Chad Hyams, the Growth and Productivity Director for the Southeast Region, spoke with Mega Camp attendees on best practice tips to ensure their digital marketing strategy is on track. He began his session by setting an expectation for the audience: “Success is sequential and not simultaneous.”
To explain the quote, Hyams said: “ You have to go and do work; success is not going to just happen.” Gary Keller’s The ONE Thing was also a prelude for the audience to understand how to leverage the forthcoming tips; he cautioned listeners to focus on ‘one thing’ at a time. Master one thing and move onto another best practice to master.
The idea behind effective digital marketing is to brand yourself at the local go-to resource in real estate. And, with that point, Hyams began discussing his thoughts on the options and best practice tactics to communicate to clients leveraging the digital marketing tools available:
- People think email is a marketing platform; it’s not.
- Email is a communication tool to maintain a conversation, not start a relationship.
- Your potential clients don’t read up to 50 percent of their emails.
Phone (talking and texting)
- To begin a relationship, pick up the phone and talk to someone.
- Texting is increasingly a great way to maintain relationships by sharing information.
Slydial
- Use slydial, a solution that allows users to easily voice message any contact with a U.S. mobile phone number directly from a phone’s address book.
- Why: Save time by bypassing conversations and ringing phones.
Slybroadcasting
- Use slybroadcasting, a solution that allows users to broadcast audio messages directly to the voice mailbox of thousands of mobile phones.
- Why: Save time by bypassing conversations and ringing phones and broadcasting to a list of mobile phones.
Real Estate Apps
- To get your app on your client’s phone, ask them if they want direct access to the best information to aid them in the home buying process. Then, when they say yes, offer to show them how to download your app.
- Best case: Use their phone and download the app directly on their phone; And, give the phone back after.
Social Networks
- Learn how each social network works and use them properly.
- Learn how to leverage the best practices of each platform to message and brand yourself.
- Learn the limitation and constraints of each social media platform.
- For Twitter, create hashtags and use them as a means for clients to contact you.
Video
- Video branding is increasing an important part of a strong digital marketing strategy.
- Currently, Facebook is making video marketing more powerful than ever.
- Check out KW Video and use it to maintain client relationships.
- Create videos and upload them to your business page.
Content Creation
- Content creation is a strong best practice to get your hyper-local message and brand out there.
- Learn best practices associated with WordPress and blogging.
- Laser focus the content of your blog to make it hyper-local to your area of expertise.
Mention.com
- Use mention.com, a solution that allows users to listen to what’s being said on the web and social web; and, react quickly, collaborate and analyze an online presence.
- Why: Save time by proactively managing your reputation online.
Vital to success, Hyams’ final best practice for digital marketing was to create a common experience across all digital platforms. Clients need a common experience of an agent’s brand no matter how they chose to communicate. Ensure your business card, website, Twitter, Facebook and App branding are consistent with a common brand message as a best practice.
“Don’t do it all at once. Let one domino knock the next domino down.” Let your success in digital marketing build upon itself by focusing on one thing at a time,” said Hyams.
