Creating a successful omnichannel real estate marketing strategy can be a daunting task. Today’s home buyers are becoming increasingly skeptical of traditional advertising techniques, and they have high expectations when it comes to how, when, and where they experience brands.
Ultimately, they expect a seamless omnichannel approach that fits their on-the-go lifestyle.
But meeting these expectations is complicated when every region, community, and home buyer has a unique set of personal preferences. How can any real estate marketer really understand the needs of each audience — and then meet those needs with their marketing?
For answers, check out our list of real estate marketing tips below. We’re spilling all the expert strategies that allow today’s agents, builders, and platforms to attract a steady stream of clients in the digital marketing age.
1. An Omnichannel Strategy Is Key
If you struggle with breaking down silos between the digital and physical realm, you’re not alone. Almost half of retailers say breaking down organizational silos between digital and physical stores is one of their greatest challenges. Yet companies who don’t adopt an omnichannel strategy could miss out on up to 30% of all sales.
Clearly, the effort that goes into creating an effective omnichannel marketing strategy is time well spent. The modern consumer wants options when it comes to their home buying search. They’ll research homes online, visit an office in-person, book a tour or schedule a consultation, then head back online to read reviews.
In fact, 54% of shoppers say they’re likely to read about a product online and then buy it later at a brick and mortar location. On the other hand, 53% of shoppers say they’d check out a product in-store, then go online to make the purchase.
What can real estate marketers learn from these statistics? That their marketing strategy must cater to buyers both in-person and online. Buyers want an integrated customer service experience that can be effortlessly accessed across multiple devices and touchpoints, including SMS, social media, email, phone support, digital ads, and, of course, direct mail.
2. Set Yourself Apart With a Unique Selling Proposition (USP)
Consumers have more options than ever before. According to research, shoppers visit an average of three stores before they make a purchase — and if a product is expensive, they’ll spend even more time comparison shopping.
Since a home is one of the most expensive, emotional purchases a buyer will ever make, they’ll spend an immense amount of time comparing all of their options. And in order to stand out from the competition, real estate marketers should create a unique selling proposition (USP) that illustrates the benefits of working with their company.
A USP is more than just a memorable slogan or jingle; it’s a statement that highlights how your company will enhance a home buyer’s or seller’s life. Your USP should influence every aspect of your marketing strategy, so every home buyer has a clear answer to the question: How do you serve your customers in a way that no other home builder can?
To create an effective USP, ask yourself:
- What are the wants and needs of your target audience?
- What problems does your company solve?
- What sets you apart from the others?
- What do you do better than anyone else?
- What are you promising to your potential customers?
3. Attract New Buyers and Sellers With Geo-Targeting and Personalization
There’s no doubt about it: buyers are turning to the internet to make all types of purchasing decisions — both in-person and online. Case in point: Google searches for “open now near me” have increased globally by more than 400% year-over-year.
So it’s unsurprising to learn that when a consumer searches for a local business, there’s a 75% chance they’ll visit that store in the next 24 hours. This highlights a massive opportunity for real estate marketers — an opportunity that can be capitalized upon with the help of geotargeting communities, new home models, event activations, and more.
This type of hyper-local marketing is a proven method for increasing lead conversion and foot traffic by targeting buyers based on their location. By setting a virtual perimeter around a specific geographic location, real estate marketers can ensure they’re sending the right message at the right time, to the most relevant audience.
Need more convincing? The proof is in the pudding: Geotargeted mobile ads have double the click-through rate of other mobile ads, and 54% of shoppers visit a physical location after they receive a geotargeted message. Think of the performance potential when you follow a mobile campaign with a postcard in their mailbox, knowing that direct mail pieces have a 17-day lifespan on the refrigerator, countertop, or coffee table.
4. Focus on Localization
As geotargeting statistics show, localized marketing is one of the most effective tools for any real estate marketing campaign. But in order for it to work, localization must go beyond sending a text message when someone is in your area.
Instead, localized marketing is about crafting content that resonates specifically with the audience in a certain area. It’s about understanding the community to speak in a way that appeals to their life experiences, needs, and wants.
The majority (75%) of survey respondents said personalized content was “important” or “very important” when making a purchase decision, and localization can boost search traffic, website visits, and conversion rates. This means real estate marketers need to create messages that are tailored to the language and culture of the area, rather than simply sending generic ads across every market. Personalized content is achievable even with direct mail, with variable component capabilities that are automated right within the Postie platform.
5. Use Programmatic Direct Mail to Balance Your Media Mix
Though digital marketing is important, it can also be unreliable. Digital marketing measurements may not be an accurate reflection of your success, and many digital tools are ever-changing. Case in point: Facebook real estate listings, which are a foundational part of many real estate marketing strategies, moved to Marketplace only in Jan of 2023 (rather than a Business Page).
For this reason, it’s critical to balance online marketing efforts with an offline approach. Direct mail marketing offers a tried-and-true, measurable way to reach target audiences, and is an especially high performing channel for larger ticket items that typically carry a much longer buying cycle. It’s the highest-reaching marketing channel and offers real-time attribution and live KPI dashboards. Campaigns can be measured based on lead generation, customer loyalty, or even tracked all the way to home purchase/sale. With these insights, real estate marketers can fine-tune their omnichannel marketing approach and deliver the relevant messages their target audience is looking for.
A measured 75% of consumers can recall a brand after receiving a piece of direct mail, and almost 70% of people check their mailbox daily. And since direct mail has an average lifespan of 17 days, it’s easy to see why direct mail is considered real estate marketing’s best kept secret. (For comparison, the average lifespan of an email is less than 17 seconds.)
Run Powerful Direct Mail Campaigns With Postie
Today’s top real estate marketers find success by adopting an omnichannel approach that includes a unique selling proposition, geotargeting, and hyper-localized content. They also balance their digital marketing efforts with direct mail, which offers tangible, real-time campaign results that deliver insights that matter.
If you’re looking to build awareness, consideration, and purchase, Postie can help. As the secret weapon for every home builder’s omnichannel marketing strategy, Postie is one of the most effective marketing strategies for prospecting, retargeting, and reengaging. Request a demo today and learn how Postie allows you to run direct mail campaigns with the click of a button.
