There are only a few weeks left until the end of the year. It’s time to get your marketing plans for 2022 in place.
Given our clients’ experience, we know that a large portion of your plans must involve online activities. Over the past 18 months, consumers have spent a lot more time on their devices using social media and checking email than they did pre-pandemic. Those habits will continue, making it more important than ever to have a credible online presence. Your competition is already online and they will capture your client’s attention if you aren’t there in a credible way.
Here are some digital marketing initiatives we recommend to build your online credibility in 2022:
Up-to-date Google Business listing:
Your Google Business listing is one of the first things people see when they search for you. Be sure your listing is current. Is your brokerage information correct? How about your contact info?
No listing yet? Click here. This free tool allows people easy access to your website, contact information and reviews.
Website:
Make sure your website is up-to-date and mobile-friendly. If it’s not, Google will penalize you when someone searches online – you may not show up at all. There are several reputable companies offering customizable sites at a reasonable price. It’s worth the time and investment to do this properly.
Email marketing – Your client retention plan:
According to email marketing company Constant Contact, 72 per cent of consumers prefer email as their main channel for business communication. I believe it is the best tool to pro-actively communicate with your community and it’s critical for Realtors who rely on repeat clients and referrals.
A monthly plan for email marketing will ensure you stay in touch with your past clients and, when done right, it can make it easy for them to refer you to their friends and neighbours.
Now’s the time to update your contact list. (You’re not alone if you haven’t done this in the past few years, or ever!)
In compliance with the Canadian Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL), you can legally add anybody you’ve done business with in the past two years, people who have sent you an inquiry over the past six months and people you are already emailing on a regular basis, like friends, family and colleagues. Click here for more on CASL.
Include first names wherever possible, allowing you to personalize your email.
Social media:
Invest a little time updating your LinkedIn account (if you don’t have one, there’s no time like the present). When people Google you, your LinkedIn account is one of the first things that people see and it’s your opportunity to control the conversation. LinkedIn will let you know what needs to be completed. This is also a good time to reach out and connect with past clients. Many will have an account here.
Content:
Original content generates engagement online, especially if you’re in it. Here’s a positive challenge for you; create one original piece of content per month. Start with a photo – it can be your family, your dog or cat, a visit to a local landmark or even a selfie in front of your favourite restaurant or coffee shop.
If you enjoy writing, generate some ideas for a blog. I often find it’s easier to dictate an article than type it. And hey, while you’re in front of your computer talking, why not consider…
Video:
If you’re not yet using video in your marketing, make 2022 the year you do it! (I said the exact same thing last year.) Short of being in person, nothing conveys your personality, your charm and your charisma (and I know you’ve got them) like video. Click here for an article with some how to’s.
Whether it’s a market update, a profile of a local business or a walk-through of your latest listing, video is content that keeps on giving. You can put your video in an email, on a YouTube channel, on your website and on your social media.
Pick one and make it happen:
If you don’t know where to begin, simply pick the one initiative you like the most and start there. Look at what people you admire are doing and take inspiration from them. When that initiative is complete, pat yourself on the back and pick the next one. Implement one digital marketing improvement at a time.
If digital marketing makes you squirm and you just want to get on with helping your clients, get in touch and I can help you set your digital marketing plans for 2022.
Mark Brodsky has been working with Realtors since 2008, producing monthly newsletters and social media management. Send him an email or visit his website.
