If you haven’t created a website for yourself yet, consider this your sign. It is a digital age and now is not the time to be handing out flyers on a street corner.
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the real estate industry immensely; social distancing and self-quarantine rules have made in-person business challenging. In such a highly charged and competitive market, you’ll have to do more than post new listings and send direct mail.
Shifting to the use of virtual tours and captivating marketing content is more vital than ever.
The swiftly changing remote landscape can seem overwhelming, but locking down a solid foundation for your brand and business can start with something as simple as a website.
Consider your site not only for brand awareness but a trusted hub for information. It should act as a directory for knowledge about the market, answers to common questions, and resources for future leads. If you can shape your online presence to meet your audience’s needs quickly and efficiently, you will generate a positive relationship and set yourself up for success.
Here are 6 things you should focus on to kickstart your online presence:
- Free Home Valuations
This is an easy way to turn your website into a lead generating machine. Automation tools such as Mashboard and Real Geeks offer the option to embed their property valuation widget into your website to entice users in getting a personal report. These leads are automatically added to your list as leads and they receive regular reports and updates. It’s a win, win!
- Free Quality Content
What better way to gain trust than by leveraging your expertise through educational resources your visitors can download for free? Share content such as infographics, e-books, podcasts, webinars, and blog posts to share your market knowledge and become a trusted influence.
Another great way to bridge your online presence is by starting an IGTV series on Instagram and sharing it in your website’s content section. Cross functionality is the name of the internet game and your opportunities are endless!
- Call-To-Action
Do yourself a favor and set up an email marketing campaign. It allows you to generate a private audience that you can speak to on a more personal note because they already want what you are offering. Email is almost 40 times more effective than Facebook and Twitter combined in helping your business acquire new customers and promoting to those already in your sales funnel.
You can use features such as the automation tools above to add emails to your contact list or add a pop-up to your home screen offering free weekly updates on the market with an email subscription.
A general rule of thumb: make sure you deliver on whatever you’re offering.
- Social Links
Make sure you are linking all of your social accounts on each page of your website. This is an easy way to stretch your presence and market your other channels. Sometimes a user won’t acknowledge an email subscription but feels more comfortable following your Instagram account. Extend your reach so you can cover all your bases in securing new leads, or simply building that relationship with your followers.
You can attach your links at the end of your posts for easy sharing, or in the header or footer of your site for easy access on every page.
- Active Blog
The best way your website can gain acknowledgment from Google searches is by proving that you are an active page. By creating organic content and posting at least once a week, you are letting search engines know you exist as a valuable source, and you are not a robot. In featuring highly searched keywords in your posts, your chances of getting rated higher on search results lists are tremendously greater. You don’t have to be an SEO guru to generate traffic, you just have to start talking about the topics your audience wants to hear and the rest will follow.
- High-Quality Visual Portfolio
Highlight your latest listings with professional photography and videography. Investing in this should be the first thing on your to-do list if you plan to dominate the online housing market. If you’re highlighting homes with subpar imagery, the buyer will not stay to read the description.
A picture may be worth a thousand words, but in real estate, it equals thousands of dollars.
3D virtual tours have largely replaced open houses this past year to make the purchasing process easier and safer for clients. Videos are also a great way to showcase the features and amenities of your homes, show off the neighborhood, discuss the property market with a local specialist, offer advice to homebuyers, and paint the picture of the lifestyle each listing will offer the buyer.
Video marketing is also a great way to profile who you are as a professional, your involvement in the community, and what makes you a trusted source.
