automail https://quantumdigital.com/ en Top 3 Most Important Real Estate Farming Materials https://quantumdigital.com/real-estate-farming-materials-top-3-most-important <div data-history-node-id="532" class="node node--type-blog-post node--view-mode-rss ds-1col clearfix"> <div class="field field--name-node-title field--type-ds field--label-inline"> <div class="field--label">Title</div> <div class="field--item"><h1> Top 3 Most Important Real Estate Farming Materials </h1> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-preview-image field--type-image field--label-inline"> <div class="field--label">Preview Image</div> <div class="field--item"> <a href="https://quantumdigital.com/real-estate-farming-materials-top-3-most-important" hreflang="und"><img loading="eager" src="https://quantumdigital.com/sites/default/files/styles/header/public/real%20estate%20farming%20postcards_3.jpg?itok=h5ue-Ey0" width="1200" height="450" alt="stack of binders with information on the most important real estate farming materials" typeof="foaf:Image" class="img-responsive" /></a> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-node-post-date field--type-ds field--label-inline"> <div class="field--label">Post date</div> <div class="field--item">May 24, 2021</div> </div> 4 <div class="field field--name-field-blog-category-new field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field--items"> <div class="field--item">Real Estate</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item"><p>As a real estate agent, it’s likely that you use the start of a new year to plan your farming efforts. It’s assumed by now that you’re regularly utilizing one or more digital strategies such as social media, a great website, and email newsletters to connect with prospects. So what about tangible, brand-building materials?</p> <p>Physical materials are still a crucial part of your marketing strategy. And for real estate farming, in particular, they’re necessary for establishing yourself and building brand recognition over time. Whether you’re in the process of <a href="https://quantumdigital.com/blog/selecting-farming-area-real-estate-marketing" title="Selecting the Right Farming Area">selecting your farming neighborhood</a> or have made your selections and are getting ready to dive in with marketing, fresh materials will ensure you’re connecting with prospects in an engaging way.</p> <p>Here are the top three marketing materials you need for solid real estate farming efforts this year:</p> <h2>Handouts</h2> <p>If you’re farming a new area and are going door to door introducing yourself, or simply running into a few prospects while you’re out and about, there’s nothing easier than whipping out a business card or small brochure to share a bit about yourself and give your prospect something to take home with them.</p> <p>In combination with an in-person meeting, a handout builds retention, even if all the prospect does is glance at it and throw it away -- the connection has been made and will aid in brand recall over time.  </p> <p>If you’re already using business cards, flyers, and brochures, consider revisiting them to assess if they’re as effective as they could be:</p> <ul><li>Have they been updated within the last several years with fresh designs and branding?</li> <li>Does your marketing collateral contain a clear <a href="https://quantumdigital.com/blog/always-include-call-action" title="Postcard Marketing Call to Action">call to action</a>?</li> <li>Are there multiple methods of contact listed, including your website and social channels as well as your phone number and email address?</li> </ul><p>If necessary, re-work your collateral before each year’s farming season gets in full swing to be sure you’re fully prepared for a new year of farming.</p> <h2>Mailers</h2> <p>We’ve discussed <a href="https://quantumdigital.com/real-estate-direct-mail-marketing" title="Real Estate Direct Mail Marketing">direct mail’s continued effectiveness for real estate agents</a> -- and farming is an area where direct mail really shines. It’s an easy way to introduce yourself to a new neighborhood, or remind your neighborhood of your face and name if you’ve already been farming the area.</p> <p>Real estate farming postcards -- sent consistently over a period of time -- help to build brand recognition, making you the memorable agent in your target neighborhood. And because <a href="https://www.uspsoig.gov/sites/default/files/document-library-files/2019/RARC-WP-19-001.pdf" target="_blank" title="Advertising effectiveness and Age: Report number RARC-WP-19-001">direct mail garners the highest response rate of any medium</a>, all agents would do well to make it a key part of their farming strategy each year.</p> <p>But as you may already know, planning and executing a direct mail campaign takes time. And if you don’t already have your neighborhood’s mailing list, it can be daunting to get the names and addresses of everyone in your farming area.</p> <p>However, automated direct mail systems such as <a href="https://quantumdigital.com/automail">QuantumDigital’s AutoMail</a> make the whole process easier by allowing you to schedule real estate farming postcards for the entire year. Once you’ve scheduled your postcards, you don’t have to think about them again unless you’d like to edit your campaign.</p> <p>You can use your own designs or go with one of QuantumDigital’s pre-made postcard designs. AutoMail even provides targeted neighborhood mailing lists so you can reach your ideal prospects without needing to source addresses yourself.</p> <p>The best part is that AutoMail is fully trackable. Each card includes a unique link that, when clicked on, sends information to an online market report that gathers the prospect’s contact information and delivers it to you in real time. This allows you to follow up and start building relationships that convert to new clients.  </p> <h2>Branded Swag</h2> <p>Another smart farming idea is to attend neighborhood get-togethers, such as block parties or sports events, to get to know the community and establish your business. It’s never a bad idea to take useful branded materials such as pens, sticky pads, or calendars with you to pass around.</p> <p>As your farming efforts reap rewards and you earn new clients, be sure to give them some useful branded swag, too. This type of swag could include flashlights, keychains, coffee mugs, and other things they would continue to use long after the sale. These materials will be visible to friends, family, and coworkers and perhaps encourage them to call you the next time they need to list their property. It’s a fun, memorable way to build your brand.</p> <p> </p> <p>As you prepare your real estate farming strategies year after year, don’t discount the value of physical marketing materials -- especially since real estate is an in-person, relationship-based business. In combination with digital marketing strategies, they’ll help you become and remain the primary agent in your farming area.</p> </div> <span class="a2a_kit a2a_kit_size_32 addtoany_list" data-a2a-url="https://quantumdigital.com/real-estate-farming-materials-top-3-most-important" data-a2a-title="Top 3 Most Important Real Estate Farming Materials"><span>Share to:</span><a class="a2a_button_facebook"><i class="fa fa-facebook icon-faceook"></i></a><a class="a2a_button_twitter"><i class="fa fa-twitter"></i></a><a class="a2a_button_linkedin"><i class="fa fa-linkedin"></i></a></span> </div> Mon, 24 May 2021 17:21:26 +0000 brianna_mckinney 532 at https://quantumdigital.com How to Secure Online Reviews That Build Your Business https://quantumdigital.com/blog/how-secure-online-reviews-build-your-business <div data-history-node-id="557" class="node node--type-blog-post node--view-mode-rss ds-1col clearfix"> <div class="field field--name-node-title field--type-ds field--label-inline"> <div class="field--label">Title</div> <div class="field--item"><h1> How to Secure Online Reviews That Build Your Business </h1> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-preview-image field--type-image field--label-inline"> <div class="field--label">Preview Image</div> <div class="field--item"> <a href="https://quantumdigital.com/blog/how-secure-online-reviews-build-your-business" hreflang="en"><img loading="eager" src="https://quantumdigital.com/sites/default/files/styles/header/public/GettyImages-1030250490_0.jpg?itok=tRoD-VHY" width="1200" height="450" alt="positive real estate agent reviews and testimonials" typeof="foaf:Image" class="img-responsive" /></a> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-node-post-date field--type-ds field--label-inline"> <div class="field--label">Post date</div> <div class="field--item">Nov 15, 2019</div> </div> 4 <div class="field field--name-field-blog-category-new field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field--items"> <div class="field--item">Marketing Ideas</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item"><p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><span style="color:black">Testimonials, or client feedback on your performance as an agent, may be one of the most critical elements of your business. These testimonials can make or break your success. According to the </span></span></span><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><a href="https://wp.zillowstatic.com/38/ZGReport2018_Download-a27213.pdf"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><span style="color:#1155cc">Zillow Group 2018 Consumer Housing Trends Report</span></span></span></a></span><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><span style="color:black">, reviews are particularly important for younger buyers: <span style="background:white">57% of Gen Z buyers, 48% of millennials and 46% of Gen X buyers who use an agent rank online reviews as very or extremely important. This is key information to keep in your back pocket as the largest share of home buyers and sellers fall within these age groups just mentioned: the largest group of home buyers are Older Millennials and the largest group of home sellers are Gen Xers (National Association of REALTORS®’ </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><a href="https://www.nar.realtor/sites/default/files/documents/2019-home-buyers-and-sellers-generational-trends-report-08-16-2019.pdf"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><span style="color:#1155cc">2019 Home Buyers and Sellers Generational Trends Report)</span></span></span></span></a></span><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><span style="color:black">. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><span style="color:black">Without a doubt, gathering positive online reviews and testimonials is vital for you to thrive and continue to attract new leads as an agent. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><span style="color:black">But how do you go about securing these reviews? You may have the occasional client who will leave a positive online review without your asking (shoutout to those people!), but for the most part you’ll have to prompt your clients to provide a testimonial in order to receive one. And, once you do have a steady influx of positive testimonials, how do you utilize them for maximum value to boost your reputation and get more business? Look no further than this cheat sheet! </span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><img alt="real estate agent reviews and testimonials from clients" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="8a948ce0-0a5b-4f69-9227-3c7db082eb98" src="https://quantumdigital.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/GettyImages-867665328.jpg" width="1200" height="630" loading="lazy" /></p> <p><strong><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><span style="color:black">Gathering Testimonials </span></span></span></span></span></span></strong></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><span style="color:black">There are a few key ways to proactively gather testimonials from your real estate clients. Here are our recommendations: </span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <ol><li><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="color:black"><span style="tab-stops:list .5in"><span style="vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">First things first! Set up Facebook, Yelp and Google My Business pages specific to your agent brand, including your brokerage’s name and physical address where appropriate. Be sure to link your personal agent website, if you have one (we hope you do!)</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></li> <li><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="color:black"><span style="tab-stops:list .5in"><span style="vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Send an email after business has closed asking your clients to share their feedback, and make it easy to do so by including direct links to your Google, Yelp, and/or Facebook review pages. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></li> <li><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="color:black"><span style="tab-stops:list .5in"><span style="vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Don’t be afraid to ask your for reviews from clients in person! During your last in-person interaction with a client that you’ve had a good relationship with, seize that moment to ask if they would share a review.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></li> <li><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="color:black"><span style="tab-stops:list .5in"><span style="vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">You can also create an “end-of-business” business card that you hand out to clients at the end of a deal which prompts them to leave a review. Include the URLs of your Facebook, Yelp, and/or Google pages.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></li> </ol><p><img alt="5 star real estate agent review" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="4b0209df-320a-496f-9fc3-d90f88d27348" src="https://quantumdigital.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/GettyImages-1072776350_1.jpg" width="1200" height="630" loading="lazy" /></p> <p><strong><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><span style="color:black">Promoting Testimonials </span></span></span></span></span></span></strong></p> <p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><span style="color:black">Once you have gathered a few great reviews, it’s time to use them! Of course, a batch of 5-star reviews look great on your Yelp, Google, and Facebook profiles all on their own, but you can also use these testimonials in other marketing materials to boost your reputation apart from those websites. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <ol><li><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="color:black"><span style="tab-stops:list .5in"><span style="vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><strong>Create a “Testimonials” page on your agent website </strong>and list all of the positive testimonials you’ve received there. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></li> <li><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="color:black"><span style="tab-stops:list .5in"><span style="vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><strong>Include testimonials in your suite of marketing materials</strong> that you hand out to prospects. If you receive a particularly awesome review and have the reviewer’s contact information, reach out to them and ask if you can have a photo of them for use in marketing collateral. Attaching a face to the review will provide visual interest and a human element. Use the testimonials in brochures that speak to your services, flyers, and other handouts. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></li> <li><strong><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="color:black"><span style="tab-stops:list .5in"><span style="vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Feature the great testimonials you receive in your social media posts. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></strong></li> <li><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="color:black"><span style="tab-stops:list .5in"><span style="vertical-align:baseline"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><strong><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Us</span></span></span></strong><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><span style="color:#222222"><strong>e the testimonials in a direct mail series </strong>to add social proof to your farming campaign. Response rates for direct mail are generally higher than for digital channels — </span></span></span></span><span style="font-size:10.5pt"><span style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><span style="color:#222222">according to the </span></span></span></span><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><a href="https://www.ana.net/miccontent/show/id/rr-2018-ana-dma-respose-rate"><span style="font-size:10.5pt"><span style="background:white"><span style="color:#1155cc">Data and Marketing Association’s 2018 Response Rate Report</span></span></span></a></span></span><span style="font-size:10.5pt"><span style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><span style="color:#222222">, direct mail had a 9% response rate for household lists and a 4.9% response rate for prospect lists, higher than all of the digital channels studied combined (which were email, social media, and paid search). </span></span></span></span><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><span style="color:#222222">As such, direct mail postcards are a great way to farm for prospects. </span></span></span></span><span style="font-size:10.5pt"><span style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><span style="color:#222222">At </span></span></span></span><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><a href="https://quantumdigital.com/"><span style="font-size:10.5pt"><span style="background:white"><span style="color:#1155cc">QuantumDigital</span></span></span></a></span></span><span style="font-size:10.5pt"><span style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><span style="color:#222222">, we offer an easy way to farm for prospects with direct mail postcards, called </span></span></span></span><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><a href="https://quantumdigital.com/automail"><span style="font-size:10.5pt"><span style="background:white"><span style="color:#1155cc">AutoMail</span></span></span></a></span></span><span style="font-size:10.5pt"><span style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><span style="color:#222222">. You can set up a real estate postcards farming campaign targeted to your ideal audience, with multiple cards sent over the course of 12 months. With the option to upload your own designs for your AutoMail postcard campaign, you can send real estate postcards featuring testimonials to provide positive social proof to your prospects. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></li> </ol><p><span style="font-size:12pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:10.5pt"><span style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><span style="color:#222222">Securing reviews often does take a little extra work, but the rewards are well worth it to build a positive reputation for your agent brand. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p> </div> <span class="a2a_kit a2a_kit_size_32 addtoany_list" data-a2a-url="https://quantumdigital.com/blog/how-secure-online-reviews-build-your-business" data-a2a-title="How to Secure Online Reviews That Build Your Business"><span>Share to:</span><a class="a2a_button_facebook"><i class="fa fa-facebook icon-faceook"></i></a><a class="a2a_button_twitter"><i class="fa fa-twitter"></i></a><a class="a2a_button_linkedin"><i class="fa fa-linkedin"></i></a></span> </div> Fri, 15 Nov 2019 22:23:17 +0000 brianna_mckinney 557 at https://quantumdigital.com Five Holiday Real Estate Marketing Ideas for Agents https://quantumdigital.com/blog/five-holiday-real-estate-marketing-ideas-agents <div data-history-node-id="556" class="node node--type-blog-post node--view-mode-rss ds-1col clearfix"> <div class="field field--name-node-title field--type-ds field--label-inline"> <div class="field--label">Title</div> <div class="field--item"><h1> Five Holiday Real Estate Marketing Ideas for Agents </h1> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-preview-image field--type-image field--label-inline"> <div class="field--label">Preview Image</div> <div class="field--item"> <a href="https://quantumdigital.com/blog/five-holiday-real-estate-marketing-ideas-agents" hreflang="en"><img loading="eager" src="https://quantumdigital.com/sites/default/files/styles/header/public/GettyImages-873829890.jpg?itok=rEMgZ-S3" width="1200" height="450" alt="Five Holiday Real Estate Marketing Ideas for Agents" title="Five Holiday Real Estate Marketing Ideas for Agents" typeof="foaf:Image" class="img-responsive" /></a> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-node-post-date field--type-ds field--label-inline"> <div class="field--label">Post date</div> <div class="field--item">Oct 18, 2019</div> </div> 3 <div class="field field--name-field-blog-category-new field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field--items"> <div class="field--item">Marketing Ideas</div> <div class="field--item">Real Estate</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item"><p>The holiday season is upon us, and planning starts now. As a real estate agent, you can build relationships with prospects in the neighborhood, as well as current and future clients, by tapping into the season while it's top-of-mind. And the sooner you get started with real estate marketing planning in anticipation of the holidays, the better. Here are our ideas for agents who want to reach prospects during the season. </p> <p><img alt="QuantumDigital holiday postcard" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="6839948e-f82f-4d32-95f0-abad854f5fbb" src="https://quantumdigital.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Pages%20from%2012%20Holly-2.png" width="1200" height="789" loading="lazy" /></p> <p><em>From QuantumDigital "Seasonal Beauties" Postcard Series</em></p> <p><strong>Idea 1: Direct Mail</strong></p> <p>Send direct mail postcards that speak to the season. Direct mail marketing has proven to be successful for all types of businesses and organizations. <a href="http://www.millwardbrown.com/docs/default-source/insight-documents/case-studies/MillwardBrown_CaseStudy_Neuroscience.pdf">Research strongly suggests</a> that there is greater emotional processing with physical marketing materials as opposed to online materials. Use this fact to your advantage this November and December, sending direct mail postcards centered around thankfulness or the holiday season, tied with a call-to-action to contact an agent if a possible relocation is in your prospect’s future. Our direct mail real estate marketing system, <a href="https://quantumdigital.com/automail">AutoMail</a>, offers seasonal direct mail postcards that you can pre-schedule to be sent with holiday timing. It’s all automated, and even better, each postcard includes a free market report that the recipient goes online to view. When they go online, you get a notification to your inbox so you can follow up quickly. </p> <p>Aside from the card above, here are a few more examples of AutoMail postcards that are specifically tied to the holidays/colder months: </p> <p><i>More from "Seasonal Beauties" series</i></p> <p><img alt="QuantumDigital postcards" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a0cc4ca3-f82b-4178-b139-d62bf21a7b41" src="https://quantumdigital.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/02%20Winterberry.png" width="1200" height="789" loading="lazy" /></p> <p><img alt="QuantumDigital Postcards" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="105729b5-7137-4438-bad0-8da6a0715782" src="https://quantumdigital.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Pages%20from%2002%20Winterberry.png" width="1200" height="789" loading="lazy" /></p> <p><em>From "Seasonal Impressions" Series</em></p> <p><img alt="QuantumDigital Holiday Postcard" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="eac0da6f-80b2-4676-a4c2-0e7dec09a628" src="https://quantumdigital.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Pages%20from%2011%20Cornucopia-2_0.png" width="1200" height="789" loading="lazy" /></p> <p><img alt="QuantumDigital Holiday Postcard" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="f5f2047b-4d08-4605-b938-1df07dd2412b" src="https://quantumdigital.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Pages%20from%2011%20Cornucopia.png" width="1200" height="789" loading="lazy" /></p> <p>View even more beautiful holiday-themed postcards over at our <a href="https://automailplus.com/automail-series-gallery/">gallery</a>. </p> <p><img alt="content marketing" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="7681965e-29cb-4baf-80f8-583b2af5b832" src="https://quantumdigital.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/GettyImages-1136732930.jpg" width="1184" height="789" loading="lazy" /></p> <p><strong>Idea 2: Holiday Content</strong></p> <p>Incorporate holiday content into your email or blog to stay top-of-mind with your audience. Content could include a roundup of impressive light or outdoors displays in your target neighborhoods, tips for indoor holiday decorating or even your favorite holiday recipes that can be easily replicated. Share the content on social media, as well.  </p> <p><strong><img alt="social events" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="e641e203-1c1d-4575-959c-f7d743d3f5bd" src="https://quantumdigital.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/GettyImages-961970622.jpg" width="1200" height="789" loading="lazy" /></strong></p> <p><strong>Idea 3: Keep Your Audience Informed of Local Social Events</strong></p> <p>Inform your prospects of holiday happenings via social media. To build your reputation as a neighborhood expert, send updates on fun events, such as corporate networking holiday parties in the area, that latest winter-themed pop-up bar, or the newly-opened family-friendly ice skating rink. This will build trust with your audience and position you as the go-to, knowledgeable source for all things related to the neighborhood. </p> <p><img alt="Christmas party" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="7fc0d0b3-5c7a-43cb-a9f6-ea9548b48608" src="https://quantumdigital.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/GettyImages-469187520_0.jpg" width="1200" height="789" loading="lazy" /></p> <p><strong>Idea 4: Host Your Own Party</strong></p> <p>On that note, why not host your own family-friendly get-together? Facilitate a neighborhood potluck for prospects or current clients, and encourage attendees to bring winter-appropriate items such as cookies or hot chocolate. You could also rent a projector and host a holiday movie screening in a central place in the neighborhood. </p> <p><img alt="holiday gift basket" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="3cc959be-b223-4f2c-b6a2-73eb449689fc" src="https://quantumdigital.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/GettyImages-875450656.jpg" width="1200" height="789" loading="lazy" /></p> <p><strong>Idea 5: Show Gratitude </strong></p> <p>Send a holiday gift basket with seasonal goodies to each of your past and present clients, or show your appreciation by giving them a phone call. The holidays are the season of thankfulness, after all. Giving each of your past clients a gift or short phone call to wish them a good holiday season and a happy new year and let them know you appreciate their business and show them you care.</p> <p>We hope these tips have given you a few ideas for connecting with your audience during the busy holiday season through real estate marketing. The holidays can feel overwhelming, but taking the time to provide relevant, useful content and events for your prospects and past and current clients will make the most of this time of year.</p> </div> <span class="a2a_kit a2a_kit_size_32 addtoany_list" data-a2a-url="https://quantumdigital.com/blog/five-holiday-real-estate-marketing-ideas-agents" data-a2a-title="Five Holiday Real Estate Marketing Ideas for Agents"><span>Share to:</span><a class="a2a_button_facebook"><i class="fa fa-facebook icon-faceook"></i></a><a class="a2a_button_twitter"><i class="fa fa-twitter"></i></a><a class="a2a_button_linkedin"><i class="fa fa-linkedin"></i></a></span> </div> Fri, 18 Oct 2019 17:53:50 +0000 brianna_mckinney 556 at https://quantumdigital.com How to Win at Real Estate Follow-Up https://quantumdigital.com/blog/how-win-real-estate-follow <div data-history-node-id="551" class="node node--type-blog-post node--view-mode-rss ds-1col clearfix"> <div class="field field--name-node-title field--type-ds field--label-inline"> <div class="field--label">Title</div> <div class="field--item"><h1> How to Win at Real Estate Follow-Up </h1> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-preview-image field--type-image field--label-inline"> <div class="field--label">Preview Image</div> <div class="field--item"> <a href="https://quantumdigital.com/blog/how-win-real-estate-follow" hreflang="en"><img loading="eager" src="https://quantumdigital.com/sites/default/files/styles/header/public/GettyImages-953210754.jpg?itok=zE8EyGBh" width="1200" height="450" alt="real estate agent conducting follow-up online" typeof="foaf:Image" class="img-responsive" /></a> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-node-post-date field--type-ds field--label-inline"> <div class="field--label">Post date</div> <div class="field--item">Aug 15, 2019</div> </div> 4 <div class="field field--name-field-blog-category-new field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field--items"> <div class="field--item">Real Estate</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item"><p>What’s the name of the game in sales? Follow-up, follow-up, follow-up! The truth is that 99% of people are not going to make the leap to conversion at first mention of your services. It takes persistence and a smart strategy to walk that delicate balance between over-selling and providing just enough nudges to seal the deal. </p> <p>Follow-up is an especially important tactic in real estate, which is often a long game that may take several years to cultivate leads before they eventually come to fruition — both buying and selling a home are major, life-changing decisions in many cases, after all! Utilize these tips to perfect your follow-up strategy.</p> <p><img alt="get organized to win with real estate follow up" src="https://quantumdigital.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/organize.jpg" /></p> <p><strong>Organize your contacts. </strong></p> <p>Is your lead hoping to sell right now, interested but not ready to make the leap, or looking to sell a few months (or years) out? Organize leads by the stage they are at in the sales funnel (from top to bottom, those stages are awareness, discovery, evaluation, intent, purchase and loyalty. Learn more about the sales funnel <a href="https://fitsmallbusiness.com/sales-funnel/">here</a>.) Leave room to record how many times you have followed up with them, and through what vehicle (phone call, email, etc). This will help you keep track of your leads and your communication with them, so you can personalize and follow-up at just the right time. </p> <p><img alt="personalize your real estate follow up" src="https://quantumdigital.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/personalize.jpg" /></p> <p><strong>Personalize based on their unique needs. </strong></p> <p>Now, it’s time to use all that organization to personalize your lead communications. <a href="https://www.quantumpostcards.com/blog/personalization-direct-mail-postcard-service">Personalization</a> means more than inputting a person’s name at the top of a marketing call-out — it means actually creating marketing materials that are based on how that individual has engaged with you in the past — for example, what stage are they in their customer journey or in the sales funnel? Your communication is going to look different for someone who is ready to sell now vs. someone who wants to sell several years down the road. It’s also going to look different depending on the location of the prospect. Keep all of this in mind as you create communications, and learn more about how to execute a personalized, customer-centric marketing campaign <a href="https://quantumdigital.com/blog/how-execute-customer-centric-real-estate-marketing-strategy">here</a>. </p> <p><img alt="automate your real estate follow pu" src="https://quantumdigital.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/automation.jpg" /></p> <p><strong>Automate.</strong></p> <p>You’re probably thinking: All that personalization and organization sounds great, but how do I put this into practice? It’s not as complicated as it may sound. With today’s technology, it’s possible to follow up with segmented leads through multiple channels without expending an extraneous amount of time or effort. Use a mail platform like MailChimp to segment your leads by stage in the sales funnel, location, and more, and schedule automated campaigns. For direct mail, use QuantumDigital’s AutoMail, which allows you to send real estate postcards to your unique mail list(s) over a series of 12-months, with a frequency you set. List maintenance does take some time, but the effort is well worth it.</p> <p><strong>Build time into your calendar for periodic follow-up. </strong></p> <p>Block a few hours on your calendar a couple of times a week for follow-up so that you have dedicated time and don’t get pulled away to other tasks. Whether it’s making actual phone calls, creating a new email campaign, or sending texts or Facebook direct messages, setting aside dedicated time for follow-up will ensure you stay focused and don’t get distracted by other tasks. </p> <p><img alt="set aside time to do your real estate follow up" src="https://quantumdigital.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/GettyImages-1029427934.jpg" /></p> <p><strong>Offer something valuable. </strong></p> <p>Don’t be a perpetrator of the dreaded “just checking in” marketing tactic. Send something of value to your leads! Keep in mind the personalization we talked about above and consider where they are at in the sales funnel, as well as the location they are looking to sell in. Offer up timely, easy-to-digest market information that is relevant to them. We make this easy at QuantumDigital. The real estate postcards sent via <a href="https://quantumdigital.com/automail">AutoMail</a> comes with a unique market report that is accessible through a personal URL. It provides valuable, relevant information to your lead, and best of all, you’re notified when the lead visits the page so you can follow-up while they’re thinking about selling.</p> <p><img alt="take a coffee break to do your real estate follow up" src="https://quantumdigital.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/adult-books-coffee-374016.png.jpg" /></p> <p><strong>Be persistent, but know when to stop outreach, too. </strong></p> <p>You may have to follow-up with a lead five or six times before they respond. If they still don’t reply to you after several check-ins, it may be time to let go and move on to another lead. Send a “close the loop” email letting them know that you won’t be contacting them further, but that you are available if they need something in the future. They may very well reach out to you in the future when they have a need for your services, so courtesy is key.</p> <p>At the end of the day, communication and continuity are key to gaining credibility and trust. And appropriate, intelligent follow-up is what takes a good real estate agent to a great one. Using a guiding framework for follow-up will help you build a pipeline of long- and short-term leads that ultimately drive your success as a real estate agent.</p> </div> <span class="a2a_kit a2a_kit_size_32 addtoany_list" data-a2a-url="https://quantumdigital.com/blog/how-win-real-estate-follow" data-a2a-title="How to Win at Real Estate Follow-Up "><span>Share to:</span><a class="a2a_button_facebook"><i class="fa fa-facebook icon-faceook"></i></a><a class="a2a_button_twitter"><i class="fa fa-twitter"></i></a><a class="a2a_button_linkedin"><i class="fa fa-linkedin"></i></a></span> </div> Fri, 16 Aug 2019 01:22:00 +0000 brianna_mckinney 551 at https://quantumdigital.com 6 Tips for Building a Great Real Estate Instagram Profile https://quantumdigital.com/blog/6-tips-building-great-real-estate-instagram-profile <div data-history-node-id="548" class="node node--type-blog-post node--view-mode-rss ds-1col clearfix"> <div class="field field--name-node-title field--type-ds field--label-inline"> <div class="field--label">Title</div> <div class="field--item"><h1> 6 Tips for Building a Great Real Estate Instagram Profile </h1> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-preview-image field--type-image field--label-inline"> <div class="field--label">Preview Image</div> <div class="field--item"> <a href="https://quantumdigital.com/blog/6-tips-building-great-real-estate-instagram-profile" hreflang="en"><img loading="eager" src="https://quantumdigital.com/sites/default/files/styles/header/public/GettyImages-1021062406_0.jpg?itok=-hLkcbBX" width="1200" height="450" alt="Building a Great Real Estate Instagram Profile" typeof="foaf:Image" class="img-responsive" /></a> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-node-post-date field--type-ds field--label-inline"> <div class="field--label">Post date</div> <div class="field--item">Jul 11, 2019</div> </div> 4 <div class="field field--name-field-blog-category-new field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field--items"> <div class="field--item">Marketing Ideas</div> <div class="field--item">Real Estate</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item"><p>Recent reports show that Instagram has <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2018/06/20/instagram-1-billion-users/">1 billion active users</a>. And according to Facebook (who owns Instagram, in case you didn’t know), <a href="https://www.oberlo.com/blog/instagram-stats-every-marketer-should-know">83%</a> of those users say they discover new products and services on Instagram. That’s a lot of people! </p> <p>These numbers are no joke. All agents should consider using Instagram as part of their real estate marketing strategy. Here are our six tips for building an engaging Instagram profile to grow your business.</p> <p><strong>Use paid advertising to reach your target audience. </strong></p> <p>With Instagram ads, you can get your posts in front of the exact audience that you want. Is your target audience in the 35-50 age bracket? In what location are you listing? Target your posts based on these factors. You can even create ads that are shown only to those that visit your website.</p> <p><strong>Share high-quality photos. </strong></p> <p>Low-quality photos have no place on Instagram, an inherently visual platform. It’s worth the investment to purchase a nice camera and use that to take the photos you want to share. If you want more tips for taking quality real estate photos, check out <a href="https://quantumdigital.com/blog/5-tips-taking-quality-real-estate-marketing-photos">our blog</a>.</p> <p><strong>Hashtag with confidence. </strong></p> <p>In a nutshell, hashtags get more eyes on your post. When a user types in a hashtag, Instagram offers up all of the posts that are using that hashtag, which increases the post’s reach and allows the user to search for images and videos by subject. Just be sure to use your hashtags strategically so you don’t look “spammy.” You can place hashtags in the actual caption of your post or in the post’s comments; it has the same effect. Check out this list of the <a href="https://fitsmallbusiness.com/real-estate-hashtags/">top 25 best hashtags for real estate agents</a> and take your pick. After a few posts, check Instagram’s analytics platform, Instagram Insights, to see which hashtags are working and which aren’t.</p> <p><strong>Use Instagram stories to show your more candid side. </strong></p> <p><a href="https://techcrunch.com/2019/01/30/instagram-stories-500-million/">500 million Instagram accounts</a> use Instagram stories every day. Additionally,<a href="https://embedsocial.com/blog/instagram-stories-analytics/"> ⅓ of the most viewed Instagram stories</a> are from businesses. Instagram stories give you the perfect opportunity to show a more candid, behind-the-scenes side of your personality and your real estate business. Shoot videos at open houses or home tours, or go beyond that by posting inspirational quotes or anything else that motivates you. People appreciate when you authentically share a slice of your life, and Instagram stories present the perfect place to do this.</p> <p><strong>Share the right content. </strong></p> <p>Ensure that you’re posting content that is interesting and relevant to your users. This definitely includes photos of homes for sale (both the interior and the exterior), but can also include:</p> <ul><li>Personal photos of your family or friends — as long as that kind of content works with your brand. Some agents would never dream of sharing personal photos on a professional Instagram page, but there are many who do this and it works for their brand and their audience. </li> <li>Videos of yourself answering common questions that you receive about your business.</li> <li>Videos of yourself sharing tips for other agents and the lessons you’ve learned, if you’re established.</li> <li>Photos of beautiful homes that inspire you, but that you <em>aren’t</em> listing. Hank Bailey of RE/MAX Legends does this really well. He posts photos of homes from other photographers simply because he admires their architecture and design. This invites his followers to see a more personable side of himself and shows that he is passionate about beautiful homes and architecture. He’s got a great following of people who also appreciate the same home design that he loves — so that if he were to ever periodically insert his own listing into the mix, he would have a built-in list of interested leads at the ready. Score! </li> </ul><p><strong>Listen and join the conversation. </strong></p> <p>Think of Instagram as a space for network-building. While you can (and should) use Instagram as a platform to grow your business by posting photos of properties for sale, you can also use the platform to make connections with mortgage brokers, for example, or people who aren’t interested in buying a new home now but may be in a few years. And the only way to build a genuine network is by engaging with those who visit your profile. Ask questions in the captions of your photos and respond to people’s answers. When you do live videos, check the comments and interact with those who are watching you. </p> <p>We hope that this post has been helpful as you’re considering creating an Instagram account for your real estate business. As you’re growing your account, don’t forget to think about the other ways that you can engage with prospects while you’re offline. Direct mail is one great option for keeping your brand top-of-mind in the neighborhoods you care about. In fact, the Data and Marketing Association’s 2018 Response Rate Report showed that direct mail has a 9% response rate for household lists and a 4.9% response rate for prospect lists. </p> <p>Our AutoMail solution was built for agents who want to implement quality direct mail marketing but desire the ease and efficiency of an automated system. With AutoMail, agents can schedule and send multiple automated marketing postcards over the course of 12 months, building relationships with prospects that lead to new clients. Interested? <a href="https://quantumdigital.com/automail">Get started</a> today to elevate your real estate marketing strategy.</p> </div> <span class="a2a_kit a2a_kit_size_32 addtoany_list" data-a2a-url="https://quantumdigital.com/blog/6-tips-building-great-real-estate-instagram-profile" data-a2a-title=" 6 Tips for Building a Great Real Estate Instagram Profile"><span>Share to:</span><a class="a2a_button_facebook"><i class="fa fa-facebook icon-faceook"></i></a><a class="a2a_button_twitter"><i class="fa fa-twitter"></i></a><a class="a2a_button_linkedin"><i class="fa fa-linkedin"></i></a></span> </div> Thu, 11 Jul 2019 21:16:00 +0000 brianna_mckinney 548 at https://quantumdigital.com 3 Tips for Seizing Summertime Moving Season Opportunities https://quantumdigital.com/blog/3-tips-seizing-summertime-moving-season-opportunities <div data-history-node-id="545" class="node node--type-blog-post node--view-mode-rss ds-1col clearfix"> <div class="field field--name-node-title field--type-ds field--label-inline"> <div class="field--label">Title</div> <div class="field--item"><h1> 3 Tips for Seizing Summertime Moving Season Opportunities </h1> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-preview-image field--type-image field--label-inline"> <div class="field--label">Preview Image</div> <div class="field--item"> <a href="https://quantumdigital.com/blog/3-tips-seizing-summertime-moving-season-opportunities" hreflang="und"><img loading="eager" src="https://quantumdigital.com/sites/default/files/styles/header/public/pool-with-float_0.png?itok=ab754RKc" width="1200" height="450" alt="pool during the Summertime Moving Season" typeof="foaf:Image" class="img-responsive" /></a> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-node-post-date field--type-ds field--label-inline"> <div class="field--label">Post date</div> <div class="field--item">Jun 14, 2019</div> </div> 3 <div class="field field--name-field-blog-category-new field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field--items"> <div class="field--item">Marketing Ideas</div> <div class="field--item">Real Estate</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item"><p>Ah, summertime. Warmer days, longer nights…and for many, <a href="http://help.movinglabor.com/start/peak-moving-season">peak moving season</a>! With the slower summer months comes the most popular time of year for many homeowners or renters to relocate. And as a real estate agent, you should see this time of year as a major opportunity!</p> <p>Follow these tips to successfully convert prospects and build your business during the advantageous summer moving season.</p> <p><strong>Don’t forget renters.</strong></p> <p>Rent growth tends to be higher in the late spring and summer months, and due to market seasonalities, leases are often up in the summer -- meaning renters are considering whether to leave or stay in their current residence during this time. And rent growth is currently strong: According to the <a href="https://www.apartmentlist.com/rentonomics/national-rent-data/">Apartment List National Rent Report</a>, rents increased by 0.9% in April and May 2019, a pace of growth not seen since July 2017. While the rent growth rate has slowed down overall – from 2014 to 2017, numbers ranged from 2.7 to 3.5 percent – this current growth possibly signifies an upward trend.</p> <p>Summer gives agents a prime opportunity to target renters with marketing efforts. Send timely real estate postcards to prospects at apartments or homes in the area, or even use good old-fashioned door-to-door marketing and slide flyers underneath the doors of apartment complexes. Strike while the renter iron is hot!</p> <p><strong>Use warm-weather activities to your advantage.</strong></p> <p>Now is the perfect time of year to engage in the community with summertime activities that bring people together. Show up at neighborhood barbeques or recreational sporting events, for example… or even host your own block party or neighborhood outdoor movie night! Your perfect prospect could be in the neighborhood, itching to move this summer but needing an agent’s help. And, even if there aren’t any immediate leads from your efforts, engaging with target neighborhood communities now will pay dividends later (more on that in our next point).</p> <p><strong>Build relationships now.</strong></p> <p>Be prepared to play the long game. Don’t count out those who have moved or are about to move this summer as a potential prospect in the years to come. As most Americans move multiple times in their lifetime, snagging these prospects just as they’ve relocated is a smart business strategy.</p> <p>Follow up and build relationships with them over the span of several years by using a consistent (but not too frequent) stream of real estate postcards or a series of emails. By periodically reminding your prospects of your services, you’ll set yourself up to be top-of-mind when their next move comes. If you’re looking for an easy way to do this, <a href="https://quantumdigital.com/">QuantumDigital</a> offers <a href="https://quantumdigital.com/automail">AutoMail</a>, an automated real estate postcards service that lets you set up a series of postcards, targeted to your ideal prospects, over a span of several months so you stay top-of-mind over the long-term. If you want to learn more or have questions about AutoMail, don’t hesitate to <a href="https://support.quantumdigital.com/hc/en-us/requests/new">contact us</a>.</p> <p>Don’t let summertime moving season pass you by. Seize the opportunities that this time of year brings, and build a steady stream of prospects that will deliver future returns!</p> </div> <span class="a2a_kit a2a_kit_size_32 addtoany_list" data-a2a-url="https://quantumdigital.com/blog/3-tips-seizing-summertime-moving-season-opportunities" data-a2a-title="3 Tips for Seizing Summertime Moving Season Opportunities"><span>Share to:</span><a class="a2a_button_facebook"><i class="fa fa-facebook icon-faceook"></i></a><a class="a2a_button_twitter"><i class="fa fa-twitter"></i></a><a class="a2a_button_linkedin"><i class="fa fa-linkedin"></i></a></span> </div> Fri, 14 Jun 2019 23:59:28 +0000 brianna_mckinney 545 at https://quantumdigital.com 3 Tips for Staying in Touch with Buyers & Sellers After Business Has Closed https://quantumdigital.com/3-tips-for-staying-in-touch-with-buyers-sellers-after-business-has-closed-real-estate-marketing <div data-history-node-id="543" class="node node--type-blog-post node--view-mode-rss ds-1col clearfix"> <div class="field field--name-node-title field--type-ds field--label-inline"> <div class="field--label">Title</div> <div class="field--item"><h1> 3 Tips for Staying in Touch with Buyers & Sellers After Business Has Closed </h1> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-preview-image field--type-image field--label-inline"> <div class="field--label">Preview Image</div> <div class="field--item"> <a href="https://quantumdigital.com/3-tips-for-staying-in-touch-with-buyers-sellers-after-business-has-closed-real-estate-marketing" hreflang="und"><img loading="eager" src="https://quantumdigital.com/sites/default/files/styles/header/public/staying%20in%20touch%20after%20business%20has%20closed%20in%20real%20estate%20marketing.jpg?itok=O-Sr0tDE" width="1200" height="450" alt="A real estate agent Staying in Touch with Buyers & Sellers After Business Has Closed" typeof="foaf:Image" class="img-responsive" /></a> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-node-post-date field--type-ds field--label-inline"> <div class="field--label">Post date</div> <div class="field--item">May 15, 2019</div> </div> 4 <div class="field field--name-field-blog-category-new field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field--items"> <div class="field--item">Marketing Ideas</div> <div class="field--item">Real Estate</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item"><p>In real estate, it’s often all about farming for new business from those buyers and sellers you’ve never worked with before. And for good reason - <a href="https://quantumdigital.com/unique-real-estate-farming-strategies">farming</a> for brand-new prospects is a key component of real estate marketing, particularly when you’re <a href="https://quantumdigital.com/blog/how-grow-your-business-unknown-or-new-neighborhood-real-estate-marketing">introducing yourself to a new area or just new to real estate in general.</a></p> <p>But did you know that <a href="https://www.nar.realtor/research-and-statistics/quick-real-estate-statistics">74% of buyers and 69% of sellers</a> would use their agent again or recommend their agent to others? Additionally, according to the National Association of REALTORS®' 2018 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, 39% of sellers who used a real estate agent found their agents through a referral by friends or family, and 24% used the agent they previously worked with to buy or sell a home. These statistics present a BIG opportunity to cultivate meaningful, genuine relationships with those you’ve already worked with. Authentic relationship-building is definitely a long game, but it’s one that will pay dividends.</p> <p>Need convincing? The Office of Inspector General with the USPS has you covered. In a <a href="https://www.uspsoig.gov/sites/default/files/document-library-files/2018/RARC-WP-19-003.pdf">just-released April 2019 report</a>, their data revealed that “advertising mail sent by a business that has a past business relationship with the recipient is more than twice as likely to be read and generate a positive reaction, and is six times as likely to get a response than mail sent by businesses with no past relationship.”</p> <p>Now, you may be thinking, “YES! Let’s get started! … How do I do it?”</p> <p>One key way to consistently foster relationships with those you’ve worked with in the past is with real estate direct mail marketing. It’s no secret that at QuantumDigital, we’re all about real estate postcards. We know that in 2019, direct mail is an arguably necessary player in getting responses from your audience -- particularly among <a href="https://quantumdigital.com/blog/marketing-millennial-first-time-home-buyers">millennials</a>, who, despite generalizations that the generation is only glued to their smartphones, have high rates of engagement with direct mail.</p> <p>But don’t take our word for it. Other marketers agree that direct mail is a smart move for modern-day business and organizations. In fact, the Data and Marketing Association’s recently released <a href="https://www.iwco.com/blog/2019/01/16/direct-mail-response-rates-dominate-other-channels/">2018 Response Rate Report</a> showed that direct mail has a <strong>whopping 9% response rate</strong> for household lists and a 4.9% response rate for prospect lists, higher than all of the digital channels studied. In comparison, email, social media, and paid search averaged 1%, while online display averaged only .03%.</p> <p>Direct mail is certainly a proven way to maintain relationships with past clients - and if you’re looking for a consistent way to stay in touch throughout the calendar year, we’ve got <a href="https://quantumdigital.com/automail">AutoMail</a>, an automated solution that allows you to engage with your audience without spending precious time or energy. But direct mail is not (and shouldn’t be) the only way that you connect with past clients to encourage more business and referrals. You should also consider:</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>1. Direct Follow-Up.</strong></p> <p>If you’re a real estate agent, it’s likely you aren’t afraid of a good old-fashioned phone call. Use your communications skills and call up old clients once a year to personally check in on how they’re doing, catch up, and offer a helping hand if they’re looking to buy or sell. You should also use the opportunity to politely ask for updated contact information -- both physical and email addresses in particular -- so you can make sure you’re reaching the right contact throughout the year.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>2. Email Marketing.</strong></p> <p>Email is a smart, fast, and cost-efficient way to stay in touch with those you’ve worked with in the past. The key is to segment your list based on your audience -- have you closed business with them within the last six months, or was it two years ago or more? What part of town or neighborhood do they live in? (This is where your check-in phone calls come in.) Such unique audiences will require different messages. The trick is to only reach out to past clients via email when you’ve got something useful to share. Send market information relevant to the neighborhood they live in or promote open houses in their area you think they’d love. Include their name in your email communications (which is easy with platforms like MailChimp). <a href="https://us.epsilon.com/pressroom/new-epsilon-research-indicates-80-of-consumers-are-more-likely-to-make-a-purchase-when-brands-offer-personalized-experiences">Thoughtful, personalized content = bigger rewards</a>.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>3. Social Media.</strong></p> <p>Social media’s not your thing, you say. It takes up too much time, and it’s difficult to see the results. We hear you. Not one to create an editorial calendar, post regularly, and monitor social for engagements on an everyday basis? An easy way to keep in touch with past clients is to create a Facebook group, and add all past clients (who have opted-in) to the group. Think of it as a forum where your audience can ask questions and quickly get in touch with you. Again, only post when you have something valuable to share -- there’s nothing worse than a real estate agent flooding timelines with multiple MLS listings a day -- but groups like this make it so that you stress less about constant engagement but maintain contact with your past clients.</p> <p>We wish you the best of luck in all your past client follow-up endeavors!</p> </div> <span class="a2a_kit a2a_kit_size_32 addtoany_list" data-a2a-url="https://quantumdigital.com/3-tips-for-staying-in-touch-with-buyers-sellers-after-business-has-closed-real-estate-marketing" data-a2a-title="3 Tips for Staying in Touch with Buyers & Sellers After Business Has Closed"><span>Share to:</span><a class="a2a_button_facebook"><i class="fa fa-facebook icon-faceook"></i></a><a class="a2a_button_twitter"><i class="fa fa-twitter"></i></a><a class="a2a_button_linkedin"><i class="fa fa-linkedin"></i></a></span> </div> Thu, 16 May 2019 00:12:11 +0000 brianna_mckinney 543 at https://quantumdigital.com How to Execute a Customer-Centric Real Estate Marketing Strategy https://quantumdigital.com/blog/how-execute-customer-centric-real-estate-marketing-strategy <div data-history-node-id="542" class="node node--type-blog-post node--view-mode-rss ds-1col clearfix"> <div class="field field--name-node-title field--type-ds field--label-inline"> <div class="field--label">Title</div> <div class="field--item"><h1> How to Execute a Customer-Centric Real Estate Marketing Strategy </h1> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-preview-image field--type-image field--label-inline"> <div class="field--label">Preview Image</div> <div class="field--item"> <a href="https://quantumdigital.com/blog/how-execute-customer-centric-real-estate-marketing-strategy" hreflang="und"><img loading="eager" src="https://quantumdigital.com/sites/default/files/styles/header/public/Tips%20for%20Executing%20a%20Customer-Centric%20Real%20Estate%20Marketing%20Strategy%20.jpg?itok=_UEzaK-M" width="1200" height="450" alt="real estate agent giving a house image to a buyer" typeof="foaf:Image" class="img-responsive" /></a> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-node-post-date field--type-ds field--label-inline"> <div class="field--label">Post date</div> <div class="field--item">Apr 16, 2019</div> </div> 4 <div class="field field--name-field-blog-category-new field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field--items"> <div class="field--item">Marketing Ideas</div> <div class="field--item">Real Estate</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item"><p>Many agents are interested in customer relationship management (CRM) and how to either implement it or better utilize their current software as part of an overall real estate marketing strategy. If you aren’t riding the CRM bandwagon, it’s time to hop on! The time and dollar investment in CRM has proven to be well worth it. According to <a href="https://nucleusresearch.com/research/single/crm-pays-back-8-71-for-every-dollar-spent/">one analysis</a>, the average return for CRM is $8.71 for every dollar spent, a continued trend of increasing return since 2011.</p> <p>Customer relationship management can take many different forms, from customer service and support to <a href="https://www.quantumpostcards.com/blog/personalization-direct-mail-postcard-service">personalized marketing</a>, but as the phrase itself would imply, in the end, it’s all about your audience - making them happy with the purpose of building a relationship with them. Building a relationship with your prospects at the first interaction, and effectively managing those relationships over time, will ultimately lead to a higher chance of conversion as well as word-of-mouth referrals. Research has shown that customer relationship management applications can help increase sales <a href="https://www.salesforce.com/blog/2013/03/accounting-crm-increase-sales-productivity.html">by up to 29%</a>.</p> <p>A huge component of CRM is behavioral marketing. Behavioral marketing draws from information provided by the customer through online activities such as opt-in forms on ecommerce sites and online searches. Based on this data, you can make communications more relevant in terms of preferred content, channel, digital platform and frequency. Instead of casting a wide net and hoping for the best, a behavioral marketing approach allows you to get granular with the things that your audience actually cares about, meaning higher likelihood of a sale.</p> <p>Below, we offer a few essential components to consider when using behavior-based marketing as part of a strategic communications approach centered around customer relationship management.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Consideration 1: Make sure communications are trackable.</strong></p> <p>No behavioral marketing strategy will work unless you’re tracking your prospects’ reaction to your communications efforts. With today’s technology, you can track interactions through any number of platforms; for example, email open rates, paid search click-through rates, and social media engagement - all for the purpose of better understanding how your audience responds to your organization’s communications so you can adjust for better engagement in the future.</p> <p>There are even platforms for tracking direct mail campaigns, such as our real estate marketing and farming solution, <a href="https://quantumdigital.com/automail">AutoMail</a>. AutoMail allows agents to schedule and send multiple automated real estate postcards over the course of 12 months, and each trackable postcard includes a unique link to an online market report that allows agents to gain insight into the performance of their direct mail campaign. The report gathers recipient information that is then sent to you immediately and is available to view anytime on the AutoMail dashboard, so you can then follow up quickly to establish a timely personal connection.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Consideration 2: Keep interactions timely.</strong></p> <p>This brings us to our second point for effective behavioral-based marketing and customer relationship management: interactions and follow-up with prospects should be as timely as possible for the best results. Prospects can quickly go to another source for their needs if they don’t quickly hear from you after indicating interest in your brand.</p> <p>But you can make quick follow-up easier on yourself. For example, utilize MailChimp’s <a href="https://mailchimp.com/help/automation-types/">preset automation types</a> to schedule emails based on customer interaction without lifting a finger. For direct mail campaigns, make sure that the platform you’re using is able to send notifications to you in real-time so you don’t miss the opportunity to follow-up with hot prospects.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Consideration 3: Adjust communications based on what your audience wants.</strong></p> <p>You’ve made your campaigns trackable and have formulated, over time, a better of idea of what your audience likes to see from your brand. Now, it’s time to adjust those current campaigns to give your audience more of what they want, leading to higher returns for you!</p> <p>This is why testing is so important for any behavioral marketing strategy. Whether it’s email, social media, or direct mail, changing things up based on your prospects’ reaction will ensure that you’re always evolving and responsive to the needs of your prospects. If you’ve <a href="https://www.optimizely.com/optimization-glossary/ab-testing/">A/B tested</a> an email subject line, for example, and found that your audience responds to one type of subject line over another, you can adjust future subject lines to be more aligned with the one that resonates with your prospects.</p> <p>The same is true for AutoMail - the AutoMail platform includes a flexible scheduler that allows agents to edit campaigns at any time for better engagement. If a campaign isn’t garnering the response rate you hoped for, you can edit it and try something new until you find which marketing postcards resonate the most with your audience. Remember, it’s audience first, always - if something isn’t working for them, it’s not working for you! Don’t be afraid to be bold and adjust strategies at any time to get the results you want.</p> <p>We hope you’ve learned a thing or two about how you can utilize customer relationship management and behavioral marketing as a part of your real estate marketing strategy. By taking your prospects’ interests into consideration to elevate your brand, you’re headed in the right direction, and ultimately, your sales performance will be, too.</p> </div> <span class="a2a_kit a2a_kit_size_32 addtoany_list" data-a2a-url="https://quantumdigital.com/blog/how-execute-customer-centric-real-estate-marketing-strategy" data-a2a-title="How to Execute a Customer-Centric Real Estate Marketing Strategy "><span>Share to:</span><a class="a2a_button_facebook"><i class="fa fa-facebook icon-faceook"></i></a><a class="a2a_button_twitter"><i class="fa fa-twitter"></i></a><a class="a2a_button_linkedin"><i class="fa fa-linkedin"></i></a></span> </div> Tue, 16 Apr 2019 21:59:37 +0000 brianna_mckinney 542 at https://quantumdigital.com How to Grow Your Business in an Unknown or New Neighborhood with Real Estate Marketing https://quantumdigital.com/blog/how-grow-your-business-unknown-or-new-neighborhood-real-estate-marketing <div data-history-node-id="536" class="node node--type-blog-post node--view-mode-rss ds-1col clearfix"> <div class="field field--name-node-title field--type-ds field--label-inline"> <div class="field--label">Title</div> <div class="field--item"><h1> How to Grow Your Business in an Unknown or New Neighborhood with Real Estate Marketing </h1> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-preview-image field--type-image field--label-inline"> <div class="field--label">Preview Image</div> <div class="field--item"> <a href="https://quantumdigital.com/blog/how-grow-your-business-unknown-or-new-neighborhood-real-estate-marketing" hreflang="und"><img loading="eager" src="https://quantumdigital.com/sites/default/files/styles/header/public/GrowREBusiness_BlogBanner_0.jpg?itok=AfOo4RlH" width="1200" height="450" alt="How to Effectively Grow Your Real Estate Busines" typeof="foaf:Image" class="img-responsive" /></a> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-node-post-date field--type-ds field--label-inline"> <div class="field--label">Post date</div> <div class="field--item">Mar 17, 2019</div> </div> 1 <div class="field field--name-field-blog-category-new field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field--items"> <div class="field--item">Marketing Ideas</div> <div class="field--item">Real Estate</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item"><p>At some point in your career as a real estate agent, you’re going to enter into a somewhat unknown market or neighborhood with prospects that may have never seen your face or heard of your name. How can you engage with that new audience and get new listings without them first knowing who you are?</p> <p>The answer is you can’t. Real estate marketing is crucial to building your business. Potential clients have to get to know you before ultimately turning to you as their advocate when they make the decision to buy or sell a home.</p> <p>There’s a basic, multi-step process to generate brand recognition in your target farming area. It begins with making your identity known in the community. You do this by delivering consistent real estate marketing communications, and then building upon those communications over time in a way that solidifies relationships that ultimately lead to new listing appointments.</p> <p>Below, we walk you through our automated real estate marketing solution <a href="https://quantumdigital.com/automail">AutoMail</a>, which can not only help you build that initial brand recognition but also help you forge relationships over time - forming connections that will boost your business, garner new listings, and increase referrals.</p> <p class="text-align-center"><img alt="how to effectively grow your real estate business infographic" src="https://quantumdigital.com/sites/default/files/GrowREBusiness_info.jpg" style="width: 589px; height: 2943px;" /></p> </div> <span class="a2a_kit a2a_kit_size_32 addtoany_list" data-a2a-url="https://quantumdigital.com/blog/how-grow-your-business-unknown-or-new-neighborhood-real-estate-marketing" data-a2a-title="How to Grow Your Business in an Unknown or New Neighborhood with Real Estate Marketing"><span>Share to:</span><a class="a2a_button_facebook"><i class="fa fa-facebook icon-faceook"></i></a><a class="a2a_button_twitter"><i class="fa fa-twitter"></i></a><a class="a2a_button_linkedin"><i class="fa fa-linkedin"></i></a></span> </div> Sun, 17 Mar 2019 18:43:48 +0000 brianna_mckinney 536 at https://quantumdigital.com Organizational Tools for Real Estate Agents https://quantumdigital.com/blog/organizational-tools-real-estate-agents <div data-history-node-id="534" class="node node--type-blog-post node--view-mode-rss ds-1col clearfix"> <div class="field field--name-node-title field--type-ds field--label-inline"> <div class="field--label">Title</div> <div class="field--item"><h1> Organizational Tools for Real Estate Agents </h1> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-preview-image field--type-image field--label-inline"> <div class="field--label">Preview Image</div> <div class="field--item"> <a href="https://quantumdigital.com/blog/organizational-tools-real-estate-agents" hreflang="und"><img loading="eager" src="https://quantumdigital.com/sites/default/files/styles/header/public/real%20estate%20marketing%20postcards.jpg?itok=XrstGoFq" width="1200" height="450" alt="organizational tools for real estate agents banner image" typeof="foaf:Image" class="img-responsive" /></a> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-node-post-date field--type-ds field--label-inline"> <div class="field--label">Post date</div> <div class="field--item">Feb 18, 2019</div> </div> 1 <div class="field field--name-field-blog-category-new field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field--items"> <div class="field--item">Real Estate</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item"><p>As a real estate agent, you have at your disposal a number of tools to help you organize and streamline your day. But are you using any of them? Incorporate these applications and platforms, including our solution to real estate marketing postcards and farming, <a href="https://quantumdigital.com/automail">AutoMail</a>, into your work day for increased productivity and a more sane mindset.</p> <p class="text-align-center"><img alt="infographic: how to automate your direct mail marketing for real estate" src="https://quantumdigital.com/sites/default/files/automation_infographic.jpg" style="width: 589px; height: 2989px;" /></p> </div> <span class="a2a_kit a2a_kit_size_32 addtoany_list" data-a2a-url="https://quantumdigital.com/blog/organizational-tools-real-estate-agents" data-a2a-title="Organizational Tools for Real Estate Agents"><span>Share to:</span><a class="a2a_button_facebook"><i class="fa fa-facebook icon-faceook"></i></a><a class="a2a_button_twitter"><i class="fa fa-twitter"></i></a><a class="a2a_button_linkedin"><i class="fa fa-linkedin"></i></a></span> </div> Mon, 18 Feb 2019 22:29:43 +0000 brianna_mckinney 534 at https://quantumdigital.com