Last year, my excitement to see Facebook’s latest update was quickly interrupted when I saw two sneaky ads embedded in my chat list. Camouflaged to look like a recent conversation, my digital marketing brain rejoiced at clever ad placement while my consumer mind revolted at the intrusion of yet another intimate space.

My inner consumer won the battle and saw me blocking a Facebook ad for the very first time. It got me thinking. How many others were doing the same and what did this mean for the real estate industry?

According to eMarketer one in four US internet users say they block ads. While Medium ranked Content Marketing as one of the top 5 trends to combat Adblock. This comes as no surprise as content marketing is about providing relevant and useful information that builds trust. This is key when it comes to digital marketing for real estate.

With its rising popularity, we want to arm you with the arsenal you need to leverage the power of content marketing.

Below are the 3 elements you need to add to your real estate marketing strategy.

1. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail

Anyone who’s browsed through the many articles on sites like REB or Forbes knows there’s plenty of content that spans across multiple industries, topics and trends. As a testament to their success, I’d wager they have a strong content strategy in place even though it may seem like they’re pumping out content left right and center.

This strategy will determine who you want to target and the type of content that’s valuable to them. Without a plan, even the most valuable pieces of content won’t be effective if you’re not being strategic about who you’re sending it to, how you’ll present it and when you’re sending it.

To help you figure out your strategy, ask yourself what you’re trying to achieve.

Are you trying to:

• Nurture relationships
• Find buyers/sellers
• Generate leads
• Promote an event/ OFI

When you’re clear on your purpose, you’ll then be able to identify who you want to target and the kind of content they need. Utilise your iRealty email reports to see what kind of content is resonating the most with your subscribers.

Another key element to any strategy is to have a strong call to action (CTA). Leverage off the engagement your content is receiving and literally tell your clients what you want them to do next.

For example

• Nurture relationships – CTA: Follow me on social media
• Find a vendor – CTA: Register for an appraisal here
• Promote an Open for Inspection – CTA: Register now

Now that your strategy is underway, you’re clear on your purpose and the outcome you want to achieve, you need to segment and target groups within your database.

2. Content that speaks directly to every individual

No matter how big or small your database is, there’s no doubt you’ll have a variety of customers at different stages of their real estate journey. It’s important to remember this. Not everyone in your database is going to be in property mode, so sending them listings is irrelevant to them. If you’re not getting the engagement you expected, this is probably why.

This is where insights from your database are important to help you identify various groups. You’ll gather this information from analysing the types of emails that are being opened and the interaction you’re getting on certain topics and pieces of content. For example, if you send out a blog about preparing your home for sale, those contacts who click this article will most likely be in the market. These subscribers would appreciate current market reviews, reports and listings. For those who weren’t interested, it’s safe to say they aren’t in property mode but would still benefit from other lifestyle based articles from you instead.

Be there every step of the way. From renting to buying, to being out of the market, be there for your database and encourage them to keep interacting with you the whole way through. Build trust and stay front of mind. So when your buyers eventually become sellers in the future, they’ll know to contact you.

3. Creating and curating content

You’re probably wondering how you’re even going to find time to create content when your schedule is already packed with open homes and appraisals. We know creating valuable content is time consuming, overwhelming and sometimes boring if writing articles isn’t your cup of tea. That’s why we’ve curated a content library specifically for the real estate industry. It’s literally ready made content at your disposal. All you need to do is browse, select and send. You can even add your own templates to maintain your branding. When you have the right tools, digital marketing for real estate becomes simple.

For your clients who are in the market, you can send them real estate lifestyle articles, industry announcements, and market news. For those who aren’t in property mode, send them news from national and local sources and trending entertainment articles. We want to help you position yourself as the industry leader who provides valuable answers and solutions. It’s a win-win knowing you have a library of relevant content at your fingertips. You can avoid the stress of planning and creating your own content. You just need to figure out who you want to send it to and when.

Key takeaways: With more buyers and sellers having greater control over what they want to see or prefer to block, it becomes difficult to break through the barriers. A strong content marketing strategy can help you to build trust by providing relevant information to the right people at the right time. By providing information users want, they’ll welcome your information as they find it useful and relevant to them.