For efficiency and effectiveness, the digital market is impossible to beat. Within a single newsletter we can walk our clients through dozens of properties and offer countless services; all they have to do is click. Yet, currently the average open rate for real estate email marketing is 21%. Nearly 80% of our audience is walking straight past our eMarket without bothering to stop and take a look! One reason for this is our tendency to focus on our content, and forgetting to develop a relationship with our clients. So what’s the first step? We must gain their trust.
A few easy, but necessary, steps to build trust with your subscribers.
     1. Establish expectations – Let your readers know exactly what they can expect from you from the very beginning. Will you be sending monthly or weekly? In the mornings or afternoons? Will each newsletter include a single property, or a hundred? Whatever your patterns, stick with them to demonstrate your reliability. Finally, tell them how you are different, and what exactly you have to offer them.
     2. Understand your Audience – Before you can expect to craft a relevant newsletter, you must understand the needs of your audience. Who are they? What are they interested in? What do they need to know? You can pour through data from reports or send out a survey to request additional information. Take some time to research your subscribers and get to know their needs. Only then will you be prepared to deliver content specifically for them.
     3. Send Relevant Content – Once you know your audience, provide content that is designed for their needs. The young couple in the market for an inexpensive unit don’t need to see lists of multi-million dollar beachfront properties. The more focused your content, the more likely your subscriber will stick with you. As they receive tailored marketing that catches their interest, they will trust that future campaigns will deliver similar results.
     4. Use your own voice – People want to work with people, not corporations. Yet, sometimes people feel the need to elevate their language to appear more professional. Unfortunately, this can harm your relationship before it even begins. If your clients are going to trust you, they need to relate with you. So, when communicating with your subscribers, don’t be afraid to use your natural voice to reflect your personality. Try losing the monotonous taglines and business jargon, and using conversational language to share your message.
     5. Add testimonials, reviews, and customer feedback – People trust reviews. Brightlocal, a search engine optimization team, found that 92% of people use online reviews to check out the quality of a business, and 80% of people believed them as much as a personal recommendation. So, display positive reviews proudly and use them to reinforce your expertise with your audience. The best way to receive feedback is to ask for it, so don’t be shy. Plus, it shows you are conscious of your business profile, and always seeking to improve.