Interview with a Client: How I got Started and all Online Business Secrets

First thing I want to ask you is:

What’s your involvement in property, obviously, within the property space, and within social media? What are you currently doing on property? Are you currently active?

I basically started investing when I was still in a job. So the one and only job I ever had. And that’s when I got my first investment property. And since then, I’ve moved into HMOs. So I’ve just completed a HMO in Manchester. And I’m just putting a hold on property. Just putting a hold on it now to focus on the social media business, but definitely something I want to continue in the future for sure.

So in relation to social media as a whole, how did you get started with it?

Really good question. So I actually, when I started taking property seriously, I started networking. And this was about maybe three and a half years ago now. I just made so many connections with property people. So I quite like big developers in London. And I wanted experience because I thought I was going to be a property developer at this point. That was like a big goal. I don’t know about you guys, but I feel like a lot of people that get into property, they have one moment where they’re like, Yeah, I’m gonna be a developer.

And I just, I actually started working with these developers on their social media, and doing copywriting for them because I wanted to get experience. So I was like, Okay, what skills do I have that I can kind of offer. And in doing that, I actually got to see their business and how it worked, and how it all functioned.

Basically realised, I don’t want to do that. Like, I don’t want, I don’t want to have a property development business, it just wasn’t, I didn’t find it as exciting as the copywriting and the social media, and the marketing. It’s very lumpy and very slow. I just saw it as a way to kind of consolidate wealth, if you know that you’ve created, whether you’re investing or developing, rather than, like a really good means of actually creating it in the first place.

So that’s when I kind of decided, okay, this is definitely something I’m going to do later. But I want to actually generate this cash flow and this wealth first. So then be able to invest that in property.

It’s really interesting, because so many people are like, Oh, how do I start? What’s the first thing I need to do? And actually, you got stuck in, in something related to the property industry?

But at the same time, I am super grateful, because properties allowed me to start my social media business. And if it wasn’t for my property investments, I don’t know. There’d be so much pressure on the social media business to like, be flying straight away. So I do agree and recognise that I do think properties are a great way to become financially free. I don’t like that term. But you know, it has. Yeah, and it has worked out for me.

I actually, I feel like I’m one of those few people that actually did get my first investment for no money, like it was a money in money out deal in the south east. So I feel like I’m like the poster child for property investing, but I’m not continuing it for now.

Okay, so on the social media front, then because that’s what we’re here for is the reality. Your profile covers a lot of different things. You’ve done an amazing job, but different styles, whether it’s the TikTok type, or Reels, from Instagram, loads of tips, the copy itself, the videos, the photos, all of it kind of covers a wide spectrum.

What in the property world? What would you use social media for specifically?

I think, in most kinds of industries, social media is an amazing tool, obviously, for building your brand. And, you know, creating a connection with people. And those people are your audience. If you’re doing it, well, those people can be your, like, potential clients.

So I think social media is great for attracting clients into your business. And in the property context, I think that translates to investors. So I actually think it’s an absolutely amazing tool to build up that relationship and that trust with people that are eventually going to become your investors. Because, you know, let’s think about what an investor wants to see.

They want to follow you over an extended period of time, they want to actually get to know you and get to know you more than just, you know, your business and property. And they want to get to trust you. And social media is great for all of that if you just simply document your journey, and, you know, show the ups and the downs, and actually just create that kind of dialogue with your people. So I think in terms of our little property, industry and property niche, I think social media is great for actually, you know, building up that relationship with investors, if you aren’t looking to attract investors, then you can definitely use it to attract clients and to attract kind of, I call them like, ideal clients, you really can by what you’re putting out there and the way you’re speaking, you can really kind of filter who you’re attracting.

That’s why I think it’s a great tool because it’s allowed me to work with people that I absolutely love, like all of the property people I’ve worked with. They’re just amazing and all of the entrepreneurs I’ve worked with, and that’s all been through social media.

You mentioned it earlier when you said about your YouTube video about where you’re at in property and why you might be taking a step back for a period of time. And you mentioned a keyword with it, which you’ve just kind of touched on there, which is story. I always think that’s fascinating for social media, is your platform to tell your story. And you said, that’s what people didn’t relate to. And they get to know who you are. And I guess, Instagram, LinkedIn, which and we’re also talking about Instagram, because they’re on their Instagrams, a perfect tool for that, whether it’s a video, we’ve been to site today to record some videos, just very brief kind of walk around videos, but that fills out and fleshes out what we’re doing and who we are. Everybody knows that Kim is pregnant and has curly hair. That’s because it’s on social media the whole time. I think it’s a vastly underused tool. And I think you’re completely right. It’s the story aspect that people maybe overlook, in order to then just post 1000 pictures of keys, or here’s a house with a dirty toilet. And it’s, it’s missing the main thing, which is we’re humans at the end of it, we just want to connect with people.

Is there such a thing as bad content?

Yes, definitely. Okay. No doubt.

So there’s the whole story, which I completely get right around, you know, just post the real you, right, be authentic, all those types of things. But at the same time, on the flip side, it can become too, too much of a structure to, I guess, monotonous, to a certain extent.

What would you recommend people don’t post on social media?

I’ll try to provide an actual answer. So there’s, I think what you’ve touched upon is that there’s two, I see that there’s two types of content that you can do. There’s the brand building content. And then there’s what I call demand generating content.

So the demand generating content is the sales oriented content. The demand generating content is something that’s aiming to get your people to take action, whether that’s investors, or clients, whoever you’re trying to attract. So in that scenario, obviously, it’s going to be business oriented, or it’s going to be specific to what you actually do.

You definitely need that type of content and make sales to get clients, you know, you’re not going to, you might be lucky, but you’re not going to get clients if you’re not actually talking about what you do. Sounds very straightforward. But a lot of people don’t actually tell people what they’re doing and what they’re selling. And then on the flip side, there’s the brand building content, which is just as important. And that’s just about you. And a lot of it is like, I don’t know why people would find this relevant. But at the end of the day, like people connect to people. So you’ve got like, you’ve got to be personable. And I think that’s when people just try to be super professional when they have to hide behind their logos, because they think, Oh, no one cares about this. 

But they do like, if you meet someone networking, you’re going to talk about personal stuff, because that’s how you remember people. And it’s just the same on social media. So I think there’s two types of content, you need to do both of them to get the results. And I think a really good example of someone, or a couple that does this really well. I mean, there’s a lot of people on the property, but I remember like the Oh, geez.

For example some people that inspired me when they were starting out, I remember just looking at their Instagram and just being like, oh, that seems so fun, because they’re just sharing, like what they’re doing in their life. And it’s obviously working really well. And they do a bit of both, right, they share a lot about their personal lives, but also about property. So yeah, if you’re looking for inspiration, I think they’re a really good place to start.

I think that’s another key point. And they are quite comfortable being in front of the camera. And they have very kind of aesthetically pleasing posts. Everything looks to have either a filter or a particular style to it and it’s very identifiable.

So from a brand perspective, I imagine that kind of ticks a lot of boxes, if you’re not comfortable being in front of the camera, and you mentioned this yourself about people kind of taking a step back and putting the brand image first.

But if you’re not comfortable being in front of the camera, is there a solution to that?

Yes. Do it. Just do it. Just get on with it anyway.