What is your Marketing Niche?
I’ve been making some enhancements to a few of my websites in the last week. As part of my business plan, I work to have an extensive online market presence. I do that with my websites, blogs, and participation in social media. It feels good to have found my niche in real estate marketing.
Everyone is not going to be good at marketing their online presence. Some agents succeed with cold calling, post cards/direct mail, door knocking, or working FSBOs/Expired/Withdrawn listings. In the same way that I’ve talked about different clients receiving their information differently – agents need to focus on what they are really good at. Does everyone need to have a website with online presence? Yes,I believe they do. That is where the majority of the buyers are. But how much time and energy you devote to that is going to be different depending on what your business goals are.
Make sure you Enjoy what you Do
I have worked various websites and enjoy tinkering with them. I have real estate website/blogs, area blogs, community blogs, and individual property blogs. It has been something that not only do I think is the zone I need to focus in, but I enjoy it very much! To like what you do makes it much easier to go to work each day.
“How much business have you closed as a result?” That is a tough answer because I’ve found that most people who find me online- came across many different sites, most can’t pin down which website is the one that made them send that first email. I know that each gets visitors and I know that leads do come as a result of “the internet”. Thankfully, there are a few more definitive of where they “found” Kim Wood.
What works for YOU?
Remember that just as each client prefers to receive their information in different ways, what you need to focus your time and energy in marketing your real estate business and yourself is also an individual preference. Just because I enjoy and get results from my participation in Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, etc. doesn’t mean that you necessarily will.
To help you focus on what your marketing strengths are and to pin point a plan for your business, you may want to consider hiring a marketing professional.
Troy Roark (ILRealEstate @Twitter)
June 10, 2009 at 8:11 pm
Great article. You mentioned you often don’t know from where the original email came that initiated an agency relationship. You could easily set up different email addresses for each site that you can funnel to one email program (ie Outlook). You should be able to tell which email address the contact came from, and track your on-line efforts more effectively. Just a thought.
Kari Battaglia
June 11, 2009 at 9:46 am
I agree that you must enjoy what you are doing otherwise it will just be a job. Troy, that is a great idea about email addresses and will be using that if you don’t mind.
Paula Henry
June 11, 2009 at 12:14 pm
I, too, devote a huge amount of time to online marketing. It works for me since the clients who find me online appreciate having access to online tools. It’s not just about finding homes and marketing though. I find the buyers and sellers I work with fit my niche because they like the time savings and expediency of the tools I use.
Missy Caulk
June 11, 2009 at 9:03 pm
There are so many places online to connect. I think we all have to find our niche and hang there. Sometimes it takes awhile to figure out where you best connections are coming from.
Communication is a two way street so if your not connecting on one site but on another one than BINGO.
See ya Sunday!!