Become a Marketing Maven
As your own sales representative, it’s your responsibility to get the word out about your property. That means launching a full-scale marketing campaign. If that sounds a little intimidating, it doesn’t need to be — you just need to have the right resources. Consider using a full-service firm such as Fizber, and also do your own research to determine what types of marketing are most appropriate for your property.
Digital Marketing
This ever-changing sector of the marketing industry can be challenging to master but is essential for today’s tech-savvy buying audience. Studies are increasingly showing that most home purchases start with online browsing, making digital marketing more essential than ever.
A few tips on playing the digital-marketing game:
- Get your digital footprint firmly implemented. An agent without a website looks unprofessional these days. As your own agent, you may or may not have your own website, but you’re certainly going to want to have a website to represent your property.
- Bring social media to the party. Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are three popular platforms amongst real estate agents. Some are using Snapchat, but it’s up to you to determine whether that’s the most professional choice.
- Use landing pages to convert visitors into leads. This can be accomplished as easily as having a contact section where visitors can enter their information.
Remember, we’re living in a digital era. Your marketing needs to keep pace.
Video Tours
A growing component of digital marketing, video tours have been shown to increase potential-buyer traffic. A few things to know here:
- Video is no longer considered optional when it comes to real estate marketing. According to Sotheby’s International Realty vice president of interactive marketing John Passerini, “Consumers are ready to consume video. That’s the way they want to experience properties.” (Inman Real Estate Connect, 2015)
- One option is an interactive three-dimensional video tour, which helps buyers visualize how they might live in your home.
- Another option is overhead drone video, which is a great choice if you’ve got spectacular settings you’d like to showcase.
- Yet another option is traditional video, which is definitely suitable if you’re working on a limited budget. Just be sure the video and audio quality are both on point.
Visuals are huge when it comes to real estate. That is at the core of video tours, and this is why you are going to want to include them in your marketing efforts.
Mobile Tours
Smartphones are a way of life these days. You can take advantage of this by including mobile-optimized video tours in your marketing materials. Here are a few reasons why you might want to do this:
- Home buyers are on the go — and even when they’re home, they often choose to surf on their mobile devices as opposed to their desktop or laptop. Don’t let these prospects slip through your fingers.
- Like videos or digital marketing itself, mobile optimization is no longer optional. Do it or lose buyers.
- You can easily hire a firm like Fizber to do this, helping you look professional and prepared to sell.
Mobile optimization is no longer a nice-to-have. It’s mandatory. Words to live by, particularly for you as your own real estate representative.
Social Media
Another major component of digital marketing efforts is social media, which has risen to become part of online royalty when it comes to getting your word out there on a viral basis. Make sure you incorporate the following suggestions when planning your social media strategy:
- Create a Facebook page for your property and start participating in local Facebook groups to get the word out about your listing.
- Incorporate a simple share button everywhere possible. The key to going viral is making sharing as easy as possible.
- Use Facebook Live at your property to get people watching. This is also a simple way to go mobile with your video tours.
- Try Twitter keyword searches. This way, Twitter will alert you when people are seeking a home like yours.
Remember, social media isn’t just for sharing pictures of your dinner. It can also sell your home — which in turn will buy several nice dinners. .
Print Materials
Lest you think that marketing stops at the pixel, be reminded that print matter still has a place in getting out the word about your home. Here are some of the must-haves that exist in the real world (that is, outside of the internet):
- A prominent yard sign. How are people supposed to know which gorgeous home is for sale if you don’t say it loud and proud? Keep it simple, use striking (but not garish) colors, and make sure to include all pertinent contact information.
- You also need property brochures. As with your yard sign, simplicity is elegance. That said, you want to make sure to include a few great photos, all relevant information on your property, and of course, contact information for buyers to get in touch with any questions or to express interest.
- Postcards are also a great way to get out the word in a portable format. Glossy cards can sometimes feel more substantive than brochures, while brochures themselves have more room for the information buyers want. Together they are a good combination.
Print .is far from dead. In fact, it is a great complement to your digital marketing efforts. Don’t neglect it.
Common Marketing Mistakes
All your marketing efforts should lead to a common goal: the successful sale of your house. Anything that doesn’t map to this happy ending should be scrapped. To that end, let’s look at a few common marketing mistakes made by FSBO (and, to be fair, other) sellers:
- Failing to be descriptive enough about the features in your home. If you’ve got an upgraded shower with a beautiful rain shower head, why not say it? If you make buyers guess, they probably won’t bother.
- On the other hand, boring recitation of features is going to put buyers to sleep. Instead, make your copy relevant to a buyer’s interests. For example, if you have said beautiful rain shower head, instead, of just using it as a bullet point, consider saying: “For those of you who can’t go to Kauai this year, here’s a luxurious alternative.” You get the picture.
- Poor photography is also a no-no. It’s fine if you’re not Ansel Adams, but you’re going to want to hire someone who can take a good shot if you’re interested in selling your home in a timely manner. (You may want to read 5 FSBO Real Estate Property Photography Tips.)
Do yourself a favor: read up on marketing techniques before you even consider listing your home. This is an essential step. Don’t blow it — own it.
