One Change You Need To Make In Your Marketing Approach Today

In the past, if agents wanted to stay in contact with their clients and prospects, they were often taught to send a recipe, a calendar, or a holiday card—all with their picture and contact information featured prominently.

Today, however, such marketing materials are often considered frivolous and, quite frankly, they don’t work. (To dive deeper into why, check out our free eGuide, How to Succeed in a Shifting Real Estate Market.)

As digital marketing continues to evolve, real estate agents can address the real questions your clients and prospects want answered more directly:

• How’s the market?
• Is now the time to buy?
• Is now the time to sell?
• Is real estate still a good investment?

In other words, today’s buyers and sellers don’t care if your picture is on a recipe or calendar in their kitchen. They want to know what’s happening in the market.

As Marc Davison, Co-Founder of 1000 Watt Consulting, said, “Frivolous content will sink as the gems of true insight continue to rise.”

Your ability to provide those “gems” will determine your success. Here’s how you can do it.

Content marketing is a way to market yourself by providing the key information people are seeking.

It’s an informational approach to selling and branding that encompasses your regular marketing efforts, like social media or email, as well as your presentations and face-to-face interactions.

It’s blog posts, videos, graphics, brochures, and much more.

But sharing great content does more than just fill your social media feed or make you look professional, it shows your prospects that you are a real estate advisor they can trust.

We know from Google that two out of every three people research prospective agents extensively online prior to working with them. Even if you were referred by someone, that person is going to research you.

You want the information they find about you to showcase your expertise, and the way you do that is through the content you share.

Let’s face it … there’s a lot of information, misinformation, and confusion about the real estate market circulating. As such, it’s difficult for buyers and sellers to get a true picture of the market and their options.

Consumers need a real estate expert who understands what’s happening, why it’s happening, and what it means to them. The content you post and share establishes you as that expert.

For many people, buying or selling a home is the most important financial decision they’ll ever make. Your clients must trust you enough to take your advice regarding this very complex matter.

In order to trust you, they need to feel confident that you will give them excellent advice. When you engage in content marketing, you show people that you know what’s going on in the market.

As consumers read your blog posts, your social media updates, and any articles or tips you share, your credibility grows.

The KCM Blog is updated daily with real estate articles covering national market trends featuring powerful insights, professional visuals, and data from trusted resources. You can share a personalized version of each post, complete with your photo, bio and contact information, with Personalized Posts.

Only when they feel they can trust you will they reach out for your professional assistance. Content marketing is one of the only ways you can begin building that trust equity prior to meeting them.

Your relevant, captivating information will answer a lot of questions for your clients and prospects, but it will also generate questions. This enables you to have a meaningful dialogue with your target market.

The more you engage people in conversation, the more likely they are to contact you for their real estate needs. Content marketing fosters these conversations, which are the backbone of any relationship.

Additionally, research by Inman shows that 70% of consumers believe that organizations providing custom content are interested in building good relationships with them, and 78% of consumers prefer getting to know a company via articles rather than ads.

Think about how you feel when you read a magazine or online content. Do you put more trust in the ads you see or in the content you read? Your clients are no different.

Providing useful content to your clients and prospects helps establish rapport so you start a conversation and ultimately build a long-term relationship with them.

Content marketing is a great foundation to build your brand as a real estate agent.

Whether you’re sharing blogs on social media or infographics through email, your points of contact with leads and prospects should go beyond sharing your listings.