So many real estate agents have been emphasizing the importance of being present in the community and supporting local businesses. This topic was hit hard when we had real estate agent, Veronica Figueroa on the BombCast with us. Veronica says, “The local connections are the most important. Being present in our community is still 100% our focus.” and “Instead of just focusing on residents, I started focusing on businesses.”
How do you even begin to build relationships and establish yourself as a “local expert”? We’ve got three steps for you to grow relationships with your local businesses and community leaders. And what better way to grow those relationships than with video?
Step 1 Create “My Top Favorite…” videos that feature local businesses
What are your five favorite restaurants in the area? What are your five favorite local businesses? Create a list and then build a video around that list. This doesn’t require you to be at the business itself and you don’t necessarily have to be in contact with the business owner either. Just make sure to tag the business in your videos when you post them.
If the local business sees your video and comments, you then have the opportunity to reach out and ask them for an actual interview or video feature. You could also swing by and leave your business card. This is a great way to start a relationship. In beginning this relationship with businesses, you’ll also be providing helpful information to the residents and people moving to the area!
Craig Veroni, one of our Top 10 Community Video Influencers, saw massive results from a “30 Videos in 30 Days” challenge. Each day he showcased one of his favorite places around the town he lived. This is a fantastic way to connect with local businesses. Learn more about Craig Veroni and his “30 Videos in 30 Days” challenge.
Step 2 Send personal videos to connect and build relationships
If a local business has seen your “Top Favorite” video on social and commented, it’s great to reach out with a personal video! You can reach them through a Facebook message or email. Video allows them to see your face and connect with you. It will also help build trust – so as you ask them to be in a community video, they’re more likely to say yes!
We have so many tips and resources around sending one-to-one video. Here are a couple of posts and guides for you to look over. By the end you’ll be a one-to-one video pro!
5 Reasons to Send Videos in Social Media Messages
Get More Responses by Sending Facebook Messenger Videos
Overcome Your Fear and Grow Your Confidence When Sending Video Email
Step 3 Feature local businesses in community videos
This is the most time consuming step but can be the most rewarding in the end! If you’ve heard back from a couple of businesses who are willing to do an interview/feature video, you can start planning. Real estate agent Ginny Lee Deptula says she takes hours to prep her awesome community videos. But she tells us it’s worth her time. Read more about her journey to becoming a digital neighborhood expert!
Judy Weiniger, another Top 10 Community Video Influencer, shared her community video process with us! Judy says, “We’re hiring a wedding videographer, we’re planning our a whole day, you’re scheduling out hopefully at least 4 community videos a day and then your videographer will also have to edit them.” It’s a long process but pays off in the long run! Head to our blog post for more details: Judy Weiniger’s Streamlined Process for Creating Community Videos
Once you’ve built a relationship with local businesses, you can start partnering with them for things like an open house! In our Open House Marketing blog post, we suggest collecting emails by offering a “free coffee” coupon to people who leave their email as they check-in. This is a one great way to partner with local shops.
Ultimately, Veronica Figueroa says “We don’t want to see the most homes, we want to make the most connections.”