A couple of years ago, I attended a real estate conference in Indianapolis, IN. These are the kind of conferences that pop up in virtually every city in America. Booths are set up. Educational seminars are held. Pitches are made. Networking is in full effect. Deals get done.
While walking around the conference floor, I came across real estate investors ranging the gamut – wholesalers, flippers, contractors, apartments, commercial real estate – even senior living real estate investing.
For all of the businesses there who hosted a booth, there is no question that it is part of their marketing budget. However, what was shocking to me was the lack education on internet marketing for real estate investors.
15 Years Behind The Marketing World
Real estate investing has been done only if you are in the in crowd for years. You might know someone down at the club who can get you in on a deal, but you have to be an insider. And because it was primarily a networking industry, the real estate world has definitely been lagging behind other industries in terms of its digital marketing presence.
It’s finally starting to catch up as the share economy is reaching into real estate.
The crowdfunding concept has peaked its head into real estate with sites like Patch of Land. The concept is that larger deals can be raised from lots of smaller, unaccredited investors. This has its pros and cons, but what is interesting is that these kind of companies are using internet marketing techniques that others are not used.
So, let’s review 5 areas of internet marketing that every real estate investor should at least consider.
5 Areas Of Internet Marketing For Real Estate Investors To Focus On
With the recovery since the 2008-09 crash, people are getting excited about real estate investing again. And with a house flipping show on TV nearly 24 hours a day, all kinds of real estate investors are getting the itch.
Many people get into real estate on the wholesaling level. They learn to buy houses for cash from motivated sellers and either make them buy and holds or sell them to another real estate investor.
So, let’s look at these 5 areas from a typical real estate wholesaler’s marketing efforts.
1. Branding
Geez. Ok. Let’s start here. I get it that your wholesaler site is not Nike or Apple, but would it hurt you to pay more than $5 for a logo?
The lack of effort put behind branding from real estate investors constantly amazes me. Your website and social media pages are basically like your front porch or your office lobby. Don’t you want to tidy them up a bit and put forth a professional image?
Before you start spending money on SEO, Adwords or other internet marketing efforts, make sure you put some time, energy and effort into your branding, design and website.
2. SEO
This one scares people because they think they will never rank or that it is too complicated. But, don’t you want leads coming to your site organically over time? There’s no better way to get low cost leads as a real estate investor than to do SEO well.
When I talk to clients about their SEO and what Google wants, I simply say this – Google wants to rank the best brands. I cannot explain it any simpler than that.
They want to give the best results on the SERPs. They want to gauge what are the best businesses for any particular keyword search with intent to look for a business. So, they look at indicators like social media interactions, links and reviews that give them clues about the status of your brand.
They also look at your content marketing. Is your business alive? Are you investing in content on a regular basis? Do you have anything to say to the world that is valuable and unique?
Often times, in the real estate world, a lot of the sales pitch is the same. For example, with wholesaling, you buy houses for cash. You buy houses fast. You can close quickly and you buy as is. That’s great. I know the message is the same, but find out ways to make the message your own. What is your unique selling proposition? What content can you put out there from a local level?
3. Paid Ads – Google & Facebook
Paid ads are fantastic, but you need to know the differences between Google and Facebook.
If you are a wholesaler, Adwords’ search only network makes a lot of sense. If you aren’t ranking with SEO, Adwords allows you to “jump to the front of the line” because you are paying to play. You can rank highly on the first page for phrases like “sell my house fast in Fort Thomas“, but you are going to pay for click.
If you use Google’s display network or Facebook ads, this is going to be an entirely different marketing strategy. More likely, you are trying to build an audience or your brand. So, this kind of advertising is not in response to search intent. You are trying to get your name out there in front of the right people. You can target both geographically and demographically in your ads by using these tools.
Test, test and test again. Analyze well (another internet marketing for real estate investors tool that is often overlooked), and make informed decisions on which channels work best for you and your marketing dollars.
4. YouTube
I’ve used Youtube with a number of my clients, and I am constantly blown away at the power of the marketing platform.
It takes work. You need to be consistent. But, if you can set up a way to create a channel of value, video creates more trust than maybe any other marketing effort you can do.
If you are a wholesaler, what is the number one thing you probably need to buy homes from motivated sellers? Trust! YouTube is an excellent way to acquire that trust. And not only that, but it can also assist in your branding and SEO efforts. It’s a fantastic marketing tool!
5. Email Marketing
Lastly, you shouldn’t overlook your email marketing. If you are marketing properties to real estate investors, you need to have a good system for getting those properties in front of your cash buyers.
Email tools like Mailchimp and others do a great job of making this easy. And besides in person or phone calls, email is probably the best marketing channel to actually get your brand consistently in front of your buyers.
Conferences, direct mail and pounding the pavement all have their place, but if you want help with your internet marketing for real estate investors efforts, contact us today.
Leave A Comment