As a real estate professional, you know that finding clients is the crux of your business. You might also know that 93% of all home buyers begin their searches online. Younger buyers, who are now making up the largest percentage of homeowners, search for homes online 98% of the time. Therefore, digital marketing is vital to everything you do as a Realtor.
But how do you know when your digital marketing is falling flat? How can you revamp a sleepy online presence? We’re here to help.
How to Revamp Your Digital Marketing
Perhaps you’ve been paying attention to your online presence, and you think your marketing is up to par. However, you might be surprised to learn that many agents aren’t keeping current with today’s real estate technology trends.
How can you find out if it’s time for a reboot? And what can you do if you need to fix your digital presence?
1. Problem: Poor SEO Rankings
Search engine optimization, or SEO, is the most critical component of online marketing. If you’re not showing up on Google’s first page of search results, you’re not reaching your clients. There are many ways to improve your SEO ranking, including an SEO and keyword audit. But updating your website could be enough to get you back in Google’s good graces.
Solution: Update Your Website and Integrate IDX
When upgrading your digital presence, start with your website. If it’s outdated, lacking informative content, or isn’t visually appealing, visitors will likely move on.
According to the National Association of Realtors’ Digital Age Report, the vast majority of home buyers search online. Often, that’s through a third-party website like Zillow or Realtor.com. But if you can direct these users to your website instead and keep them there with great content, they’re more likely to hire you as their agent.
The NAR report revealed that users found photos, virtual tours, floorplans, and detailed information about properties the most helpful. Therefore, make your website photo-focused, easy to navigate, and full of useful property insights.
One way to give users up-to-date information is to integrate an IDX system. This software allows individual Realtors to display MLS listings on their business websites. Users can then see the same information on your site that they would find on a larger real estate search engine.
Are you afraid of revamping your website? Fear not. Our agent-focused themes are easy to integrate into your existing site and will make navigation a breeze. WinningAgent can even create the website for you to save your time and sanity.
2. Problem: Social Media Slowdown
If you see a drop in the amount of “likes” you have on Facebook, you’re probably not playing the social media game to the best of your ability. Social media marketing is forever changing, as these platforms make it more difficult for businesses to get the word out for free. You’re going to have to play by their rules. But you can still reach the right people, in the right places, without spending much time or effort.
A major slowdown in page views, monthly sales, or interactions online, means it’s time to improve your digital media marketing strategy.
Solution: Play the Social Media Game
Social media giants like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter have made small business advertising much more complicated than in the past. We get it: they are free platforms, and they need to make money, too. So, if you want to use social media effectively, you’re going to have to purchase ads to get maximum exposure.
Social media makes it easy to target your ideal clients. When you purchase ads, you can identify a target age range, demographic, geographic location, and more. These tools allow you to narrow down your marketing and reach only the people you think are most likely to respond to your information.
Additionally, be sure you’re posting regularly, providing content that is helpful to users. The more people who subscribe and interact with your posts, the better reach you’ll have overall.
3. Problem: Boring Listings and Outdated Technology
Real estate technology changes every day. If your website doesn’t prominently feature listings with the most up-to-date tech, you’re likely to miss out on new clients. Remember, home buyers are increasingly younger and more tech-savvy, so you must up your game if you’re going to compete.
Solution: Virtual Tours and 3D Floorplans
Today’s buyer wants to view homes at their convenience, without time constraints or pressure to buy. That’s why virtual reality is increasingly popular in real estate.
Multiple companies and apps allow agents to create 3D models of their listings. Using this technology, online viewers can take a “virtual tour” of both the exterior and interior of a home, moving through rooms and viewing 360-degree photos. Many of these services also create a 3D floorplan, which helps users visualize the space.
These virtual reality tools can drastically reduce the amount of time you’ll spend showing homes, but helps buyers narrow home choices more effectively. If you’re not using this technology on your website and in your MLS listings, you’re probably missing out on potential buyers.
What’s Your Real Estate Digital Marketing Strategy?
How about you? Have you revamped your website recently? Spent more time cultivating a social media following? Or integrated virtual reality into your listings? Have these changes helped your business? We want to hear about it! Drop us a line in the comments!
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