As the year draws to a close I’ve been looking at some of the things that business people do to build a real estate marketing strategy for the New Year. One of the things they focus on is putting together a marketing strategy. But if you look at doing the exact same things next year that you’ve done this year you’ll probably achieve the exact same results.
Take social media for example. If you have a bunch of followers on Facebook you may find that they’re not as engaged as you might think especially if all of your postings are only about your just listed properties.
Just like that talkative uncle that you only see over the holidays people tend to avoid extremely noisy but single-minded posters.
Social media is a fantastic way to engage clients but you have to keep in mind the 80/20 rule. Approximately 80% of what you share should be content that helps or provide useful information to your clients. The other 20% could be things that they may find useful that make your followers aware of specific services you offer especially if they’re in a purchasing or selling frame of mind.
So one example of this could be sharing a lot of content around what to look for in specific neighbourhoods. Or even how the overall sales or buying process works. Or even around how to understand what’s involved in renovating a specific property after purchase. This helps engage your clients as well as keeping you top of mind for when they’re ready to make that decision.
You could also use a lot of these platforms for listening to some of the buying signals that may come from potential clients. Things like job changes or relocations that people talk about in their social channels are great ways to understand who may be in the market for a specific property. Reaching out to them in an honest and helpful way can then give them the ability to see that you’re not only focused on the transaction but on establishing and maintaining a longer relationship.
Finally it’s not just about social. The holidays and New Year is a great time to reconnect with past clients and build some relationships with new ones just by stopping by for a couple of minutes. You don’t have to turn it into a long sales call but just a quick encounter can help you again stay top of mind in your clients’ incredibly busy life.
Sometimes you have to mix the new and the old to develop a well-balanced marketing plan for the New Year.