Marketing Strategies for Dummies?

Question

Hey all! Quick synopsis of my background; contractor for ten years as well as six years of estimating multi-million dollar construction projects. In addition to this, I have been investing in residential properties for the last three years having closed approximately twelve deals and have two currently on the market and three in the works.

Having said all of that, I struggled with finding these deals. It took a lot of legwork (common practice and not afraid of it) to get these properties however I found that more seasoned investors have a much easier time in finding these deals. Most of the investors I work closely with have simply networked over the years and created a book of business. I, unfortunately, have not networked as well.

Long story short (or so you thought), I am looking to understand the best/worst techniques in marketing for real estate. I am looking to market directly to homeowners either looking to sell (free and clear), in foreclosure (short sale) or estates. I have absolutely no idea what marketing strategies work and what don't. I am willing to invest anywhere between $2-$3K a month for approximately three months for a marketing campaign but I have absolutely NO idea where to begin. I am looking to do anything/everything (social media campaigns, EDDM, email blasts, etc.).

Can someone fill me in on what works and what I should avoid, what I should look into, and any marketing agencies that I may benefit from, etc? I am a sponge, soak me. I am on Long Island, New York. Thanks in advance!

Ken Breeze · Answer

Hey @Bart Charkow

Right off the bat, I'll say I'm not a fan of old school marketing strategies anymore. As much as I love design and paper and print and the touchy-feely stuff, digital is king. Why? Because it's faster, yields results is extremely targeted and cheaper.

@Jerryll Noorden has a lot of good points and I agree that SEO plays a major role in getting you leads, but SEO is not the best or only strategy - there are a few ways to go about getting leads, and every one of them is applicable and has its strengths.

As you can see Jerryll is using a platform that helps you generate leads. The problem is that there is a cost and a learning curve with any platform and it takes a lot of time and continued effort to do what needs to be done. So the question becomes quickly: do you want to keep doing everything marketing yourself or do you want to do what every business that wants to grow beyond their glass ceiling does: focus on making decisions that grow your business, not working in your business on all ends.

Back to marketing. There are two ways of getting closer to your goals: fast and slow. Both strategies have their reasoning. SEO and blogging take time. You can build these up alongside your weekly and daily activities, but it needs to be done consistently and won't help you in the beginning - it takes a few months to start to stick with the web crawlers and people you're trying to reach. I recommend outsourcing the SEO part since you need to focus on your passion for working on, not in your business.

That is why I am a huge fan of Facebook advertising: Facebook is immediate & cheaper than most other marketing strategies. People are on Facebook and other social media channels 24/7/365 and thus they WILL see your ad if they have, in your case, expressed interest in selling or buying a home. People share everything about their lives all day long, so they are guaranteed to say something about it. And when someone expresses interest in selling or buying, Facebook knows it all: the chatter, the keywords, the demographics, everything.

It's not as a shotgun approach like yellow letters, which I stay away from because conversion rates are terrible. And since you're looking for leverage, you're not wasting your time knocking on doors and cold calling people that aren't even interested.

Feel free to contact with me with any more questions.

Cheers, Ken ;-)

Jerryll Noorden · Answer

Ohh man... sorry to say this but (in my humble opinion) you could not be more wrong. Never again say that stuff out loud y'hear?

So first, Ken, man, I appreciate your kind words and I see where you re coming from, but boy, I can not disagree more man.

I see you own a social media marketing company and maybe that is why you're insisting on that route, but I will just say this.

The numbers do not lie.

And this is at the low season smack in the middle of winter! Can you imagine how excited I am for spring? I am ready!

Do you know why I keep getting all the leads?

Even the leads from my competitors Direct mail marketing, social media marketing, bandit signs and what have you?

Because eventually someone WILL go to Google and research what they have seen in marketing. The second they dare go on Google I will be ALL-OVER-THE-PLACE

The thing is, and what must people do wrong.. they believe what they WANT to believe. Some people WANT to do DMM, so they will find reasons why DMM is better, even when it isn't.

Here is why I always suggest people to NEVER hire a marketing company.

A bad marketing company .. wel.. they have no clients right? So don't even bother with them.

A good one has clients.. many clients.

How many hours a week will such a marketing company devote to each client? the more clients they have, the less hours.

Now... do you think a marketing company will devise, create, and come up with unique, individual marketing strategies for every single website? Of course not. They will do the "same" marketing techniques for all their clients, a tweak here and a tweak there...

SEO and most forms of marketing should be done in house. Why? Because you want to be the only one and the best at these techniques. NO ONE will work as hard, as long, as rough, as mercilessly, than you working for and on your own company.

And please don't EVER say "ohh I rather spend my time closing deals" when it comes to marketing. That is the biggest load of nonsense ever. You are not an investor... you are a MARKETER. Let your secretary sit in the closing office waiting for that money transfer to get signed over. You... you sit in front of that computer telling your wife to hold on, and get that lase schema.org JSON code perfected on your video file of a killer testimonial ou received. Dang boi! Priorities!

If you do ONE thing in this business ... you MARKET! Why would you leave the most essential part of your making money (getting leads) to a "professional" when they do the exact same thing for your competitors?

Why do you think I am STILL the top dog in my market. There are companies out there IN CT that own huge marketing companies including SEO companies, and yet these "professionals" still can't kick me off the first spot! ME, a silly ape with a big mouth with an ego from hell, a cute butt sure, and crazy hair, but with no formal SEO knowledge other than that I developed myself which Google seems to be loving to no end!

Look boys and girls.. again... you see what you want to see...

The numbers

do

not

lie.

I can keep posting my daily leads streaming in,.. and these are high quality hot leads where people beg me to come buy their house pretty please.

For "free"!

Don't know how to do SEO? friggin learn, or don't complain that "It's soo hard to gt leads.. booohooo".

I didn't jump out of my mom, with godlike SEO skills. Now it comes easy to me without effort, because I friggin learned how to do it!

Yes I am THANKFUL, it is hard, and it takes time.. why? So that your every day clown doesn't just pick it up.

The more people that think like you, the more success people like me will have.

That my friends, is a fact!

Again... numbers!

So yes, see what you want to see.. but while you do... I am taking all your leads away!

If your clients can get 30 to 40 leads a week, on a $99/month budget (cost of hosting my site), I will happily admit social media is better than SEO. But till then... show me the money!uhmm.. i mean numbers.

The crazy Ape

Cody Z. · Answer

Hi Ken,

I really appreciated your post - very thoughtful. I would just throw out a reminder to anyone doing their marketing, that it is key to create all the typical players (FB, IG, Twitter, etc) and repost your content there. I believe SEO to be the dominant strategy but any good marketing mix will have a portion allocated to performance based advertising.

Good luck to all and reach out with any questions.

Bart Charkow · Answer

Greatly appreciated Ken! You are most certainly right; I'd like to focus more of my time closing the deals and not necessarily working behind the marketing and "push" of my business. That is why I mentioned hiring a strategist to put together a package that will give me the best ROI. I clearly need to do more on my end in regards to simply posting updates on my social media pages. It definitely seems like it will take the most time to build that way but I do see how it becomes a concrete platform after a few months of consistency. Thanks Ken!

Jerryll Noorden · Answer

The best marketing campaign/strategy is SEO. Period.

I simply don't believe people will go to facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube when they desperately need to sell a house.

They will go to Google. Sure placing an ad on social media will get you a lead here and there but I bet these leads will eventually turn to Google to check out their options.

Bart Charkow · Answer

Thanks Nick! I am certainly hoping that is the case; as mentioned above, I will certainly be more present socially through applications but I am looking for something more in substance. I'd like to have the same approach as McDonald's, Subway, Dunkin' Donuts, etc.

Jerryll Noorden · Answer

I am Monkey Slayer.

Wow that sounds like some Brazilian jungle metal band!

Cody Z. · Answer

This. absolutely. slayed. me.

Awesome.

Bart Charkow · Answer

Thank you for your response! I am certainly looking to have more of a presence through social media as at the moment I have literally none, however, in addition to attacking the social media outlets, I am looking more for a marketing strategy/campaign. With social media presence, what will work best with following up? EDDM? Email blasts? Cold calls? Are there services people use where they have a great ROI? Perhaps speaking with a marketing specialist is best?

Jerryll Noorden · Answer

Best way of marketing honestly, is as follows:

Be the authority in your field. That is the ultimate best way in marketing. The best defence is a great offence.

Go beyond the "you looking for people" .. let people look for you!

Become the authority. This is not gong to happen overnight. Get a blog, get a youtube channel, give to the community (give info, how to, insight). Be known. Get internet presence.

Get your site ranking high.

I did this and within 3 to 4 months... this:

happened!

Stick to it, be better, be the best and you will be the one people will choose. These leads are better than any pre foreclosure or any other kind of leads.

Marketing Strategies for Dummies?

Marketing Strategies for Dummies?

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