Don't Ditch Your Marketing Strategy -- Dominate It!
As featured in REALTORMag's YPN The Lounge
If you are a newer real estate license, you likely are trying to "crack the code" to having regular closings (in other words, enough closings to meet your budget and to make this career change worthwhile).
You may be spending a small fortune to generate leads, whether that is online or face-to-face. But you feel like your business is just not where you expected it to be at this point. The issue may not be your lead sources but rather how you come across to potential clients. I call this your marketing presence.
How do you know if your marketing presence is the root problem or if it is time to ditch your lead generation strategy? Keep reading and as a bonus, check out the survey below.
You Underestimate the Significance of Your Marketing Presence
Have you ever shared important real estate information without your branding attached?
Have neighbors overlooked you when buying or selling?
Do your friends and even family sometimes forget what you do?
If you answered, yes, to any of the above questions, you likely have a marketing presence issue. I know, I know. You took a bunch of classes to get your real estate sales license yet this may be the first time you are hearing about this. Let the bygones go!
I know some of us like things to be organized and even color-coded. But that is not the point of your marketing presence. To make it very plain, your marketing presence helps people who are already bombarded with products and services remember you. Real talk, you do not have to spend a dime to have a marketing presence. I know some people like to obsess with the color schemes and logo design but that really is not a marketing presence if you do not use it consistently enough that people remember it. The bigger focus here is does everything that leaves your hand to touch others have your imprint on it for people to be able to come back to you?
But, as "Compliance Connie" (an endearing moniker given to me by those that have attended my social media and marketing compliance classes), I urge you to take a current marketing compliance refresher before you begin to improve your marketing presence (here's one from 2019 to get you started). No point in getting fined because of a memory lapse or oversight of your firm's and government's requirements.
You Don't Know What You Don't Know and You Don't Go to Who Does Know
Sure, you can take a new, unfamiliar road trip and not use your favorite GPS app. But have you noticed that the trip will likely take longer and be more frustrating? Waze could have warned you about the roadblock instead of you getting stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic.
Although you may be an independent contractor, the success of your business does not have to be solely on you and Google. We tell our buyer and seller clients that Google can give basic information but the nitty-gritty, unique details of their particular transaction needs the wisdom and vantage point of someone that does real estate transactions regularly to understand the nuances. Well, "physician, heal thyself" or better yet "agent advocate for yourself". That means connecting with an experienced broker, colleague or coach to mentor you and hold you accountable.
Most times that we are new to something, we do not quite have the know-how. That is understandable. Sadly, many novice agents will volunteer to go through the "school of hard-knocks", which is trying trial and error until something sticks. The problem with this approach is that many of us ditch prematurely what does not seem to be working because it did not work the way we tried to use it. That would be like ditching your iPhone because you cannot figure out how to airdrop items to your laptop or other people's devices.
Many of us understand with technology that we have to learn the intended use along with the best practices and not default to our preconceived and likely limited notions. It is the same as a real estate agent despite what you may have seen on HGTV or even experienced ten years ago.
You Don't Know the Shortcuts
Most times that we are new to something, we do not quite have the know-how. That is understandable. Sadly, many novice agents will volunteer to go through the "school of hard-knocks", which is trying trial and error until something sticks. The problem with this approach is that many of us ditch prematurely what does not seem to be working because it did not work the way we tried to use it. That would be like ditching your iPhone because you cannot figure out how to airdrop items to your laptop or other people's devices.
Many of us understand with technology that we have to learn the intended use along with the best practices and not default to our preconceived and likely limited notions. It is the same as a real estate agent despite what you may have seen on HGTV or even experienced ten years ago.
Are you self-limiting your business through a weak marketing presence? Find out with this awareness-raising survey to self-reflect if you are on the path to dominating with your marketing presence:
Want more of the best practices of our nation's top producers? Grab your copy of the short read, Profit with Your Personality and, the classic, 5-star rated workbook, Plan to Win, to transform their real estate sales game plan. Or, get your "training on" with these on-demand classes. Here's to your success! #LearnWithDrLee
