With all the madness that’s going on in the world right now, it’s probably a good idea to take a break from listening/reading/watching the news.
And talking of ideas, here’s something I want to share with you.
Since May 2021, I’ve shared a Daily Idea (each weekday at 6.45am) in the members-only section of my Estate Agent Content Club’s Facebook page.
It’s proved a popular addition and my members have seen the added value it brings alongside the content they get from us.
I really enjoy coming up with and/or researching the ideas.
Below are a handful of ideas we shared last month.
Daily Idea 223: 4th Feb
Thanks to Rob Brady for bringing this to our attention. It’s proven stuff to market your agency more effectively. Source: Marketing Science.
6 Neuromarketing Principles
Don’t use “we”, or talk about your company. Focus on your customers’ pain points, not yours.
Get to the point. Your message is competing with about 10,000 other messages sent to the brain daily.
Be visual. Don’t just tell about a product – show it. And if you can’t show an image, create a mental image for your customers.
Keep it concrete. Ads with facial expressions, which help decode people’s intentions, are one example.
Close strong. People pay the most attention at the beginning and end of an ad. This will help ensure memory storage.
Use emotion. Surprise, laughter, fear, and anger all cause disruption— and thus, trigger memory.
Brilliantly concise – thanks Rob.
Daily Idea 224: 7th Feb
Create a guide to school catchment areas in your patch.
This one will take a bit of work but I think it would be worth it for four reasons.
– It highlights your agency as a real local expert.
– It shows a level of respect for buyers which is often missing from agency marketing.
– It can form part of your pitch to prospective sellers.
– It is a GREAT piece of content that can be used in multiple ways.
JL
Daily Idea 228: 11th Feb
I read a book last week called Celebrity Service by Geoff Ramm.
It’s a nicely presented collection of good examples of customer service.
The book itself lacks any wow factor but it does contain a message that isn’t implicitly outlined but weaves through all the memorable moments of great customer service.
The businesses that created the wow moments actively listened to their clients and acted upon it by providing special touches linked to the loves, likes, and interests of their paying punters.
Here’s an example: if my Mrs and I moved and the estate agent we bought from gave us a bottle of champagne as a gift, it’s a nice but ultimately wasted effort because neither of us drinks alcohol.
The Celebrity Service thing to have done would be to give a gift linked to what they’ve learnt about us – something like a running magazine for me and a book on drama therapy for Wendy (it’s the uni MA course she’s studying).
The magic is in listening and what you do with that information.
Daily Idea 230: 15th Feb
Do you know how much you’d ‘pay’ for an instruction?
This is commonly known as Price Per Client or Price Per Lead, among other ways of describing it.
It’s a really important thing to be aware of when it comes to working out your marketing budget.
It’s especially useful information when coming up with any referral incentives.
I read something ages ago that stuck in my head about marketing offers.
It was: ‘If it doesn’t scare you a little (the size/scope of the offer), it won’t excite them (the potential clients) at all.’
We’re up to 250 Daily Ideas, and on my wall, I have a reminder to keep coming up with them.
“Ideas are like fleas, they thrive when they jump from person to person.” Anon.
There’s a business lesson here, too. Whatever your core offering (in our case content), you can always add a bit more value by sharing knowledge and expertise (i.e. recommend trusted solicitors, removal firms, maintenance companies etc.).
Daily Idea 231: 16th Feb
Use your Meet the Team pages to highlight local knowledge and boost your SEO a little.
I’ve written dozens of Meet the Team profiles, and over the years, I’ve seen hundreds.
A good, easy-to-implement idea around MTMs is to get your team to answer these simple questions at the end.
Where is your favourite local pub/restaurant?
What do you love about AREA?
Where is the best place to relax in AREA?
What do you think is the best view in AREA?
How would you spend a ‘perfect day’ in AREA?
There’s more you can add – the idea is to get places mentioned that readers recognise. As recognition can help build rapport.
Daily Idea 239: 28th Feb
The magical effects of taking time out.
Back in July 2019, sitting on a beach in Turkey, I came up with the idea for the Estate Agent Content Club.
While dossing in Dubai a couple of weeks ago, I had a lightbulb moment which I’m confident will end up being our most popular and powerful service/product yet.
In the past, whenever I’ve spent time away from work, or even in different working environments, like hotels, retreats, or conferences, I’ve always come up with some different ideas.
Where do you go to get your inspiration and fresh thinking?
Thanks for reading.
Jerry