Hi there! Thank you so much for being here. I am excited to share with you the work I have done for Elona Livingston Realty over these past few months.
Project Purpose
My Mother, Elona Livingston, has been a Realtor for 16 years and loves what she does! I grew up watching her work so hard and always having a smile on her face while doing so. She has stayed busy and has had to put no time, effort, or money into marketing and advertising. Because she is so good at what she does, she gets so many referrals through word-of-mouth. She hasn’t spent time trying to find people to work with, because they come to her at a more rapid pace then she can even handle! What a good problem to have 🙂 My parents have decided to move soon, and because of this, her client base will be flipped upside down. They will be moving to a new state with completely new people and no connections. They are excited for this change, but Elona is worried about not having clients there and being able to continue working at the pace she has been used to. I mentioned to her that she needs to utilize her Facebook Business Page so that she will have more success putting her face and name out into the world once she moves. She will have to focus on more marketing to gain new clients and build more relationships. She had previously created a Facebook Business Page, but had minimal knowledge on how to use it. I decided I wanted to help her by strengthening her social media presence, growing her page, getting more engagement, etc. And let me tell you, what a great few months I have had doing so.
The Project
This project was focused on helping Elona Livingston strengthen her social media presence, specifically through her Facebook Business page. Though she had previously created the account, there was a lot of work to be done! I updated all her information and images to make it look more fresh. I also focused throughout the whole project on creating content that looked good, coming up with creative captions, interacting with other people’s accounts, responding to comments, messaging people, reaching out asking for reviews, etc. I was also able to expound my knowledge on social media marketing through the trainings I completed offered through Better Homes and Gardens. I am grateful that I was given this access because Elona hangs her Real Estate License under Better Homes and Gardens Realty. I was also able to spend a chunk of time preparing and delivering trainings over zoom to those in her office meetings. The main goal of the project was to get her a more established Business Page, receive better engagement on the posts, and grow her account through followers and page likes. We were able to do all of these things during the duration of this project and the work I put in.
Challenges Encountered in Completing the Project
The only challenge I encountered in completing this project was the distance. Though running a social media page can be done remotely, it put a few road bumps in our way. We were able to work through them all, but it would have been a lot easier if I were able to work with Elona in person. There were a few occasions that I wanted to record her for content, but she had to do so herself. It worked just fine, but it would have been better if I could’ve reordered her, especially because she felt uncomfortable taking the video herself. Mainly because it was so up close. Along with that, there were three specific times that I so badly wanted to go and take a few simple photographs of a specific house for marketing purposes, but was unable to do so. Elona was able to go and take the photos for me, but it took her a few days because of her overly busy schedule. I am grateful we were able to overcome these challenges, though it would’ve been easier if I was local to where she is based out of.
Project Process
As I worked on this project, there were many things that went into it! It was a much longer process than I originally thought it would be. This process began by much discussion with Elona. We talked about where she is at with her Facebook Business Page, and where she wants it to be. We talked about her goals and shared ideas on way we think we could help her reach more people as well as get more engagement. Communication was very key throughout this whole process, and I am grateful we began this project by sharing our ideas and getting on the same page. I don’t think the process would have gone nearly as smooth as it did without the start we had. I then began updating her profile, creating a content calendar, and getting as much content as I could. I kept her updated as I did things things and I was frequently asking for her thoughts and ideas on how I could improve. As the project moved on, we continued with frequent FaceTime calls which was a huge blessing. We would talk each Monday about the project and update each other on what was going on. One part of the process that I did not expect was the opportunity I had to give a few trainings at her office meetings about social media marketing and its benefits. I loves sharing about something I’m passionate about with people that may not have much experience with it. As the process continued, I ran ads on Facebook, as well as focusing on helping her get reviews on both Facebook and Google. I was able to reach out to some of her clients and was blown away at what they had to say. Elona was so grateful for the words people shared and is excited for potential clients to read what others have said about her. The process included seeing growth on her page by growing in followers, getting a new client thanks to the Facebook ads, and growing a stronger social media presence. This was all made possible because of all the steps we took and effort that was put in. Overall, I am grateful for the process and what it taught me.
Overview of Experiences
Through my experiences, I have grown so much and expanded my skills in social media marketing. Though I was here to help and strengthen Elona and her social media presence, I feel as if I was the one that learned and grew the most. What a blessing that is. My experiences were all very positive, and Elona would say the same thing. When I asked her if she could write a few sentences about this project I’ve done for her, she said, “I am so grateful that Lori has helped me build a stronger social media presence. I hadn’t had the time to do so, and quite frankly, I didn’t even know where to start. Her expertise has brought so much strength to my business and I am grateful for all she has taught me. I loved chatting with her these past few months about my Facebook page, getting her insights, and learning from her. Overall, I am so thankful for the time and effort she put into helping me.” I am grateful that it was a win-win for both parties and I have loved my time working with Elona while strengthening her social media presence.
Takeaways I Have Gained From the Project
I have learned so many things throughout this project. I have learned the importance of planning ahead and how great it is to have content at your fingertips that you could post at any time. I have learned a lot more about Facebook ads and boosting posts as well which I am excited to apply in the future. I have witnessed first hand that managing and growing a social media page/accounts takes much more than simply pressing “post.” So much goes on behind the scenes and the more time and preparation you put into it, the more successful it will be! Overall, I learned once again that communication truly is KEY. This project was made possible because Elona and I spent countless hours texting and calling each other about her page. We asked each other questions, did our best to get on the same page, and shares ideas and goals. The more ideas, the merrier! And because there were two of us working towards a common goal, the more success we were able to find. I am grateful for the time and effort I was able to put into this project. Though it brought great results, I am more excited about the growth it brought within myself and my skillset.
Thank you so much for taking the time to learn about the project I have worked on these last few months for Elona Livingston Real Estate. Below you will find a short video with a brief description of my project.