#5 Most Effective Mediums for Real Estate Marketing Regular engagement with audience through social media channels can deliver enormous amounts of value to the business over time
By Deepak Nair
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.
The real estate industry in India is fiercely competitive and cluttered and while there is no shortage of ways to market real estate, there is a huge trust issue that the industry needs to deal with. The online mediums are allowing real estate players to directly communicate with the end customers allowing them to sell a home faster and more efficiently than before by using the right real estate marketing strategies.
Keeping the several challenges in marketing real estate aside, if you are looking for a marketing bang for the proverbial buck, here are the 5 most effective online mediums that will help you attract the right customers.
Start with the basics: Build a Website
You must have heard this a number of times that it is important to have a professional website. The two things that you need to focus on are aesthetics and functionality. Ensure that it's a site people would refer to for rich content and share it within their circle. One great tool to include would be the lead generation form where you can record customer information.
Embrace the new age tech: 3D and VR
3D images are being used in a big way these days. Some websites open with a three-dimensional dollhouse of an entire property that the buyer can fly-through. The use of Virtual Reality is also picking up. Ultimately, all of our interactions with the digital realm will be in 3D and VR, so ensure that you stay ahead of the curve with technology like this. Creating a walk through video will make your property look legit. You don't have to hire a professional to do this wherein you spend a huge amount. It could simply be something you shoot on a good-quality smartphone or even with your own drone.
Invest in conversations: Social media
Engaging in conversations can deliver enormous amounts of value to the business over time. If you're in the real estate field, you should start engaging with the audience immediately, be it through social media channels like Facebook or through a blog.
Content marketing is a great way to draw in visitors to your platforms. You could also build a system for referrals and promote it aggressively across social media channels. You could also offer something in exchange for referrals, a gift voucher or something else. Whatever it is, come up with a unique way to pitch this to your clients and then ensure you treat all of those people the right way
Measure your results: Use Analytics
Real estate marketing involves analytics. Marketing without analytics is like shooting in the dark. You need to set up Google analytics and link all your marketing efforts to it. It will help you understand if your efforts are working or not. How well are your posts doing? How many people are visiting your site? Have you set goals? What is the average session rate? What about the bounce rate or exit rate? This will help you change your strategy real time and will help you manage your spends in the right direction.
Focus on Brand Awareness
Marketing is not always about sales. It is very important to build reputation and trust for your brand. You need to speak in a voice that the audience relates with. This will not happen overnight, it is a continuous process and you need to be open to sharing your experiences and expertise with the world. Eventually, people will look to your advice and you'll attract more and more brand awareness and loyalty.