Why This Year's Record Shopping Season is Good for Online Real Estate Ads

Ah, the holidays: a time for mirth and merriment, Turner Classic Movies, eggnog, no-longer-ironic bad sweaters, and pre-dawn Walmart riots.

Oh, and shopping. Can't forget shopping.

It's All Online

This year's Black Friday sales produced $5 billion for online retailers in 24 hours, according to Money.cnn.com. That's a new record, and a 16.9% increase from last year.

The Verge reported that mobile sales dominated 2017's Cyber Monday deals. Of the $6.59 billion in total online sales, mobile users spent a record $2 billion.

These eye-opening figures should get the attention of savvy online real estate marketers. After all, if that many consumers are spending that much time and money online, it's a safe bet a few of them are also home buyers or sellers.

Not only do the odds of online advertising during the holiday shopping season favor increased impressions, they favor ads being served on the pages of a larger number of proven online retail destinations. Thus, agents should consider turning to their online presence to bolster branding, listing exposure, and general awareness.

Whether the goal is new business, repeat business or a referral, let the burst of online shopping be your branding advantage this holiday season.

Go Mobile

There's no shortage of industry reports demonstrating the growth of mobile commerce during the holiday blitz.

Adobe reported that from the period of November 1 to December 31, 41 percent of total visits to online stores were from a mobile device.

Yet few agents take advantage of mobile marketing and the ability to advertise on mobile browsers. Mobile advertising puts agents in a unique position to win mindshare from on-the-go holiday gift givers.

Utilize Zip Code Targeting

An in-depth, industry-wide buyer study published by Zillow showed that 50 percent of home buyers considered an agent's local market knowledge when deciding who to work with. This makes zip code ad targeting a smart way to boost local credibility.

The same report stated that just over half of buyers surveyed considered at least two agents before making a decision about who to work with. This metric suggests that agents can't sustain a market presence if they're frequently letting their "marketing guard" down.

Look to automated ad tools that empower the agent's brand to work for them, while they're working for their clients. This provides agents with more time and instills confidence that their marketing message is constantly being heard.

Sphere Campaign

Lastly, holiday web traffic is an ideal time to remind those you know and have already worked with that you're still ready and willing to be their local real estate resource.

Sphere of Influence ad campaigns target the websites of your current database, past clients, and important, cross-industry colleagues.

No one knows for certain what the spring 2018 buying season will bring. But at this point, it's safe to say, most markets will stay on course, exhibiting steady price growth powered by limited inventory.

As a result, the time to get into the heads of buyers is now. With homes in short supply and buyers hoping sellers catch spring fever, a holiday-ecommerce-powered digital advertising strategy can go a long way toward making 2018 the year you win your market.

To view the original article, visit the Adwerx blog.