For many agents, it’s already 2018.
That’s right, it’s time to plan, forecast, predict, and look ahead to what’s next.
A big part—if not the most important part—of preparing for your next 12 months of business is deciding where to put your marketing dollars. Industry trends suggest that in total, 10% of your commission income should be fed back into marketing. That’s not a hard-and-fast rule for every agent, but one thing is for sure—you can’t make goals without a plan to reach them, and here are a few ideas we have for getting things off to a hot start.
Resolution #1: Remind Your Sphere You’re Still In Business
Even if you sold them a house last month, it’s important to remind them you’re in the game for the long haul.
The goal for almost every agent is to reach a point where referrals are your primary lead source. However, that takes work, and even more time. To reach that marketing precipice, you need to make reaching out to your sphere of influence a “priority habit,” something that’s not only second nature, but automatic.
Adwerx built its Sphere Product to make it easy to stay in front of those most important to your future business. No email campaigns, no off-the-shelf postcards—just sharp, targeted online advertising directly on the Facebook feeds, websites, and mobile sites your database frequents.
Up to 60% of your business can come from those you already know, provided they know you’re still in the business. Think of your sphere as your personal “1st Level” LinkedIn network, a collective of connected professionals ready to recommend you.
Resolution #2: Serve Your Current Clients
You can’t close what you don’t have.
It’s important that your plan for the new year include closing those listings already on the market. Regardless of conditions, the key to selling a home is exposure; the market needs to know about it.
It may seem like major portal sites are making that easy for agents today, but the fierce pace of competition among them is making it exponentially harder for agents to understand what their money is buying them.
With multiple levels of membership, boards holding back feeds, and NAR’s somewhat unclear attempts to ameliorate the confusion, agents can be left looking around for easier marketing solutions.
Online advertising that leverages retargeting is a straightforward, easy-to-manage way to earn tremendous listing exposure that doesn’t risk your seller’s property becoming victim to portal price wars.
Digital ads for homes managed by Adwerx show up on some of the internet’s most frequented news and entertainment websites, not to mention Facebook and mobile browsers. Such broad exposure fulfills that fundamental need to reach the market and at it also boosts the property’s credibility among buyers.
Resolution #3: Embrace Mobile Marketing
You don’t really need to be told again about the popularity of mobile phone browsing.
But we’ll do it anyway, just to make a point: 80% of home shoppers used a mobile device to look for a home, according to popular real estate CRM Contactually.
If you’re not branding in a place where eight out of ten home buyers will dedicate mindshare, you’re not doing enough to make those 2018 goals.
Moreover, investment capital has turned its eye on mobile real estate technology, backing more apps and tools to help buyers better experience the home buying process. Brokerages are becoming more tech-focused and consumers are buying into their promises. It’s critical that 2018 be the year in which you go where your clients are shopping.
Adwerx campaigns are designed to spread your brand in the mobile environment, from within apps to mobile-optimized websites. We couldn’t exist today if we didn’t recognize and help our customers embrace the fundamental shift in home shopping habits.
Your marketing plan doesn’t have to be static or inflexible; in fact, marketing with digital ad campaigns ensures that you’ll have the ability to alter messaging, shift audiences, and create new ads with ease. Test and sample messages, see who responds to what.
And underlying all of your marketing resolutions for 2018 should be a goal to target the right audience. Make sure every outreach effort, from email to radio spots, is reaching those who will most likely be a client of yours.
Happy Holidays from Adwerx … now go make it a great New Year.
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