using local hashtags and tagging local businesses, when you’re out at the like, you’re going to get coffee at a local coffee shop, or you’re eating dinner at the new restaurant in town, just go on your story, snap a quick picture and tag that location or that place of business. And then you start getting in front of their audience and you’re more visible in your community, not just with your own followers, because you can definitely expand massively on Instagram by doing things like Yeah, where’s Facebook, kind of, you’re going to connect with your followers. If you run ads, you could you know, gain more of a following locally. But Instagram is easy to do it without using ADS,

22:28
right ad has definitely educated me on hashtags, I didn’t fully understand the impact that they could have. And that you can actually search for a hashtag and just be given this plethora of information, and how good it is for specific needs. Yeah, you know, like, if you’re really looking for something like I have a friend with a special needs child, and she can search the hashtag like medical mama, or whatever the need is, and there are so many, like, if she has someone that she needs to connect to, and there’s not a lot of people in your community to connect to you can find someone that has it. So it’s really interesting,

23:11
it’s probably a good way to build a community too, if you’re looking for a hashtag, you know, especially if it’s something localized. But if you’re trying to find other people that enjoy whatever your hobbies are, so that that’s your tribe and your go search the hashtag, whatever, you know, moms that like football, I don’t know, just something figure out like, then then find your people.

23:29
So here you are being a realtor engaging on social media, instead of making phone calls and door knocking and all the things that you didn’t love, and people start responding. And you get some real estate business from it. But at what point did people start? Or did you be like, this might be my business? Like, I could be an Instagram post type. When did that happen? It

23:54
was probably about two years ago, I was just getting a lot of questions about like, how do you do that? How do you know what to post? How do you know what to say? Where do you come up with this content? Like I don’t know what to write, I don’t know what to what images to use, or what to talk about besides real estate. So I would just have conversations more one on one with people. And then I started thinking about maybe I could manage other agents accounts and just kind of help them get off the ground and get going. In the meantime, I did my husband has an insurance agency. So I did their social media and took over like getting theirs off the ground for about a year and a half, just to get some experience and then so that was before that actually that I did his and then what I did was I was trying to brainstorm Okay, well if I manage other agents account other accounts and still do real estate, I can probably only help three people at a time because it’s so it’s very, it’s a lot of time it’s not like

24:51
much time per person. Is it a daily thing? Is it a weekly thing like one one new person? You’re you’ve decided to help them manage their account. How many hours does that look like for you?

25:03
If I was managing someone else’s account, I would say, I guess I never did one on one. But for my husband’s I would say maybe like 15 hours a week? That’s

25:10
a lot. That’s a part time job.

25:11
Yeah. Gosh, so you’re writing social media. And that’s because you have to find the content and plan it and create it, create it

25:20
as JPEG images. Okay?

25:21
So that really, yes, exactly. But this is what I find so interesting. And I think this plays into authenticity, what you’re doing now is telling other people how to do it themselves. And that’s the only way you can actually be authentic. I mean, you can’t just hire out your social media and tell, you know, some marketing company, I’m a realtor, can you please, you know, post online once a day, and I’ll pay you X dollars a month or whatever, because it’s not going to be their voice. I don’t care how much research they do.

25:52
My biggest pet peeve is when like, people post a picture of a kitchen that’s like in the mountains and has like, not at all appropriate. No. And it’s like, but you like to own a home. And it’s like we live in Baton Rouge. That’s not what the homes look like, what they look like. They do know that it’s an automated thing. Yeah, it’s just, yes. The credibility for sure. Okay. So

26:17
talk to authenticity and what your thoughts are on that. Yeah.

26:20
So what made me go into the membership route? Is that exactly. So number one, I can only manage what three, maybe three accounts a week. And it’s not really impacting anyone, I wanted to create a platform where I could teach people how to do it on their own, provide them with like tools and captions and the things that can help them get off the ground. So they’re not just drawing from a completely blank canvas, and do it at a price that they can afford. Because if you do hire a social media manager, they’re really expensive, and some agents do and they can, but it’s really expensive, and you still are lacking that authentic voice. And I found what connected me the most was people was just showing who I was. And like people, I get tagged in, I swear, 15 friends posts a day from people on Facebook and Instagram, or wine related posts, because people know I like wine from following me. So it’s like, that’s where those relationships are made. And that’s where like, I’ll have a past client reach out. And their email subject line was the one where you we asked to be you to be our realtor again, like, like, they know, I like friends. Like it’s just so embedded. And if you’re having an auto posting company do that, or you’re having someone just you’re gonna have a presence, but it’s not going to be definitely be you, it’s not going to be authentic, you’re not going to connect with anyone on it, and you’re never going to get there. So if

27:37
you’re not posting for people anymore, what do you do? Do you say, Hey, guys, I made a template where it says, like, Hey, welcome to my space, my name is blank. I enjoy like, do you how do you make it authentic, while helping people and telling them

27:51
what to do. The membership deck that I created is more of like the blueprint for how to use social media how to see results, and then I give them customizable templates and post that they can use, but then there’s a success framework that they go through. So there’s seven steps worth of training videos, kind of teaching them one of the main things so I’ll talk about this really quick. One of the main parts of that is I teach them how to create a brand menu, which is basically a mix of like content categories that they can put out there that are going to show off their personality and who they are so one might be family one might be travel one might be for me, like it was friends or wine and cycle through those every week so that you are showing up consistently and people start to know you buy that thing so I’m like if you’re looking for how do I know what that thing is? I say what do people tell you and on Facebook right now What was your friend? Your best friend say if they did tell me one thing about you that you without hands down, you know that they love my tree and just share those things? Right?

28:52
Yeah, so I love that part. I love the figure out what your categories are, like what your things are, that you love and are important to you. And then just weave them through like you know, every so often posts about staging every so often post about your daughter every so often posts about the trees like whatever it is that you love, you just have to like weave

29:14
it in, right? And then in a will be you how often should your face be in a picture? Oh, that’s

29:20
a good one.

29:21
Mine is never. And I think that’s wrong.

29:26
I say once a week, but the reason for that is is because then you’re just saying your face is what like they get to remember you by then your face becomes part of your brand instead of just these boring social media posts, right so when I create the content for my members the reason I have the content that they can customize and which is a mix of staging tips, buyer tip seller but more funding and it’s much more creative. You just it’s a I came at it with my own personality infused into it too because I like the creative aspects of all this. So it’s not just like how to buy a house with you know, zero down like it’s More like the creative spin and making that personal network entertaining. Yeah, bright entertain. Yeah.

30:05
And you’re still here super entertaining, I want to go to the cocktail party with you, I would have liked him. She’s really entertaining. So you’re not trying to just give information but frame it in a more interesting way.

30:17
Right, right. And then the, the brand menu comes in is, that’s where you’ve infused your own personality once a week, but then you’re staying consistent by using the rest of the content. Because if you only show up every two weeks, yeah, it’s not going to, you’re not going to get anywhere using social media, you’ll have that. Like I said, if someone comes to check you out, you’ll have both, but is not enough to be that engaging social entertaining platform.

30:41
I’ve heard before that you want to be your face should be in your top and you’re in your top nine posts, like you should have your face where if someone went to your profile, your face should have been in that top nine squares.

30:54
Do you do regular lifestyle photo shoot for your business?

30:57
For myself? I just did my first one actually, oh, no, I just did that. I highly recommend doing one because it gives you that content with your face in it. And I didn’t go and post every single photo from the photo studio. They did. I got them back. Yeah, you can save them and mix them up with the rest of your content. Some of my members will do them. And then they’ll like in a templated posts, like one will say seller tip Saturday or something like that. So they’ll drag and drop their own photo into it. So it’s their face in that post, which then they’re getting their face in their feed, which is really cool. So I like highly recommend them if you can do it. Yeah.

31:30
What is your real estate versus social media business ratio right now? Are you still in real estate?

31:38
I’m still licensed, but I’ve almost completely transitioned into

31:42
because you find out your thing. Yeah, you

31:45
found your thing found my

31:46
thing. I love it, it was to the point where I was had two more than full time jobs, right. And I was just going insane. And I started referring out my real estate business because I was just loving what I’m doing now. And I love connecting with other agents and helping them I love the industry. I love being part of it and helping other agents grow and see that the possibility and where they can take their business and just to show them just the you know, I feel like so many agents go to they started an office, they’re brand new, and they just try to do what everyone else is doing. And a lot of times it’s not, you don’t feel passionate about it when you’re just being told call your sphere every day. Which is why when I started I decided I’m not doing that I’m gonna do my own. I’m gonna do it my own way. So

32:29
I think that’s true, though. What when you talk to new agents, I’m sure you get tons of them in your membership or with questions, what what is what are their struggles? What didn’t new agents tell you they’re struggling with?

32:39
They want leads? Right? Right. Like the number one they’re like, how do I get like, give me the money. So and I which makes sense. You’re new, you’re doing this for fun. And we’re the the tough part was social media. And that is that social media truly is a longer term strategy. It’s you put in the work you put in the time and a year from now you have this brand that you’ve built online, you’re in front of people, you’re top of mind. Of course, there are ways you can things you can do you know, that will like Facebook ads, promoting, you know, landing pages and building your email list. You can do all of that too. But that true online brand staying in front of your sphere, it’s not going to be an overnight success. So I think agents they like they’re new and they they want leads. So they’re like, well, I’ll do this later because I need to focus on getting business right now. I say the sooner you do it, if you want using social media, like I say it’s for social media loving agents. If you love it, then do it. If you don’t, then it maybe it’s not your thing, right. But if you do like it, and you see that potential, and you can focus on that long term, aspect and using it to grow your business, it works. It just isn’t giving you that immediate result. Everybody

33:47
wants thing right now. And we talk a lot about that in our first three episodes. So if you’re new to the podcast, go back to episodes one through three. Yeah. Well,

33:57
working social media is the equivalent of working your database. It’s not going to happen tomorrow, right? It’s just not like you have to put time into it and wait. And if you don’t have the the financial means to wait for your second or third year in real estate, you’re probably aren’t going to make it anyway. Because it’s not going to happen year one or month one for sure. I mean, exactly. I think my first closing was six months in. Yeah, I mean, like, I think four or five. So you know, and you’re not so you don’t have any closings. You have all this time. You could be on social media. And that’s a good point. I think that people are afraid to get on social media when they’re new agents because they feel like they’re a fraud. They’re like, Well, I haven’t actually sold anything. I don’t have anything call me if you need to buy or sell a house. Yeah, that’s no good. But what I think they should be doing is go on the agent tours, take some photos of other people’s listings, go you know, on Shadow, some other agents go on inspections, go to closing take the photos there, post that to your social media like it doesn’t you don’t have it’s not a I mean, you don’t have to say this is my buyer. This is my seller, you could just say I’m here learning about this in real estate or I’m just here, I don’t understand

35:03
behind the scenes behind the scenes are so powerful. So it doesn’t have to be your listing or your buyer or your anything. And I think another thing new agents like discredit themselves on is they still know more than someone buying their first house because someone buying their first house didn’t go through training. They’re not employed by a broker, they don’t have their license. So if you feel like you’re inexperienced, and what am I going to ever talk about, you know more than they do and even going on social media and looking in like other groups or looking at like what are frequently asked questions from other people’s clients like to turn it into content and put it out there because you do know more than you think you do when you’re brand new,

35:41
for sure. All right, I have a question about video. You are awesome on your stories. You do lots of video you do lives you do you know all the stuff with video. Helmi? Were you comfortable with that from the beginning? If not, how did you get there? Is it just like, after a while you get used to it? I think people are afraid and you’re so great at it. But I don’t I don’t know if you always were was that natural for you? No, not at all.

36:07
When I first started doing videos, my heart would like race before I would get on. And I was going live within a private group. So it wasn’t even to anyone in the world. Like my heart would raise. And I would put like peppermint oil on and I would try to be like, How can I calm down? And it just it honestly probably took five times going live and doing it live? Because you can’t erase it. Yeah. And that’s where you that’s where you grow, though and get comfortable is when you know, okay, this is it? Yeah, I can’t, you know, start over. And just doing it just doing it more like letting yourself do it four or five times and getting comfortable. And once you start talking on the live video or your story or wherever that is, then you kind of forget about Yeah, it’s that initial when you hit the button, and it’s counting down three to one point. And you’re like, oh, shoot, I’m live, I’m done. I think that’s so it really is practice that you just have to keep doing it. And then what really helps is if you start with your stories and go on your stories and talk to the camera, you can redo that. So if you start there by doing like small tips, or here’s what’s going on in our community this weekend, here’s where the farmers market is and just showing your face and getting comfortable on your story. When you go live. It won’t be as much of a like big deal, right?

37:21
You won’t be so uncomfortable on camera. I am super comfortable on camera either. But I did find once I started like committing to doing it every night and I haven’t done it enough lately. But every so often, I would almost feel like as a week pass Oh, I haven’t. I haven’t video lately. Like I need to put myself out there more. I just think that people don’t realize how positive and rewarding it is when you put yourself out there because you get all you get as positive feedback. I’ve never get Oh, no one’s ever given me negative feedback about a video I made.

37:51
I feel like this could be like a self coaching session

37:54
or so. Alyssa says she needs you to coach her now. Like,

37:56
this is just so it’s so hard for me to put myself out there. Which I don’t even know why I don’t even verbalize what I’m afraid of. I think it’s just people thinking it’s weird or like, what is she but I can’t It’s so silly.

38:14
But it’s so great that you feel that way because that’s how most people feel. I mean, most people are nervous about putting themselves out there even if it’s just a photo not even like a video where that’s pretty big, but

38:27
I’m just having a mental block with this that I need to overcome. Okay, any

38:31
tips coach Chelsea on getting her over this?

38:34
I think that if you would get on a video or you would put a post out there write it or say whatever you say like you would be telling your sellers or like you would be talking in a listing appointment. So what like if you’re going to give a tip on something related to the selling process? How would you explain that in real life to a seller I

38:53
feel very weird, like BB King to my fellas. Right? Right. So it would be easy to just

38:58
be like the pretender on the other side of the screen or you’re typing that email to them. And it wouldn’t obviously be overly professional and stuffy, it’d be conversational. It’d be like reread it, like before you post it or get on your video, read it out loud, like to yourself and be like, Does this sound like me? Or does this sound like? Yeah, like, like robot? Robot? Yeah.

39:19
When we recorded our intro to the podcast later on, we listen to it. I’m like, I don’t know about this. And this is like, Yeah, this is my like, my voice on how I talk to Siri. Like when I talk to Siri, I use a robot voice and that’s what I want.

39:34
Oh, it just feels awkward. But like it’s just pretend on the other side of the camera is your client or your best friend. You know, just not not a camera, not a social media feed just pretended. If you wanted someone if someone’s going to come to your page, you’d want them to read or see you as you would be in real life and in person. So just try to talk or think

39:55
that way the link or social media. Well,

39:58
you can there’s two different modes. So I go live every week in a group. And it’s usually like 20 to 30, which is super long. So I would say as an agent, like 30 minute

40:07
minutes. Like, whoa,

40:11
that’s really long. That’s like, that’s like a podcast episode for you. So it’s like, yeah, you know, whereas if you were doing a video and you’re doing a quick tip, I would say, three to five minutes. You could even start doing like a minute and a half. Yeah. Yeah.

40:25
And that goes in your stories or in your posts.

40:28
For five minutes, you’d probably end up in your either like an IG TV video or a Facebook Live and your stories. It’s like an eclipse in 15 seconds. So so short, that would be like, that’s where they practice. I think that’s the best place to practice. If you have the desire to go live and you have the desire to get on video with your face, like whether it’s going to be YouTube or IG TV, start with stories practice, and then you’ll get you’ll realize, like the stories you need more time, like why does this run out? After 15 seconds? I need to talk for three minutes. Yeah, it’s more comfortable.

40:57
I don’t think and then I have used the people are in igtv doesn’t think or people are there. What are we gonna say about that? I just feel like nobody that I know. I feel like this, I would be ahead so that there wouldn’t be anybody there for a while.

41:12
I don’t know one good thing about IG TV, which I haven’t even started IG TV yet. But the there’s a lot of potential in it right now. Because a lot of people have not gotten into it. So like you being the first one to get your IG TV going can be a positive thing. But what’s cool about IG TV is you can create a an image like that would go into your feed. Yeah, so instead of having to like click your IG TV channel, if someone’s scrolling and you did an IG TV video, they can start watching the first 60 seconds of it in in the regular feed. And then they can click Keep watching to watch the whole thing. You’re so smart, you could potentially get people there,

41:46
you could get people there. I like that. I think that’s a good tip. All thumb, tell us about the membership because we need more details,

41:54
what it all is. So it is the seven step success framework. So that’s where you start. So when you get behind the doors of the membership, you want to start there, it walks you through the strategy of using social media walks you through, you know the different platforms, where should you be? And I kind of go through that whole topic of deciding where to show up. And then how to balance it. Like we’re how often you need to be here how often you need to be there I go.

42:19
How long does it take people to get through these seven

42:21
steps, you could watch them all in one day. Or you could spread it out over a week and do like one a day. So as long as you want, you could do one a week even like if you really wanted to just implement it slowly. So it depends how advanced someone is like if someone has like a lot of like steps wanting to really talk about like the mindset, the power of social media. And then just like how to use our membership is like part of that in that beginning steps. And then the rest of them go more into deep dive. So like that brand menu I reference, we get really in depth with that to walk you through how to create yours, how to use it, how to implement it, why you should be doing it. And then we get into video, we get into growing and on social increasing engagement, how to promote freebies, which are like lead magnets, and then Facebook ads. So it kind of walks you through the whole the whole thing, step by step of getting success on social media. And then in addition to that, that’s like our, the where you want to start. Now we have like a monthly content calendar, which provides you with the customizable templates, captions.

43:21
Any examples are like one customizable post that you do that’s in that package, like what do they look like? Is it a picture of a house

43:28
or it’s a mix. So like sometimes there’s houses, some are like interiors, some are like just like a laptop with, you know, like kind of behind the scenes look, I’ll put my own images in there. So I’ll take my own images like this month I have one of it’s like a laptop that’s up with the house on the background. And there’s like height like air pods next to it. So I’ll put my own photos that I actually take in there. So it looks more behind the scenes and not like those generic auto posts, the auto post just make me cringe so

43:58
easy to duplicate that picture or use yours,

44:02
I think you can do a combination. So again, it depends on what your level is if you are brand new, and your goal is I need to get consistent start showing up then use the content as it is and then as you get further along in the strategy videos, then start implementing where you’re gonna bring in your community and bring in your face and bring in your brand menu and that type of thing. So you do get a full calendar of content. So it’s like 30 images 30 captions, you can drag and drop new pictures into them change the colors, bonds make it 100% In your own or you can use it as is so it just depends what like everyone’s I would say across the board. Like there’s a percentage of agents who customize everything there’s a percentage that do all of it as is and a percentage that do like customize some things Yeah.

44:47
Can you tell us like a good social media win story like what is a good either for you or someone who’s used you know the system like what is a good sample of what it what the power is?

45:00
So a lot of the feedback I get is just that people didn’t know where to start. And this got them on the road to being consistent showing up and staying top of mind where they’re getting people to DM them and connect with them. And like, they’re now recognizing them that they’re in real estate, because they’re showing up in this authentic way that before they either weren’t there at all, or it wasn’t autopost, generic type of thing. So they feel like they’re really getting Top of Mind with their sphere. For me personally, it was, it’s when you put all those steps together, which is why design that success, Marcus, because if you’re just doing the one like just posting, but you’re not engaging, or you’re just, you know, I don’t know, like you can’t just do one little piece of it, and expect it to work. So it’s really putting the whole picture together. And it just gives people that confidence to show up. Stay ahead of the curve, no, like what’s happening next. So for example, like IG TV is like this popular thing right now. So I go live in my members only group and I’ll do many masterclasses on, you know, it could be about how to use IG TV, how to boost your engagement, how to, you know, talk to like how to show up with competence on the camera, like different things like that. So it’s a mix of like the training, the tools, the content, the package of what you need to show up and be successful on social whether you use all the content or not.

46:26
In closing, what do you feel like hustle means to you? And what does it look like when you were selling real estate versus now? And do you feel like it’s a good word? Do you feel like it’s a bad word? Do you struggle with it? Like, what is hustle mean to you?

46:44
I like the word hustle. I think in the real estate world that can be taken to extreme where hustle means you have no downtime, right? And I just posted this on my Instagram last night. I don’t like success and balance are not mutually exclusive. You should be able to have balance and break from the hustle to enjoy life or you’re gonna get burnt out. So I think hustle is a good term. I think it’s motivating. Like when I like see the word hustle, or I’m like, it’s Monday morning, and I’m trying to think of like, get motivated. Like, I’m gonna get a lot done this week. I like the term hustle in that context. I think sometimes people are think that to be successful, you literally have to work 24/7 have no boundaries, bend over backwards for clients drive, you know, 25 or 25 drive an hour this way, and then an hour in the other direction and be all over the place. Because you’re just trying to say yes to everything. I don’t I think that burns you out and doesn’t get you. Yeah, and we weren’t just like,

47:42
on the safety episode. Like, it’s just not professional either. No, right. Like, it

47:46
doesn’t make you look good. It makes you look like a pushover who has no boundaries. knows this double when I was brand new. That’s what I did. I would be like, anywhere for my clients. I’ll drive two hours, I’ll do this. And it’s like, how was that helping anyone? If you need to see a house tomorrow morning, and I have another appointment? Well, now, I’m not benefiting you. Because I can’t get there that fast. So maybe I should have referred you to someone in that area. But I want to say yes to everything at every moment. And I don’t think that way of hustle is a good, right? It’s more hustling is doing what you need to do working hard. putting in the work. Knowing success isn’t overnight, and then having that balance still.

48:26
Yes. Knowing success is not overnight. Like that. I mean, because once you start saying yes, it’s hard to ever transition out of it like you just You hustled in the beginning because you are new and you’re hungry and you have to work and then all of a sudden it your business is good. But you don’t know how to stop that behavior. You have to put that in place early. Right? You just have to Oh, I love it. Okay, great. This was so good. Is there anything we missed that you want to tell us and we also want you to give us like how to find you you know all of your your contact info so people can find you

49:02
and you have to pick who we are toasting to at the end of every episode to someone and so if you know of a success story or someone who just needs a toast or encouragement you get to pick Yeah, yeah. Okay,

49:15
thank you so much for having me on. This was so much fun. I love chatting with you guys. Um, for my toast I want to toast one of my members who I think is killing it on social media and really implementing all the strategies to put it to work. So I’m super proud of her Annie Stabler, which is homesale Realty Group on Instagram and he

49:35
likes to she likes the podcast to Yes, she posts videos. She posts we will totally toast to Annie what a great idea keep

49:45
going. She’s also a podcast fan. Yes. So I want to just to Annie and to you guys for having me on and because I met at through the power of social media so it’s just crazy to connect as you guys make and I don’t think I have anything else that I need to save Typically, but you can find me at the modern life realtor on Instagram. And I have a free Facebook group called Modern agent community on Facebook that you can join where I do my live videos. If you want to watch a 30 minute video with tips on social media, so

50:16
that’s awesome. Okay, let’s toast to Annie. We’re proud of her. She’s she’s making it work on social media. Yeah. Yay. Okay. Cheers. Awesome. Yeah, you Cheers. Thank you so much. We so appreciate you.

50:29
Thank you so much, guys. You too. Hey, yeah.

50:31
Alright, have a good day. Guys, thank you so much for tuning in to the hustle hungry podcast. Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram at hustle humbly podcast. If you have an

50:41
episode, topic or question please email us at hustle humbly podcast@gmail.com Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and

50:49
leave a review. See you next week.

50:57
This is the good lie.