Online communities and engagement for new business and maintaining relationships

The guest for this episode is someone who you might see regularly on socials, Rebecca Barnett from Coronis, as she unveils the climb to her own successful franchise. Rebecca demystifies the significance of an online presence and the mental resilience it requires, especially when navigating the social media landscape for business. Our chat covers her journey of organic growth, stressing the importance of fostering genuine relationships over chasing numbers and how her strategic engagement on Facebook has become a cornerstone for referrals that keep her business thriving.

We talk about establishing trust and building a community presence and Rebecca's strategic insights on incrementally increasing online engagement and the art of authentic interaction within local groups. We talk about the balancing act of maintaining a personal yet professional online identity and the disciplined approach needed for posting schedules. 

Education and networking can significantly elevate one's property management game and the transformative power of self-accountability in the journey of entrepreneurship. 

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Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:29

So I'm excited to announce our guest for today, and that is Rebecca Barnett from Coronas. Rebecca, welcome, thank you. Now we are going to talk about a topic that is around the use of having an online presence and a presence within communities as well, but what we're going to touch on is how to actually do it in the first place, in getting your mindset right, because quite often we talk about social media and community groups and putting yourself out there, but we normally talk about that when you've already got your mindset good with getting online the first place, but we actually don't talk about, well, how do we actually do it if we find it really unbearably hard? So we're going to talk about it like, bring it really back to basics to even get on there in the first place. But before we do that, I would love for you to introduce yourself. Tell me a little bit about your career, where you've been, where you are now.

Speaker 2: 1:38

Yeah, so I have been doing property management for 20 years this year, so I've done everything from the ground up, done every role you can think of within property management. It started at the bottom and worked my way up. Three years ago, in March, I opened my own franchise through Corona, probably the best thing I ever did. I'm not working under anybody, I work for myself. I do what I need to do each day, just get the job done. I can grow my rent role as quickly or as slowly as I like.

Speaker 2: 2:15

I chose to go the slow route only because I wanted to make sure that I was doing it properly. I wanted to do it right the first time, rather than rushing it and bringing on owners and properties that I shouldn't be, because, as we know, all business isn't good business. So I wanted to grow it organically, the way that I wanted it to, and that's what's worked for me. And, in all honesty, facebook and social media is where it all started and where most of my referrals still come from to this day. Amazing, so we're about to you based. So I'm in Rosewood in Queensland, so about 20 Ks west of Ipswich. So we're about 5 Ks from the RAF based at Anberley, so not a big metro area yeah.

Speaker 1: 3:07

And do you have a team or is it yourself at the moment?

Speaker 2: 3:10

So it's always been me by myself. That changed two weeks ago when I hired my daughter as an assistant. She has just done her real estate course, so yes, she started with me on the first and she'll be starting off by doing routine inspections. I wanted to give her one job at a time. I didn't want to overload her, so I figured one job at a time and routines was a good place to start. So Excellent. And how old is she? She's about to turn 21.

Speaker 1: 3:42

Okay, and just for my own personal interest, did she always have an interest in real estate? Or she sort of got to a point where she's like, okay, I'm not sure what I want to do, I'm going to get into real estate. How did that work?

Speaker 2: 3:56

It's kind of been a bit of both of me. She's always been exposed to the industry, with me doing it pretty much. I think she was 11 weeks when I got my first real estate job. So she's always been exposed to it, always been around it and then saying that she's been exposed to the good and the bad in relation to after hours phone calls and all that sort of stuff. So she's seen every side of it. She's been to uni and done a few things here and there that didn't really spark her interest. So she sort of said, okay, it's about time. I sort of sat there and figured out what I wanted to do and I made her think about it. I didn't want her to rush the decision, which is why we're now waiting until she's 21, not rushing out at 18 during her course. I wanted her to get out there and experience some other things before just jumping straight into it.

Speaker 1: 4:48

So yeah, excellent, because my daughter's 14. And those that know me know that I think because Millie's been exposed to, like the, obviously the good and the bad, she's in that mindset where she's like absolutely not am I going to be doing real estate. So I was interested whether that changes, because I keep on saying to her Mill, when you were 20, you're going to be wanting, you know, knocking at my door, wanting a job.

Speaker 2: 5:14

So yeah, well, I've got a 14 year old as well. She's even starting to say to me I can't wait to like and work with you. So I'm like, okay, you've got a few more years here, right, you need to wait, but how?

Speaker 1: 5:26

good is that? Because they actually still would have a little bit of an understanding Actually probably a really good understanding of the industry before getting into it, so they're going to already be very well adapted to get in.

Speaker 2: 5:40

Yeah, yeah, it gives them the groundwork. They don't have that sort of basic knowledge of what the industry is or how it works or anything like that.

Speaker 1: 5:50

So yeah, no, really good opportunity. So let's go back to when you started with your own business with Coronas and what your tactic was there, because I feel like I've seen you present in the community groups like IGT more in the last I probably want to say 12 months where you're quite active now and it's not. I'm not saying that you weren't active before. I just had never noticed your name pop up. So when you first started three years ago, did you? Had you been on it then, or is this something that is correct with what I've noticed in the last 12 months?

Speaker 2: 6:30

So I was on it back when I started, but probably not to the degree that I was or I started probably about 18 months ago really kind of changing. I was more so I didn't want to overwhelm myself with too much at once. As we know, the first 12 months in a new business is an absolute nightmare. It can be scary, it can be stressful it still is three years later, but those first 12 months are an absolute. It can be horrendous. So no income coming in all of those sorts of things combined together, it's just. It can be stressful. So I didn't want to overwhelm myself.

Speaker 2: 7:14

I started off with the local kind of community groups around me. I didn't want to go too wide, too far, too quick. So I started with like our local Rosewood ones, the blue, the greener, and then I kind of went outwards to Ipswich and then I went a little bit more and then I started joining investor groups and IDT. I think I joined IDT probably about this time about two years ago. So it was just I didn't want to do everything at once, because otherwise you're trying to remember all these platforms where you need to post and check and everything like that. Start with a couple of your local community ones. Get people to know you, build that trust, build that rapport. That's probably the biggest thing and I've been talking to a few people in the last couple of days just kind of starting out, and that's what I said to them. People need to trust you and build a rapport with you. It will take a couple of times for them to see you post and post consistently before they will trust you.

Speaker 1: 8:27

Yeah, it happened instantly no, and it's a funny thing because, like, you started your business because you love property management and you're a good property manager and then, all of a sudden, you're expected to be a marketing expert now and it's and I want to remind people that are listening that it is something that you've got to learn. You don't actually necessarily need to be good at it, but consistent, which is what you said, is really the Main word that you need to take out of it, because we are all still learning as we're going along, and you know, none of us it will, not many of us all, actually. Yeah, very rare, would it? It would be very rare for someone to have done a marketing degree, yet we're meant to act like we've got one to bring in business.

Speaker 1: 9:18

So, with those community pages. So you're talking about local community pages, aren't you? Yes, yeah, but that's not bad, yeah, and so would you. I really want to even go back to even more basic. So those people that aren't actually doing that this at the moment can really like get the real great basic side of things. You are joining your local, like just googling your local area and you're just in Um asking for an invite into it. Generally, you've got to be sort of in the area to. You can't just go and join local community groups all over your state. So that's the first step, um, and the second step when you, when you say posting consistently, would you be saying that you are only posting and commenting on real estate related posts, or is? Is it also just about interacting with your community on other things, like where people have lost a dog or a cat?

Speaker 2: 10:11

Yeah. So probably sort of touching on joining those groups. In most cases You'll probably find if you're wanting to, or if you're opening or starting a real estate in the area, most people will actually already be a part of those groups. Um, I've been a part of the community groups Um around for probably the last maybe five or six, maybe even longer years, because I've lived in the area for that long Um and I don't. I've joined them under my personal Facebook page. They're not under my coroner's handle, they're under my personal facebook page. Um. I've only joined a couple of facebook groups Um that under my coroner's page. Um. I think I've only got three. Everything else is under my personal facebook page. So you need to keep that in mind when you're posting what you're also posting on your personal page. You need to keep all of that in mind as well. Um consistency you'll find most facebook community groups If you check the rules when you um join them or if you're already part of them will allow businesses to post Generally, in most cases, one day a week.

Speaker 2: 11:23

Um. There are some groups that don't allow it at all and that's perfectly fine Um, but most groups will generally allow it once a week. I've got a calendar um note in my calendar each week which groups I can post on, which days Um, and across that whole week I put the same ad across or same information out across those groups Um, so then I know what's been put out amongst them. It does come down to consistency as, as I keep saying, post on them weekly when you can Um take the time to to do it, copy and paste through the different groups that you're posting on. So it's all the same, um, but yeah, it is consistency and it's not going to happen overnight.

Speaker 1: 12:11

No, and yes.

Speaker 2: 12:12

I do, and I do post and comment on other things, not just the real estate ones. I don't want people to think that's all I'm in the group for. Yeah, so general comments, general posts, general things. Just make sure that you're keeping in mind that people are seeing it from your point of, from, like your personal facebook page, um, and it can be connected back to the business. So just be mindful of what you are commenting and what you are posting.

Speaker 1: 12:40

Yeah, I mean, we're all property managers. We all have a very clean personal facebook page, or you should you should anyway.

Speaker 2: 12:47

Um, if you don't make sure you check it first.

Speaker 1: 12:49

That's right, exactly, um, the and that's actually was a really good point because I Absolutely agree, I think it should come from your personal profile. I think I don't. I don't have a separate like obviously I've got my business page, but I don't have a like a personal, like my name business page. Yeah, and everything comes from my personal and I only did that purely out of Um time, like it was I could, I didn't have time to manage both.

Speaker 1: 13:17

And I always say to people like, if you have the time to Consistently manage your personal and your personal business page, then sure, but um, I think generally you find that one fails well, one lacks um in content and um in those community pages. Like what you said, I agree very, very important for it to come from your personal page, um, to get that report, because you're you're really are, you really are dealing like human to human and even just to throw around some ideas Of what else can go in those community pages is you might go and have a really great lunch or dinner or breakfast at one of the local cafes. Post that inside the group, because it is it's not about getting the business, it's about being, like you said, consistent and present in that group with your name and have a positive, be a positive support for that community. So I I don't do do that, but I mean you've just reminded me that I really probably should do that a little bit more often To support your local businesses, because that's what it's all about.

Speaker 2: 14:19

Yeah, and I mean it's going to be two ways straight. They're going to support you as well. So you're getting out there and supporting them and and remembering to try and limit the negative posts and negative Um comments as well. Um, because people do see those and relate you to it. Especially if you're posting weekly within the group, they're going to start relating your name to what you do, um.

Speaker 2: 14:44

And Look, it's probably only the last maybe year Um. I've been living in the town for 15 years. I've had the business for three years. It's probably only in the last 12 months. If I go down to the local shop Um, both my kids work there. My daughter's a manager there. Um, people are starting to actually recognize me Um in only in the last 12 months and that's from that consistency Um. And when I do post in those community groups, I do also put a link to my coronas facebook page, um, mainly just so that they can follow me and all um on there as well, because I do um and I'm sure we'll touch on it. I have changed my um business facebook page, probably in the last couple of months Um, just to go sort of a different track Um, so it brings them back to that so that they can follow that, keep up to date.

Speaker 1: 15:40

Yeah, absolutely, and like, yeah, like you're saying, if people want to refer you, they would normally refer your personal business page, um to the, to the post. So that's good, um, before we get into that, I just want to quickly touch on other options. Um, other community type facebook pages, aside from, uh, suburb specific ones I do you have in your area, like, um, like I hate this world girl boss, but you're not a main girl boss community pages where it's um, you've got those types of communities. Do you have them in your area and do you do much posting on them?

Speaker 2: 16:17

um, we've got a couple of like mummy groups and those sorts of things. So, um, I do um only because the area that that one's um in um doesn't have a lot of community pages, um, and You've got. So you've got to look at where people are tagging you in groups as well. So if someone's tagging you, say, in a post where someone's asking for recommendations, and you're not a part of that group, maybe look at why you're not a part of that group. If it's a local group as well, there's no harm in asking to join the group. If they say no, they say no and make sure you're upfront and honest with the admins as well, because you're going to need those admins at some point.

Speaker 2: 17:04

I've got one page that is very strict on what people can and can't post very strict. I'm not a part of any other group that has rules like these ones. But at the same time it can be quite good because it limits recommendations Instead of posting and commenting. They've got a PM, the original poster, which you end up with 20,000 PMs and it's not great, but at the same time it limits the 50,000 same posts. It's just a matter of making sure that you're a part of the right groups. Don't join every group. Join the right ones. If people are tagging you in a group, think to yourself why are you not a part of that group? Maybe think about joining it and people will tag you in posts. That's great. That means that your name's getting out there.

Speaker 1: 17:59

I love that. An example would be don't be a 55-year-old lady who has got adult children trying to be part of a mummy's group where it's for people with babies. But if you're a property manager or BDM and you do have young children under the age of five and do work and juggle your mum life and your work life, then absolutely that's a great group for you because you're connecting with those people. That's what we're referring to when we talk about make sure that community is suitable for you and aligned with your lifestyle, because, at the end of the day, people buy from people and they need to have that same connection there, because if you're like them, they will, you'll get business from them.

Speaker 2: 19:21

Yeah, if a group's not for you, then don't be afraid to leave it. I have left multiple groups just because it doesn't have the right feel for me or what people were posting or commenting or anything like that. If it's not for you, it's not for you. Everybody's going to be different. If you'll figure out what's right, what are the right groups for you.

Speaker 1: 19:45

We've talked about your sub-specific community groups. We've spoken about more your lifestyle groups like the mums or the girl bosses. Now let's quickly, just as the last group, talk about the industry related groups. I don't know about you, but I feel like there's a whole lot of referring going on in places like the IGT in a circle Facebook group or even just Australian property management community group. That's where I have seen you come up and there's a lot of referring interstate.

Speaker 2: 20:21

Yeah, a lot of backwards and forwards. I think I actually commented on a couple this morning referring in a couple of people. That's where being a part of those groups not just say Queensland, because we've got our property management in Queensland site it's not just about being a part of the groups within your state, but within other states as well. If you're a part of the Australian property manager one. Yes, a lot of us are in there. But if someone mentioned something about WA, I'm usually in there sending your details, sending Esther's details, sending everybody's details through.

Speaker 2: 20:57

It's not just about just your area, but also get to know people in other areas. A lot has changed for me over the last 12 months and being part of IGT actually changed a lot of that. There are so many people across the country that I know have real estate businesses. Now I'm missing a few in Tasmania and Northern Territory and there's a few spots here and there. But if someone's looking for recommendations, generally nine times out of 10, most people can help someone. For me, of course, with the Korean franchises a lot of franchises around Australia now, not just Queensland. It's not just about referring them as well. Yes, I will refer them as well. Like WA, as I said, I'll always pop Esther's name in there, but I'll also pop your name in there and other people that I know in there as well. It's not just about referring your own group or your friends as well. It's giving people options. Not everyone's going to like one person. Not. As we know, personalities clash.

Speaker 1: 22:08

Yes, and I always like referring two or three people too, because I always say that if you refer one person and that landlord doesn't connect with that one person, then basically they're just going to go into the open market where if you give that landlord maybe two or three options, then you know that guaranteed he will go with one of those three people. So it's always better to do that that way and you're doing a service to your existing clients, because you might have clients on your books that are looking to invest somewhere else. You also I find it really interesting to know what's going on in other states with legislation and markets and things like that, and how good Queensland has it. Yes, exactly, but you should be equipped around it all and that's why connecting yourself with those groups, not only for referrals but just for your personal education, is going to definitely make you a better property manager, absolutely, and I didn't realise how different some of our legislations are.

Speaker 2: 23:12

It's crazy Like I'm actually learning a lot just from a lot of these groups as to how different all of our legislations are.

Speaker 1: 23:23

It's ridiculous really, isn't it Like in the same country, why we wouldn't have the same. But we've been caught out and it's such an education piece is where you get landlords that are overreased, that just assume the way that they do it overreased is the same way in WA. This would work in reverse as well, but you can get like as a property manager, you can get questioned where landlords go well, why are you doing that? Because you should be doing this. It's like well, no, actually in WA, this is the way we've got to do it.

Speaker 1: 23:54

So to gain someone's trust is very hard because you don't know what they don't know. And if you don't know like now that I know, for example, the difference in fees, even like over in Sydney, when a client calls me from Sydney, I know straight away. I can say to them listen, have you got properties in Perth? And they say, no, no worries, our fees are slightly different from Sydney and this is what they look like. So you're acknowledging what their ideas are and getting on the forefront of that. So that's why you should be involved in community groups and the importance of that.

Speaker 2: 24:33

And just interact with other property managers, like being a part of those property management groups and even your national ones like the IGT and everything like that. You can jump in there and help people. If someone's got a question about something, you can jump in and help If you can help help. If you can't help, maybe leave it to the ones who can, or if you're unsure, so then people are making sure that they're getting correct information. But if you can help someone by answering a question, absolutely jump in there and help and that's how you build your network. Like I've referred many, many people to like recently one down in Hunter, one up in Tannum Sands and refer quite a few over to WA as well. So it's about growing your network as well, because it is a two-way street. When they think of someone who's asking for a referral for your area, they're going to think of you as well.

Speaker 1: 25:40

Yeah, absolutely, and we had a situation referrals aside but in the group, with posting about things that we're doing inside our business, that we're trying to stay motivated. I find the groups very motivating and accountable, and you probably, like I've been in business now for nearly 20 years, and one thing that people that are starting out in business will soon realise is that you don't have to, you're not accountable to anyone except for yourself. Like you can do what you want, when you want, how you want, and there is no one above you keeping, like you know, you accountable, and so that's a real problem to have, and so it took me a long time to get my head around.

Speaker 2: 26:29

So when I first started, I was under Jodi at that point and I would constantly be texting her or emailing her and saying, look, I'm just going to go do this. And she's like you don't have to tell me what you're doing, where you're going. It takes a long time to change that mindset. It probably took me a good six months to realise hang on, I don't have to be accountable to anybody, I have to be accountable to myself. So and it is a lot around mindset and changing sometimes the way you think about things and everything like that. So, and it takes time.

Speaker 1: 27:08

We had that one with the owner and the tenant landlord books, and I think I posted it up there a month or so ago and I had a few people say, oh my gosh, I've been on my to-do list for this year and getting around to it and I've just seen you now got around to yours, which looks fab.

Speaker 2: 27:25

Yeah, so I'm sure you know the person who actually did mine. Oh no, I don't. Katie did mine.

Speaker 1: 27:33

Oh, did she. Oh fantastic.

Speaker 2: 27:35

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 27:35

I'm glad she did yours. Yeah, because she tweaked mine as well. So I got to do the copywriting because I'm not a perfectionist. So I need someone who is a perfectionist to do that for me, Absolutely.

Speaker 2: 27:45

I'm not a creative person by any means. I never have been, and that is where I struggled a lot. I have located my new best friend in Canva and Chat GPT, which I have very much found in, probably the last month very much, so I know it's been out there for a long time and people have been using it for a long time. I'm slowly uptake, apparently, but everything all of my property descriptions that I'm listing properties for. Now it goes into Chat GPT. They do one for internet listing and one for social media. It's great, I love it.

Speaker 1: 28:22

So you're really having to learn and push yourself, aren't you, with all these new things and keep on moving forward.

Speaker 2: 28:30

I don't have templates for everything, I have to make my own templates. And if I don't have an email for something, I have to make my own email. Having a staff member come on has really changed things, because if my checklist says do this, I know what to do. Yeah, she doesn't. So I have to really, and you really have to think about those things. And when you're setting up a business, do it like that the first time. When you're setting processes up, do it like you're doing it for a new staff member, new into the industry, like they don't know one thing about it, step by step by step and If you don't know, if you and if you don't have an interest like you must have a little bit of an interest in it to at least Do the research to find out.

Speaker 1: 29:14

But there'll be definitely be some people that just you can't even get themselves past that point. And to those people I would say to you, you can pay someone to do these things. So just find someone, whether it's through Fiverr, through an Australian based VA international, in offshore VA, there are people you can pay, just pay and get it done.

Speaker 2: 29:37

Absolutely. Yeah, absolutely. Because at the end of the day, your social media is really important, because social media, everyone is using it, everyone's on it. My biggest thing I probably have to change next is remembering there are others out there besides just Facebook. I'm very sort of very active on Facebook, but everything else kind of takes a backseat.

Speaker 1: 29:58

So I'm catching on anything.

Speaker 2: 30:01

Oh, I've put a few things on, like Instagram here and there and LinkedIn here and there. I'm terrified to the higher hell of videos. So Tiktok is last on my list, but I'm still on it and it's a matter of making sure that you're following the right people To get ideas from and to watch what they're doing as well. I'm not saying go out and copy everything that they're doing, but watch what they're doing. They'll give you ideas on what you can do and everything like that. What to talk about. If you join a newsletter post or something, you can generally make five or six blog posts out of that.

Speaker 1: 30:41

So there's something to be said that, like, I do go on all social media, all platforms, but then I know people that would actually say just pick one and do that one really good as well. So there is actually something to be said for doing what you're doing. So you know, I mean, while I'm very big on moving with the times, I also you don't want to do something that's going that that you're not going to be able to do consistently. And I feel like Facebook and Instagram is probably like on the same level in that you know, if you, if you decide just to do Facebook and not Instagram, that's okay, but I do feel like that LinkedIn is a different audience and I feel that TikTok is a different audience where Instagram and Facebook. I mean, I know that there is a difference in audience, but a very slight difference.

Speaker 2: 31:36

So, yeah, and Facebook covers everybody young to old in between covers everybody your TikToks, you kind of more going to your younger generation and everything like that. But it doesn't hurt to look at what other people are doing across the platforms. Look, there are people that I like I'll follow to leash around to talk because she does amazing things on TikTok. Subscribe to people and it's the one platform that a lot of people forget about and you do it quite well as YouTube.

Speaker 1: 32:09

Yeah, youtube's a really good one. What I just love about social media is that it's free, like. You can reach so many people and it costs you nothing. Yeah, so, and I love free market. I hate paying for marketing so like, and if you're in a business where your business owner doesn't want to pay anything, just like, it doesn't matter. Just, there's so many options for free.

Speaker 2: 32:35

I will spray their junk mail out. These days, there's no point. I have never done flyers, I've never done brochures, I've never called, called anybody in my life, no. So there's so many free ways to do things at the moment and look can, but yeah, look, I pay for the pro side of it. It's $18 a month. Yeah, it's not going to kill you, but it gives you so much more and the things you can do on Canva these days is absolutely incredible.

Speaker 1: 33:02

Yeah, oh, it's fantastic, it's really good. I am, I don't. I don't normally do plugs, but because we mentioned tick tock, I will do a little plug to say that we do have an upcoming webinar For I'm called property managers. That tick tock, so I don't know whether you've seen that or not, but it might be a good one to register for. So if, depending on when you're listening to this, you can actually just go on to the Facebook PIM Collective page and see the event there and register for that. It is free. And if, depending on when you're listening to this recording, if it's, if the the day and time has passed that webinar, there will be a downloadable. So just send me through a message if you're wanting a copy of that webinar. But it'll be interesting. It sometimes is interesting just to know a little bit more about it and so that you're getting yourself correct with that mindset for when you're ready to do it and you're going in cold turkey.

Speaker 2: 33:57

Yeah, and look there are so many people out there that are like me that Take videos and will not get in front of a camera. I'm slowly getting there and just doing, starting by a dig one yesterday, a video message to attack to an owner. Oh, that takes 15 seconds to do and it gets you used to being in front of the camera. It's it's something small, but at the end of the day, it's getting getting your details out there. So and just Keep watching what everybody else is doing.

Speaker 1: 34:31

Yeah, yeah, um, to finish up, can you just quickly touch on the that? You mentioned that you had been making a change with your personal business page. Yeah, so, because you you're a little bit different, because obviously you know you've got the coronas, coronas will have their own Facebook page, so, naturally, to have your own business page. It's like your name, dash coronas. So what were you doing before and what are you doing a little bit different now? How are you using that?

Speaker 2: 35:00

So before it was very much just Just listed. I've just rented this house, I do sales here and there just sold, just listed for sale. It was very much just putting them on, taking them off, putting them on, taking them off. That was it. There was no education things and, as Sort of part of a content club now which does a lot of content creation and, as a few people have said to me, need to remember, your Facebook page is not just about Listed and rented. You're educating people at the same time. Investors are gonna come and look at your page. You're putting your business Facebook page links in a lot of the Facebook ads that you're doing or Post that you're doing. Make it worthwhile for them to go and have a look at that Facebook page. So a lot more sort of owner education, a lot more I also do coming soon posts when properties are coming up for it. A lot more investor side as well. So it's changing that mindset and having a balance between investors that you're trying to target tenants who are looking for another property and potentially wanting to rent a property with you.

Speaker 2: 36:31

To the good news stories and the testimonials and all those sorts of things. If you do something that's good, or if you get a great review. Like I, go out and give tenants their welcome packs when they move in, take a photo of it, put it up. Welcome to the new tenants moving into this house today. It's something that needs to set you apart from everybody else. You don't have to do it great or amazing to stand out. You just need to be doing it, and doing it consistently. It comes back to that consistency Doing things. If you're going to do it, do it. Don't stop doing it Just because it gets too hard or you get too busy. Those little things sometimes can be the things that make you stand out from somebody else.

Speaker 1: 37:21

Yeah, it's about showing a personality, which for me is the biggest thing that you can do. You need to show your personality Absolutely. What's really great about Ellen's content club that you're referring to, because I've got it as well is it gives you enough posts to get the formal side education side into your content for the month but then allows enough space in your content calendar to put those ad hoc and those personality pieces in there. I hate seeing just listed, just rented. I mean I don't mind when people link it with a case study. For example, you might just say we just rented this home for 650 per week. We had this many people through the home opens. This is how long it took. Give, educate the client so that if they've got a property like that they can go. Okay, that's good that there was big numbers or maybe there was low numbers.

Speaker 2: 38:19

If you get sent to see the market and what it's doing, because, at the end of the day, anybody composed up or just rented. That's essentially what our job is listing and renting houses. You don't want to be just telling people yes, we're doing our job. We wanted to be telling them why, essentially, at the end of the day, they want us to be doing it for them.

Speaker 1: 38:38

Yeah, absolutely so. Yeah, people still post those boring posts with no personality.

Speaker 2: 38:46

Yeah, and it comes back. There's a person behind the business and people like to see the personal side of things. I've got a few posts and if people look at my business Facebook page, I've got a few posts where my dogs are sleeping in their dog bed behind me, the cats are sleep on the window sill, I'm babysitting, my son's getting pigs and it's those sorts of things. But don't go extreme. I don't have every detail of my life in there. I was working at seven o'clock Friday night my husband bought me a plate of pizza and there you go great opportunity. So it's those little things making it personal, but not too personal. People need to see that there's a person behind the business and they're actually engaging you as a person.

Speaker 1: 39:34

Yeah, exactly, I had a post on the weekend where I was having a downtime weekend which some people commented on and said it's amazing, ash, how you can still think of content when you're meant to be having downtime with no social media.

Speaker 1: 39:49

But it was a ceiling that had fallen down in a little weekend that we've got and you're doing this one. Yeah, exactly, but I was like damn it, I should have just worked, like I told clients that I was fully booked for the weekend so I could just have a relaxing weekend, and then that bloody ceiling falls down. I end up having to work anyway and so bringing it back to sort of a bit related to work, the weekends and all of that, but what it does is it creates. It's good for the algorithm because it gets people posting and commenting on those personal posts so that when you do maybe do a bit more of a boring or a work post, then you are going to be seen more because they've just engaged with a more personal post that you had before. So there is a strategy behind having that personal content mixed in.

Speaker 2: 40:38

Yeah, and I actually find a lot of my ad hoc ones or my personality ones actually gets a lot more traction than just the normal work ones. So they get a lot more posts and comments and likes and everything like that. So people do like to see the personality side of things, so don't be afraid to show the personality. Just as it's still social media, so still be careful with what you are posting, of course, but at the same time, they'd like to see it.

Speaker 1: 41:14

Yeah, no, absolutely. That was a wonderful insight into how to get started and I think that the community groups is a really, really good takeaway for people that are currently not doing it. Even if you're not a BDM or a business owner but you're a property manager, there is still a relevant you know it's still important and still a relevance to being part of that group as well. So I think that that's a really big thing for people to take away from this the importance of interacting in those groups and over time, consistently. That is going to help your reputation and your business and your new leads coming into the company as well. So thank you so much for sharing that with us. If anyone has any questions or wants to reach out to Rebecca or myself, feel free to and I'm sure property managers listing you'll now see and remember Rebecca's name in those groups as well. She's always in there, willing to help if she can, so that's great to see. Thank you for jumping on today and I'll talk to you soon. Thank you.