Guest contributor Joel Maas says of Delta Media Group says:

Everyone is a marketer in the real estate world.

While there's nothing wrong with that, it should remind of us the old adage: When everything is something, nothing really is. Another way of putting it, just because everyone is doing marketing doesn't mean that everyone is doing it well. And those who are doing it not-so-well oftentimes reflect negatively on those who are executing effective marketing.

Marketing is not a dirty word and there's nothing wrong with you being a marketer...quite the opposite. But, perhaps unfairly to you, there's a group of people in every profession who might misunderstand marketing enough to cast a negative light on your craft. This has gotten so bad that famed marketing coach Seth Godin recently wrote, "More people are doing marketing badly than any other profession I can imagine."

Your job (and opportunity) is to separate yourself from them by outperforming them.

Below, we'll walk through a few ways to do just that, noting the differences between those who effectively leverage real estate marketing and those who don't.

Great Real Estate Marketers...

Understand the Internet is the primary source of all current real estate business, and digital marketing channels must be embraced and fully leveraged.

Not-So-Great Real Estate Marketers...

Ignore the constantly evolving and growing digital marketing landscape, relying instead on "the old way of doing things" offline.

Great Real Estate Marketers...

Rely on data, analytics, trends, and insights into their customer's digital behavior.

Not-So-Great Real Estate Marketers...

Fly by the seat of their pants, working blindly from gut intuition, which can lead to misinformation and inefficiency when our "gut" is wrong.

Great Real Estate Marketers...

Always look toward the future and plan marketing strategy and tech acquisition with an eye on 12-18 months out.

Not-So-Great Real Estate Marketers...

Look only at the present, and make decisions based on the sale they hope to earn right now.

Great Real Estate Marketers...

Understand that mobile is the top growing channel for real estate business and make their mobile website the key focus of their business, behind perhaps only their desktop site.

Not-So-Great Real Estate Marketers...

Feel their mobile strategy means little more than the phone call they might get after someone drives past their real estate yard sign.

Great Real Estate Marketers...

Never stop learning, never stop preparing for the future, read real estate marketing blogs, and keep their eyes and minds open to new possibilities.

Not-So-Great Real Estate Marketers...

Rely solely on how business used to be done rather than how it is, or will be done. They reject change and are hesitant to embrace new marketing approaches.

There are plenty of differences between great and not-so-great real estate marketers beyond those we spelled out above. But the key differences come down to how much you're willing to learn and apply to your business, and how flexible you're willing to be when you sense that changes are coming in the way business is conducted.

Those who don't look at new trends, don't reevaluate their real estate technologies consistently, and don't work with companies that are constantly thinking about how to best cater their services to an ever-evolving and technological society will continue to be left behind as the market keeps evolving.

Godin's advice? "Noticing. Notice what is working in the real world and try to figure out why. Apply it to your work. Repeat.

"Learn to see, to discern the difference between good and bad, between useful and merely comfortable."

Make sure you keep on top of changing marketing tactics, societal trends, and technological updates. And make sure your real estate technology provider is even more concerned with these trends and changes than you are.

To learn more, see the Delta Media Group blog.