{"id":666,"date":"2017-02-09T12:34:26","date_gmt":"2017-02-09T12:34:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.leadpropeller.com\/?p=666"},"modified":"2017-10-25T12:26:22","modified_gmt":"2017-10-25T12:26:22","slug":"real-estate-investing-marketing-strategy-for-2017","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lpblog.leadpropeller.com\/?p=666","title":{"rendered":"Real Estate Investing Marketing Strategy for 2017"},"content":{"rendered":"

Marketing trends are what drive motivated sellers to your business, so it\u2019s no surprise that there are lots of tips on\u00a0building a real estate investing marketing strategy\u00a0for 2017 that are already popping up. As we\u2019ve said before (a lot) what\u2019s the point of having a business if people don\u2019t know about your services?<\/span><\/p>\n

Ok, ok, you\u2019re probably thinking \u201cI\u2019ve already got a marketing strategy, and it\u2019s working for me. Why should I change it up?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Our last article was about real estate investing in\u00a02017<\/a><\/span><\/span>, so you already know that this year is a pretty good setup to grow your business. And as far as marketing trends go, things are turning more and more digital all the time.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
\nGet the best marketing strategy
in our free training!<\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

According to <\/span>Mashable<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/span>, Google gets over <\/span>100 billion <\/i><\/b>– yes, <\/span>billion<\/span><\/i>\u00a0– searches a month. With that many people online looking up everything from product reviews, to local businesses, why would you not be utilizing digital marketing?<\/span><\/p>\n

Utilizing Your Website\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

At this point, you should already have a website for your real estate investing business. But just having a website isn\u2019t enough. Like we\u2019ve said in webinars, the internet isn\u2019t the field of dreams. You can\u2019t just have a website and expect people to come to it. You have to be marketing it, promoting it, and showing what it is about your business that would make motivated sellers want to visit<\/strong> it. <\/span><\/p>\n

Aside from SEO (which you\u2019ve already read about in our <\/span>SEO Guide<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/span> articles), you have to be promoting your real estate investing website. We had a few miniseries episodes about this on YouTube, feel free to check them out! <\/span><\/p>\n

But more importantly than promoting your website, your real estate investing marketing strategy for 2017 should include ease of use for your visitors. At the very first page of your website, you should establish a few things:<\/span><\/p>\n

1: Show that you are an expert in real estate investing<\/h3>\n

Think of it from the point of view of the motivated seller. Would you want to sell your house to some amateur who doesn\u2019t know what they\u2019re doing, or do you want to sell your house to a professional<\/strong> who shows confidence in real estate?<\/span><\/p>\n

There are simple things to do that will establish you as a real estate investing expert. Easy things like having professional pictures of yourself, instead of a selfie in your sweats. Or highlighting positive customer reviews<\/strong> instead of not having any at all. Customers are more likely to trust you if they see that other <\/span>real people<\/i><\/strong> have used your services before and had their expectations met.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"we<\/a><\/p>\n

2: Be personable<\/h3>\n

This ties in to making your website visitors feel comfortable with your business. Unlike retail, real estate is an emotional subject for sellers. If a motivated seller just sees someone who\u2019s after their house, they won\u2019t be comfortable leaving their information with you. But, if the motivated seller sees you as another person, someone who\u2019s there to help them in their time of need, you become more appealing.<\/span><\/p>\n

The CEO of Synergixx<\/a><\/span><\/span> said: \u201c2017 will be about making customers feel comfortable<\/strong> about your services.\u201d There\u2019s no better way to do that than by making your website personable from the start. Throw in some pictures of you and your family, or your team, and don\u2019t <\/span>ever<\/i><\/b> forget to have an <\/span>About Us<\/span><\/i> page.<\/span><\/p>\n

3: Have easily submittable forms<\/h3>\n

The top marketing trend for this year is easy \u201cshop now\u201d buttons on websites<\/strong>. However, because you\u2019re buying and selling houses, having a \u201cshop now\u201d button doesn\u2019t really work for your target audience. It\u2019s not like you have a warehouse of properties you can just ship off when someone wants to buy a house of yours.<\/span><\/p>\n

No, a \u201cshop now\u201d button won\u2019t work in your real estate investing marketing strategy for 2017. <\/span><\/p>\n

But what will work, and more importantly what <\/span>does<\/span><\/i> work, is having an easy to use short form<\/strong> right there on your front page. Not to sound like a pitch, but that\u2019s exactly what LeadPropeller websites are built to do. Don\u2019t worry, we won\u2019t take up time with that here. You can just <\/span>test drive<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/span> a template to see for yourself later.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"use<\/a><\/p>\n

Your short form is your \u201cshop now\u201d button.<\/strong> The easier it is for a visitor to your page to leave their information with you, the more likely you are to get that conversion and a lead. <\/span><\/p>\n

Mobile-Centric Marketing Strategy for 2017<\/span><\/h2>\n

It\u2019s no surprise that the majority of people have smartphones these days. And it\u2019s even less of a surprise that those same people are using their smartphones for web browsing, searching, and online communication. <\/span><\/p>\n

In a <\/span>2015 study, Google<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/span> reported: \u201c51%<\/strong> of smartphone users have discovered a new company or product when conducting a search on their phone.\u201d Then, the very next year, Google found that of those 51% of mobile users, \u201c28% of searches for something nearby resulted in a purchase or transaction<\/strong>.\u201d <\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The question isn\u2019t about why have mobile friendly marketing, it\u2019s about how your real estate investing business can market better to mobile users. And the answer is more simple than you\u2019d think.<\/span><\/p>\n

1: Make Your Website Mobile Friendly<\/h3>\n

Mobile friendly simply means: Is your website as able to be used on a phone or tablet as it is on a laptop or desktop?<\/span><\/p>\n

The simple way to see if your real estate investing website will resize to a mobile device<\/strong> is to simply resize your browser window on your desktop. If your website transitions to the new size without any issues, then it\u2019s probably going to be fine for mobile devices. If your website cuts off things, or hides part of your navigation bar, then you might have an issue with phones and tablets.<\/span><\/p>\n

2: Mobile-Only Apps<\/h3>\n

Of course, just making sure your website is sized correctly for mobile devices isn\u2019t really mobile marketing. You need to be focusing on why your target audience is using their mobile devices.<\/span><\/p>\n

While mobile web searches are high, <\/span>SmartInsights.com<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/span> found that \u201c89% of user\u2019s time spent on media is through mobile apps<\/strong>.\u201d Apps like Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, FaceBook and more are all marketing platforms that you could be utilizing to grow your real estate investing business. And more importantly, get in front of motivated sellers.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Image<\/a>
Image credit to: Smart Insights<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In fact, <\/span>Gary Vaynerchuk<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/span> has a wonderful article about how an investor used Snapchat as one of the main ways to sell his properties! When interviewed, the investor in Malibu said: <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I put up a $700 – $800K condo, I\u2019ll do a Snapchat Story<\/strong> of the kitchen, bathrooms, family room. I get a lot of feedback and people asking for more details about the property or if they can email me about it.\u201d<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

So, does mobile marketing work? Well, yeah. It does. And you should be doing it for your real estate investing marketing strategy for\u00a02017! Get your business an Instagram, a Snapchat, anything that\u2019s on a mobile platform that you can just be posting pictures and videos to.<\/span><\/p>\n

Which leads us to our next subject…<\/span><\/p>\n

The Importance of Videos<\/span><\/h2>\n

With everything moving to internet based commerce and communication, making more videos and media content needs to be a crucial part of your real estate investing marketing strategy for 2017. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c60% of people prefer video over reading text,\u201d <\/span>SmartHustle.com<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/span> found in a 2016 marketing case study. The study goes on to state, \u201c70% of customers prefer learning about a brand through content instead of ads<\/strong>.\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

So if the majority of browsers are sticking around for videos, and actually liking them more than an ad they can\u2019t skip on YouTube, then why wouldn\u2019t you do that for your real estate investing business?<\/span><\/p>\n

The first thing people think of when someone says \u201cyou should make videos\u201d is: but I don\u2019t have high budget equipment. But the truth is, for real estate investing, you really don\u2019t need a $5,000 camera. Honestly. Your phone works just fine.<\/span><\/p>\n

It all goes back to making your business personable<\/strong>. Using your phone to take a quick video that you post to your FaceBook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, Pinterest, Periscope – whatever – is all you need because the idea behind social media content is authenticity<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"mobile<\/a><\/p>\n

So next time you\u2019re walking through one of your investment properties, get your phone out and start recording what you\u2019re doing. It\u2019s as simple as that. You don\u2019t need to have a script written, you don\u2019t need a full production crew. Just walk around and start talking about the house, the process, what improvements you\u2019re going to be making on it, it\u2019s good qualities, and things like that. Then be amazed at the responses you get when you post it.<\/span><\/p>\n

The key is to <\/span>always be consistent<\/b>. Just like having a website, simply posting a video once in a while isn\u2019t enough to get people interested in your business. You have to be doing this regularly. <\/span><\/p>\n

Which shouldn\u2019t be hard because you\u2019re at your investment properties all the time anyway! And you\u2019re with clients, and at title companies, and everywhere. That\u2019s your job! All you have to do is turn on your camera and – boom – instant perfect media. <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Content Content Content!<\/span><\/h2>\n

Now that we know how valuable video media is, you need to be sure you\u2019re producing a variety of content to market your real estate investing business. Content being things like:<\/span><\/p>\n