Today’s world is flooded with content and technology, so when it comes to reaching people, the possibilities are endless. There’s also no limit to the amount of exposure you can create for yourself, and there are no rules for what you say or how you deliver your message. However, I’ve been noticing that even some of the most skilled agents have been picking the wrong type of media to get their message across.

If you want to be successful at marketing yourself as a REALTOR®, truly capturing people’s attention and generating repeat and referral business – you need to know exactly what to say and where to say it. Moreover, you don’t need to be spending hours every month creating content, so having marketing assets that can be reused again and again (with minimal updates) are a must for any working agent.

Don’t worry… I got you! 

Making it Simple

This whole “where do I put what content where” debacle is actually quite simple to figure out (and kind of fun for us marketing nerds) when you understand how the different types of content motivate people to act, and how each delivery method impacts the way your content is received. 

I’ll explain everything in more detail as you read on, but this short Content Mapping Process that I’m about to share with you will not only make deciding what content should be published where faster and easier, but also help you create marketing assets that can be used in multiple places.

Content Mapping

This is just a fancy way of saying “these words work best here”. If content doesn’t work well with the delivery vehicle, it won’t resonate with people the way it’s intended to. 

In order to understand which content should go where, let’s first look at the 5 key things you want to achieve with your marketing in general:

(1) Build Brand Awareness so people recognize you and know exactly how you can help them before they ever meet you

(2) Stay Top of Mind so you’re always the first person they think of when they think about Real Estate

(3) Position Yourself as the Trusted Expert so they know they have a professional ally and confidant in the industry for all of their real estate needs, and for any of their friends or family’s needs

(4) Bond Relationships so you establish the baseline of know, like and trust with everyone in your Sphere before they even have a need

(5) Create Reciprocity so people in your sphere are motivated to do business with you again, and refer others to do business with you

What Goes Where?

When you’re mapping content to its delivery channel, it’s important to consider that you’ve got  to take a well-rounded approach in order to achieve all 5 marketing goals. But know this – you can’t achieve all 5 marketing goals with the same content – or the same delivery vehicle! There’s a right place and a time for everything, and you’ll want to make sure you’re using a variety of content and media to connect with each person in your Sphere.

Let’s look at the different types of delivery vehicles quickly, so I can explain how they can impact your messaging, and then we’ll discuss what kind of content works best with each:

Outdoor Marketing

Ideal For: (1) Building Brand Awareness

Overview: Outdoor marketing holds a special place in many REALTORS® hearts, and in some ways it’s a bit of a “claim to fame” in the industry. That’s because this is one of the most effective known methods of building brand awareness. People see your face around town all the time, and you become “familiar” which subconsciously creates an association in their mind. 

I know you’ve seen REALTORS® faces in all of these places, and I’m sure you can even recall the name and face you saw in each place:

• Bus Benches
• Billboards
• Office Window
• Grocery Carts
• Car wraps and decals
• Bus Wraps
• Community Sponsorships

Because outdoor advertising is usually passed by quickly, there isn’t much you can achieve with it aside from general awareness. Stick to content that’s simply about your contact info, your services, and your uniqueness or differentiation in the marketplace. The only goal is to let people know who you are and what you do. Overdoing the content here can cause the message to get lost all together.

Social Media Marketing

Ideal For: (1) Building Brand Awareness (2) Staying Top of Mind (3) Positioning Yourself as the Trusted Expert (5) Creating Reciprocity

Overview: Social Media has taken over and revolutionized marketing in many ways but that doesn’t mean it’s best used for every marketing goal. Bonding relationships and creating reciprocity usually require a personal touch that posting to social media doesn’t provide. 

However social media does provide a great platform to stay top of mind and position yourself as a trusted expert. People aren’t looking to get stuck on content for a long time when they’re scrolling through their social media feed, but they are still looking for valuable information, offers, entertainment, recognition and shareable content. Keep your audience in mind, keep it brief, and make sure you’re creating content that you would stop scrolling for. 

Email Marketing

Ideal For: (2) Staying Top of Mind (3) Positioning Yourself as the Trusted Expert (4) Bonding Relationships

Overview: Email used to be king, but it’s fallen in popularity next to things like social, text and instant messaging. While email can still be personal, it’s mixed in with a lot of advertising and otherwise distracting content that makes it less than ideal in some scenarios. However, it’s still a primary method for sharing large sets of valuable information, important offers, and scheduling time with colleagues. So, position your content correctly to meet expectations.

Print Marketing 

Ideal For: (2) Staying Top of Mind (3) Positioning Yourself as theTrusted Expert (4) Bonding Relationships (5) Creating Reciprocity

Overview: For a number of reasons, people associate Print with personal valuable content. This makes it an ideal option to bond relationships and create a sense of reciprocity which is the top of the ladder for generating repeat and referral business. Using a combination of personal looking newsletters, postcards and direct mail letters can be what takes your marketing over the top to generate new business.

Text/Chat Marketing

Ideal For: (4) Bonding Relationships

Overview: Directly texting or chatting with someone is one of the most personal interactions you can have outside of video chat or meeting in person. This makes it ideal for checking in with friends and past clients, making arrangements or any other personal note like birthdays or holidays. 

Believe it or not, this kind of communication is also a form of marketing. Although it’s the most casual way to interact, it’s really where you have the greatest opportunity to show your true self and connect with people on a more personal level. This natural 1-1 interaction helps you build trust and bond more deeply. 

Video Marketing

Ideal For: (1) Building Brand Awareness (2) Staying Top of Mind (3) Positioning Yourself as theTrusted Expert (5) Creating Reciprocity

Overview: Video can be a great method for a wide variety of marketing goals. It allows for a very specific type of relationship bonding between you and the viewer… one that can only be replicated and superseded by an actual face to face interaction. By creating a visual connection on top of audio, people really feel like they get to know you.

However, video isn’t the answer to everything. People are often in locations where they can’t or just don’t want to turn on audio. Plus, video is often time consuming. Beyond the time it takes to film it, you have the time to set up beforehand, plus edit and send it after. It’s also something that other people can’t automate for you. So, focus the time you spend making videos on those that you can use again and again.

The Evergreen Machine

Creating content and mapping where it should be used can be time consuming, but this exercise is essential if you want to be successful with your marketing. Once you understand what kind of content goes with what delivery vehicle, creating content that can be used again is a great way to save time and increase the ROI on your marketing dollars. This is what marketers call “Evergreen Content” – tune in next week to Agent Inner Circle for Part 2 of this Content Series, where we’ll discuss strategies for creating evergreen content!