Social media is a way to boost brand awareness and connect with potential buyers.
To explain this (and a lot more), president and founder of Denim Marketing Carol Morgan has penned a new book, “Social Media Marketing for Your Business, Second Edition,” that dives into the “why” of social media. As social media continues to evolve, Morgan says, "Digital marketing is central to every marketing plan, making it critical to build a strong online foundation. My last social media book was published in 2018, and a lot has changed since then; it was time."
Morgan gives evergreen insight and practical ways to move past "feeding the machine" to create a cohesive, goal-driven content strategy. BUILDER caught up with Morgan to learn more about her book and what’s inside.
Why do home builders need a social media presence?
Home builders need a social media presence because it’s a powerful way to increase brand awareness, connect with buyers, and showcase homes. Social media platforms offer builders direct access to a vast audience, allowing them to share projects, promote communities, and engage with potential customers in real-time. It also provides powerful tools for targeted marketing and retargeting, helping builders reach qualified leads more efficiently. Beyond visibility, social media humanizes the brand, positions builders as experts, and supports overall digital strategy by boosting website traffic and search engine performance.
A strong social media presence is part of today’s complex customer journey, which revolves around streaming, scrolling, searching, and shopping. These four behaviors occur throughout the entire journey with the stages of awareness, consideration, and action overlapping. Think of the customer journey more as a honeycomb, not as a funnel.
What are three key takeaways builders can learn from your book?
- Content planning is key: A well-crafted content plan ensures that a home builder's social media marketing is consistent, cohesive, and aligned with the brand and other marketing tactics, not reactive or random.
- Blogging is your secret weapon: Blogging remains the most effective way to boost SEO, differentiate your brand from competitors, and provide valuable content that AI and the search engines recognize as the answers to consumers' questions and searches.
- Engagement over broadcast: Social media is a two-way conversation. Builders that prioritize customer interaction over one-way promotion see stronger relationships and get better results.
How often should home builders revamp social media strategies and why?
Home builders should audit and refresh their social media strategies at least once a year. The review ensures consistent branding across all platforms and is also an opportunity to review what’s working (or not) in terms of engagement, content types, and follower growth. This is also a good time to review the platforms in use to determine if anything should be added or dropped from the mix. Builders should review goals monthly and make tweaks to ensure it is working seamlessly.
What are some simple ways for builders to create a strategy, especially if they’re new to social?
A basic strategy for social media starts by identifying the stories you want to share. These stories should be part of the overall marketing strategy because social media is a force magnifier for the overall program; it should not happen in a vacuum or a silo. Once the stories are identified, start working on a content calendar to identify which stories go on what days, and from there, break it down to how to tell the story. Is it a blog, a video, a post with photos, or a graphic?
How can builders position themselves as experts on social media?
Builders can position themselves as experts on social media by consistently sharing valuable information, educational content, and actively engaging with their followers. Answering questions; showcasing behind-the-scenes construction processes through video; and posting tips on design trends, maintenance and home building best practices all demonstrate knowledge and credibility. Highlighting team expertise, sharing testimonials, and using blogs to take a deep dive into FAQs further reinforces authority.
In what ways has social media evolved in recent years?
Social media has become more specialized and visual, requiring tailored content for each platform. A one-size-fits-all approach won’t work – each site has a unique audience, post format, and size requirements. Since COVID-19, there has been a strong shift toward video and dynamic visuals with movement and eye-catching graphics. As a result, builders must spend more time crafting platform-specific content and understanding where and how to share it.
Are there any changes specific to builders and their content?
Home builders are now expected to create more visually engaging, educational, and personalized content to stand out. Buyers want to see real homes, progress updates, and behind-the-scenes looks. They don’t want to see stock photography or generic content that could be on any home builder's site. Think construction tours of model homes, design selections, team spotlights, and community updates. There is growing demand for short-form video content (like Reels or TikTok), drone footage, and 3D tours.
What are the best ways for builders to track engagement and ultimately ROI?
Builders can track engagement by using the analytics from each social media platform to monitor likes, shares, comments, top content, etc. For deeper insights, tools like Google Analytics measure website traffic from social media, while platforms such as Planable, HubSpot, or Agorapulse provide more comprehensive and advanced performance reporting. To connect social media efforts to actual sales, integrating data from the builder’s CRM is essential. Tools like AudienceTown track consumer behavior across the entire journey, offering a clearer picture of how social engagement leads to conversions and ROI.
What is your favorite site right now and why?
Right now, my favorite site is LinkedIn. It offers a prequalified, high-net-income audience compared to platforms like Facebook, where brands are marketing to the masses. LinkedIn excels at B2B engagement – making it a powerful tool for connecting with real estate professionals and industry partners—but it’s also increasingly effective for reaching consumers.
