Real Estate Marketing: What Inc. Magazine Says To Do In 2017
What real estate marketing trends, tactics, and tools do real estate investors need to be on top of this year?
Inc. has unleashed a series of new articles and predictions on marketing trends in 2017. It definitely appears to be shaping up to be a busy year for real estate businesses, entrepreneurs, and investors. Expect there to be more noise and marketing happening. That means surviving, hitting those goals, and maximizing ROI is going to rely a lot great marketing that really connects. So, what are some of the channels, tactics, and moves to make now?
Mobile, Mobile, Mobile
If the key to real estate success is “location, location, location,” the overarching marketing message this year is “mobile, mobile, mobile.” More than half of home buyers now specifically start their searches on mobile devices. Google now expects businesses to have a mobile first focus. No matter what type of marketing you are doing it is really all about meeting your customers where they are at, when they need and want it, and in the medium that they prefer.
Update Your Real Estate Website
Whether you have had a website for a few years or you just got one up and haven’t really built it out yet; this is the time to get on it. Ugly websites, and websites that aren’t responsive to different screen sizes just won’t cut it anymore. You can have a basic, simple website. Just make sure it is attractive, up to date, and is complete. If you are going to invest time or money in other types of marketing which may lead people to check out your website, having a good one will make all the difference in the ROI you really get.
Social Media
A survey reveals that brands expect to double their social media advertising spend in the next 5 years. Of course, most are not being very effective at it. You have to know how to use it well, which platforms to be using, and you need the other major component of marketing in 2017 – content.
LinkedIn appears to be making a comeback, both in effectiveness and visibility. The social network was purchased for over $26 billion by Microsoft last year. You can bet they are going to be pushing it hard.
Don’t dismiss Twitter yet either. It looked like the platform was about to head the way of MySpace for a moment. Now Trump seems to have revived the platform, making it relevant again, and interesting for many to tune into. Instagram is another fast growing network (which Trump also happens to be using), and appears to have quickly replaced Facebook for younger generations.
Pay-Per-Click Advertising
PPC advertising can be one of the fastest and most predictable ways to generate leads. It can be affordable and produce a good return on investment, when executed professionally. Some will find it one of the most direct routes to doing deals and standing out from all the noise out there. When it comes to real estate marketing paid online text and image ads can also help boost the effectiveness of offline marketing and branding.
Content, Content, Content
Whether real estate marketers are going offline, social, mobile, are running a real estate blog, are hosting webinars, or something else – 2017 is all about content. Inc. predicts this year will be when amazing copywriting really shows its value. It’s needed to stand out, get noticed, build trust, and convert leads into dollars.
Fresh & Original
Inc. says “original content will rule,” and “if you want to rank your site during the next year, be sure to get some fresh content on your blog.” The more original and fresh the better.
Clickbait
Catchy titles that drive people to click are going to be key to winning this year. It is expected that Google is going to better rank pages which have titles that get more clicks. The trend toward smartwatches which mean we no longer even need our phones requires even more compact content that can catch the eye and create action.
Actionable Content
Inc. describes ‘the most important content trend for 2017’ as producing actionable content. That means how-to pieces, educational content, content which encourages readers to engage and take immediate action.
Collaborate
One of the best ways to produce great content which really gets some action according to Inc. is to collaborate with influencers. A great way to do this is by getting together with a Boardroom Mastermind Group and finding ways to produce and promote awesome content together.
Summary
Inc. has certainly unleashed a barrage of tips which can be applied to real estate marketing in 2017. Borrow and test out what you can. Some other methods not mentioned above, that are definitely still working in 2017 include; direct mail, email, and live events and meetups. What will you do to win at marketing this year?
