Center for REALTOR® Development 029: Multi-Platform Marketing for Maximizing Content
Today's episode explores modern marketing: how we create and share content, who we share it with, and how it's made available to the public. This episode is a recording of the panel Monica hosted at the 2018 REALTOR® Conference and Expo. Guests TJ Pierce, Mor Zucker, Jamie Slough, and Dave Caskey speak about how they have utilized their social media marketing in their businesses. No matter where you are in your business, there will be a takeaway for you to apply to your work.
Content can be anything that you want to share, from photos to a blog, to videos; there is something for everyone. Multi-platform marketing uses the content you created and distributes it across several social media platforms. For example, content from this podcast appears on Instagram and a blog, and a video is uploaded to YouTube. Monica talks about some ways you can create content from your listings, and on which platforms you might want to share it. Sharing across several different platforms will allow you to connect with several different audiences and demographics.
Advice from TJ:
Start with the platform you are most comfortable with, and branch out from there. At Mid-Century Homes, they build their digital library with pictures from their phones and use an app called Canva that allows you to use your own photos to create a content layout. They also use professionally made content like photos, their website, and videos.
You can also share other people's content and engage with other businesses on the various social media platforms. This has been especially important for Mid-Century Homes because they've been able to share other content with a niche audience they know will appreciate it. They can engage with their own audience while attracting followers from the audiences of other businesses. TJ talks about how they use the different platforms of Facebook, Instagram, and their website and about how much they budget for it. Some of the live events they have are home tours, Instagram, and a first-time homebuyer class. 45% of their business has been in off-market deals because they knew how to work their marketing platforms!
Advice from Mor and Jamie:
Don't wait for opportunity — create it! They focus on using marketing and technology to sell homes, rather than selling homes and having to use those tools to do it. They create two main ways: their blog (The Denver Ear) and by using PR and relationships with the media.
Being intentional about fostering relationships with the media and creating news in your business is huge in getting your content out there. Jamie describes some of the content they've created, through community events, or stories about properties. When writing these, there always needs to be value for the consumer added. Once you have a press release, you can distribute the content across several platforms, and drive traffic back to your website.
Mor talks about The Denver Ear, which is a blog that focuses on community, lifestyle, and business, rather than real estate. When you're selling real estate, you're really selling the community around the property. As your blog gets more exposure, local businesses may start to connect with you about their news. This is a more indirect and long-term strategy, but Mor wanted to create the blog outside of their real estate website to bring people in the back door. The conversion seems to be higher for these people because they've taken the time to navigate to the real estate page from the blog.
The most important thing about blogging is that it doesn't matter how often you blog, but each post needs to have high-quality content. Find unique things to write about, and be aggressive about making connections with businesses and media. When it comes to blog content, focus on your interests; people will want you to be their agent because they resonate with who you are as a person.
Eventually, you want to start connecting your blog to your real estate business, but there are several ways to get creative about this that aren't necessarily just putting the real estate information on your blog each time you post.
Advice from Dave:
REALTORS® are connectors; we connect with people and then we connect those people with homes. Across the different platforms, it's important to know your audience. This is not only for what you post but also how you engage with others on these platforms. Dave covers several different platforms and offers suggestions about what is appropriate on each.
Quality over quantity — while it is important to get followers, you want to make sure they are the right followers and actual consumers of your business product. Knowing your target audience will help you decide how to prioritize. Dave talks about the distribution of their content; they will post content and then each of their agents will post the same content on their professional pages and they've just increased the chances of people seeing this content.
Q&A:
You can "reuse" content — maybe you go back to an article once every year and update it with relevant information.
When hosting live events, you might consider offering door prizes or make it appear that it's sold out so there's some hype around it. The pre- and post- is usually the most important outcome of the event, especially how much it gets your name out during advertising.
Instagram is primarily for catching people's attention visually. For residential real estate, it's also about promoting the lifestyle.
There are often "sign-in walls" to get agents' contact information, and this is usually for the agents to build up a database. As agents, it's important to note what's working for consumers and what's not, so we can pivot if something isn't working.
Video content between social media and your website should be different. On social media, you want videos to be fun and engaging. Videos on the website may be a little more professional and directed towards a specific purpose, like a 360-degree video of a property.
Guest Links: See additional bios below for guest links
Additional Links:
OnlineLearning.Realtor for NAR Online Education
Training4RE.com — List of Classroom Courses for REBAC and REBI classes.
Host Information:
Monica Neubauer
Speaker/Podcaster/REALTOR®
Additional Bios:
Mor Zucker
Facebook @TeamDenverHomes
Instagram @TeamDenverHomes
Since the first year she pursued a real estate profession, and every year since then, Mor Zucker's marketing and technology initiatives have placed Team Denver Homes, her co-founded real estate team's website, #1 among the most viewed agent websites, and her blog the #1 most viewed blogs in Denver, Colorado.
Her innovative approach to marketing has led her to become a public speaker at conferences such as Inman Connect, Who's Who in Luxury Real Estate, ENCON, WFG's REfresh and multiple brokerages' MarTech conferences around the world.
Her marketing and technology efforts have garnered her the distinguished REAL Trends Game Changers Award (2019), RISMedia's 2019 Newsmakers Award (2019), "Best Overall Marketing Package Agent" award (2017), the "booj" award (2016), and she has been nominated by Luxury Real Estate for "Most Innovative Marketing Technique" (2018, 2016, 2015, 2014); "Best Overall Marketing Package" (2018, 2016, 2015); and "Outstanding Social Media Savvy" (2018, 2016).
In 2018 Zucker joined the Forbes Real Estate Council as an Official Member. The council is an invitation-only community for executives in the real estate industry. Members of the council have the opportunity to submit thought leadership articles and short tips on industry-related topics for publishing on Forbes.com.
Zucker is the Founder of the website, The Denver Ear, a local lifestyle blog that focuses on local events, restaurants, and family activities in Denver. The Denver Ear currently has over 140,000 unique readers per month.
Jamie Slough
Jamie's diverse background affords her a unique perspective and skill set to provide the best to her clients throughout all aspects of the transaction. In addition to Marketing Director for one of the top brokerages in Denver, she has also been a real estate coach and co-founded a successful real estate team, before branching out as an individual REALTOR® at Madison & Company Properties.
"I'm proud of the impact I've been able to have on the industry through these opportunities, and now I really want to focus on the most important part – my clients!"
Jamie is also a member of Who's Who in Luxury Real Estate and has won multiple awards including Luxury Real Estate's "Best Overall Marketing Package" in 2017 and was named one of RISMedia's Real Estate Newsmakers 2019.
Jamie works with clients in all price points, all over the world. She specializes in the marketing of luxury listings and has been named one of the top referring REALTORS® in her brokerage in 2017 and 2018 due to her military affiliations and networks, truly supporting her clients worldwide.
Through all of Jamie's accomplishments, what she prides herself most in, is her honesty and integrity in everything she does, leaving a positive impact on the industry – one client at a time.
TJ Pierce
Instagram @boisemidcenturyhomes
Podcast: Next Up! Mid-Century Homes
TJ Pierce is owner and team lead of Mid-Century Homes in Boise, Idaho. He created the business back in 2016 with no prior real estate experience. He ventured into the industry with 10 years of corporate sales experience with both Xerox and Canon. He provides comprehensive services to mid-century enthusiasts not only in Boise, Idaho but across North America, as opportunity allows. If you have any connections with architecturally significant mid-century architecture, he welcomes you to contact him.
Dave Caskey
Instagram @CaskeyandCaskey
Facebook @CaskeyandCaskeyRE
With over 40 years of combined experience in the Manhattan Beach market, Jennifer and Dave Caskey, along with their professional team of licensed agents and administrative staff, offer the highest level of service with uncompromising attention to each client's individual real estate needs and goals. From initial meeting to final closing, you can count on Caskey & Caskey to set the standard for all of your real estate transactions. Jennifer and Dave don't just work in Manhattan Beach — they live here, play here, and have raised their three sons here. As locals, The Caskeys provide a unique perspective and insider knowledge that directly benefits their clients.
Caskey & Caskey has built a loyal client base on a reputation for outstanding service not only during a transaction but for the many years thereafter, with one of the highest repeat client rates in our industry. Our award-winning multi-channel marketing platform is designed to provide an omnipresent reach that spans all markets. Attention to detail combined with a depth of experience, a personalized approach, and commitment to the community is what makes Caskey & Caskey the top real estate team in Manhattan Beach.
Dave and Jennifer are involved with over 40 local charities and community organizations. This dedication to serving their community is the foundation of their success. The South Bay isn't just home — it's the heart, the foundation, and the soul of the Caskey family. Dave and Jennifer take great pride in their community and are pleased to help worthwhile, effective organizations that make lives better.