December 16 2013
Google defines the Zero Moment of Truth as "the moment when you grab your laptop, mobile phone or some other wired device and start learning about a product/service you're thinking about buying."
According to Jimmy Mackin, co-founder of Curaytor.com, having a good online reputation and providing valuable content is the only way to win this pivotal moment in your business's success. During his presentation, Content Marketing Cheat Sheet: How to Capture Today's Consumers, at NAR 2013, Mackin explains the basic strategies of providing this valued content to clients and prospects
Mackin says, "Solving a problem is the most useful type of content you can share and real estate professionals haven't really picked up on that." Think about it--if a potential client searches "best agent in my area" and you're sharing stuff like "Top Cat Pictures of 2013," it's unlikely they'll view you as a reliable person to help buy or sell their home.
In the last four years, real estate related searches rose by nearly 253 percent. So what does this mean for real estate professionals? Simply that it's never been more important to create content that will provide value to your clients and that also drives more leads back to your business. Here are three steps to help guide you through creating and sharing content that will bring more attention to your business.
1) The first step is deciding what you want to share. Consider everyday questions you get from your clients and prospects as opportunities to create content that will solve their problems. Odds are, they aren't the only ones asking about it. Topics that have a "buzz" have more people searching for related information, so addressing these issues will increase the chances of your content being discovered.
Not sure where to find these "hot" topics? Try using sites like Sharegrab.com or Curaytor.com to see what people are talking about and use it as a starting point. Once some recognizes you as a useful source for information, they will be more likely to revisit your site to find answers to their questions down the road.
2) Now that you know what you want to share, the next step is to figure out how you will create it. Whether it's a listing presentation or blog post, everything should be unique. While most people are far from being a designer, there are plenty of tools out there that provide templates and user friendly resources that can help you create beautiful displays for your content. Piktochart and Infogr.am, for example, allow you to consolidate everything you want to share in an easy to read and highly sharable infographic.
Keep in mind that you won't be the only source they look at, but you can be the best one. In order for your content to be effective, consumers must view you as trustworthy, knowledgeable, and an expert. Try searching for yourself on Google--you may be surprised what comes up. If what you see doesn't seem like it would entice someone to contact you, then stop wasting time and change it. Your online reputation is one of the most valuable assets to your business, so make sure it's a good one.
3) The third and most important step is deciding how you are going to share your content. If you think sharing is simply putting it on Facebook and watching the "likes" roll in, then you have a lot of work to do. While posting your content on Facebook, Twitter and other social channels is important, there are strategies that you can use to make them more effective. For example, you can pay a small fee to promote your posts. These paid ads give your content prominent placing on the newsfeeds of other users, which ensures that more people will see it. These social networks are in a constant battle for providing the best advertising opportunities for their users. Do your research and figure out how you can take advantage of them.
Not everyone uses social media. In these cases, you'll need to rely on other outlets to get your content seen. This is why having a well-designed website is so important. Don't make the mistake of selling yourself short on the one thing that's always available for consumers to see. Spend the extra time and money to optimize your website, because it goes a long way.
Your clients are also a great way to share your content, although most real estate professionals have probably never considered this. As far-fetched as it may seem, asking a homeowner to share your content will draw even more attention to it.
Winning the Zero Moment of Truth is the how you gain more leads online. Once you've been contact by a client or prospect, you can bet that they've already done their research on you. The content these leads have found is what has convinced them to contact you, so it goes without saying how valuable creating good content is to real estate professionals that are serious about growing their business.
To view the original article, visit the Homes.com blog.