Whether you are a part of a large brokerage or an independent Realtor, the options of how to fuel your machine are endless. So how does one decide what to direction go with so many options?

Don’t think about marketing in a compartmentalized way. It’s not “old school” vs “new technology”. It is about how we pull what works for our Real Estate business/Team from all the available options. Don’t get hung up on any one thing, find the synergy. Some of the most successful Agents and Brokers blend traditional methods with new concepts and a lot of personal touch. Below are several prospect targeting methods for you to consider mixing, matching and adding your spin.

Use technology to put a new spin on an “old school” marketing concept, direct mail.

Have you heard the saying “everything that is old is new again?”  Well, it’s true. Realtors have been told over and over (mostly by digital marketers) that direct mail is dead. It’s not- it just needs a new perspective.

In 2016 the number of people who read post cards went up 3.9% year-over-year, and it’s not just “the older” markets responding to direct mail. The response rate for ages 18-21 also increased by double. The tradition of sending a postcard to every home in a select zip code is no longer necessary. The key is personalization and relevance. When a targeted message is sent to the correct audience the ROI is high, and the best way to identify the right audience is through big data.

There are a lot of solutions out there for Brokers and Agents to tap into big data and discover audience insight. For example, CBx from Coldwell Banker, GroundSignal and even a free tool from RealMailers. Once you have gathered your audience intelligence and combine it with your personal knowledge of the market, you can begin to craft your message. Soon, you are sure to see new leads come in.

Use email marketing technology to continue the tradition of personalized communication.

Just like direct mail, email marketing should have its place in your overall marketing plan. Not all prospects are going to come through your local market place, especially for the Buyers Relator®. Today, home can be a fluid concept.  Many people relocate across city, state and even country lines multiple times during their lifetime. For these folks, a direct mail campaign is not an effective way to reach them.

The Yin to the yang of direct mail is your email marketing program. Most buyers will search online at some point during the buying process, many making that their first stop. As these buyers find you online, you will need to be ready to engage with them. The expectation of speed in the digital space requires that you have automated response systems and drip campaigns ready at every moment.

Brokers and Agents that have made an investment in a Real Estate CRM, like the Buying Buddy IDX CRM, will see their investment spring to life and shine here. A CRM system will help you organize, communicate with and track your prospects as they enter your system. It will also help you integrate your off line activities (like direct mail) into your online programming and reporting tools.

If you don’t have a Real Estate specific IDX CRM, now is the time to consider it. Check out our blog on what your CRM should have.

Follow the niche marketing trend to find success in your Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and paid social programming.

One of the growing trends in Real Estate marketing is hyper local marketing or niche marketing. Savvy Realtors know that having an ear to the ground in their communities has huge value, and they are using that specialty knowledge to win business in person and online.

There is a lot of online noise that we all have to contend with. Niche marketing is a good way to stand out in your space and a better approach to take when it comes to strengthening your ranking from search algorithms. Remember we said that most people search online at least one time during their buyer’s journey? Well, the specific number is actually 90% of buyers. So use niche marketing techniques to get in front of them.

SEO and paid social marketing can be as big or as small as you need them to be.

The power of search engines to determine the success of your Real Estate business and the likelihood you will be found online cannot be emphasized enough. SEO can be tricky, so you either need to learn the tricks, hire someone to do it for you or implement a readily available to tool to help you. The algorithms that govern the search and display of information and ads change frequently, so be sure you stay on top of them.

As mentioned in the previous section, niche marketing goes a long way to increase your visibility through SEO marketing. Within your specific niche space, you are not competing with the likes of Zillow and Realtor.com. Use this to your advantage and beat the “big boys” at the online marketing game. She how one of our clients is taking this approach in this blog.

While paid social marketing has a higher price tag than pure SEO, it operates in much the same way and requires the same dedication to be successful. Google AdWords and the MSN counterpart Bing Ads have an incredible amount of power when it comes to what is found on the internet, and luckily they state that they use this power for the good of all.

Like SEO, paid social can be a bit tricky. And like SEO, the same options are available to start and maintain your programming, do it yourself or get some help from an industry solution.

The options and opportunities are endless. Once you have set your targets and budget, be sure to set your benchmarks. This will allow you to see what is working and what needs adjustment. This is key because SEO and paid social marketing are not (typically) an overnight success and requires tweaks along the way. They are not set it and forget it programs.

Get out in your community. Shaking hands and kissing babies is not just for politicians.

Reach out to your community and look for a common thread to get a conversation going. Find unique ways to connect, and be on the lookout for different ways to partner with businesses and organizations that will help build your brand. There is no reason to reinvent the wheel. Take a great idea you have seen, and put your own spin on it.

Most importantly, no matter what you do, be sure that you keep the personal connection at the center of the relationship. Once you have made a connection, be sure you nurture that connection.

The best way for Realtors to keep track of their connections is to use a Real Estate specific, SSL secure, IDX CRM. It is specifically designed for the needs of Agents and Brokers. If you are interested in seeing what a Real Estate CRM can do for your business, contact us.