The 4 Cs of Real Estate Marketing

How do you cut through the noise, skip the gimmicks, and create an agent marketing strategy that actually works?

Doing business without advertising is like winking at a girl in the dark.
You know what you are doing but nobody else does.

– Steuart Henderson Britt

One of the things they don't tell you when you get your real estate license is that your job is as much about doing the thing as it is about telling other people about it. Marketing is one of the most important facets of your business. Without marketing, you can be the absolute best there is, but it will be difficult for people to find you.

The trouble is that we are often taught that marketing is simply promoting ourselves. However, really good marketing – the stuff that works, gains followers and raving fans, and creates conversations – is almost always about the customer, rather than about us. Some of the biggest brands in the world are creating cult-like followings because they are marketing in an authentic, engaging, humorous, and often controversial voice. But most importantly, they are talking with their customers about their customers.

These days, the places we can market ourselves are endless. There are social channels, paid ads, video messaging, and influencers. Our customers are seeing more ads and consuming more information than ever before. Having a strategy to cut through the noise and deliver real value is critical.

If the idea of an 'agent marketing strategy' is scary, don't worry. It's pretty simple if you consider the four Cs.

Customer

The most important element of any great marketing strategy is the audience. Who are they? What do they struggle with? What don't they know? What do they need most? How do they define value? If you can answer these questions, you are off to a good start.

The audience needs to feel that you are helping them, educating them and, most importantly, having a conversation with them. A simple way to audit your marketing to ensure that the customer is the focus is to look at how often you use the word "I." If the majority of your statements begin with I, look at ways you can rephrase them to begin with You. This small change can make a big difference in the tone and focus of your marketing.

Content

A pretty significant component of agent marketing is determining what to say and where to say it. Once you have clarified who your audience is and the problems they need help solving, the next step is to create a content plan.

The most common marketing frustration is the moment when you know you need to communicate, but you are left thinking, 'But what do I say?' Having a content plan will help remove some of that frustration.

First – start with some painstorming. Brainstorm a list of all the pain points your customers experience during the process of buying or selling a home. Each of these pain points becomes an opportunity to educate, solve a problem, or offer value.

Next – create a list of all the ways you communicate with your database and customers. Include email newsletters, social media, print marketing, etc. Then, identify ways you can use those tools and touchpoints to help solve their pain points. Which advice works best as a video, a blog post, a social post, or a letter?

Now you have a content plan. You have started to determine what you need to say, and where to say it. The next time you feel stuck for ideas, refer back to your painstorming lists.

Curate

Curation is a great way to turn noise into meaning. Curating (or gathering) a reserve of content simply means to collect articles, links, videos, graphs, and stats and save them for when you need them. Using a tool like Google Docs, Evernote, or even a desktop folder helps you have content ready to share or reference easily. The best thing about an agent marketing strategy is that you don't have to create all the content yourself! Whenever you see a great article or piece of content, tuck that in your reserve for when you need some fresh material.

Consistency

Perhaps the most underrated of the four Cs, consistency is the secret sauce that makes the entire strategy work. It's not enough to simply post, email, or mail something on a consistent basis – you should also make sure you are being consistent with your values, voice, and messaging.

Your marketing should reflect not only what your customer wants and needs, but also what you believe and what you want to be known for. It's not enough to define your values; you must also deliver service, education, and information in line with your values. Even if you have the best content in the world, if it's not authentically consistent, it will simply add more noise.

The truth is, you work hard. Real estate requires you to wear many hats and put out a lot of fires. Make sure that the marketing you are producing tells the story of your audience, and the value you bring to the table. Follow the four Cs and you will rise above the noise and provide lasting value.

To view the original article, visit the iGuide blog.