Marketing can be a tricky animal. Usually when you think of marketing you just want it to look nice, or in many cases you just want it to exist and be done with it. This is absolutely a waste of time and money. If that's the way you approach marketing you might as well not spend the money to have marketing materials at all.
YOUR BUSINESS IS THE BOW, YOUR MARKETING IS THE ARROW. WHAT IS YOUR TARGET?
What kind of clients are you aiming for? Some people may say they want the clients who have the big money, but when you're talking real estate big money can be made in any number of niches: mansions, condos, first-time-home-buyers, even mobiles in parks. It's only a matter of quality or quantity. What you should really consider is the type of person and Realtor you are and what kinds of people you attract. Think about how you appear to people, how your personality comes off, what kinds of friends you attract, the personality types you enjoy being around. All of this will dictate the clientele you will attract and you should mold your marketing materials around those same feelings, looks, and principles of attraction.
WHAT YOUR MARKETING SAYS ABOUT YOU
Consider your own reaction to a real estate listing sign in a yard that is simple black and white text, bent on the corner, faded from sun exposure, and falling over in the dirt. Would you hire the agent who's name is written in sharpie across the bottom? I wouldn't either. What about the sign with a nationally recognized, color logo, a simple frame, and simple sign rider attached to the bottom. Would you call that agent? Maybe, if you can even remember the name or company, but if you're looking you've probably seen a lot of signs and they're beginning to blur together. That one, though clean and branded sort of gets lost among the others. Now, what if you came across a sign hanging from a big white arm post with a finial at the top and the sign panel was in full color with a full color photo of the agent, crisp logo, name on the sign in a script-style font, website, and the agent's photo looks as if they are handing you a key. Would this stand out to you? Would you remember this better than some of the other signs you've seen? What about the quality of the sign? Does the sign give off the impression that this is a siccessful agent? That they know what they are doing? Some people may think images like this come off as gimicky and cheesy. Good, go with your gut. If it's not you, don't do it. Maybe you'd rather be fishing. Maybe your sign should be you in full fishing gear casting a line with keys at the end and your contact info below. If you're in a lakeside area and you have a lot of fishing buddies, maybe this is your image. In any case, everyone has something that will work for them. Go with what you know, and what you're known for. It can all be applied. However you do it, make your marketing does not look cheap, flimsy, dirty, or otherwise unkept. The quality and look of your marketing materials and image are directly correlated with the type of clients you will attract. Put up a battered, faded sign and you are likely to only attract clients who care about taking care of their home about as much as you apparently care about your sign. Make sense? You don't want one of those "hard to sell, impossible to show" listings, do you?
REAL LIFE EXAMPLE: HOW MARKETING YOUR IMAGE WORKS
I had the distinct pleasure of working with a Realtor named Joan. Joan is a stunning blonde with a big bright smile, infectious laugh, and a big personality that just lights up a room, and a real spit fire too. She, like many Realtors, had been using generic company signage on all of her listings, business cards, e-mails, newsletter, and anything else that people see with her name on it. She had seen some business card designs that I'd created for other agents in our office and asked me to design one for her. She gave me complete creative license to do as I wished with her card. If I were a big company with a huge database full of designs I might have just told her to pick one and throw her information on it, but that would not have given her the real results she wanted unless she knew what to aim for. The beauty of working closely with my clients is that I get a feeling for who they are as people, their style, their taste, their character. Joan's business card should stand out just like her peosnality, in the same tone and spirit that creates an identity in print, online, and in any other media. I created a few generic "classy Realtor" designs for her, then made one based on what I thought was the very epitamy of Joan. She is a Zebra in the desert: bold, beautiful, fun, and very, very different. I took a real chance on her 3rd design. (Click here to see the winning design!)
When I started designing I was inspired by Joan's personality as well as her personal style and taste. She was always bringing fun things into the office like leopard print shoes, a giraffe statue, zebra print hand bag, etc. I already knew she loved this style. I knew she had friends who loved animal print because you attract the kind of people that you are like. And I knew friends had other friends who were undoubtedly some of her clients. It just all made perfect sense. I just had to put it all together in a way that still said "I'm a professional" in an unforgetable way. Well, pretty soon Joan was taking the town by storm. She LOVED the design so much that she had me also design letterhear, open house panels, listing sign panels, and an assortment of other goodies. Together we have started a small empire that will launch Joan to the top in 2010. She's already gotten so many comments, calls, and e-mails about her cards and how her clients "just had to show their friends". THIS is the response we were looking for, and the response YOU should be looking for!
Now, creating an image is not always this obvious, but it's nothing that a few good brainstorming sessions can't solve. Think about nicknames from your friends and family. Think of your favorite things. Think about how your friends, family, good clients would describe you. Better yet, ask them how THEY would describe you as a person, not just a professional. What is it about your personality, style, and busienss that makes you stand out? What do people remember you for? This could be a great first step in unlocking your hidden marketing image. The next step is to choose something, make it cohesive throughout ALL of your marketing materials, and be CONSISTENT! Stick with this design. Maybe you can do a little redesign in 10 years, but for now, stick with it and you will earn a reputation based on it.
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