Real estate self-marketing isn’t like Madison Avenue marketing – written to promote the brand, with no call to action. It also isn’t like Direct Response Marketing – written to cause an immediate purchase.
That’s why, when reading about marketing, you can sometimes come across poor advice. No – not poor advice, just advice for the wrong audience.
I’ve read: “You don’t need to start a conversation. My sales manager wouldn’t be at all impressed if I turned in a report saying I hadn’t sold a thing, but I’d had plenty of good conversations.” And of course, if you were selling cars, roofing, or even shoes, that would be true.
In real estate marketing, you reach out to hundreds of people, only a few of whom are ready for your services at a given time. Therefore, conversation becomes important – even if it’s only you talking (in writing) and the prospect silently agreeing or thinking “I didn’t know that,” or “That’s interesting.”
Good real estate self-marketing is based on relationship building rather than instant sales.
That’s why marketing with prospecting letters, web pages, and blog posts that inform is good marketing. That’s why blogging about your community and your market is good marketing. That’s also why letting your personality shine through in your agent bio and in your blogs is important. People do like to have a sense of who you are.
Every message should, of course, have a call to action, but a soft one. Instead of “BUY NOW” it can be “I’m ready, willing, and able to help just as soon as you need me. Call me any time.”
Of course, actually conversing with people is good marketing too. In fact, taking time to talk with people ahead of the time when they’ll take action can be the tipping point that causes them to choose you.
And don’t forget, taking time to talk with past clients is good marketing – even if real estate is not the primary topic of conversation. It reminds them that you’re the agent they’d like to use again or to refer their friends to.
All these forms of marketing work together, building layers of trust in addition to recognition.
Real estate marketing is a hybrid – and good real estate marketing has no short cuts. It requires consistency and effort.
Of course I haven’t even touched on the self-promotion you must do once your marketing has caused a prospect to contact you. That’s a subject (perhaps more than one) for another day.
What have you done to market your services today? If the answer is “nothing,” then get busy. Do something before you go to sleep tonight.
Image courtesy of anankkml / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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