This is the estate agent’s video said to have gone crazy on social media

If you ever thought that marketing yourself via Facebook might be a waste of time – think again.

This video, Why on Earth Would You Want to Live in Worthing, was posted on Friday by Sawyers estate agents and by yesterday evening had been viewed 33,000 times with over 460 shares.

Jonathan Rolande, director of the marketing firm Round Web, which put the video together, said: “Getting shares on Facebook is notoriously difficult for estate agents – we have tried dozens of different methods with poor results.

“But this particular video has gone crazy.

“I thought your readers might like to see it with a view to copying the idea for their own towns and cities.”

The video is not so much a breath but a great big celebratory gust of fresh air that makes us want to visit dull old Worthing immediately, and put in an offer on, well, anything with an inside toilet.

EYE is indeed glad to share it with you, while congratulating Sawyers on truly finding Worthing’s happy.

Do take a look – it will light up your day and take very little of your time (but as it’s a bit of a blast, you might want to adjust the volume).

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31 Comments

  1. Chri Wood

    Superb! Hats off to Round Web and Sawyers.

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  2. nextchapter

    My honest opinion? It’s just average. We have videos on facebook that have reached 100k views. It’s just ok. sorry.

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    1. AgentV

      I would like to have a look. Where can I see one of your videos? Find us on twitter if you want to send me a link.

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      1. nextchapter

        no joy. What’s your twitter name?

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        1. AgentV

          Vibe@agentv_co_uk

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          1. LondonR90

            Next Chapter Homes in Brentwood?

            Are you sure? One of your 6 videos has 15 views but that’s it.

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            1. nextchapter

              Where are you viewing this? You tube? We have lots of video content on our facebook page – facebook.com/nextchapterhomes

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              1. smile please

                Good use of video nextchapter – Particularly like the swap of “For Sale to Sold” board from another agent to you might have to steal that idea!

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  3. smile please

    With auto start on Facebook and if you sponsor the video ( which I am sure they did) it is very easy to get perceived massive views.

    It’s not people clicking on a link and seeing it. It’s popping up on peoples time line and auto playing – almost like spam.

    But still a nice idea and has got them some editorial on here.

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    1. smile please

      Sorry what is there to dislike? It’s fact!

      Unless of course if Sawyers are reading this and upset I burst their bubble.

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      1. LondonR90

        I think you are confusing views with impressions. The video has still been clicked and viewed (most likely until the end) and more importantly got them some valuable backlinks in the process.

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        1. smile please

          No sorry you are wrong.

          Trust me from somebody that does a lot of media advertising.

          This “link” has not been clicked that amount of times, as above it has shown up and auto played. Facebook offer very little in the way of backlinks.

          If it was a Youtube video embedded and the views were 30k it would have been an engaging video as the users would click it. That too would offer valuable “backlinks”

          Let me put it this way, When you run a Rightmove report on a property, and it has shown up in searches 30,000 times it just means it has been in a number of wide ranging searches (most of which unrelated to that property) Depending on the property and the price location of it it will have a click through rate of 1.5 – 6% (i think the average in UK is circa 4%)

          What you are seeing is how many times it has shown on a timeline NOT clicked.

          Little tip also, if you want a good number of views on a youtube video you can employ people to just keep clicking on it, so if you see a competitor in a small town with a video that has gone “viral” you know know it hasent it just artificially propped up..

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          1. LondonR90

            Whilst I agree there was probably some marketing spend at the beginning of this little campaign I do not agree that all the views are just spammy and non-targetted. To back my argument up the video has been shared 478 – which, I reckon, makes up the bulk of the *real views*. That is, real people with real accounts living in Worthing sharing this video. So in that sense, it’s a good video with very good local marketing.

            When I talked about backlinks, I mean news agencies linking to the video in the same way EYE linked to it. I am sure, now, it will pick up more links to the Facebook link and increase exposure even more.

            I understand what you are talking about when you go on about impressions and actual click-throughs! But the video above has more tagetted clicks than not. They also have 37 more page likes than last week. It all adds up if it is targetted and relevant and the likes and shares are real.

             

             

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            1. LondonR90

              Sawyers Estate Agents

              36K views and 478 shares = viral
               

              Next Chapter Homes

              41K views and 11 shares = sponsored

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            2. smile please

              I am not saying it was not a worthwhile video, i am saying its not like man had created fire like is being claimed.

              Scary thing is ALL agents should be doing this.

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    2. JonLindsay72

      You can check to see how many times a video has been watched over 10 seconds – i.e more than it just autoplaying in the timeline.  That’s a REAL figure.

      Facebook blows Rightmove out of the water for selling houses these days.  Been doing it for over 12 months now with amazing results.

      You need to understand Power Editor and Ads Manger to get the Ad correct – not just boosting the post.  i.e  what is the objective? Video Views a Lead Form, Page Likes?

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  4. Garret2

    Decidely average at best.

    Lean news day clearly.

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  5. AgentV

    How about a forum in the arena for examples of agents videos, where everyone can post links for us to watch?

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    1. nextchapter

      I think that’s a great idea!

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  6. Whaley

    Fair play that’s brilliant.

    just shows you don’t have to go to the biggest agencies just do something honest and heartfelt and your locals are going to lap it up.

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  7. Nick Salmon, M.D. Property Industry Eye

    Your wish is our command…

    We have set up a new section on the video pages – ‘How agents use video’

    Submit your examples (as a link or as a file) to video@propertyindustryeye.com

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    1. Rivero

      Excellent! I look forward to seeing nextchapter’s masterpieces in particular.

      @nextchapter – would you kindly advise once they are posted? Many thanks.

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    2. Whaley

      When you say ‘videos’ ….

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  8. Rivero

    What a negative bunch!

     

    It may not be Spielberg quality but it’s short, engaging and straight to the point, therefore I think it’s a very good example of what a marketing video should be.

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    1. smile please

      Not sure its negative Rivero,

      Its a nice little advert, but the story makes out they have done something special when effectively they have placed an advert in the local free paper that gets distributed to 30,000 local homes.

      This is what advertising is in 2016. Its the equivalent of the old press adverts.

      Anyone can do it and should, as others have mentioned above its done all the time with no fanfare.

      The worrying thing is there are people on here that do not understand it obviously not doing it.

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  9. Estate Agent W1

    If the only places to eat in that town is a Costa Coffee shop, the town hall or an ice cream cone then Worthing is doomed!

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  10. Russell Williams

    I believe the answer to “Why on Earth Would You Want to Live in Worthing?” is simply “Because I Have Been Priced Out of Brighton.”.

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  11. Marc Shoffman

    We have had some great videos come through so far today. Check them out on our video page and do feel free to submit your own if you think you can do better.

     

    http://www.propertyindustryeye.com/videos/

     

    Thanks

     

    Marc Shoffman

    Property Industry Eye

     

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  12. MissCharlotteP13

    It’s great for agents to embrace and sell the towns in which they operate in! Very tongue in cheek – I like it – well done!

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  13. leonard404

    Well depending on what market your aiming at, this one was emailed to me back in 2013 certainly got my attention. Not suggesting for one moment that anything like this would go down well, in any of your upmarket waterfront properties here in the UK 🙂 but maybe worth testing the water!!!  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_50_-lW7mo

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    1. smile please

      I wish my YouTube Videos racked up 175k views – still going strong 5 years on!

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