In the Real Estate Business we are constantly looking for ways to get more attention for our listings, and to find buyers. We have several choices, we can Advertise… or we can Market.
Advertising is out. Viral marketing, where someone else says how great you are, is in.
So what IS this “Viral Marketing” and why is “Advertising Out?”
Advertising, by definition is the paid, public, non-personal announcement of a persuasive message by an identified sponsor to its existing and potential customers. It’s the Old Fashioned Reader Ad, or Print Ad in the Newspaper… it’s not getting much attention now that everyone is carrying around an iPad!
Most people happily share their favorite restaurants, the places to get the best deals online, and oftentimes, the name of the Realtor who did a good job for them on their transaction. THAT is what people refer to as Viral Marketing… getting people to talk about you! Getting people to forward a link to something you wrote, or ReTweeting something that is important.
The old model for real estate marketing was to rely heavily on advertising in newspapers, in the Real
Estate Book or maybe through radio. There is no interaction and no way to really track how many people saw your newspaper ad or heard your radio commercial. Today seller’s expect to see a “Hit” report on the property!
Here are some of the Top Marketing Activities for 2011:
1. The post-closing survey. This should be a part of your marketing plan. It’s easy to create, and gives you credibility and gives you the chance to connect to your clients online.
- What motivated you to hire me?
- What did I do well?
- What could I have done better?
- Do you know of anyone thinking about buying or selling a home?
- May I use you as a reference?
- Would you recommend me on Yelp, Zillow or Linkedin?
2. Do a video testimonial exchange
For your clients who have their own businesses, one of the best ways to get them saying good things about you is to say good things about them. You can post a positive review about them on Yelp, Merchant’s Circle, Yahoo Local or Facebook. You can also post your video testimonial on LinkedIn and send it out as a Tweet on #FF
3. Promote Your Area
How many small coffee shops and berry patches in your area don’t have ANY web presence? I know of one agent that focused so heavily on promoting the small community she lived in on line that the Chamber of Commerce GAVE her a Membership! Take advantage of your online knowledge! Host a website for your local PTSA (they need help, trust me on this!) or be the webmaster for your local homeowners association. If you set it up as a blog site or a fan page on Facebook, you can invite others to share important community 
information. By highlighting the Community, the Schools, the Charities that need more exposure, you no longer are a pesky Realtor. Instead, you become “Our Association’s Realtor.” Remember the Rule… Content is KING!
4. Do Something UnExpected
Yeah, Sponsoring a Baseball Team is nice… but not that something that is going to create a “Buzz.” What kind of reaction would you get if you rented a bus and took potential buyers on a “Foreclosure Tour” in your area? What about starting an Oral History of the area? There are TONS of things you can do to differentiate yourself from ALL THE OTHERS.
Real Estate Agents who understand MARKETING, and how it differs from straight ADVERTISING will be the ones who understand that Social Media is a Cocktail Party... it’s about the Conversation, not the AD.
If you have questions about building your real estate blog as you build your real estate business, give me a call! Josh Harley, Fathom Realty, 214-228-0301. I’d love to help you, and learn more about what’s working in your market! Are you on Facebook and Twitter? Let’s Connect!
Originally posted at Fathom Cafe
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