What are agents making over $100,000 a year spending their resources on? It's not Facebook. It's email marketing!* I know, just when you thought Faceook killed email - suddenly its the place to be.
So what system should you be using? They all sound more like carnival rides -- Mad Mimi, Happy Grasshopper, Mail Chimp – than serious business tools. Here is the guide that will help you find the best tools to meet your goals.
When selecting a tool, ask yourself some questions. Take time and analyze where you are today and what you want to accomplish using the tool that you choose.
Analyze where you are:
- Where is most of my current business coming from?
- Who is currently in my database?
- How am I currently keeping in touch with past clients? Networking contacts? New leads? Cold leads? Friends, family, and neighbors?
- How am I keeping track of my database?
- How much time do I have to commit to building an effective email marketing strategy?
Define Your Audience and Purpose
Are you looking to communicate with past clients, friends, and acquaintances so that you can get more referrals? Are you looking to improve the relationships that you are trying to build through networking? Do you want to better communicate with leads you get from sign calls, open houses, or your website? Are you trying to become the king of local in your area?
The first wrong turn many make when starting a new email marketing campaign is failing to really understand their audience. Sending a market report to your buddy from the Y is more likely to make him feel like a mark than a friend. That is, of course, unless he asked you for it.
Audiences can be classified into two groups: Friends and Leads. Don’t get caught up on the terminology just yet. First, let me explain.
Friends are people who know you and with whom you’ve had some personal contact. You know “Friends” to varying degrees. They can be anyone from your mother to someone you met last night for the first time at a cocktail party. The two qualifications for people in your “Friends” category are that you have a real desire to have further interaction with them and they have to know who you are and why you are contacting them.
Leads are people who you know who are actively looking to engage in a business relationship with you. If your mother has decided to look for a new home, she can be classified as a lead. The email marketing campaigns you plan for your Leads Group need to be much more targeted than those you plan for friends. This group generally requires some sub-grouping in order to deliver them truly meaningful content.
*Note: Many people in your database will fall into both categories. After a few interactions, leads will quickly become friends. Friends will also turn into leads when a need arises for them. The important thing is to not to alienate people in your contact sphere by not respecting the kind of relationship you have with them.
The Right Message
The right message is a different message for each of these groups. Sending just listed fliers once a week to your “Friends” will quickly irritate them. Neglecting to stay in close contact with your “Leads” will translate into missed opportunities.
What to say to Friends!
While you don’t want to treat your “Friends” like leads, sending regular communications will help you deepen the relationship you have with them and keep you on top of their mind so that when they have an opportunity to refer business to you they remember and act. Sending quick notes, holiday greetings, remarking on funny things in the news, and reporting to them on important events in your life are all appropriate communications.
What to say to Leads!
Give them what they need. If they need market data, make sure you are the source for that. If they are looking for listings – provide them appropriately. They may need tips on home ownership, a field guide to their new city, or help finding great places to eat, shop, and integrate in their new neighborhood. Providing meaningful content to leads should be easy once you have taken the time to understand who they are and what their needs are.
There are plenty of tools to pick from. Happy Grasshopper is one of the easiest for staying in touch with your friends - Check out this blog by Karen Salmon about how easy it was to incorporate email marketing into her business. Like her - you'll be shocked on the immediate results it will bring.
*Per Chris Smith's presentation at Inman Connect NYC, viewable here. (Jump to 8:04 for quote)
With email marketing, do you use a program where all of your leads are stored or just use Outlook or Gmail? I use Zoho and I've recently received an email saying that a number of my emails are being marked as spam. I'm not including anything out of the ordinary, just informing people about WhizReal with a few links showing what it is about. When I think of spam, I think of a lot of "!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" or "BUY NOW", which is the complete opposite of the emails that I’m sending. Has anyone run into this problem and if so, how did they avoid their emails being considered spam?
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