Building a real estate marketing strategy? There’s nothing worse than spinning your wheels and throwing money at outdated smoke-and-mirror marketing tactics. Here’s a quick run down to help you hit sales targets, on time and under budget.
In the dynamic world of real estate, a data-driven marketing strategy is not just beneficial; it's essential. The right marketing approach can significantly elevate your brand, attract more clients, and increase sales.
In this blog, we'll cover how to build a real estate marketing strategy in 7 steps:
- Understand your market.
- Evaluate your digital presence and branding.
- Leverage social media.
- Deploy email and text marketing.
- Test innovative technologies.
- Host community engagement and partnerships.
- Measure success.
You'll also get a real estate marketing strategy template that you can download and edit to reflect your business.
Let's dive into how you can craft a marketing strategy that’s as dynamic and impressive as the properties you’re promoting.
Step 1: Understand Your Market & Know Your People
1. Research and Analyze: Start with a comprehensive market analysis to understand the needs, preferences, and buying behavior of your target demographic. Guessing and assuming are red flags that can lead to headaches down the road. As much as possible, operate from data to back up your instincts and findings. This could be direct conversations, surveys, or using an advanced analytics platform like Audience Town.
Audience Town gives your team strategic consumer insights with real life, real-time customer information by analyzing your website, CRM, and more. With Audience Town, you can be truly data-driven and cater to prospects based on categories like the type of car they drive and the value of their current home. Even better, you can see what percentage of your web traffic is coming from predicted movers! This allows you to see whether your marketing is reaching - and converting - the right audience. Try it for free.
After all, successful marketing and sales strategies rely on knowing your people. Audience Town helps you do just that.
2. Competitive Landscape: Assess your competition for market share opportunities. What aspects of their marketing are working for them? Where are they lacking? Who is their audience and how are they engaging them? Where are the gaps and needs in this landscape that aren’t being met? Questions like these will help to differentiate your brand and offerings. Remember that you want to stand out and avoid blending in or copying your competitors.
In the real estate marketing strategy template, you'll see a simple SWOT analysis that will allow you to communicate your competitive analysis findings at a quick glance.
You can use these insights to design marketing initiatives that enable you to stand out from the pack.
Step 2: Evaluate Your Digital Presence and Branding
Old you: You’re a property company. New you: You’re a digital marketing company. For a successful digital marketing strategy, your thinking may need to pivot.
1. Strong Branding. Your brand is the key to making a lasting impression and building a relationship with your customers throughout their home-buying journey. Develop a brand identity that resonates with your target audience. Start by developing a memorable logo, consistent color schemes, and a tone of voice that aligns with your brand personality.
Keep in mind that your branding is one of the first things that potential customers will recognize and remember, so it's important for it to be authentic to you.
2. Website Optimization. Help your audience easily find the information they want while allowing them to explore and engage. Your website is often the first touchpoint for potential clients. Ensure it's user-friendly, mobile-optimized, and clearly indicates your call-to-action.
As you build a real estate marketing strategy, think about whether you need new webpages, resources, articles, or even new micro-sites to support your marketing campaigns. These fundamental assets are important (and easily overlooked).
Step 3: Leverage Social Media
1. Platform Selection: Your social channels help reinforce your brand, influence, and visibility. Identify which social media platforms your target audience frequents and establish a strong presence there. When you select channels, make sure that you're thinking about where your potential customers are currently spending the most time shopping. (After all, you wouldn't market your properties on Snapchat if you're building a beautiful active senior living neighborhood!)
2. Content Mix: Every social post is an extension of your brand personality and helps to drive your marketing pipeline. Share a mix of content, from property showcases and virtual tours to client testimonials and industry news. Engaging, informative content grows community and builds trust.
3. Align Social Media with Your Broader Content Strategy: Content strategy is likely to be an important part of your overall market strategy. Your content strategy will include all different types of content, from brochures to blogs. And both your content and social media strategy will be most effective if they're aligned. You can use social media to promote new resources and properties, and encourage social engagement with digital and print resources, and in-person connections.
Step 4: Deploy Email & Text Marketing Campaigns
RIP generic email blasts. Personalization and segmentation are here to stay. Take your email and text messaging to the next level with quick, friendly, responsive messages that address your potential customers' real needs.
1. Personalization: Effective email campaigns help increase website traffic and bolster your sales funnel. Use personalized messaging to nurture leads and keep your brand top-of-mind. Be mindful to try to add value with each and every message.
2. Segmentation: Target your outreach to curated audiences. Segment your email list based on client interests and behaviors to ensure relevant messaging.
Tools like Audience Town can help you understand your audience better, so that you can create better segmentation and personalization. You can get started for free today.
Step 5: Test Innovative Technologies
1. Virtual Reality: VR is taking off. Embrace virtual property tours, or get left behind. Offer upscale and immersive experiences to clients, no matter their location.
2. AI and Big Data: AI and data tools help you save time and money. Leverage AI for predictive analysis and big data for more informed decision-making regarding market trends and customer preferences.
Audience Town is the only consumer analytics platform for real estate and the new standard in real estate consumer intelligence. Empower your sales team with actionable data and uniquely curated real-estate analytics to identify behavior signals of in-market prospects.
Step 6: Host Community Engagement and Partnerships
1. Local Events: Mix it up with your audience to strengthen your connection and influence. Host or sponsor local events to increase brand visibility and community engagement.
2. Strategic Partnerships: Collaboration is mutually beneficial. Partner with local businesses or influencers to expand your reach and credibility.
Step 7: Measure Success
1. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): As your marketing strategy evolves, you’ll need to measure your success along the way. Establish clear KPIs to measure the effectiveness of your marketing strategies. Common KPIs include website traffic, lead generation rates, and conversion rates.
2. Continuous Improvement: Build on your success and learn from your mistakes. Regularly review and adjust your strategy based on performance data and market changes.
Building a real estate marketing strategy in today's competitive landscape requires a blend of traditional methods and innovative approaches.
By understanding your market, leveraging digital tools, and engaging with the community, you can create a comprehensive strategy that not only reaches but resonates with your target audience. Remember, the key to successful marketing in real estate is not just about selling properties; it's about building lasting relationships and a reputable brand.
To be a better, more data-driven marketer today, schedule a demo with Audience Town.