Presentation Transcript

1. HomeStory Realtor Vertical Marketing Program

2. There are lots of ways to reach Real Estate Professionals. Here is an outline which can be customized for your local HomeStory office. It includes: 1. Marketing Pieces2. Social Media3. Public Relations4. Networking5. REFERRAL RELATIONSHIP PROGRAM6. Industry relationship program7. ROI TRACKING
3. 1. Marketing Pieces
4. Marketing Pieces Include: Postcards Advertising Literature Presentations Letters Email Blasts
5. Postcard Mailing Program Includes: Creation or Purchase of a Mailing List A mailing list can be purchased from a local mailing house or there is a company called Realestateagentslist.com They guarantee a 90-92% accuracy of their mailing list. You can purchase the entire list or select by state or zip code According to their information, they update their list monthly
6. Postcard Mailing Program Includes: Creation or Purchase of a Mailing List There is also another company that specializes in realtor mailing lists. They are Lake Group Media. http://www.lakegroupmedia.com or 914-925-2449 The cost is $130 per thousand and they would need the zip codes for the areas you would like to target. They also need to approve the mail piece.
7. Rates for Realtor Magazine Mailing List Available as a pdf:
8. Postcard Mailing Program Creation of Postcard Artwork Camera ready artwork has been prepared and uploaded to the FTP site. Artwork and message should be visual and focus on how the real estate professional can please his/her sellers, as well as how easy it is to use HomeStory Keep in mind a 1-2% response is considered good for any mailing.
9. Advertising Research of Where to Best Advertise Check the demographics of where you are considering advertising. To target real estate agents you will want to research: Associations which include real estate professionals in your area and the advertising opportunities they offer – including newsletters, email blasts, magazines, sponsorships, online opportunities - Google, websites and more Industry magazines that target the professional Property Maintenance magazines that target trends etc. that would be of interest to industry professionals.
10. Advertising Preparation of Artwork Ads will want to focus on how HomeStory can best make the real estate agent look good to his/her customers Depending upon the advertising medium selected, artwork will need to be prepared in the appropriate format for print, web, email etc.
11. Advertising Online Pay per click advertising – How it works – Internet, Facebook, Google etc. Ads can be placed around your location and demographics Advertisers select a budget and are charged a price per click Once the budget is reached, the ad is removed until the cycle renews or retires Each click receives a charge – so don’t tell all your family and friends to try it out – you’ll be charged for each click
12. Literature Product Book and other handouts can be sent out as part of a mailing which specifically target the realtors and also provides additional product information When printing brochures, you often pay the same cost for setup regardless of quantity Estimate your long term needs and buy enough to last a year or two
13. Presentations Industry Associations often meet regularly and offer speaking opportunities Pitch to speak at a local luncheon about the benefits of new doors for their clients or another industry related topics. They will not allow a sales pitch Pitch speaking at an industry conference – everything you ever wanted to know about door installation, new technology or other related topics Contact the local meeting, education or speaker coordinator to request a speaking opportunity
14. Presentations Handouts It is always good to use handouts as a leave behind for any presentation Be sure to include your contact information somewhere in the materials in case attendees want to follow up for additional information
15. Presentations PowerPoints There are lots of creative ways to include your brand in a presentation without making it a sales pitch Brand colors, photos and other items can be lightly transparent in the presentation background or handouts without making it a sales pitch HomeStory PowerPoint backgrounds have been created for your use, along with a slideshow pitching the benefits of HomeStory
16. Letters Before creating a letter, start a database or purchase one of local real estate professionals in your area If you purchase a list there may be restrictions as to how often you can use it and how it is used Most list purchases are one time only unless negotiated
17. Letters Create a letter addressed directly to the real estate agent introducing yourself and the benefits of doors Realtors are interested in getting a home sold, so you’ll want to include information about how you can help them sell faster For a large mailing of 1000+ it is often less expensive to use a mail house due to discounts on postage and zip sort
18. Email Blasts Email blasts can be a very effective communication tool Starting at $15 a month, programs like Constant Contact can be a great resource for email campaigns There are several templates which can be customized for your message The program incorporates a hassle free unsubscribe and helps keep your email blast legal There is a also a tutorial center
19. 2. Social media
20. Social Media Social media is widely available and used by the masses It is an excellent marketing tool Once something is posted, it should be considered public knowledge Be careful what you post, it can come back to haunt your company later
21. Social Media Never post anything online when Angry, tired, upset, drunk, not feeling well etc. Never say anything bad or uncomplimentary about a customer or anyone else online Don’t fight and get nasty with others online Any photos posted should be professional and helpful Don’t post others drunk at parties, in unflattering poses, or in any other uncomplimentary manner that could hurt your company or the brand
22. Social Media Includes: Houzz LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube and Many More
23. Houzz Houzz is an excellent marketing tool for those in the construction or remodeling industries Professionals have the opportunity to upload their portfolios online for other industry professionals and customers to see Houzz is FREE
24. How to Maximize Houzz After creating an account, find other referral relationship professionals – real estate professionals, designers, architects, remodelers etc. in your area and follow them Go to the second tab at the top of the page and click on find local pros Type in the city and state and then type in the type of professional you wish to find A list of industry professionals will display on your screen
25. How to Follow Others Click on the Real Estate Professional to see his/her profile and portfolio Underneath the person’s picture is a follow button Click on the button to follow the person Each person you follow will receive an email that you are following them
26. How to Get Involved in Discussions At the top of the page, you will see tabs – click on Follow Discussions There are two types of discussions Before and After – showing photos of before and after projects along with discussions Design Dilemmas – In these discussions, people ask for advice about specific home improvement projects These discussions are searchable by product, improvement etc. Type in door at the top and get involved in door related discussions
27. How to Get Involved in Discussions The Before and After Discussions are a great place to post photos of before and after installs and the transformation of the customer’s home Never mention the customer’s name or where they live Don’t put in perfect photos. People on Houzz like photos that look like they were taken on the job with a smartphone It is ok to say your office did the install and the city where it took place
28. How to Get Involved in Discussions Not everyone is nice online Sometimes people look for opportunities to cut others down online because they don’t have to post their name or real photo Always be professional, never respond angry and think about your post before posting If you need help to respond to someone’s post, please call the HomeStory office
29. How to Get Involved in Discussions You can mention how a particular project helped sell a home fast When finding people you want to interact with, you can also get involved in discussions they are involved in You can find those by clicking on their profile and then their discussions
30. How to Get Involved in Discussions The Design Dilemmas are a great place to give advice about doors, colors, upgrades, and other remodeling items that include doors You cannot always tell if the person is in your area, but since the discussions are searchable, others can see and find them Someone who participates later in the discussion can see you or need business later and remember you The more active you are, the higher you appear on the professional list
31. LinkedIn LinkedIn is a great online networking tool Before reaching out to others, make sure you have maximized your profile Include your website, link to the HomeStory video, add links to your social media profiles Under your job description have a phone number, email or other way to contact you. Not everyone is allowed to see contact information Next to your company and title include - door replacement, so when posting and interacting with others, they can see what HomeStory does
32. How to Maximize LinkedIn Joining groups is the key to LinkedIn Once you are in a group, you can send messages to anyone in the group (unless they blocked messages) There are groups on almost any topic on LinkedIn Find a local group with realtors who can directly refer to you or use your services It could be an industry association, chamber of commerce or other group which would include real estate professionals
33. How to Maximize LinkedIn After joining groups, request a daily report of group discussions under your setting feature Look for opportunities to get involved in discussions Spam is not allowed and you can be moderated (someone has to approve your posts) if you spam Potential posting topics: news that would be helpful to real estate professionals, new laws, new technology announcements etc.
34. Facebook HomeStory Services has a Facebook page which will be managed by HomeStory Services All locations are listed under this main account, so each location now has a page Profiles and pages are different A personal profile represents a person. A page is set up for a business or other organization and a personal profile is required to create a page. Once created, personal profiles can be selected to be an administrator on a page.
35. Facebook Facebook has groups Joining groups with real estate professionals is a good way to reach out and meet real estate professionals Liking pages is a good way to network When you like a page, others receive an email that you liked their page Searching for professionals in your area and liking their page is a good way to interact Some groups on LinkedIn have discussions about liking each other’s pages – a great opportunity
36. Facebook – What to Post Your Facebook page is a great place to post Articles featuring your business Photos from your latest installations Before and after photos of projects Community activities and charities you are involved in and more Photos where transformations helped sell a house Please send your before and after photos, links to articles and other owner happenings to HomeStory Services to post as well
37. Twitter HomeStory Services has a Twitter account which will be managed by HomeStory Services Twitter is a great tool for monitoring the media and industry happenings
38. Pinterest Pinterest can be used a number of different ways and is a great tool for increasing your website traffic and Houzz following Think about strategy and how it will be used This media is loved by real estate and other visual industry professionals Look around and see what your competitors are doing, what you like and dislike – then decide how to proceed
39. Pinterest Pinterest users pin photos they like onto boards You can re-pin photos from other’s pins or pin directly from your website or Houzz account Photos link back to where the original source is – leading them back to your website or Houzz account, helping you build followers on Houzz, and hits on your website
40. Pinterest If you use your logo as your profile photo, your photo and name are displayed If you pin and re-pin quality photos, you will develop a following Joining architecture, interior design and other similar group boards will help you get in front of realtors Look around and see what your competitors are doing, what you like and dislike – then decide how to proceed
41. Pinterest The secret to attracting followers quickly is group boards It is hard to get on group boards with a brand new account To begin, start following group boards you would like an invite to In the beginning accept invites of boards that aren’t offensive etc. just to help gain a following. You can decide not to keep them later.
42. Pinterest Manners Do not post spam on group boards You can lose your account Don’t put phone numbers on your posts, buy my product or service etc. When posting on group boards, follow the board’s rules Different board owners have different rules If you are unsure, watch what others do and what seems to be allowed
43. Pinterest Networking & Strategy Follow all the local and industry newspapers, magazines, etc. that could write about you or give you good publicity Follow others who could use your services or refer others to you that are within your area Follow charities, chambers and others you wish to network with Post from your website and Houzz to bring them back to those sites
44. YouTube YouTube is a great place to post video of your installs, your commercials and other events you attend Before posting Make sure you own the video or have permission to post it in writing Make sure the quality is good and no one is portrayed in an embarrassing or unprofessional manner
45. 3. Public relations to real estate professionals
46. Public Relations: Public relations is the practice of promoting and maintaining a favorable opinion in the eyes of others
47. Public Relations Opportunities Include: Press Releases Story Pitches Articles Donating Time or Money Resulting in Publicity
48. Press Releases: A press release is a statement or news release submitted to the news media for inclusion in their publication A press release must contain some news before most media will consider printing it A personal opinion, business pitch, advertisement or other similar item is not considered a press release Good items for consideration include: new technology, hiring a new employee, moving your location, donating time or a product or service
49. Press Releases: Not everyone is going to print a press release Some will print the release exactly as it is Others will rewrite part of it for you Some will hold it for future opportunity Others might consider a feature story Others will throw it away
50. Article Pitches: Publications are always looking for new products, interesting information and items that benefit their readers You can pitch an article by: Calling a publication Sending a pre-written article to a publication Talking to the sales manager if you are purchasing advertising in the publication Offering to write a column on a regular basis as an industry expert Example press releases to realtors on FTP site
51. 4. Networkingto real estate Professionals
52. Networking Networking in person is a great way to meet others and promote your business Find local organizations and associations within your community that have realtors as members and consider joining Once you join, get involved
53. Networking Different ways to get involved Serve on a committee Advertise in the local publication/newsletter Help organize or work a local event Attend meetings regularly People like to do business with people they know The more you get involved, the more you will get to know others
54. 5. Referral relationship program
55. Referral Relationship Program Create a referral relationship program to thank real estate professionals who send their customers your way – encourage a partnership with the real estate professional Send a thank you card for every referral Track how much each realtor is sending your way and thank them with gift cards and other items, based on their increasing referrals Offer preferred pricing, discounts, markups or other priorities to their clients for referring work to you
56. Referral Relationship Program Remember those who send business your way at the holidays, birthdays and other important times of the year Hand delivering a special gift over the holidays to those who refer lots of clients your way is an excellent touch
57. 6. Industry relationship program
58. Industry Referral Program Create an industry referral relationship program for real estate professionals who send other industry professionals your way Send a thank you card for every referral Offer financial rebates or markups for referrals Offer financial incentives for large volume industry professional referrals Offer co-op advertising opportunities or include high volume referrers in your ads or other marketing materials
59. 7. ROI Tracking
60. Track Your Success Track what is working and what is not It takes 6 months to a year to see success from many networking, advertising or other marketing activities Track where your customers are coming from Look at your expenses and compare them with how much business you get from related activities Some items pay for themselves, others do not Change your strategy accordingly, but give it time to work