September is Marketing and Branding Month at Inman. That means we’re talking to the chief marketing officers at major brokerages about how the pandemic is changing their jobs and what it means for agents. We’re publishing a suite of tactical Inman Handbooks for marketing on digital portals. And we’re looking at what pages of the traditional marketing playbook still work. Join us all month long.
Pulse is a recurring column where we ask for readers’ takes on varying topics in a weekly survey and report back with our findings.
With today’s endless opportunities — both online and off — marketing is more difficult and competitive than ever before. So, there’s no better way to wrap up this month’s marketing and branding theme than by going back to the basics — to the tried-and-true strategies that always help our readers score significant wins.
Last week, we asked you to share one honest, golden marketing tip you typically give to all rookie agents, or even seasoned professionals, for that matter. To take it a step farther, we also asked you to share your thoughts on why that particular piece of advice has been working for you and how it’s impacted your business.
From dominating a farm to keeping in touch with your sphere, you provided us with many different ways to communicate your value to clients and prospects these days. Here’s everything you had to say.
- KIT: Keep in touch. Find your tribes, and keep in touch with them. Call them, email them, friend them on social media, and send them snail mail birthday cards and thank-you notes. Invest in calendars, Cutco knives, engraved notepads and jar openers. Persistence pays dividends.
- I “farm” my church family by consistently advertising in the church bulletin, website and directory. It pays off in sales year over year.
- Don’t spend money — unless you’re buying someone coffee. The most effective ways of marketing yourself are all free.
- Be consistent, and know your stuff.
- Track your numbers, and hold your marketing dollars accountable. If it isn’t producing an ROI, stop paying for it.
- Listen to the professionals. Whether it’s your brokerage’s marketing department, a freelance hire or an expert in the field like Katie Lance, agents need to align themselves with people who specialize in marketing within our industry. Smart marketers in our business know how to use the right tools to reach the right the audience, and stay on the pulse of rapidly changing trends and algorithms. There’s no one-size-fits-all marketing plan for anyone. If an agent wants to take their business to the next level, they should talk to a marketing pro.
- Pick a farm, and own it.
- Spend your ad money somewhere other than Zillow!
- Stop looking at what everyone else is doing — just do you!
- According to Oodle, people search properties by street address, city and ZIP code. Put the name of the street, cities and state, plus the ZIP you serve on the front page of your website. This is one of the biggest mistakes many agents make.
What did we miss? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.
Editor’s note: These responses were given anonymously and, therefore, are not attributed to anyone specifically. Responses were also edited for grammar and clarity. Inman doesn’t endorse any specific method and regulations may vary from state to state.
