Real estate agents have to not only master their core competencies, but they have to have a solid grip of sales, marketing and branding – because they will ultimately be the driving force behind this trifecta for the longevity of their career. And in the world of digital marketing, it is important to keep on the pulse of an industry that sees algorithm changes every quarter.
Far too often with marketing campaigns, we see companies get into grooves and not be able to adjust with the times. And it can be an all-out competition for your attention in a digital space that is growing, overcrowded and saturated with content by the minute.
With that in mind, try to focus on these four key areas in digital marketing where all the current data points to being a primary focus in 2018.
- Facebook is Going Back to its Roots
Facebook has announced that it will redesign how it ranks the posts and pages that appear to its users every day and will alter how posts are ranked in the news feed.
There is not expected to be any obvious changes, but more of a gradual move as it will try and
“With this update, we will also prioritize posts that spark conversations and meaningful interactions between people,” said in a statement from Facebook.
Moving forward, Facebook will attempt to push posts that come from family and friends, rather than brands – similar to how it rose to popularity back in 2005. This shows that there won’t be much of a distinction between your personal and professional brand online, and it will be important to monitor in the coming months as the algorithm comes into effect.
- True Understanding of the Customer Journey
According to a recent study, 68% of marketers say their business is increasingly focusing on customer experience in marketing. And more marketers are using their data at hand to learn about where their consumers will be on every step of their path. To put this into real estate context, not all agents are converting 100% on the slew of referrals that come their way. They have a digital game that serves as sales enablement tools and online reviews for validation.
This means that the minute a customer types a real estate agents’ name into Google, where does the experience take them from there with the digital properties? Is your website doing enough to help convert? Is your email marketing strategy doing enough to provide relevant and frequent check points with information and education to sooth the anxious mind of a prospective buyer? This is what is meant by a positive customer experience. In 2018, try reverse engineering your process on the path to conversion so you know where your strengths and weaknesses lie.
Your goal for 2018 should be to make sure the customer has a good experience when you market to them. Enough said.
- Professional Live Video
“Video is becoming the most popular and influential form of digital content for businesses today and if done right, it can have a very positive impact on your business.”
You would be hard-pressed to find a social media platform that hasn’t already jumped into live video with monthly iterations to ride on the coattails of their competitor’s strategy. So there’s something to be taken away from all of this with the way things are trending. Not only are brands focusing on utilizing live video to instantly broadcast their audience, they are putting their resources into shooting professionally created, high-grade video instead of dealing with low-resolution cameras and smartphones. In 2018, mobile video consumption is expected to grow by 25%, and desktop video will decline – so get ahead of the curve now and make the investment wisely.
- Mobile Micro Moments
It’s a perfect transition from the earlier point on mobile. It should also come as no secret that consumers spend much of their lives staring at their phones, with the ever dwindling attention spans tracking downward as well. Your marketing strategy needs to be optimized for mobile to target these folks who are yearning for home and real estate inspiration. But instead of planning for the big screen, it’s time to start planning for these micro, snackable content moments. What do we mean by this? Leveraging Pinterest for home inspiration and design, using Instagram stories to help personalize and market your brand, or short emails that capitalize on visual storytelling to get your message across.
Think smaller in 2018 in terms of the length of your content, and have it fit for the mobile screen. There is also a big push for these organic moments that get devoured by audiences. So instead of labouring on the perfect video for your Instagram when showcasing a home, the spur of the moment types of content hit home with audiences because of how natural and authentic they are. It’s like the audience can tell when this is a blatant marketing message that was carefully crafted – as opposed to something that comes from a place of truthfulness.
Take these four areas into consideration as your build out your marketing strategy for 2018. Bear in mind that the ebbs and flows of the digital marketing world can turn on a dime and it’s important that you set yourself up to be agile and can pivot along with it.
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