Market Yourself Effectively

In a point-and-click world, there's a lot of emphasis on immediate gratification.  If this is your mindset with your marketing efforts, your efforts will fail.  Plain and simple.

You might have the occasional moment where the planets align and you get that immediate gratification, but that's the exception and not the rule.    It's those fleeting moments of instant gratification that allow us to hold on to the funny (really quite hysterical) notion that that is the way to determine whether a marketing effort is successful or not. 

It's very much like the analogy I've heard from countless experienced real estate professionals.  They all say "The worst thing that can happen to a new agent is to close a deal right away in the first few weeks, because then they think all deals will be that easy."

Obviously there are exceptions to every rule, but it's important to be realistic.  Consistency is the key to your long-term marketing efforts being successful.  It's not going to happen overnight. 

In my webinars, I'm consistently reminding agents that about 90% of your work as a real estate professional is marketing and sales...i.e. consistently doing the things that create opportunities for you.

I found a great article that outlines the steps for making an effective marketing plan, including measuring effectiveness.  Click on any of the selections below to view the entire article, written by Brian Wildermuth:

1. Define your offering.   Don't stick with features and benefits.  People are buying you.  What makes an experience with you unique and worthwhile?

2. Know your audience.  Whether you are farming a local neighborhood or staying in touch with your sphere, it is important to gain as much information about your clients and prospects as possible.

3. Design a theme and/or message.   Take #1 & #2 and develop a consistent message that will keep your name top-of-mind with your target audience.

4. Decide on a budget.   Most agents spend less than 10% of their annual revenue on marketing. Statistics show that in order to make any kind of meaningful impact on your target audience, you should be spending 25-30%. Either way, a pre-determined budget will help you allocate the funds necessary to carry out your message.

5. Determine the frequency of communication.   Whether you communicate once per quarter or twice per month, the key is to stay consistent.

6. Select your pieces.   Make sure that your look is consistent with your message.

7. Choose the proper media.   A balanced approach is your best bet...use all your resources: phone calls, direct-mail, e-mail, personal visits, and your website.  Communicate telepathically if you're into that sort of thing.

8. Implement and measure.   This is where most agents fall short.  Without proper planning, you put yourself in a position where you have to depend on an almost immediate ROI to determine what works.  This plan doesn't work.

You've heard it a million times before, and it's true.  It's a marathon, not a sprint.  Think long-term.  Think consistency.