Generating half of her business from Instagram, North Carolina-based agent Emily McAllister focuses on creating local content that provides value to her target groups of clients. Jimmy Burgess sits down with him to find out how he’s doing.
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Success on social media is not just about the number of views. It’s about focusing and providing content that specific audiences want and need. Emily McAllister, from Greenville, North Carolina, generates more than 50 percent of her business by producing local content focused on intentionally providing value to her target customer groups.
In his 8-year career, McAllister has seen his business evolve from business growth strategies to more focused social media marketing. He found himself accidentally successful on TikTok, but even though he was getting a lot of engagement and building brand awareness, he had no control over the type of audience he was building, and it wasn’t translating into growth for him. the business he desires.
This led him to shift from TikTok’s strategy of getting more eyes on content to a more meaningful content strategy on Instagram, focusing geographically and demographically on content that is meaningful to his ideal customers.
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These changes have led to a thriving business that allows him to share his passion for the Greenville area in a way that continues to attract more businesses.
His content mix includes about 35 percent real estate content and 65 percent community-oriented content. Her Instagram page is one that agents can use as a model to build a local audience. The following are a few specific examples of what is currently working for him.
Respond to a standard home tour video
Many agents create a walkthrough video or short form video that highlights their listing. McAllister added a twist to open up a specific group of potential buyers on his list. The change he made was not just to highlight the home but to be more specific in his understanding of the rising buyers.
“I started this video by inviting some audience. “I started by looking around me standing in front of a beautiful home ‘for sale,’ and as I spoke, I moved the camera back to get a good view of the home,” said McAllister. He starts all of his videos with a few different tag lines, and in this video, after the tag line, he said, “If you bought a first home in Pitt County before the year 2020, this message is for you because you can buy a house like this one with a mortgage payment of just under $2,000 and that you may have in your current home.”
He uses ManyChat and reel to call to action to get a complete mortgage breakdown sent to their email address, courtesy of his borrower. He says the lender calculated how much the down payment would be on the home to get the loan payment under $2,000. In the case of this home, it was $115,000, and he said he knows that anyone who bought a first home in their market before 2020 probably had a price tag of $115,000.
He said many locals won’t comment in the comments section out of concern for other people who “don’t know their business,” but many message him directly for information. He also said that turning the reel into an Instagram story with a link to the details has been the most productive way this type of content has generated leads for him.
“While social interaction may not seem high on this type of reel, the direct insight has elevated this to one of the best types of videos I’ve produced to address a specific topic. My early success on TikTok was both a blessing and a curse. It taught me to chase popularity and engagement even if it doesn’t grow a certain audience that would be beneficial. “Now I’m more focused on how certain posts catch the attention of certain people I can help,” McAllister said.
Video of a special restaurant
Another big part of building his personal brand on Instagram has been his hyperlocal content for Greenville. By sharing information about local businesses, you help them gain exposure for their companies, but you also differentiate yourself as a resource for all things Greenville. A recent reel that worked well was where he highlighted five restaurant specials every night.
He started the video by saying, “Here are Greenville’s five weekday specials in 30 seconds.” He then shot quick clips of himself at each location enjoying the special. He said businesses like it, and added them all as contributors to the post, which expanded their audience. This reel has generated over 1,000 likes and over 500 shares.
Videos of a person on the road (a unique strategy to promote a list)
“Man on the Street” videos are a format that late night hosts first popularized. This format performs well on social media as well. It involves asking random people on the street a question with a prize often associated with the correct answer.
McAllister used this format recently and promoted his new listing by playing a game he called “Listing Price Right.” He gave a $100 gift card to the person who guessed the closest price on the list without going over the price. This format is engaging, and the idea of not knowing what might happen or what he might say creates an engaging video and additional promotion for the listing.
Meet me at local events
McAllister said one of the biggest “aha” moments he had was seeing the success of a place on social media, not just a social media presence, but also a social presence. One of the ways he has connected social media with his social presence is by promoting local events.
He will highlight an upcoming event and tell people that he will be there. This creates conversations with people who attended the event and learned about it through his Instagram video. This also led to event organizers and local businesses asking him to attend and promote their events or grand openings. These videos continue to create engagement with the local community and potential customers. He also shoots videos while attending the event to make his content more personal as well.
If you want to turn your Instagram page into a business-generating platform in 2025, focus on local, meaningful content. If you want an example of someone who does this well, check out Emily McAllister on her Instagram page..
Jimmy Burgess is a real estate agent and national team builder with Real Brokerage in northwest Florida, serving the 30A, Destin, and Panama City Beach markets. Connect with him on Instagram and LinkedIn.
