"The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary." - Author Unknown
I often read many blog posts and receive comments and questions from individuals wondering where and how they should focus their efforts when it comes to marketing.
Sure, I could, and have, provided you with many marketing ideas, strategies and tools throughout my blog posts on where you can focus your marketing efforts. But as we all know, marketing efforts and their results are just as unique as the person doing and managing them - because they are truly related to your marketplace, your ability to start, implement and maintain those efforts and measuring and changing things up as necessary. What works for one person, or in one market might not necessarily work in another. So how can you think about marketing in a very general way and still get great results?
Think of (your) marketing in these 3 ways:
1. Marketing is about slow, sustained efforts that build on your past successes. It is not about creating some marketing pieces and having them lead to overnight recognition and success. Create a plan, one you know you can commit to and stick with it for a set amount of time so that it's effectiveness and results can be measured. This is whether you are creating marketing materials, campaigns, using online tools - whatever the case is - pick them wisely so that you are not only effective in your marketing efforts but using your time wisely. Remember the road to success is always under construction.
2. Marketing is about consistency and frequency. Think about the consistent and frequent messages you've seen on your favorite products and services. Not only have they stuck in your mind but these companies have built a trust and credibility with you (aka branding.) A marketing campaign can be compared to a gym membership. It doesn't do any good unless you use it regularly - I think many of us have been there and can relate to this kind of thinking.
3. Marketing is about hard work. Read the opening quote again. Success comes from putting in time and energy to your marketing plan and strategies. That's right don't give up and don't abandon your marketing plan and efforts. Give it some focus, attention and measure it before you change anything. Many times failure comes from not realizing just how close we were to success when we gave up.
I'll remind you again of my post that suggested marketing tasks that you can focus on everyday to keep yourself focused on your business. Here's the link for some inspiring ideas: http://activerain.com/blogsview/940156/Are-you-focused-on-these-simple-marketing-strategies-every-day
Now take those ideas and focus them on these 5 essential areas of your business each and every day so that you are seeing success with your marketing efforts:
- Blog - did you post an informative, relevant, quality content post that your readers - both potential clients and colleagues - can relate to? Or, if you didn't post today, did you at least read some of the posts and comment - engage with others on important topics that affect the real estate market. Perhaps a post you commented on could be your inspiration for your next post.
- Your website - have you refreshed the content on your website recently. Perhaps it's just ensuring some photos and listings are updated, post a new RE show, make sure your blog loads into your website, have a new article to post for your regularvisitors (that includes google.) EVERYONE likes new content.
- Email campaigns - when is the last time you sent out information to your sphere of influence? Do you have a schedule? Do you have certain topics that you have covered in your campaigns - anything you haven't yet? Do you follow-up with clients on what you've sent?
- Social Networking - do you "check in" on these sites in which you hear everyone talking about and saying they are getting business form or do you simply just have a profile set up? Just like my reference to a gym membership - it won't do anything unless you use it. Make a schedule - check in each morning for 15 minutes, lunch time, end of the day - whatever works for you but establish a plan and schedule and stick with it - make it work for you.
- Reaching out to your SOI every day - are you calling a few people each day? Or sending them a note, email or something so they know they are being thought of? What I have often discovered is that when I send a note to a client or call a client, I often get a note or call back saying "I was just thinking of you." What if that's the case and they are just waiting for you to contact them, remind them, refresh their memory. Reach out and make the contact.
These 5 areas of your business should help to make it easy for you to get and stay committted to your marketing efforts every day.
This is not to say that marketing is an easy task - quite the contrary, Marketing is a commitment, a commitment you make to yourself, your business and your clients - every day. The day you stop focusing on your marketing is the day, in my opinion that you have decided you no longer want your own business.
Did this post inspire you to think about marketing differently?
Did it encourage you to focus on one of those 5 key areas for easy success that can be felt daily?
Do you have a key marketing strategy that you perform daily that is making a difference?
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Ready to take your Marketing to new levels? Anne Marie Malfi ~ Malfi Marketing Solutions.com ~ Copyright 2009 Branding Sanity Workshops - Brought to you from a partnership between Anne Marie Malfi and Rebecca Levinson of Real Skillz. Visit http://brandingsanity.blinkweb.com/ for more details and to register for upcoming workshops. Brokers: contact us for special pricing and/or custom designed training for your agents.
Certainly makes good logical sense, Anne Marie. So, NOW, I just get the habit of doing it consistently...Thanks a million for the good pointers.
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