Setting Up Social Automation

This article walks through the complete Social Automation setup.

Before you begin: You need an active Social Automation add-on, access to at least one Facebook Page, and a connected MLS or IDX feed for listing posts. Instagram is optional; to publish there, link an Instagram Business or Creator account to the Facebook Page first.

Open Social Automation

In Placester, open Content, select Social, and then select Connect.

Connect Facebook and Instagram

Select CONNECT on the FACEBOOK & INSTAGRAM card.

The Facebook and Instagram connection card

  1. CONNECT: This opens a Facebook window and starts the Meta connection. Sign in with the Facebook account that manages your Page. Choose that Page and the Instagram account linked to it.

Meta may offer access to current Pages only or to all current and future Pages. Current-only access is narrower; future Pages require another authorization unless you choose the broader option.

Choosing a Facebook Page in Meta

  1. Select every Facebook Page you want to make available to Placester, then select Continue.

Choosing a linked Instagram account in Meta

  1. Select the linked Instagram accounts you want to make available, then select Continue.

Reviewing Placester access in Meta

  1. Review the requested access and select Save.

When Instagram is linked, the card shows the Page, the Instagram name, and ready to publish. When Instagram is not linked, the card shows the Page and Instagram not linked. Facebook can still publish. When more than one Page is on, the card shows a count. It says ready to publish when an Instagram account is linked. It says Instagram not linked to an enabled Page when none is linked. Use Publishing Destinations from its three-dot menu to choose which available Pages publish.

A connected Facebook Page and Instagram account

  1. Confirm the card. When Instagram is linked, it shows ready to publish. When Instagram is not linked, it shows Instagram not linked, and Facebook can still publish.

For Meta prerequisites, reconnection, and expired connections, see Connecting Facebook and Instagram.

See what posts automatically

Select Settings. The first card is What posts automatically.

What posts automatically

  1. What posts automatically: Turn a row on to allow that post type. Paused means that row is off. While a row is off, Placester makes no new posts of that type. New, sold, and active listings from that time do not post later. When you turn Blogs off, a blog video that is still waiting is cancelled. That includes the first video and the follow-up. When you turn Blogs back on, every blog post that is already published is treated as old. Those posts do not go out. Posts that already published stay on Facebook and Instagram.

The Which column in the picture is for an agent account. Use the line for your account.

  • Agent: We only share listings where you are the listing agent. A sold listing posts when a home you listed is sold.
  • Team: We only share listings that match an agent ID you add. A sold listing posts when a home that matches an agent ID you add is sold.
  • Broker: We only share listings that match an agent ID or an office ID you add. A sold listing posts when a home that matches an agent ID or an office ID you add is sold.

Confirm your brand

Select Settings. Open the Brand card. That card links to Business Profile. Set the colors, the font, and the logos on Business Profile.

Brand controls on Business Profile

  1. Set the Primary color and Secondary color used across your social videos.
  2. Pick the Font for on-video text.
  3. Upload your Agent / Team logo.
  4. Upload your Brokerage logo.

If these details are not configured, Social Automation uses a default Placester look until you add them. The Brand card on Social settings shows a link, not these fields. When the brand is missing, the link is Set brand on Business Profile. When the brand is set, the link is View or update brand on Business Profile. See Understanding and Updating Your Business Profile.

Choose video looks

Return to Content → Social → Settings and find Template selection.

Social Automation template selection

  1. Choose one or more looks for each post type: Blog, New listing, Sold listing, and Active listing.

If you select more than one look, Social Automation picks one of them for each new video. Facebook and Instagram get the same video, so they always show the same look. At least one look must remain selected for every post type.

See Choosing Your Social Automation Templates for more detail. To watch a look with your brand, see Previewing Social Automation Templates.

Set listing filters

Under Listing filters, configure New listings, Sold listings, and Active listings separately.

Listing filters in Social settings

This picture shows an agent account. A team account and a broker account use a different block on the right. See Listing Filters: Controlling Which Properties Get Posted for those pictures.

  1. Select a listing type, then choose eligible property types and optional price, bedroom, and bathroom limits.

Only Residential is selected by default. Residential properties use price, bedroom, and bathroom rules; land and commercial properties use price rules only.

For the complete filter behavior, see Listing Filters: Controlling Which Properties Get Posted.

Set the still-on-market publish time

Select Active listings to set the daily Post time and Time zone for still-on-market posts.

Post time and Time zone for Active listings

New and sold listing posts are triggered by eligible MLS events rather than this daily time. An active listing posts on day 7, 14, 21, 28, 42, 56, 70, 84, 90, 120, 150, 180, 210, 240, 270, 300, 330, or 365. A missed day does not post later. One daily batch includes up to 20 listings.

Choose the blog source

Under Blog Source, select the Placester website whose published blog posts should trigger Social Automation. Publishing a blog post is the trigger; Content Automation is not required.

Selecting a source establishes the current newest published post as the starting point. Social Automation does not backfill older blog posts. Each newly eligible article can produce an initial video and one follow-up 48–72 hours later, subject to the one-blog-video-per-local-day limit.

See Choosing a Blog Source for Social Automation for the complete workflow.

Check your calendar

Select Calendar to review posts published from Placester. It can take time for eligible listing activity or a newly published blog post to produce a post.

See Using the Social Calendar for post history and one-off publishing. If nothing appears, follow Troubleshooting Social Automation.

Need more help?

For questions, concerns, or feedback, chat with our team at app.placester.com/chat.

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What Is Social Automation?

Connecting Facebook and Instagram to Social Automation
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