5 powerful tactics you may not have considered for digital marketing.
There’s no escaping it. Digital is now just part of marketing life. It’s how we talk to the people we need to talk to. And it’s a powerful tool, especially in real estate. 86% of potential buyers say they use the internet as their main tool to find a property.*
But digital’s power isn’t inherent. It’s about how we use it effectively to deliver the right message, through the right medium and at the right time. It’s about using a holistic approach – one that integrates various resonant digital channels – rather than the more scattergun approach of some traditional mass marketing tools.
You’re probably (hopefully) already using at least a couple of digital channels to promote your listings. Your agency website, for one, is the nucleus of your online presence – where all the information buyers could want about your local area, your personal expertise, and the properties you have on offer, is contained.
So too, the major real estate listings portals such as REA. But while these sites can charge a premium because they know they’re top of mind, they – like your company homepage – still require prospective buyers to actually visit the site of their own accord and actively search for what they want.
So, while these two digital spaces are important for your survival in a crowded market; what’s survival without success? Complementing these channels with the five key marketing tactics below could provide that extra audience reach and engagement you need to stand out.
1. Social Media
Social media has become one of the most important marketing tactics for communicating with an audience thanks to the high numbers of active and engaged users who frequent channels like Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube every day. And when used well, they have the power to increase brand awareness, generate leads and engage potential buyers and sellers. But remember; many of these channels (especially Facebook and Instagram) restrict the number of users that see your organic posts, so paid advertising here is crucial. The precise targeting capabilities of paid advertising enables you to find people who are more likely to be interested in your properties, while the sheer variety of content available means greater potential for meaningful engagement.
2. Digital Display Advertising
Display ads are the banners that appear across the vastness of the internet. They can be static or animated, they can contain video content, and they offer endless opportunities. Like social, the advantage of display ads is that they are highly targeted. Plus, unlike listings on property portals, display ads allow you to build your own retargeting and data audiences, which is critical for today’s agent marketing. This data can be a powerful tool for subsequent listings, while also helping to close vendor sign-ups.
3. Search
Google has become so ingrained in our culture that it’s now its own verb. Because of this, it’s easy to see the value of paid search ads (Search Engine Marketing), which show up in organic search results. SEO (or Search Engine Optimisation), which means crafting the content of your website so that it will match what people are searching for online – what they’re “googling” – is also worth investing in. It’s hard to compete here with the major property portals, but paid search ads always appear above organic results, so ideally you should utilise both SEM and SEO.
4. Individual Property Websites
Creating a bespoke mobile-friendly property website or landing page to showcase a single listing is a great way to direct people to your own digital space – rather than a crowded marketplace like the portals – and fully immerse them in the qualities of the advertised property. They allow your own brand to shine through, and they add an element of exclusivity and uniqueness to your listings.
5. Email Marketing
Building a quality database of potential prospects for sending targeted email communications is a vitally important marketing activity to fuel your sales efforts. Email marketing is incredibly cost effective, the content is easily able to be shared by recipients, and measuring results is both straightforward and immediate, so you can continue to fine tune your database of prospective clients.
Powerful digital. Made simple.
As the Chief Visionary Officer at Campaigntrack, Stefan Williams is keen for agencies to embrace the power of an integrated digital marketing strategy. “We think that a true digital strategy is about leveraging the power of multiple digital channels to project your sales, your brand and, of course, snare buyers and sellers,” he says.
Campaigntrack’s Premier Partner status with Google, and strong relationship with Facebook – two of the biggest digital advertising channels in the world – means not just a serious level of expertise, but a valuable foundation to create integrated digital campaigns and deliver a higher return on investment. A suite of display, search and social tools can be used to develop highly targeted communication channels with potential buyers and sellers in your area.
Equally appealing, the Campaigntrack platform seamlessly manages all your campaign requirements in the one system, allowing you to streamline everything from artwork creation to dispatch and media management. The platform’s unique automation delivers incredible multichannel campaigns as easily as ordering a signboard!
To find out how Campaigntrack’s unique digital solutions can help you get ahead, read more about our offers or contact us today.
* Source: Residential Consumer Property Seeker Report, January 2015.
