I waited a while before posting this blog because I wanted to be sure this agent was done... totally. Well, he is. This is more of a rant but also a lesson to those new in the business and maybe even those new to online marketing. Don't make these mistakes and live to regret them.
I got a client last year that was a new agent as of 2014. He signed up for a website that charged him way to much ($200 a month just for an IDX site with content) and wanted to get information on it as fast as possible. He hired someone at first that wrote for him but then he discovered that she used the same content on multiple sites, which only harms his site. So then, sometime in summer he decided to go with me. I started blogging for him and promoting the content on various social media. He was on everything; Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, Pinterest, Linked in, etc... Then he wanted more content (once he realized it was original and good) so he increased the blogging to one a day. A blog EVERY DAY about his area. Great information about local news, events, real estate tips, condo buildings, mortgage news and a great blend of all topics that really enhanced his website and created an awesome resource for information.
Then he put money into Facebook ads. I am in support of these as you can target your audience and build your fan base as fast as you want depending on how much money you want to throw at it. Within 3-4 month he had over 3,000 likes and followers, hundreds of blogs, a great basis of followers and online exposure; probably much more than most real estate agents ever do.
He wasn't getting any leads to begin with but then started to get calls about a blog we wrote here or there, information on a topic they found online, or a lead from a social media. But again, nothing to the extent of what he wanted - YET. I even suggested scaling down the operation to a couple blogs a week and just promotion of the content.... nope. He wanted more, more, more... and you know what that meant.... $$$$$$. Thousands of dollars in social media promotion, blogging, extra work on maps, custom pages, community landing pages and promotion. For a few months he would call me almost every day with questions or suggestions on building his business.
Because I was an agent once upon a time he would even ask me real estate questions as if I was his broker. I said, this is something your broker should answer and he would always say they were terrible and not helpful. Maybe look into a new brokerage, I would suggest.
But regardless, after not quite a full year of blogging every day, promotion, social media and PPC, he felt he didn't get enough to justify it. I begged him to just scale down but one day out of the blue he said, close it all down. WHAT? I said. He said, this isn't working, I'm shutting down my website and closing my social media accounts. AGAIN,,, WHAT? Are you not going to be an agent anymore? He said yes but the site was costing him too much. I suggested moving it to a Wordpress site with an external IDX for far less money.... nope. I suggested leaving the social media sites up.... nope. He said he didn't want people scrolling through the site and finding dead links. I said we can fix this... but PLEASE don't waste all this time and money!
It didn't matter. He just pulled the plug on it all.
Now.... the moral of this story is slow and steady wins the race. He went at this online marketing thing like the hare... fast and ran out of steam (and money) really fast. At his pace for several years could potentially yield dozens of leads but hard and fast for less than one year may not offer the return you need.
I HATE wasting time and product. I felt all this amazing work just got deleted. For Heaven's sake he could have sold the site and the Facebook page to another agent willing to work it, but nope. Just shut it all down.
I'm proud of my work and even though he was happy with my work and I did everything that was asked, he didn't listen to my marketing advice. I really wanted him to save money and do this slow and steady. He could have reaped a great reward in the future.
The point is, don't waste your money. Don't waste your time. Use your marketing dollars carefully and wisely. Slow and steady builds your business, reputation and online exposure. Hard and fast burns up quick.
I'm lamenting all that great work......
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