ABC’s to Real Estate Internet Marketing
If you are in real estate then you know about the $1 breakfast at broker previews. You show up, listen to the speech, and leave with the best $1 breakfast you could have ever imagined. But what is this doing to your reputation as an agent?
Now that we are in the information age, broker previews are a waste of your time. In fact, if you go to any networking events then you are wasting your money and your time! These events are nothing more than a bunch of hot headed pressure sellers that stand around enjoying $2 cocktails and brag about how many properties they listed last month.
Now that you are in the real estate industry you know that getting your name out there is the only way to succeed. No contacts, no sales, no referrals, no commissions. The brutal cycle! How many leads to you really get from those networking events? Compare that number to the amount of hours you are there. Now take that number and divide it by the number of pain killers you took after hearing about how Jim got a 5% commission. There is a better way to network and gain the status you need to succeed in the real estate industry.
The first step is building a bullet proof reputation on the internet. The first thing a new prospect will do is Google your name. If you do not have a positive reputation on the internet then you will lose the majority of your leads. Not having any information is sometimes just as bad as having negative information about you. Here are the first steps to building an online reputation:
Join Real Estate Focused Social Networks
-Roi’s List Web Platform is free to join
-Try Biggerpockets
-Join Meetups
-Join Facebook Real Estate Groups
Create a blog
-Free to start
-Write about market trends, give free advise
-Submit articles to free submission sites
-Get a Facebook
-Produce a 45 second YouTube introduction of yourself
Your blog should have:
-Video introduction (YouTube clip)
-An opt in email form for visitors
-Testimonials
-Benefit bullet points of why they should do business with you
-eHandbook (pdf download)
-Contact information
-Useful market analysis that people will benefit from
-Press release logos
-Awards
-Social Media Links
Now that you have a blog, you must drive people to it. How do you that? It’s really simple! Submit articles to different sites with your blog link in them. Write about yourself, market trends, and upcoming laws. Submit articles that will benefit your potential customers. You must appear as an expert in your field in order for people to trust you.
Post useful information on your Facebook wall. People will click through and read what you have to say. The point of a blog is to build a strong relationship with a client and to get a lead with a potential prospect. By sharing useful information, you are setting yourself up for referrals and gaining the loyalty of your followers; you are establishing credibility and trust. With out this, you will be known as a real estate agent, not as an expert!
If you have a standard business card, then get rid of it now. You must use every marketing tool to drive clients to your blog. Place awards, and press logos on the card to impress the contact. Give them a reason to visit your site. If you are featured in the mainstream media as an expert author, then the chances of people wanting to read your material will increase. You can also start forums on your blog. This allows people to comment on your material, and will also drive them to your website regularly. Your goal is to become their trusted source for market analysis and updates.
The best way to turn prospects into clients is through your email opt in form on your blog. The prospect opts in to your newsletter by entering his first name and email address. In return you send him emails with your auto responder email program. If you do not have an auto responder then you must invest in one. They are normally $20 per month. This will save your life! It automatically sends emails to everyone on your list, and you can even set the program to send emails on certain days, and in intervals.
Now that you know how to attract qualified leads through blogging, stop wasting your time at networking events and start building your internet reputation! It will take a little help to get going so contact your local web designer and make it happen! Remember, perception, perception, perception!
Closing deals has never been this simple!
Struggling to meet the right people to advance your real estate business?
With Roi’s List you can complete a deal in 3 easy steps:
1. Tell others what you’re looking for
Fill in your profile and tell people who your target audience is and what types of deals are you interested in.
2. Find investors based on your profile
Find the people who are really interested in a deal. We save you the hassle of trying to reach out to random investors and slowly building your network. Roi’s List is an instant black book for investors to do deals with whenever you need one.
3. Make a deal
With Roi’s List, it is easy to message anyone who is interested in making a deal. We fast-tracked the networking process so you don’t waste your time searching for potential investors. Make a deal with someone looking for exactly what you’ve got to offer.
