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Does Positive Thinking Boost Real Estate Marketing Results?

marketingsurvivalkit — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 09:56:20 -0800

Resolving to get more results from your real estate marketing is a lot like resolving to exercise regularly or stick to a diet. All those things require a strong desire, a willingness to commit to a daily routine, positive thinking, and a certain amount of self discipline. When you decide the rewards of sticking with positve habits are worth the effort, then you're half way there to success (okay... maybe "30% there" -- it's a process!).

What is positive thinking and why does it matter?

All successful real estate agents are aware of the impact that thoughts have on attitudes, actions, and productivity. Like maintaining a diet or exercise program, it's all-too-easy to allow our good habits to fall by the wayside--at least temporarily. It's a fact of life that it takes effort to keep your thoughts positive and self-empowering, but without that effort, our positive energy--which is necessary for success in any endeavor--can start to waiver or even spiral downward.

Returning to the exercising analogy one more time, it only takes an average of 30 minutes of daily effort (give or take) to stay in good shape both mentally and physically (of course, 'results will vary', as they say!). In the case of maintaining a positive mental attitude, that effort could involve motivational books and audio recordings, meditating, positive affirmations, and having a desk calendar that reminds you to cultivate positive thoughts. The one I've been using for the past couple of years is the "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff" calendar by Richard Carlson, Ph.D. There are also countless resources on the Internet to remind you to nurture the empowering thoughts and distance yourself from the negative thoughts that crop up. Much like a garden, if we neglect to exert control over our thought process and what we focus on, then more and more 'weeds' will start weaseling their way into our lives.

What's the Connecting Between Real Estate Marketing and a Positive Attitude?

Our thoughts and overall outlook on life (and ourselves) affects how we present our ideas--both in writing and with the spoken word. Not only that, but it also has a huge impact on our non-verbal communication, which is at least as powerful as the actual words that we use. One's dominant thoughts can also have a ripple effect on the effectiveness of real estate marketing letters, email marketing messages to prospects, and the amount of energy that's applied to different real estate marketing strategies.

I originally set out to write a blog post about small business marketing tools and methods, but--in reality--one's attitude forms the basis of any successful marketing campaign or strategy. If you're interested in picking up a few marketing ideas on social media marketing, writing effective real estate sales letters, the effective use of real estate flyers, or marketing ideas for cultivating client relationships, I invite you to visit my website.

What Does the Grand Opening of a Pet Clinic Have to Do with Real Estate Marketing?

marketingsurvivalkit — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 11:42:25 -0700

I just came back from a grand opening of a new veterinary clinic, and I was amazed by the excellent turnout that the event produced. It seemed like there was a continuous flow of pet owners filing in and out of the brand new facility. In addition to free coffee, a birthday cake, and imprinted give-aways, they also offered face painting for the kids, a mascot dressed up as a big cat, free nail clipping for the family dog, and a "guess the number of jelly beans in the jar" contest. (It goes without saying that, in order to submit a guess, people had to provide contact information, what type of pets they owned, their address, and other lead-generating, qualifying information.)

There are a few ways that the success of this event can be applied to real estate marketing, but the first one that came to my mind was promoting the opening a real estate office. I'm sure you've seen a similar approach used to promote model homes or tours of newly constructed homes in a development.

A few standard ways to promote this type of grand opening would be with banners, signs, a targeted flyer or postcard mailing, an email blast to your mailing list, a cost-effective ad in a couple publications, an announcement on Twitter and Facebook, a press release, an announcement in your newsletter (electronic or printed), posting flyers in a few public places, and even trying to arrange a media interview or two. For more marketing ideas, visit Marketing Survival Kit to subscribe to my free, weekly marketing newsletter.

Maximize the Effectiveness of Postcard Marketing Campaigns

marketingsurvivalkit — Sun, 20 Mar 2011 10:32:53 -0700

I periodically receive "just listed" marketing postcards in the mail, which seems like a good way for local agents to maintain "top of mind awareness" in their target area. In addition to achieving increased visibility, the postcards also help increase "word of mouth" advertising about a new listing. While postcards can be a cost-effective way to help spread the word about a new (or recently sold) listing, it's important to try to eliminate any factors that might hinder the postcard's effectiveness as a marketing tool. For example: If the message is at all difficult to read, because of a small font size, a lack of contrast between the background and the font color, or trying to cram too much information into a small space, then the percentage of people that actually read the postcard would drop. In marketing and advertising, it's often essential to instantly make a positive impression, attract attention, and to draw people into your message by making it inviting and effortless. An important quality control item to keep in mind when you create a marketing postcard, a real estate flyer, or an advertising message is the degree of readability -- especially if your target audience is over 45!

Media Relations Can Be an Effective Marketing Tool for Real Estate Agents

marketingsurvivalkit — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 07:26:18 -0700

Maybe it's because it seems too good to be true, but media relations is one of the least used, yet most effective marketing strategies for gaining visibility and recognition in your community. Some real estate agents may be better at pitching stories to the media than others, but once you've established a reputation among reporters and editors as a credible news source, then your prominence as a real estate professional could grow exponentially.

A couple ways to make yourself known to members of the media is to invite them to join your network on Linked-in and/or send a brief email to a few potential media contacts about your availability as source for comments, quotes, and facts about real estate trends and the local real estate climate. There's no guarantee that they'll take you up on your offer, but if you can establish a working relationship with one or two local reporters, it can be a boon to your overall marketing efforts. Having leadership titles, professional credentials, and years of experience makes you more marketable as a potential news source, but those are not necessarily prerequisites.

There are dozens of other marketing and advertising techniques that will increase your visibilty and get your name out there, but being quoted in the media has the effect of positioning you as an expert. While an occasional mention in the media is not going to cause your phone to ring off the hook, it can enhance the public's perception of you as an authoritative real estate professional and give you a competitive advantage in the marketplace.