Anyone who is older than the iPod will know how transformative technology has been for businesses over the last twenty years.  Nowhere is this more obvious than the world of marketing, and the real estate industry is not immune to these changes. It’s common knowledge that today’s market requires a digital presence, which is why most offices readily adopt the latest gadgets and apps.  Do you have a website?  Of course!  Facebook?  Obviously…  Blog?  Check…  Instagram?  Yep…  Myspace?  No comment…  Harder question: Do you know the role each one plays in your quest for business growth and client acquisition?  And, more importantly, is each one functioning properly?
Unfortunately, you may be wasting energy without a coherent strategy in place, and, worse yet, even doing harm. There are three main ways your marketing efforts are either not helping, or actively hindering your progress.

They are wasting your time and resources – On top of the countless tasks already lined up in your daily planner, you are expected to successfully manage your website, social media accounts, and develop rich, targeted content to keep your growing list of clients engaged and floating nearby in your orbit. Not exactly a simple job.  On average, according to Constant Contact, small businesses spend 20 hours per week on marketing.  If you are lucky, you have a PA to assist you, or possibly even a team to do most of the heavy lifting, but what’s the point if you see no actual results?  Why continue to pour your blood, sweat and tears into a project if you see no reward from your efforts?  It would be simpler, and much cheaper, to just skip the hassle all together and focus your efforts on what has proven effective in the past.  Without an effective strategy in place, it’s possible you are getting little to no value for your hard work.
They are driving away your clients – Have you ever lost interest in a business over their poor service or unprofessional appearance?  Your clients have too.  A survey conducted by Adobe found that 38% of people will leave a website if the content or layout is unattractive.  Technology makes it easy for anyone to connect with you, which means you need to keep your digital appearance as neat and tidy as your physical appearance.  That way, the moment they come across your website they will be impressed by the modern look and intuitive design, instead of feeling disappointed by the dated display and confused with the content.  This applies to all digital content your potential clients can access, including your social media accounts and email marketing.  Your antiquated digital media platforms might be turning your clients off before they even have a chance to look at your listings.
They are failing to identify your leads – If your marketing strategy is effective, each part of the system will drive you and your potential client towards a future sale.  One important aspect of this system is lead delivery, which tells you which clients are likely to move within the market in real time.  Luckily, many programs offer analytics to help you to identify potential sales and keep your clients engaged with relevant content.  Gallup recently found that customers were happier to do business with companies with whom they felt a connection, and would ignore or oppose businesses that failed to engage them.   If you are unaware of the tools that identify your prospective clients, or not using them properly, you could be ignoring the people your marketing system was designed to detect.  These days, clients will lose interest if you fail to engage them the moment they demonstrate interest.  As soon as your client decides to sell, you should be waiting eagerly to offer your talents.
Developing an effective marketing strategy may seem overwhelming at first, but with a little effort and guidance, a good system will generate clients for you.  If you would like to learn more about how to design a simple, yet effective Digital Marketing Strategy keep an eye out for the next part of the series.