A few weeks ago, we tackled some general content ideas for kitchen and bath designers. In that post, we mentioned our belief that it’s impossible to run out of content ideas! We’re here to continue to prove that theory right by sharing a handful of outside the box social media ideas for residential realtors. 

As a realtor, it’s important to post about more than just new listings. Social media is a great place to show off what you know about the home buying and selling process – and it helps to give potential prospects an idea of what it would be like if they work with you. By offering up content of value, you raise the chances of engaging a potential client. 

Once you start posting high-quality content, it’s also crucial to engage with a wide and diverse audience. Don’t just chat with other realtors, connect with potential prospects, community figures, and other businesses.

1. Break down different neighborhood personalities: A series of posts with details about different neighborhoods is sure to engage people that are new to the area. Break down the personality and reputation of each neighborhood, but also include hard data like average home price, amount of available stock, school system data, and average commute times. For an added bonus, highlight a few key landmarks in each neighborhood – this could be restaurants, local art, parks, or trails. This is the perfect way to establish yourself as a local guide! 

2. Break down terminology: APR, ARM, appraisals, equity, escrow, FMV, MLS, trust sales, and seller disclosures… the list of confusing terms goes on and on. Help new buyers (or even seasoned pros) expand their knowledge of the market by breaking down common or confusing terms. This shows off how knowledgeable you are and shows you want potential buyers to be empowered… whether they work with you or not! 

3. Show us your style: Have a style of home you love? See a beautiful wallpaper or garden that you idolize? Take us on a visual journey by sharing photos that show off your personal taste. This could be décor you see out at a showing or inspiration that you’ve been coveting on Pinterest. This helps create a visually appealing feed and is a fun way to break up more factual posts. 

4. Community Events: Demonstrate that you’re plugged into the community by sharing local events or updates from community organizations. Bonus points for attending the events you promote and sharing behind-the scenes updates!

5. DIY Tips: New homeowners often need all the help they can get – especially when it comes to DIY projects and getting acquainted with regular home maintenance. Show them that your relationship with buyers doesn’t end when your check clears by providing useful resources for new and current homeowners. 

6. Inspection Preparation: The home inspection can be one of the most stressful steps in buying a new home. Help potential buyers get a better idea of what to expect by breaking down the process, explaining potential resolutions for any repairs, and sharing how to find a good inspector. This is a great time to highlight the home inspectors you often work with…because who doesn’t love some good cross promotion?

7. Buying Anniversary: Posting when a client first closes on a house makes them feel special – but take it a step further by also remembering their buying anniversary. This is a wonderful way to pop up on people’s timelines a year (or more) after you’ve worked with them. Chances are they’ll share your post, giving you the opportunity to get in front of their connections as well. This is a positive way to keep your feed house-centric even when sales are slow, or you’re stuck on what to post. 

8. Community Service: Sharing about causes and local organizations that you support is a great way to show people that you’re invested in the community. This works best (and feels most genuine) if you focus on an indirect sell – instead of making the post about you and your philanthropy, keep the attention on the cause or organization. Be sure to include a link for people to learn more, donate, or get involved. 

9. Dream Listing: People love looking at crazy-expensive listings, even if they’ll never be close to able to afford them. Share some of your most expensive or luxury listings – just be sure to link them to your website. The idea here is to get people browsing the photos so that they end up looking at homes they can actually afford! 

10. What sets you apart: In a competitive market, it’s important to have a highly qualified and dedicated realtor. Show off the accomplishments of your team by sharing some statistics on how you’ve helped sellers and buyers. This could be average selling times, negotiating for perks, or helping people close quickly. Avoid bragging and let the numbers (or testimonials) speak for themselves! 

---

Hue & Tone Creative: Looking to reach a new audience?

Let us help you create a social media that shows off your brand and lets you reach new contacts. Whether you’re looking to increase your views or simply need a break from handling your account, Hue & Tone Creative has you covered for all things social.

When it comes to finding design inspiration, Instagram can serve as your personal playground — it’s a gold mind for great content and inspiration… if you follow the right people, that is.

Whether you’re looking to get inspired for an upcoming photoshoot or you need to find a new font to try out, here are 10 awesome Instagram accounts every designer should tap into from time-to-time.

1.  logoinspirations 

If you’re stuck in a rut trying to create that standout logo, logoinspirations curates all the best identities out there to save you trawling the web. If you check out their highlights, you’ll find lots of tips, inspiration and tools.

2.  logonew

Sticking with the logo theme, logonew shares a healthy blend of sketches and digital concepts. From drones and eagles to bitmojis, bees and beer, their feed is brimming with variety that’s sure to set your creative wheels in motion.

3.  neil_a_stevens

Specializing in poster design, Neil’s Instagram illustrations are nothing short of ingenious. Whether you’re looking for digital or online inspo, his masterpieces will get your inspiration flowing -- and your jaw dropping.

4.  darias88

In his own words, the owner of this account, Daniel Aristizábal, “brings forward new technologies to create stunning and inspiring artworks.” He’s constantly experimenting with new styles and is known for his mastery of turning everyday objects into something abstract, original, and colorful.

5.  mrseaves101

Run by an Australian artist called Gemma O’Brien, this account is packed with bold lettering, illustrations, andtypography. It’s vibrant, it’s edgy, and it encompasses a mix of bold artwork and beautiful snapshots from around the world.

6. handmadefont

Finding a font is no easy feat, but if it’s variety you’re after, handmadefont has you covered. From industrial, futuristic and floral looks, to street art, 3D and foodie feels, it curates a whole load of forward-thinking concepts. 

7. interaction_design_foundation

This one’s less actual artwork, more practical tips -- to help you achieve that perfect piece. With posts on everything from introducing lean UX and conducting heuristic evaluations to information visualization and color emotion, there’s something for everyone.

8. heystudio

Heystudio focuses on brand identity, editorial design, illustration, geometry, color and direct typography. All these topics are at the heart of what they do and their feed has a quirky and contemporary look. With clients like Apple, Vodafone and Oxfam on their books, they must be doing something right…

9. uiuxgifs

GIFs are on the up. If you’re looking to incorporate some on your site or in your social media and email campaigns but just can’t map out what you want, this feed’s full of animated inspiration.

10. velvetspectrum

Last but by certainly means not least, Velvet Spectrum houses a mix of typography, illustration and motion graphics. Oozing with dynamic color and careful composition, the updates are nothing short of electric.

---

Hue & Tone Creative

If you’ve hit a creative wall, we can help you take your artwork to the next level. We can work with you on every design project, no matter what the medium — no print or digital job is too small. To get an idea of what we can do, see some of the projects we’ve worked on in the past or get in touch.

Creating a social media post that connects with your audience can feel like a tough equation to crack. It’s not about creating a viral post or achieving international attention, it’s about getting a return on the time you invest in social media. 

Instead of constantly guessing what's going to bring you success, we’ve pulled together six key ingredients to help you build a strong social media post and get your audience socializing with you! 

1.  Know when to stop

Whatever platform you’re publishing on, keep your social media posts short and snappy. You don’t have an infinite amount of time to draw peoples’ attention, so curate something concise and eye catching. 

Every once in a while you can publish a meatier post -- but for the most part it’s important to bear in mind the medium you’re writing for. Social media is all about quick, consumable content, so try to keep it quick as often as you can.

2. Take the test

When you’re putting your post together, put yourself in your audience’s shoes and ask yourself “would I really stop scrolling for this?” - and answer honestly!

It’s easy to slip into the habit of posting every piece of content you’ve got out on social, but if it doesn’t sit right, don’t hit send for the sake of posting. Incorporate social media into your content strategy, and consider producing pieces for the sole purpose of social engagement.

3. Keep it clean

It sounds super simple, but you’d be surprised by how many businesses fill their posts with a line of clunky URL. Keep your posts nice and clean by shortening your links to something succinct and tidy - a tool like bit.lywill do the trick.

4. Don’t hide away

Make the most of hashtags to increase your post’s exposure and open yourself up to new audiences. While you’re at it, mention relevantpages or people to benefit from their bandwidth too.

As with everything in life though, remember, it’s all about balance. Going over the top with hashtags or tagging can easily start looking spammy.

5. Impactful imagery

Your words are one half of the battle. Your images are the other. People can sniff overly staged imagery from a mile off, so try to mix your pictures up a bit to keep your feeds looking human. 

Play around with styles to see what gets most traction. Cartoon figures or real-life people? Plain images or a text overlay? Something subjective or objective? If it’s feasible, the odd video would be a great addition to experiment with as well.

6. Ask away

People aren’t mind readers. If you want to spark a discussion, make it clear that you’re asking a question, looking for feedback, or welcoming their thoughts. 

If you wanted to be slightly sneaky, you could always ask a colleague to get the ball rolling by posting the first comment...
 

So, there are our six tips to start your journey to social media success – now, go get posting!

---

SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGEMENT IN GREENSBORO, NC

Does posting on social media slip your mind on a daily basis? Or, maybe you're overcome with panic every time you're about to hit "post"? Well, we're ready to get social on your behalf. At Hue & Tone Creative, social media is a part of our daily routine. Let us take social media off your to do list -- we'll handle everything from the planning to the posting.

Are you lacking imagination for your next Instagram post? Everyone’s creative cogs stop turning every now and then, but fear not, we’ve put our creativity to the test by coming up with 75 post ideas to help you through your creative block:

1. Lighten the mood with a meme

2. Pull out a quote from a happy client

3. Post a picture of your products

4. Film a demo of how to use your product or service

5. Publish pictures of customers using your product or service

6. Shout about any competitions you’re running

7. Put your own spin on a big event - like Super Bowl

8. Re-post stuff your followers tag you in

9. Push out any promotions

10. Create some motivational quotes

11. Celebrate any business milestones

12. Tell people about any job vacancies you’ve got

13. Share team bios

14. Share your team members favorite product

15. Let people see what goes on behind the scenes

16. Tease people new product launches

17. Wish everyone a good weekend

18. Remind your audience of your contact details so they can share any questions/concerns

19. Promote employee recommendations

20. Create an event reminder - if you’re hosting any

21. Shout about any charity work you do

22. Promote local charity events

23. Have fun with your brand

24. Show alternative uses for your products

25. Ask questions to gauge audience interest in a topic

26. Share your industry knowledge

27. Ask for feedback

28. Tell the story behind your brand

29. Point people to new content on your site

30. Shout about any awards you’ve won

31. Raise money for charity

32. Consider interviews with industry experts

33. Set a challenge for people to get involved with

34. Remind people when the clocks change

35. Remind people of your unique selling points

36. Share some New Year’s Resolutions

37. Post live pictures and videos from events

38. Share relevant news stories

39. Visualize an inspirational, well-known quote

40. Film a video that will make people laugh

41. Get an influencer to endorse you

42. Latch onto a trending hashtag

43. Let people know what a day in the life at your business is like

44. Publish statistics around your product or service

45. Share any positive press coverage you receive

46. Get involved with topical trends (think ice bucket challenge)

47. Think of something crazy that could go viral

48. Reach out to a celebrity and see if they’ll engage with you

49. Show before and after transformations

50. Thank your customers for their loyalty

51. Congratulate customers or clients for their own successes

52. Point people to key pages of your website

53. Share a fun fact

54. Create a collage to show a timeline of events

55. Run a quiz

56. Feature products that are on sale

57. Make a business announcement

58. Hook onto random awareness days - like International Day of Happiness

59. Play an April Fool’s Day prank

60. Show people what life would be like without your product or service

61. Sell your product in a 20 second video

62. Be vulnerable: share a challenge your business has

63. Set up a user-generated content competition

64. Post a picture of the person in control of your Instagram so people can put a face to a name

65. Share a #throwbackthursday

66. Invite people to follow your other social media channels

67. Run a Christmas-themed giveaway

68. Schedule a ‘Merry Christmas’ post for on the day

69. Remind people of your business hours

70. Share your company’s culture

71. Start your own unique weekly series, like #whatifwednesday

72. Ask people to leave you a review (and tell them where they can do it)

73. Share styling tips

74. Start a countdown to a key date/event

75. Share someone else’s content that’ll be valuable to your audience - but make sure it’s not someone who can take business away from you!

---

SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING IN the triad

Looking to develop your social media presence? Hue & Tone Creative is a web marketing agency specializing in graphic design and social media management. Be sure to check out our portfolio to see clients we’ve helped in the past, or give us a call if you're ready to get started building your online presence.

Posting selfies, connecting with friends, and sharing your latest Buzzfeed quiz results are just a few of the many uses of Facebook. But for business owners, having a Facebook page is a great way to build trust, engage with customers, and promote your brand’s offerings.

If your business is in the minority not utilizing Facebook, you’re missing out on engagement opportunities! 80% of consumers prefer to connect with brands through this platform to get updates, access to discounts, and to share their experiences. Facebook has also become increasingly popular with older adults and is used equally by both men and women, making this platform ideal for virtually every business.

If you’re new to Facebook, or if you just want some inspiration about what to share, we’ve gathered a list of post ideas:

• Stories: People enjoy reading content they can relate to. Share a funny anecdote, or even a #throwback story about your company’s beginnings.
• Seasonal content
• Blog excerpts: Link your latest blog entries- this also gives you an opportunity to direct followers to your business’s website and portfolio.
• Company updates: Some of the best posts are the easiest to pull together! Use Facebook to people updated on your company. Anything from highlighting promotions to new products is fair game!
• Tutorials
• Promos: Share coupons, discount codes, and any promotions your business is offering. 
• Testimonials: Repost positive customer experiences or any press/blog mentions.
• Contests
• Fill in the blank: Give your followers an opportunity to share their opinions by answering lighthearted questions. “My favorite way to spend a Saturday is _________.” “I can’t get through a Monday without _________”.
• Infographics
• Product page links: This is another great way to direct potential customers to your website. Highlight new products of promotions on older items.
• Picture Quotes
• Statistics: Post a statistic accompanied by an image-photos receive 39% more engagement than links.
• Trending Topics
• Fun pictures: Most people browse Facebook for fun. Keep it from getting too serious with a funny behind the scenes picture or maybe a viral video/ picture (depending on your target customer).
• Videos: Share a how-to video, GIF, or a live event video.   

Depending on your business, here are a few industry-specific posting ideas:

---

QUICK TAKES/TIPS:

- Preplan and schedule your posts with services like Hootsuite or Buffer. It’ll save you time and help prevent those annoying “I need to think up something to post in 5 minute” moments.

- Choose engaging and clear profile pictures and cover photos

- Link your other business social media accounts to your Facebook page.

- Make sure to post at the right time: Saturdays and Sundays (12pm-1pm), Wednesdays (3pm-4pm), Thursdays & Fridays: 1pm-4pm

---

Hospitality: Photos of the property, past events/ weddings, travel/ vacation planning tips, best cocktails in town, top restaurant picks for Valentine’s Day, local restaurants/ things to do, best local restaurants, favorite weddings from past guests, must see places around town, top rated tours, best luggage brands for your next trip, how to become a better packer, 10 things to pack on your next vacation, seasonal offerings from the on-sight restaurant

Manufacturing: Sneak peak of new products, business partnerships, productivity tips, industry news, product flat lays, weekly roundup of inspiration: design, technology, etc., publication features, latest industry trends, infographics, top products of the year, contests/competitions, employee spotlight, behind-the-scenes

Retail: Promotions/ sales, picture quotes, styling tips, photoshoot sneak peaks, employee favorites, budget friendly gift ideas, seasonal must haves, coupons/ Discount codes, style inspiration, street style inspiration, fashion flat lays, gift ideas for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, grads, etc., top 10 favorites for spring, fall, etc., outfit of the day inspiration (use #OOTD), customer style inspirations, key wardrobe pieces, holiday outfit ideas

Restaurants/ Coffee Shops: New additions to the menu, game day snacks, daily specials, employee menu recommendations, latte art tutorial video, "What’s your favorite menu item? Comment for a chance to win a gift card.", special lunch discounts during the week, behind-the-scenes, "Like us on Facebook and share this post for a muffin with your next coffee purchase", holiday recipes, tag a friend for a buy one get one coffee promo, video recipe tutorials, events/promotions 

We’ve shared our recommendations, but don’t hesitate to try something new. Just make sure that whatever you share is interesting and helps reflect your brand’s personality. Most people respond better to something that feels genuine and relatable, so don’t try too hard. Have fun and start posting!

---

Need more posting ideas for your business? Check out our entire "What to Post" series here:

Twitter  |  Pinterest  |  Instagram

---

With over 500 million people (300 million of which are daily users) Instagram is the perfect place to leverage pictures of your everyday life to build a big following.

Brands on Instagram benefit from 58% more customer engagement than Facebook and 120% more engagement than Twitter… that means a great potential ROI for you! Instagram has a broad consumer base of both men and woman under the age of 45, and is suitable for almost any organization with great visual content.  

Instagram is rapidly gaining users and is expected to double its number of users by 2020.

If you really want to see engagement from your Insta followers, it’s important to go beyond the obvious (like product shots) with your posts.  Surprising, engaging, and relevant content is where it’s at. If you’re stumped for ideas, we’ve got a few beyond-the-basics suggestions for you:

• Flat Lays: This streamlined photography technique is a big moment on social media. A flat lay is exactly what it sounds like -- an overhead shot of your products laying flat. It's a great way to showcase your goods, partner company's products, and your values. This style is perfect for fashion, beauty brands, or on-trend restaurants.
• Press mentions: Sharing “as seen in” images can help give your products credibility and keep your consumers up-to-date with all your latest brand happenings.
• Reposts: Been hearing rave reviews from a customers lately? Or maybe a not-so-rave review? Regram their testimonials or post a video of their feedback. There’s no better way to earn credibility with consumers than posting organic, unfiltered reviews. Letting a few negatives slip into your content builds trust with customers and lets them know you’re not hiding anything!
• Daily happenings: Post behind-the-scene images of a regular day at the office, of an employee event, or an in-progress project.
• Events: Have an upcoming event? Start sharing the details on Instagram a few weeks out.   If it’s a big event, consider creating a clever hashtag so that your guests can get social with their support for your cause. 
• Hashtags: 70% of the most popular hashtags are brand related. Create one for your brand so that more users can find you.  BUT, don’t overload the hashtags. Social media users are a savvy crowd, and they’ll be able to easily identify people who are just looking for likes. To avoid your content being considered SPAM stick to only a handful of the most relevant hashtags.

---

Creating a hashtag for an annual event?

Leave the year off so that people can see all the fun had in preview years. Your feed will already be populated when it comes time for next years event and you won’t have to worry about people not utilizing your hashtag.

---

• Promotions: Advertise upcoming sales, discount codes, or weekend only flash sales. Consider creating a promotion exclusively for your Instagram followers – you can PM them a special code, have them prove that they follow you at checkout, or run an Instagram contest.
• Get tagging: Engage your followers by asking them to tag a friend who might like a product.
• Go live: Whether you’re giving a tour, running through a product tutorial or just sharing something fun, video is what’s hot right now. The only thing better than video? Live video. Figure out which of your usual posts could translate to video and then take Instagram Moments for a whirl!
  Want to make those gif-like videos that look like they’re on a loop? Use Boomerang.
• Throwback Thursday: Show how much your brand has grown! Throwback Thursday is a great chance to highlight something that happened a while ago. Whether it was last week or a few years ago your customers will love to see how you’ve progressed.

Before linking to employee Instagrams make sure their profile is something you would want associated with your business. If not, it might be time to go over the companies social media policy again. 

• Job Openings: You already know that your followers love your brand – so what better place to find your next employee? Alert your followers when a new position opens up and you might just find the perfect candidate!
• Employee reposts: Put a face to the name for your customers by regramming employee posts about their day at work!
• Holidays + Celebrations: Celebrate the big holidays on social… and the little ones! If you can find a way to tie National Coffee Day, National Best Friend Day or National Donut Day into your feed go for it! Hopping on a trending holiday hashtag is a great way to get new reach.
• Hand your account over: Have a trusted employee, customer, or brand advocate? Let them manage your account for a day or week to give people a first hand account of what it’s like to work for your brand, live on one of your properties, or shop in your store! 
• Experiencing a lull? It might be time to break out quotes or entertainment content to keep your feed fresh. Fridays and Mondays are the best days for a little light-hearted content.  

If you’re a little confused about how these ideas might apply to your industry, no need to worry -- just check out these more tailored suggestions:

Fitness: Healthy food, exercise demonstrations, B+A shots, motivational quotes, workout tips, inspirational athletes, customer success stories, outdoor inspiration.

Artists + Galleries: Mosaics, color palette inspiration, video of work progression, creativity quotes, gallery installation sneak peek, behind-the-scenes look at a collectors home, tutorials, sneak peak of new exhibits.

Restaurants: Daily specials, fresh ingredients, customers in the restaurant, behind-the-scenes videos, recipes, user submitted pictures, seasonal food pictures, tutorials, food & drink parings.

Car Dealership: New inventory, dealer profiles, tips for choosing a new car, negotiation tips, how to select a used car, car features, proper maintenance tips, custom features + upgrades, safety ratings information, test drive videos.

Non-profits: Event updates, sponsor and donor features, mission related content, community impact facts, office tour video, staff profiles, features on people served by your organization, must know facts related to your mission. Have a product like Wine to Water or Goodwill? Use social media to broadcast it!

No matter what your industry, the possibilities for leveraging Instagram are endless.

And, as always, the cardinal rule of social media is engagement. Class A content is useless if people don’t feel like there’s a relatable individual behind the posts!

Need more personalized ideas to help promote your brand on Instagram? We can do that. Shoot us an email at hannah@hueandtonecreative.com.

The average tweet only has about a three hours shelf life. For business owners, that translates to needing to tweet often -- without sacrificing quality. You need to be on the top of your game to maximize your available 140 characters and capitalize on the few instants of attention you’ll get from followers. If you’re thinking that retweets will get you what you want… think again.

If you’re stumped on where to start -- or you’re just running low on ideas -- here’s a few things to test out:

• Keep it industry related: No matter what you want to post, you can’t go wrong by keeping your content focused on your industry. This is one of the best ways to attract quality followers who have the same interests or profession as you.
• How-to’s/tips/tricks: If you own your own business, you’ve got specialized knowledge of some kind. Think about what you know and boil your knowledge down to shareable tricks and tips that your clients can implement on their own. There’s no better source for original content than yourself!
• FAQ: Think about what questions you hear most often from your clients and customers. If they want to know, chances are, other people will too. So, save everyone some time and tweet the answer! Play your cards right, and this will leave everyone following you wanting more...
• Bold + high quality images: Whether you’re posting a photo from around the office or a sample of client work, an eye catching photo is key. An iPhone photo will definitely suffice, but make sure to use an app like Snapseed or Afterlight to clean up your photos.
• Useful stats: People hear so much information every day it’s hard to know what to believe. Make yourself stand out as a reliable, industry source by sharing up-to-date, reliable stats on your industry… just be sure to double check your information and cite your sources.
• A behind-the-scenes photo: Help people put a face to your company by sharing behind-the-scenes photos of what’s happening at your office. You’ll have to use your best judgment to decide if things like taking the team out to lunch fits with your image -- but no matter what message you’re trying to send there’s definitely something from behind-the-scenes that you can share.
• Capitalize on local: If you’re a local business there’s no better way to connect with new clients than to focus on other local businesses, community events, and the general goings on in your area. Not only does this show you’re in the loop, it allows you to keep up with competitors, and can help you forge valuable connections.
• Stay on top of trends (and help keep your followers up to date): Showcase your knowledge by staying plugged in to industry publications and key Twitter users in your field. This will help you stay on the cutting edge! For example, when a social platform rolls out a new feature we try to be one of the first to alert our followers.
• Take a survey: Ask customers/clients what they prefer or are interested in, what they want to learn more about, which of your products is their favorite, etc. You’ll be creating great content… all while getting insight into your customer’s wants and needs!
• Incorporate relevant hashtags: With limited characters it’s important to pick and choose the right hashtags to use. Content that isn’t related to the hashtag will annoy other users -- and won’t gain you any high quality interest. If you’re looking to reach a new audience (who isn’t?) then jump on to trending hashtags and try out some other new tags.

Do: have fun, have personality, be yourself, credit others when you share information, and respond promptly

Don’t: get political, don’t push too hard, or be too salesy

Keep in mind all of these posting ideas are for your business account. If you find it’s hard to keep your Twitter from getting too personal, start a separate account for yourself. This will allow people to get to know you...without tarnishing the professional reputation of your brand.

Need more tailored suggestions? We can do that. Leave a comment telling us a little about your business -- we’ll respond with more specific suggestions!