Real Estate Marketing & Beyond
Is your real estate marketing like KFC?
That was undoubtedly confusing; here’s the backdrop. All companies have shrewd stratagems and foolish follies, but few companies blanket the spectrum as well as KFC.
One of their Einstein-like moments was how they marketed themselves as the go-to Christmas dinner in Japan. Through clever advertising and shrewd promotions that started 40 years ago, Christmas dinner in Japan has become synonymous with KFC. Their Christmas meals in Japan are so popular that you have to order two months in advance. Conversely, the company has made gargantuan mistakes. For instance, in 1978 they sued Colonel Sanders for libel. Imagine the PR fallout; KFC suing Colonel Sanders, and losing.
The point here is simple. Companies have strokes of brilliance and fatuousness. Part of your real estate marketing plan may be rock-solid, but another part may be specious. Here are five common real estate marketing mistakes that you should avoid at all costs.
Would you walk into a room of friends and shout, “Three beds, two baths, located near the best school in the city? Buy now before it’s too late.” Of course, you wouldn’t. You know there’s a time and a place for a sales pitch. However, on social media, many realtors haven’t figured out when to provide value, and when to sell. Most of the time, realtors are selling too often, and their social media pages are boring.
Another problem with real estate marketing outsourcing to the wrong person. Let’s use a practical example: a Fiverr marketer found through a quick random search. His prices range from $5 to $20. He says you’ll get 10,000+ reaches a month, and 100 real likes per day on your Facebook page via his service. There are many offers like this, and most of them are spurious. Of course, there are people who provide tremendous service for rock-bottom prices (the linked seller may be one of them), but they are the odd exception, not the rule.
Are you still using the blind carbon copy function on your Gmail to email your clients? That’s a mistake. You should use software like MailChimp. This will save time, and it will allow you to track your opens and other helpful data. Mailchimp’s Forever Free Plan allows you to send 12,000 emails a month for free- as long as you have 2,000 subscribers or less.
The call-to-action buttons on your website are your moneymakers. A small change can transform your online fortunes. For example, Hubspot notes that personalized CTAs convert 42% more customers than non-personalized CTAs. This is one of the numerous studies done on the benefit of good CTAs. Among a myriad of other stunning examples, Open Mile increased their CTA conversion rate by 232% by reducing clutter. It’s proven tiny changes to your CTA make a big difference.
Customers expect that you’ll have a professional email address. In the current era, Gmail addresses are no longer considered professional. Your email should come from your website domain. For instance, your email should be [email protected] rather than [email protected]. As a realtor, appearing professional and building trust is a key part of the process, so don’t ignore this step.
When did you sue Colonel Sanders? What marketing mistakes have you made? Share your thoughts in the comments.
