I have a staff writer who has done his fair share of real estate content marketing work. He’s been living in his house for almost 10 years now. At least once a month, his Realtor sends him something. A postcard, a newsletter, a holiday card… “It’s been 10 years. What does she think, I’m going to buy another house?”
I was a bit surprised by the question considering that this guy writes so much marketing copy for us. “You already know the answer, don’t you?” I said.
“Sure, I do,” he said. “I was just being a little tongue-in-cheek. It’s not about me buying a new house. It’s about me knowing someone who wants to buy a house and referring them to her.”
“Then why be so snarky about it? You know exactly why she’s doing it.”
“The issue,” he said, “is not that she’s doing it. It’s that she’s doing it the wrong way. I’ve approached her about that, but she doesn’t seem to think my way would be any better.”
Of course, the rest of the conversation was about his way of expanding lead generation for Realtors. As he talked, I took a few mental notes. What follows is the result of those notes and, quite possibly, a way for you to revolutionize your lead generation efforts. It all starts with one simple, time-tested online marketing strategy: email.
Why Email?
When I talked to my writer about this, he made a valid point. “I am far more apt to open an email with an interesting subject line than I am to open an envelope that comes in the mail. I’ve thrown away at least 90 percent, probably more, of the mail she’s sent me without even looking at it.”
The point is that snail mail is rapidly losing its effectiveness. You will only get so far relying on past clients to send you new ones. You have to go after your market and make new contacts on your own. You will likely find them through other channels (particularly social media), but once you capture that email address, that’s where the real work begins.
If you develop the kind of relationship with your readers that makes them happy to see you back in their inboxes every time, you will have a formidable network of advertisers. At that point, they will happily forward your message to their friends and almost literally hand you contacts you would never have made without them.
Developing an Email Campaign
As I mentioned, you will likely need to reach out to your audience via social media to start building a list. We have articles on that here, and there’s a really good one here. We’re going to proceed from the assumption that you already have a list established and are ready to start writing.
The first thing you want to decide is the actual approach you intend to take with your messaging. Will you attempt to keep it all sales and no heart, or will you choose a more narrative approach? Here’s a hint: The former is a really, really bad idea. The latter is the way you want to go.
There is real power in storytelling. Look at you, still reading this very narrative-driven blog post! Apparently, we’ve managed to capture and maintain your interest. Thus is the power of the story. If it worked on you, it can work on your audience, too. As soon as I started telling you a story, you stuck around to read more. There’s a bit more to the story, but I’m saving it for the very end.
Open Loops and Email Sequences
“What’s an open loop?” you ask? Look at the last sentence in the previous section. I promised you more of my writer’s story about his Realtor, but I’m waiting to share it. Never finish your story on day three if you still have two days left in your sequence. The reader needs a reason to open future messages, and straight sales or informational content won’t give them one.
Drawing attention to some of the stressors (or “pain points”) surrounding home buying can actually put peoples’ minds at ease about working with you. If you jab the pain points but also offer tangible solutions, it helps them feel confident in your ability to support them and guide them through the entire buying process.
Bottom line: Use storytelling in your real estate email marketing campaigns that drives the more idyllic picture of home ownership, but don’t be afraid to discuss some of the pitfalls. Conflict resolution is also a huge motivator for people to keep reading. Be sure, however, that any problem you address includes a solution you can provide.
The Power of the Call to Action
So, how do you get people to share your content and send you more leads? You ask them to do it. It may seem silly, but it’s a simple fact: People don’t typically do anything unless they’re told, at least from a marketing standpoint. A simple call to action to do something for you can really explode your list and find more potential buyers.
So, what should you be asking people to do? That depends on your overall marketing strategy. Here are a few ideas:
#1: Ask Them to Forward the Email – This is about the easiest thing you can ask for, but it can be a little clunky. After all, this is the last chapter in your narrative, and it won’t mean much to the person getting the forwarded message. For this reason, we suggest using this CTA in follow-up emails, not in your mail sequence.
#2: Ask Them to Click on a Link to Your Landing Page – A far more versatile and effective option, this CTA pulls double duty. You aren’t asking them to involve their friends at this point, just offering a little more information.
Once they get to your landing page, they should see share buttons for all the major social platforms. They can use those buttons to broadcast your message to their entire friends lists. It is also super helpful if the information on the landing page either follows or addresses the key pain points in your emails. Congruity is key for keeping your audience engaged.
#3: Ask for Leads Directly – There is nothing wrong with simply asking if your reader knows someone they know whom you can contact about buying or selling a house. However, I do recommend verifying that the person you’re contacting knows you’ll be calling (emailing, texting…) them before just making a cold contact. That can backfire in more ways than one.
The End of the Story
My writer recently (within the last 18 months) picked up a new client. Any idea who? That’s right: 10 years later, he’s writing for the same Realtor who shrugged off email for years. How is it going? Well, she’s sold several houses so far off of leads generated using option #2 above and has made some good contacts with the other methods, as well. She won’t go so far as agreeing that this way is better than snail mail yet, but even she can’t refute that it gets results!
