How getting involved benefits your community and your business

When you think of community leaders, who are the people that come to mind?

Some of the most common answers include the mayor, religious leaders, teachers, emergency workers, and medical professionals.

What if we told you that real estate professionals are community leaders, too?

At Rolla, our Neighborhood Guide product is designed to help harness your influence as a leader to promote the local community and help your audience.

You have a personal relationship with people looking to move into your community. Even if a current resident is moving to a different neighborhood within the city, you are in a unique position to help them build a better life. This ultimately helps build a better community!

We want to share a new perspective about our Neighborhood Guide product.

Real estate professionals who use it know that it’s a powerful tool to showcase local neighborhoods and to give buyers a glimpse into what life is like in their future neighborhood.

But what if you could use the Neighborhood Guide to connect with local businesses and become a more influential member of your community?

It’s a win-win-win situation. By using the Neighborhood Guide product in this way, you are helping your audience, helping your community, and helping grow your own business.

Here are three ideas to consider:

1. Tag and shout-out local businesses.

Buyers from out of town, especially if they’re out of state, love to see Neighborhood Guides that showcase local life. What are the locally owned mom-and-pop restaurants? What’s the nightlife like? Where will I get a haircut? Is there a local farmer’s market? Anytime you make a Neighborhood Guide, we encourage you to tag and shout-out the local businesses on social media. After all, if you’re already promoting them on video, why not give them the extra boost on your social channels? Your target audience will love this, because it makes it easier for them to learn more about the local community. Seeing the menu of a local restaurant that you featured in a Neighborhood Guide, for example, is just a click or tap away. Here’s where things get interesting: the businesses that you tag and shout-out will notice. Who doesn’t love free marketing? Better yet, if a client walks into a local establishment and says that they were referred there by their real estate agent, businesses are definitely going to remember your name. You might not feel like an influencer, but you are. Here’s the best part: there’s a psychological principle of reciprocity. When you’ve done something helpful for someone, especially if it was organic and sporadic, people want to reciprocate that same helpfulness. In other words, if you promote local businesses, those business owners are going to remember you. They’ll be more likely to refer you the next time someone mentions that they’re looking for a real estate agent. But that’s not all. Local businesses love free marketing material. They’re also more likely to share and repost your content if you’ve tagged them and given them a meaningful shout-out. This means that your Neighborhood Guide video will go even further. It’s now reaching the audience of the local business that has shared and reposted it. In just one click, your reach and potential audience can expand dramatically!

2. Repost and share stories about their local community.

People enjoy positive local news. They like hearing about what’s going on in their local community. If you’ve recently featured a business in your Neighborhood Guide, then follow them on social media so you can see their most recent updates. Also consider following individuals who you consider to be community leaders as well. Whenever they post something that is meaningful, community related, or would be good for your audience to know, then consider reposting and sharing these stories on your own social profiles. Again, this provides valuable information to your audience while keeping you visible to those businesses and leaders.

3. Start conversations within your community.

Imagine if you posted on Facebook and asked, “What’s your favorite thing to do locally during the summer?” Chances are you’ll get dozens of comments highlighting different aspects of living locally. Some people might look forward to the city’s 4th of July fireworks show while others look forward to the fair that comes to town every year. Perhaps there’s a local marathon or a summer concert series that draws a lot of people. Starting these types of conversations will build engagement on your social media profiles, but it will also help showcase different perspectives of what your community has to offer.

Creating Neighborhood Guides is a perfect way to connect with local businesses and become a more involved member of the community.

You’ll be able to harness the power of audiences that already exist while also serving your own potential buyers.

The best part? You don’t have to worry about your videography or editing skills. Our onboarding process and editing service will ensure that you showcase your community in the best way that it deserves!

RELATED: Neighborhood Guides are a win-win-win solution

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