{"id":101,"date":"2016-02-18T12:47:10","date_gmt":"2016-02-18T19:47:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/estatesales.org\/newuniversity\/?p=101"},"modified":"2021-05-02T09:27:06","modified_gmt":"2021-05-02T15:27:06","slug":"estate-sale-company-guide-to-building-an-online-presence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/estatesales.org\/university\/estate-sale-company-guide-to-building-an-online-presence\/","title":{"rendered":"Estate Sale Company Guide to Building an Online Presence"},"content":{"rendered":"

You\u2019ve got the estate sale\u00a0business part down. You\u2019ve observed and attended several estate sales in your area to see how they work. You\u2019ve taken appraisal courses. You\u2019ve brushed up on your customer service skills. You’ve joined an estate sale company networking group<\/a>.\u00a0You\u2019ve even\u00a0established a client list.<\/p>\n

But it\u2019s 2016. And that means you need to establish an online presence. Your digital presence encompasses everything from how you appear to the Search Engines (Google, Yahoo & Bing), to your followings across social media, and, of course, your website. This guide will show\u00a0you how to get started.<\/p>\n

Know Yourself<\/h2>\n

The first big thing is to know yourself an be honest when assessing your resources. Two big factors go into establishing a solid web presence: time and skills.<\/p>\n

Time<\/h3>\n

If you\u2019re juggling three kids and a full time job in addition to your estate sale business, chances are you\u2019re strapped for time. Don\u2019t overcommit and set yourself up for failure. Don\u2019t shoot for daily posts to your blog, Facebook<\/a>, Twitter<\/a>, Pinterest<\/a>, and Instagram<\/a>\u00a0accounts.\u00a0 This is unrealistic!\u00a0 Instead, prioritize. Which accounts can you consistently maintain? Are there any social networks you already use and enjoy?<\/p>\n

Start small with one or two accounts before adding something else to the mix. And strive for quality over quantity. Then you\u2019ll want to maximize your time. Here at EstateSales.org, we use a content calendar on a spreadsheet\u00a0to plan our strategy across all networks. If you\u2019re a planner, this may work for you. But it\u2019s not the only way. Some people prefer to be led by inspiration, and some estate sale companies<\/a> post on the fly.<\/p>\n

Skills<\/h3>\n

Your skill set is the next thing to consider. If you hate writing and did horribly\u00a0in high school English, don\u2019t stress yourself out trying to start a blog. Likewise, if you don\u2019t know the first thing about taking good estate sale photos<\/a>, Instagram might not be your most successful channel.<\/p>\n

Of course you can always learn new skills (see:\u00a0time).\u00a0Programs like Canva<\/span>\u00a0make it easy to do design work and already have a lot of the social network\u00a0formats pre-made.<\/p>\n

Get inspired:<\/b>\u00a0We love this blog by Lisa Kroese<\/span><\/a>, who keeps it updated\u00a0with\u00a0with interesting, relevant content. Her open, conversational style makes it\u00a0easy to read. We also love the photos on this Instagram account from Brown Button Estate Sales<\/span><\/a>. They take the time to make sure each photo focuses on a single item and the filters they use give their account a vintage-y feel.<\/p>\n

Know Your Audience<\/h2>\n

If you\u2019ve been in the business for long, you\u2019ve gotten to know your estate sale buyers. You know your regulars and what\u00a0interests them. Now it\u2019s time to meet them where they are.<\/p>\n

Are they already on social media? If you know they\u2019re on Facebook, then it\u2019s a no-brainer. Create a Business\u00a0Facebook page and remind customers\u00a0to \u201cLike\u201d your page at your sales. You can even ask them what kinds of social media they use. The more you know about them and what they like, the better you\u2019ll be able to reach them. . . online as well as in person.<\/p>\n

Know Your Competition<\/h2>\n

Was it Sun Tzu who said, \u201cIf you know the enemy and know yourself, your victory will not stand in doubt\u201d? While he was\u00a0referring to the art of war, the same wisdom can be applied to estate sales (why not?) Put simply: study your competition. Does a certain estate sale company\u00a0have an entertaining Facebook page with a huge following?<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t get intimidated\u2014get educated. Study their tactics. You can learn the best lessons (including the important lesson of humility) by seeing what your competition does well. Then tailor your content to fit your unique style. In the end, be grateful for your competition. They push you to be better, which is a good thing for the estate sale industry.<\/p>\n

Know Your Basics<\/h2>\n

1. Get On Google. <\/b>Google is kind of a big deal on the Internet. Get in good with Google, and you\u2019ll have clients find you via Search. The quickest way to show Google you exist is to register your company with Google My Business<\/span><\/a>. It\u2019s a pretty straight-forward process that will walk you through all the right steps. And guess what? It\u2019s free.<\/p>\n

2. List Your Estate Sale Online.<\/b> Long gone are the days when people picked up the Greensheet on Saturday morning to map out the weekend\u2019s estate sales. Like everything else now, people use the Internet to search for things (and more often than not, the Internet via their mobile phones), so you\u2019ll want your sale to be easily found online. Not only that, you\u2019ll want your sale to be found\u00a0where people are searching for sales, so it\u2019s a good idea to get listed with an estate sale directory<\/span><\/a> like EstateSales.org.<\/p>\n

We offer a free trial month, a leads referral program, cross-posting on other websites, and a mention in our daily newsletter that reaches almost 1 million subscribers. Many estate sale companies<\/a> like to cover their bases by joining more than one estate sale listing website, as well as their local Craigslist or Classified ads.<\/p>\n

3. Get Reviewed.<\/b> Chances are, if you\u2019ve bought anything in the past few years, you\u2019ve done some online research beforehand<\/a>. You\u2019ve compared prices\u00a0or looked up User reviews. Your potential estate sale clients are no different. When it comes to having an estate sale, people are already highly emotional. They want to find a company they can trust. Besides being listed with trusted organizations like NESA<\/a> or\u00a0ASEL<\/span><\/a>, you\u2019ll want to rack up online reviews, preferably good ones.<\/p>\n

To start, solicit family and friends who have actually observed one of your estate sales and speak to your expertise\u00a0(preferably with a different last name!). Then solicit\u00a0reviews from actual clients as soon as possible. Don\u2019t be shy! While it might feel\u00a0awkward to ask for a review, it really is the best way to start establishing your online presence. Of course, you only want to ask clients who were pleased with your service – so use that as an incentive to do the best job possible.<\/p>\n

What to do when you get a bad review?<\/i> Putting yourself out there opens you up to bad reviews, and this is one of the downsides to the Internet. In this case, it\u2019s best to respond (wait 24 hours until you\u2019re not angry anymore). Then explain your side of the story as succinctly as possible, then move on. And remember the cardinal rule of the internet: anything you type and publish is there forever, so be wise.<\/p>\n

4. Get Listed.<\/b> Many estate sale companies have had success with listing their business on Angie\u2019s List<\/span><\/a>. This website verified the credibility of companies and is available to subscribing members. Registering with the Better Business Bureau<\/span><\/a> is another way to get your name on the cyber map.<\/p>\n

Know How to be Social<\/h2>\n

Social media is a great way to find and engage customers, so you\u2019ll want to take advantage of these free platforms. These days everyone\u2019s using social media, from Baby Boomers to big brands like Coca Cola<\/a>. And it\u2019s not just Facebook. The social networking landscape is changing faster than ever and even small businesses need to keep up.<\/p>\n

With Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, Periscope, Snapchat, and more, it\u2019s hard to keep track of\u00a0the social network du jour.<\/em>\u00a0Luckily, the key to success isn\u2019t in the number<\/em> of networks you maintain, but in the quality<\/em> of the content you share and the connections you make\u2014connections who hopefully\u00a0become customers at your estate sales.<\/p>\n

Facebook<\/h3>\n

+Pros: Everyone\u2019s on it. It\u2019s easy. Most people have a personal network, so they already know how to use it. It’s also really easy to share sale photos.<\/p>\n

-Cons: Everyone\u2019s on it,\u00a0so it\u2019s hard to break through the noise of the constant stream of updates. Also, sometimes\u00a0you have to pay to play. What this means, is you can reach a targeted demographic (people in your area more likely to become actual estate sale customers) by paying for Facebook ads. However, this is not required.<\/p>\n

Case study:\u00a0McNeil Liquidations<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Full details about next weekend’s Edmond sale (the liquidation of Roost Oklahoma Interior Design) now on the “Upcoming Sales” page of EdmondEstateSales.com.<\/p>\n

Posted by McNeil Liquidations – Estate Sales & Appraisals<\/a> on\u00a0Sunday, February 7, 2016<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

McNeil is a bigger estate sale company that primarily deals with high end sales, so they have a bigger budget to spend on Facebook promotions (between 10 and 15,000 dollars in the last 3 fiscal years). They also budget for professional photos of their sales, which they then use on social media. They use their Facebook page to promote their \u00a0estate sales,\u00a0local businesses, and other estate sale companies.<\/em><\/p>\n

Twitter<\/h3>\n

+Pros: Easy to use. Big vintage selling market already. It offers the ability to\u00a0search by hashtags – so people can find your content.\u00a0If you take good photos or know graphic design, even better, since Twitter posts with a graphic or image get more attention.<\/p>\n

-Cons: Like Facebook, it can be hard to break through the din of content. It can also take\u00a0a lot of work and engagement\u00a0to gather a following.<\/p>\n

Case study:\u00a0Fine Estate Sales<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Tomorrow we’ll be wheeling and Dealing… https:\/\/t.co\/6N3FbNqeBd<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/x8bX8qN6ug<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Martin Codina (@FineEstate) January 17, 2016<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n