Buyer’s aren’t looking to make big expenses and sellers are holding off until the new year. The decrease in home sales around the holidays is nothing new. Regardless of this stagnation, I’m sure, that all forward-think realtors will agree that the so-called holiday slump is not something to fear, but rather something to embrace. Guaranteed, sales will be slower as the days get colder and the urge to kick back, relax and take off your realtor hat is higher. However, just because numbers might be loosing momentum it doesn’t mean that you have to too.
The holiday season is a great time to prepare and get ahead of the game. It’s time to dust off all those marketing to-do lists and get cracking.
Here are our personal recommendations to make sure you hit the ground running in 2016 and find yourself on top of your online marketing game.
1. Create a marketing plan for the up coming year- draft a thorough strategy and set your goals with measurable targets so that you are able to track your progress. As a realtor you are marketing yourself, make sure your online brand is on point with who YOU are and what you stand for. Look back at what worked for you in the last year and what didn’t. Take the time to ask yourself some important questions:
a. How often do I reach out to my client database?– Are you actively reaching out to your database, providing updates or following up on past sales? Make sure your emailing list is up to date, remove those repeated emails or inactive contacts. If you’re not already using an email marketing tool such as Mailchimp, it might also be something consider.
b. Is my website up to date?– It’s easy to overlook this aspect of your business when you are running around closing sales but it’s so important. Many clients will look you up before they call you up so make sure your site is looking polished and is an accurate representation of you! If your site is not responsive it’s time to stop hesitating and upgrade! Here is a great piece on why having a responsive site is so crucial.
c. What are my marketing goals for the next year? Do I have the necessary resources to achieve these goals?– Set some clear metrics on what you hope to accomplish via your marketing campaigns. Is it get more likes on your Facebook business page? Drive more traffic to your website? Having some benchmark target numbers will help you track your progress in a more calculated way.
d. What do my online channels say about me? Are they consistent with each other?– Even if you are just a sporadic tweeter/facebooker making sure all your channels are consistent in branding is a big demonstration of your professionalism. Update you bios and about sections and please please make sure all profile pictures and cover photos are high resolution.
e. How can I get more involved in the community?– Being in tune with the community is a great way to build relationships. Create a volunteering plan and stick to it, sharing your involvement on your website will let your clients know that you have a genuine interest in giving back. Get out there, make a difference!