5 Steps to Developing a Digital Marketing Plan for Real Estate

We talk a lot about the importance of marketing yourself, and we've heard from many agents who want to do it all – but don't exactly know where to start.

Hey, we get it! The bottom line is, your potential clients are almost always starting their search online, so you need to be there. We know your time and marketing budget are both limited, and we don't want you to waste either one.

These steps will help you prioritize and build your digital marketing plan:

1. Ask yourself: What are my primary marketing objectives?

Do you mainly want to build brand awareness? Generate leads? Sell houses faster? All of those things are great, of course, but what's your top priority right now?

If you're having trouble managing leads, you might invest in a chatbot to help you generate and quickly respond to leads. If you're working to build your overall brand awareness, it might make sense to put your efforts toward social media – both organic and paid. If you're great at getting referrals but not seeing much traffic on your website, make sure all those happy clients are leaving online Google reviews.

Sure, you want to do it all, but it helps to pick a place to start and go from there.

2. Claim your Google business profile.

Your Google business profile is what people see alongside search results when they Google your name.

And yes, even if you get a lot of referrals, people still are going to double-check your Google presence! Don't give them any reason to doubt you.

Make sure your profile includes your photo, contact info, awesome reviews, and possibly your latest listings – it will show people that you're the real deal. If you don't have anything there, potential clients will have trouble finding you – and that means they won't make it to your website, your social media pages, or the rest of your digital sphere.

3. Make sure you have a respectable, professional website.

Having your own website legitimizes you in the eyes of potential clients, and setting it up doesn't have to be hard! Using WordPress or Squarespace, you can make a simple website that collects client info and shares your profile. They have layouts all set, and the prices are low.

Check a site like namecheap.com to find an inexpensive website domain name, too – ideally you'll just have to pay once a year to keep it. Down the road, you can decide to beef up your website to include testimonials and share resources with clients – but the most important thing is just to have a place where clients can find you online.

4. Consider social media carefully.

It's great to use social media, but make sure you think through your strategy. Set up accounts that you know you can update regularly. If clients see a defunct account, they might think you're not an active agent anymore.

Start with Facebook and expand to other channels as you have time (or as you hear that your clients are using them more). Share resources you find valuable, and make sure to post plenty of photos and videos so people can see your listings and deals.

Social media is also a great place to include photos and descriptions that offer a sense of your personality. Sure, people want to know you're successful, but they also want to know you're personable and trustworthy!

Social media can help show potential clients that they'll enjoy spending time with you.

5. Ask clients to give you reviews!

Building an online presence is the foundation of digital marketing, but there's a social proof component as well. Studies have shown that people trust online reviews just as much as they trust referrals from a friend.

Don't be shy about asking your clients (especially the ones you really connect with) to leave you a review. Encourage them to write the reviews just as they're over-the-moon about their recent sale or purchase – they'll be happy to!

As you become more comfortable, you might want to try more advanced marketing strategies, including emailing clients more broadly, experimenting with virtual tours, running Facebook or Instagram Live events, and exploring new tech. But to lay your foundation, follow the above steps. You'll notice a difference!

To view the original article, visit the Homesnap blog.