Hello Folks,
I like Christmas, but I love the new year.
It’s that renewed hope, refreshed ambitions and new goals to graft towards.
But in estate agency marketing, you can’t look forward without looking back and seeing what worked in 2022.
Here are five super successful things our members have done over the last 12 months.
Cracking the QR code conundrum. This year has seen much better use of QR codes, especially on direct mail, prospecting letters and brochures. They are the best way to mix print and digital to significant effect.
Community matters. The best agencies tend to have the best approach to supporting their communities. We’ve seen members doing litter picks, hosting free Santa’s Grottos, being food bank collection points, supporting local schools thanks to Stephen Brown’s campaigns and much more.
Getting personal. You are falling behind if you only have generic sales and lettings guides. We’re entering the age of personalisation. And in estate agency marketing terms, that means offering specific advice tailored to your clients’ needs.So what’s more interesting and helpful to Mrs Smith, who is stressed about selling her recently deceased mother’s home – your general sales guide? Or a guide filled with information on selling due to probate/inheritance?
Consistency. The best way to get results from your agency’s marketing (content marketing in particular) is simple. First, be boringly consistent in getting out there. Start with a weekly plan, then once you’ve nailed that, think monthly, and then you can look at quarterly marketing plans.
Build your content around a simple formula. All the content we create for our club members is built on an easy-to-follow checklist. It’s our in-house methodology of what makes content stand out for all the right reasons. We call it the HITS Formula: Helpful –Ask yourself who this vlog/blog/email campaign is helping. Is it answering a common question/solving a problem? Interesting –Is it about the readers’/viewers’ issues and does it interest them, rather than what’s in it for your agency? Topical – Evergreen content is ok, but the world moves fast, so your content needs to reflect that. So, create content around what’s interesting/worrying people right now – e.g. cost of living, selling during a recession, keeping up to date with rental law changes. Sustainable – Content marketing is an ongoing process, not a sporadic series of events. Do you have a sustainable system and source of content in place? Can you answer yes to both parts of that question? If you can, great. If not, let’s talk.
And in the spirit of reviewing stuff, below is the Estate Agent Content Club’s year in numbers and what’s worked well for us.
No Midweek Marketing Magic on 28 December but back to normal on 4 January.
Thanks for your time and attention this year, and wishing you and the ones you love a very Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy and prosperous 2023.
Jerry