Mastering online real estate advertising, wherever you choose to pursue it, is critical to your future business success. That’s why HomeFinder.com created the Top Ten Advertising Principles for Killer Real Estate Advertising guide. Whether you’re looking for new tips or just a refresher on online advertising fundamentals, we hope these principles help you to create campaigns with satisfying results.
Here’s a sneak peek at excerpts from the first three principles.
10. Be Different!
If you open up the real estate section of your local paper, you’ll notice most of the ads look the same. There’s the open house ad, the agent roster ad, the sold ad, everything follows the tried and sometimes true patterns. Results, as they say, vary.
For starters, look at the ads on the site or sites on which you plan to advertise. If they all reflect the same language, (for example, “Local experts you can trust” or “View every home in Dutchess county”) and have the same imagery (say, happy couples in front of a “Sold” sign), make sure you’re not adding to the chorus. You want to sing a solo! Also, you may want to get a little risky. People expect real estate ads to say certain things. Confounding those expectations can be effective --difference sells.
9. Think you, not we
Your online ad isn’t for you, it’s for the viewer, your prospective customer. That sounds obvious, but too many ads are all “me, me, me.” “We deliver dreams,” “We sell Archer Heights.”
When creating your ad, pretend you have an imaginary prospect whispering in your ear, “What’s in it for me?” Try answering that question in your ad. Empathy beats ego every time. Focusing on the consumer forces you to be specific, to substantiate your claims, or, at a minimum, target them at their needs, not yours.
8. Think beyond the click
The easiest way to waste money advertising online is to neglect what happens after someone clicks on your ad. What we’re talking about here is your landing page. A landing page can take many forms: a home page, a page displaying a special offer with a form or piece of content related to the ad. In real estate, where enhanced listings placement is a popular form of advertising, the landing page is often a property details page. Whatever form it takes, your landing page is critical to your success.
So, what do you need on a great landing page?
Watch your “scent”: If your ad features a call to action to “View luxury property in Scottsdale,” your landing page should have a large headline that says “Luxury properties in Scottsdale.” In other words, you want the viewer to follow the “scent” from the ad through to the landing page in an unbroken manner. This cues the visitor that they have indeed reached the right place, the place they wanted to go, and will help improve your results.
Download the full guide and let us know what tips work for you. Have other tips to share? Let us know. We wish you continued success!
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