How to Plan for Your Next Email Marketing Campaign

How to Plan for Your Next Email Marketing Campaign

Email Marketing Strategies That Work for Real Estate

All successful email marketing strategies begin with a plan.  Here is an eight-step plan designed to use from concept to sale.  Each step includes how to apply it to selling real estate property.  

The Funnel - Start your email marketing campaign with a sales funnel.  It gives you a visual understanding of your email marketing strategy.  Each layer of the funnel brings you closer to your goal.

Real Estate: Start the top of your funnel by making prospects aware of your listing. Move them into a consideration phase.  Build a relationship with them, convert them and then follow-up.

The Sales Page - Whether you're selling one product or ten, each product needs an individual sales page, also known as a landing page.  Creating a landing page eliminates the distractions your visitor will find by going to a page on your website.  The focus can more easily be placed your product.

Real Estate: Create a landing page for your listing.  Include a description, photos or a virtual tour, targeted neighborhood information and a lead capture form.  Write content that will compel your prospect to request more information.

Email Lists - For more targeted future emails, create an appropriate list for each product.  Set up follow-up emails encouraging your contacts to visit other pages related to your product.  Add your contacts to a list that targets their individual interests.

Real Estate: A good CRM program doesn't have to cost a lot.  If you're just starting out or have a small list, use a free service like MailChimp.  Set up targeted lists for buyers, sellers, etc.  You can even set up a list for just your campaign.  When someone completes your lead capture form, make sure it goes on the appropriate list.

Product Launch Calendar - Creating a calendar will help you schedule every step needed to be taken before, during and after your product launch.  It's a visual reminder of what needs to be done when.

Real Estate: Every successful Realtor® has a calendar.  It's where they add meetings, showings, inspections, and a host of other activities.  It's what helps them plan their day, month and year.  Create a calendar for every step you need to take before, during and after your listing promotion.

Blog Post Calendar - Schedule your blog posts relative to your product launch.  Promote your product as part of your Call to Action.

Real Estate: Write blog posts about the neighborhood, schools, events, and other activities in your listing area.  Give tips for relocating and moving to new home.  Include a "coming soon" or "featured listing" at the bottom of each post with a link to the landing page.

Social Media  Calendar - Create a series of social media posts about your product.  Include a link to your sales or landing page.  Tell them to sign up for future emails.

Real Estate: Social media is a powerful way to promote your business.  Schedule a series of posts about your listing with a direct link to your listing's landing page.  Ask them to complete the lead capture form to receive more information about the listing.  Likewise, create a list of moving tips or a relocation packet and ask them to complete the form to get it.

Email Calendar - Using your auto-responder, create a series of emails relative to the product you're selling.  If you're selling more than one product at a time, make sure your contacts are put on the appropriate list.

Real Estate: Create a series of emails about the property listing.  These could also include information about you, the area, the buying process, etc.

Follow-Up Emails - Follow-up with contacts after your email marketing strategy comes to a close.  Let them know that you have future products that they might be interested in.

Real Estate: After all the work you've put into creating and implementing a successful campaign, don't let it stop there.  Add contacts to a follow-up series.  Start with a thank you.  Move them to a monthly newsletter or other drip campaigns.  Stay in touch.

Planning your email marketing strategy is the first step to a successful outcome.  Create calendars that will remind you and your prospects what to do next.  A plan will make a big difference in your conversion rates.  You'll also have a template for your next product launch.  

Please feel free to share this post with anyone you think would benefit from it.