In Issue 08 of Elite Agent we had six experts provide their top tips for 2016 in our special feature 30 top business boosting ideas. Here are the top five from Greg McCutcheon of realestatebookings.
- DIFFERENT MEDIUMS REQUIRE DIFFERENT MESSAGES
Digital and print ads are very different in size, shape, and usually audience. To try to deliver the same message in the same way to both is a bit like a pushing a round peg into a square hole! Tailor the message for the channel. With digital you can do so many things to generate interest; used wisely it can complement your traditional print advertising material. Consider online ebooks, standalone micro-sites, targeted newsletter campaigns with high level design, unique social posts using hashtags, and so on. With more enquiries coming through your online channels, going digital means it’s an inexpensive channel to leverage. - PROVIDE GOOD CONTENT ACROSS DIFFERENT MEDIUMS
Once you have created your content you can distribute it widely through social media, print and online advertising. Reach out to your database of tenants, buyers, investors and prospective vendors with custom targeted campaigns that are content and information-rich, not just pushing today’s listings. The aim is to nurture them through their property life-cycle and be top of mind. Consider a digital profile page where you can blog key market trends and insights; according to Robert Rose, leading Content Marketing author, “Marketing is telling the world you’re a rock star. Content Marketing is showing the world you are one.” - ONCE YOU’VE GOT THEM, DON’T LET THEM GO!
We often see agents with many opportunities coming into the business, but a lot get missed and fall through. Look at the big online shop-fronts such as Amazon and eBay; do you think they would be successful if they let opportunities slip through? It’s as easy as 1. Capture, 2. Respond and 3. Convert. Keep the online lead capture process simple so everyone in the office can follow, and automate as much as possible. Complex and hard-to-use systems or processes require more administration and drive your team further away from the client. Keep it simple; your business cannot afford to lose opportunities in a competitive marketplace. - RESPOND WITH SPEED, NURTURE AND GROW
Effective lead nurturing starts when an enquiry comes in. Engaging from the start speeds up the conversation with your prospective client, enabling you to qualify their needs faster. Deliver the right message at the right time and be consistent. The prospective client may have a home to sell and they are testing you. They want to see how you keep in touch with hot and cold buyers throughout the campaign and are monitoring your follow-up. Prompt, efficient and consistent service will help you convert opportunities before your competition. - COLLABORATE WITH YOUR TEAMS
Why not look within your business for opportunities that may have been missed or not converted? Your database is a pot of gold waiting for astute real estate data miners. There are probably a bundle of opportunities waiting for you in your database right now! Look for opportunities that overlap departments and are candidates for slipping through the net (these often deliver the greatest return on investment), such as a current landlord interested in selling their investment property, or investors looking at buying in your area and interested in your management fees. Better still, consider installing an automated inbound marketing process that runs in the background as your own 24/7 ‘data miner’, generating opportunities for your team to action.
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