Real Estate Marketing & Beyond
The real estate industry is one of the most competitive sectors of the economy. As a realtor, you have to adopt the best marketing tactics to stay visible to potential leads.
Text messaging is one of the most effective marketing strategies, albeit a highly overlooked one. The rise of technologies such as social media, chatbots, email and instant messaging have eclipsed SMS marketing. However, it remains one of the most powerful marketing tools in a realtor’s marketing campaigns.
Recent studies show mobile users in the U.S will hit around 304.4 million by the end of 2019. For a suave realtor, this highlights the potential in SMS marketing.
The smartphone is now the go-to device for the consumer. It is always in their hands, and if you send an SMS, they will most likely open it immediately. ‘
This guide explores the potential of text messaging marketing for realtors and reasons to utilize this marketing technique.
In real estate, text messaging is the simplest and most effective way to engage with potential leads and existing customers. A well-planned SMS campaign will introduce your property listing and lead potential customers through the sales cycle.
The following are key considerations to start using SMS marketing:
To get started on a text messaging campaign, you need to identify the best text messaging software. This is the platform from which you will create, edit, send, and receive text messages.
This platform will also allow sending of alerts and notifications. Other functions of the SMS software include automation of certain tasks, updating and storing contacts.
This platform also has multiple templates you might need for different types of texts from sending images, birthday wishes to new property alerts. You will find different SMS marketing services on the market, and you can choose one that suits your needs.
Creating a contacts list is the most difficult part of a text messaging marketing campaign. If you already have an existing contact list, you can start your campaign. However, it is advisable to keep updating your contact list.
One easy way to do this is by creating a shortcode that is easy to remember and promote it widely. Select the real estate keyword you wish to use for your SMS campaign at this point.
For instance, you can design an SMS such as “ SEND CONDO to 49090” for a 40% discount on best properties.” You can then circulate this widely.
When potential customers reply, you can choose an autoreply feature or use personalized text messaging for lead generation. Your SMS software immediately logs this new contact in CRM for future messages.
With automated texts, you can improve engagement rates with your clients and keep them interested in your products. A recent eMarketer Survey shows U.S mobile users spend more time on mobile devices than in watching television.
For the best impact, you can also combine your text messaging strategy with your IDX website and customer relationship management (CRM).
With SMS marketing, you can grow your mobile database, send new listing alerts, database, provide virtual business cards, communicate internally across your realtor business, send price drop alerts, capture leads and much more.
When commencing your text messaging campaign, you have to market this as your preferred communication tool.
Provide an incentive for opt-in to potential leads, promote the SMS feature on your social media platforms, fliers and any other marketing platforms you have.
Some of the advantages of using text messaging for your realtor business include:
Text messaging is a versatile communication tool. You can use it for brand promotional purposes, price updates, new listings, thank you messages, event notifications, appointment reminders and much more.
The best SMS services offer multiple features including auto-reply, custom messages and mass messaging. You can now leverage these diverse text messaging features to engage with your target clients, promote your realtor business, extend your market reach and deliver a better user experience.
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