Today’s brokers know that while generating and converting leads is the ultimate goal, the process is much more complicated than it used to be. Prospects aren’t passively receiving your marketing. Instead, they’re in an active, ongoing relationship with your brand. Establishing that relationship starts with an introduction and continues as they get to know your value.
Buyers and sellers today have all the resources for research at their fingertips. Nearly 70% of the buyer’s journey is completed digitally. Introducing your brand early in the journey is essential to being considered as a market leader, and showcasing your agents’ expertise will help them stand out from the competition. Having this presence will likely be the difference between closing a lead or not, as NAR’s research shows that 75% of buyers interviewed only one real estate agent during their home search. And so it goes that marketing goals are evolving from lead generation to lead engagement. To do this, it requires establishing brand authority, building relationships, and staying top-of-mind as you accompany leads through the decision-making process across digital channels.
Establish brand authority
Continuous top-of-funnel marketing is essential in communicating to prospects that your company is active in their market, and that your agents have the expertise and resources to successfully guide them through a complicated purchase or sales process. Display advertising with relevant messaging is a low-key and cost-effective way to develop brand authority. Drive to your mobile-friendly website containing more relevant, helpful content.
Build relationships
Trust is the biggest factor when it comes to whether or not one brand is chosen over another. In fact, 81% of people require it before they make a purchase. Personalized marketing for each of your agents helps build relationships with prospects in their market. Organic and paid social media are perfect for engagement marketing, as people are actively engaging with relevant messaging and imagery. An agent’s photo, contact info, and market expertise should be front and center.
Stay top-of-mind
Agents often don’t have time to nurture their leads once they’ve demonstrated interest or even after they’ve become a client. But maintaining those relationships is critical, especially when 66% of an agent’s business comes from repeat clients, referrals, family, and friends. Don’t let them forget about that relationship you’ve already invested in. Retargeting the leads that are driven to your website and agents’ web pages will help remind them to circle back. Advertising to your sphere of influence increases repeat business and referrals.
Engage across channels
Don’t limit your interactions to one channel. Omnichannel marketing has become best practice as the average adult in the US spends 8 hours of their day using different digital media. To truly be effective, you need to reach people wherever they’re spending time online — on social media, browsing the web, and even on streaming TV.
Leads take a lot of effort and time to convert, and marketing to them is much more complex than it used to be. Not only are people bouncing across digital channels, but they really want to know and trust a brand before committing. Finding an automated platform to engage leads and increase the chances of converting them to clients is a big win for your agents and your firm.
Learn how Adwerx can automate your digital brand advertising.