We’ve talked about content marketing in previous posts and Discover’s mix of traditional and digital in its approach to the concept. We’re going to focus in more today on what makes traditional mediums – specifically our custom community newspapers – work in local markets.

Here are three ways you can use content to create a following (and generate more business) in your community.

1. Localize It!

At the beginning of my career I was a newspaper reporter for a regional daily paper in Ohio. One afternoon, as I mused to a colleague that it was a slow news day and I was already done with assignments from editors, Roy Cross, a “real news man” from the old school, looked up from his work and said, “Localize something!”

Roy knew that in our smallish college town and the several mostly rural counties we served, the difference we made at the Athens Messenger wasn’t in reporting broad, national or state stories – we had the Associated Press for that. Our power was in reporting on local events and public officials – or taking a national subject and finding the local angle. That was in 1992. Roy’s admonition led me to discover that day an Athens, Ohio native, David Wilhelm, was serving as campaign manager for the guy who was about to win the Democratic nomination for president. My ensuing phone interview of Wilhelm became one of my first front page stories at the Messenger.

How Top Agent Dale Ross Localizes his Paper

Discover Publications client, Dale Ross, publishes the Dale Ross Realty Group Real Estate Report in Katy and West Houston, Texas.

Dale’s Discover publication is mailed to over 11,000 homes monthly to targeted zip codes. He localizes content on his front page each month, not by taking on a national subject, but by crunching regional real estate data down to his targeted zips. The charts featured on his front page each month speak directly to market activity where the publication’s readers live. Dale is “hyper-localizing it!”

And, about those charts. Dale knows his community. Katy, Texas is heavily reliant upon and populated by professionals in the oil and gas industry. Many of those homes he’s mailing his paper to are owned by petroleum and other engineers. Dale knows engineers like charts and data – and his paper’s front page will be noticed.

2. Inform

What about offering the sort of local content that used to be in your local daily newspaper or in local broadcast media? Offering what is essentially neighborhood-level information will attract readers and builds your brand as an integral – and trusted part of the community.

How Craig Strong Informs his Community

Craig Strong is a real estate agent serving Toluca Lake and Studio City, California. His approach to his Discover publication is a front page devoted to community events.

For example, this spring he had a feature story highlighting festivals and farmers markets in the area. The article describes what makes things like the Toluca Lake Farmers Market unique and provides the whens and the wheres for this and other markets and events. This edition also included coverage, via photos and captions, of recent local events he participated in, like the annual Neighborhood Garage Sale and Taste of Toluca.

On the inside of Craig’s paper there’s even more local content, and, what I think is the most interesting piece of all – the Toluca Lake Crime Report. With so many local news outlets dying or scaling back operations, this is useful information. And, remember, only households in Toluca Lake are getting this targeted mailing. Craig is providing a community news service at essentially the neighborhood level. Craig’s newspaper is getting attention – and Craig’s brand in the community is burnished.

Craig actually does two publications, the other targeted at Studio City. Of course, Studio City gets its own crime report. Both of his editions also contain recent real estate activity reports, including listings, sales and pending sales by address and transaction/listing value.

3. Give Back

While providing information about the local housing market and local events is indeed engaging (and will get results), other top agents find that publishing articles about good deeds going on is even better. If you or your team participates in any charities, donates money to any causes, or volunteers regularly anywhere in the community, sharing this with homeowners will take their perception of you to another level.

How Victoria Valle Gives Back

Recently, Victoria Valle was passing through Columbus and stopped in at Discover Publications for a visit. In anticipation of meeting her, we pulled together her last ten or so publications. We found that on the cover of each and every one, she talked about all the wonderful charities she supports.

Victoria is passionate about giving back – in fact, she recently received the Jefferson Award for Public Service. This award praised her work with Esperanza and Children’s Development Center in El Salvador, but in addition to this she is also involved in the Maumee Rotary and serves on the boards of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Toledo as well as the D.O.V.E Fund.

When Victoria visited, she brought along a friend from El Salvador who works with Victoria at the ECDC. This emphasized for us that with Victoria, it’s not just about the warm and fuzzies – it’s about doing real work that makes a real impact.

Victoria works in the luxury market in Maumee, Ohio – a group of neighborhoods that are especially blessed and tend to look for ways to give back. They appreciate seeing other professionals doing the same. Not surprisingly, she shared that her publication generates a minimum 200% ROI over the years, underscoring how much her community appreciates reading about the good work she does (even though it’s unrelated to selling homes).

You don’t need to be an internationally recognized charity superstar like Victoria in order to show your community what you do to give back. Anything you do to support the neighborhood can become a front-page story that, depending on your market, will get attention.

Local is a Winner

The fact is, Discover’s clients who spend a little time to find and develop the local niche for their community newspaper get more attention – and more leads. By knowing their audience – and speaking directly to them about things that affect their daily lives – their content marketing pays off by setting them apart in a crowded real estate market. When it’s time for a homeowner or home buyer in Katy, TX, Toluca Lake, CA or Maumee, OH to find an agent, they’ll know where to start. They’ll start with the agent that knows – and is an active, positive part – of their community.

Other Local Content Ideas Used by Discover Clients:

• Real Estate Q & A with agent
• Stories on local youth sports teams
• Coverage of local school district events or accomplishments
• Reporting on local charitable activities
• Photos – snap pictures with that fancy iPhone or Android device in your pocket

How Real Estate Agents are targeting and selling to different generations of homebuyers

Before we dive into what we think is the right approach when dealing with different generations as an Agent, we’d like to give a word of caution. Be careful not to associate all people with a blanket “generational” bias based on their age. Rather, be aware of the biggest differences, but be tuned in to your prospects individual preferences. We can all agree that many Millennials and Gen X’ers can’t wait to get their hands on the latest gadgetry – but many are also a bit overwhelmed and burned out by yet anothet technology to fiddle with, learn, insure, and one day troubleshoot. Their older counterparts, on the other hand, may prefer something more tangible. And they also enjoy and appreciate the convenience of new technology after a lifetime of more tedious methods. With this article, we don’t want to imply that people under 40 are antisocial and Baby Boomers are luddites. Eventually, it all comes down to building relationships with all generations of homebuyers.

When someone curls up with something printed, he or she expects a direct benefit, whether it’s entertainment, information, or a combination of the two. When a couple begins looking for a home, no matter the generation, they tend to go online. But when someone begins looking for an Agent to represent them, that’s a whole new story. Relevance, of course, is relative. If you know who your clients are, you know what they need and how best to connect with them.

A study by the National Association of Realtors®, “Home Buyer and Seller Generational Trends,” offers a glimpse into what motivates homebuyers of a certain age.

Millennials

Millennials – also known as Gen Y or Gen Next – were born between 1980 and 1995. Feeling secure enough to own their own homes, the 33-and-under crowd comprises the largest share of first-time homebuyers (at 76 percent).

With a median household income of $73,600, their decisions are affected by such factors as commute time and expense, local amenities and housing affordability. Millennials tend to buy older and previously owned houses, and are willing to make certain sacrifices for the sake of price and overall value.

This age group uses the internet and mobile devices more frequently than others (followed by Gen X’ers) to research the process of home buying. They often find online the home they eventually buy.

When millennials settle upon a real estate agent, the referrals usually come from friends, neighbors and relatives. What matters most to them is an agent who is honest and trustworthy.

Generation X

Gen X’ers – those born between 1965 and 1979 – also consider homeownership important, though they are more often motivated to buy a house because of job relocation or a growing family.

While the median family income for this age group is about 20% higher than their younger counterparts at $98,200, they probably are still paying off student loans, credit card debt and car notes; so are also willing to make personal sacrifices to get the home they want. They definitely want good schools, parks and local activities, as well as a lawn a garage.

They do much of their research online, but count on a real estate agent who will help them find the best possible deal to meet their needs as a homebuyer.

Baby Boomers

There are younger Boomers (born 1955-64) and older Boomers (born 1946-54). Together they comprise 30 percent of homebuyers, with median household incomes of $95,400 and $81,100, respectively. Keep in mind that older Boomers may be widows and widowers, and their income is likely from securities, annuities, social security, and pensions. Older (and even younger) Boomers have substantially more wealth then the debt-loaded Gen X (and up-and-coming Gen Y). Remember, income is just what’s earned in a year, and does not represent home buying purchasing power. This group is also highly unlikely to be a first-time homebuyer, and the odds are good that they have quite a bit of equity in the home they are selling.

Boomers generally plan to remain in their home for 20 years, and are less willing to compromise than Millennials and Gen X’ers. Primary concerns include proximity to friends, family, shopping and health facilities.

Older Boomers are looking toward retirement and want a smaller home. And they want ranches. You know this, you probably work with many of them, all looking for the same easy-peasy-no-more-stairs-please lifestyle. For many, they are long past the honeymoon phase of home ownership. The kids are gone, and they’re sick of maintaining, cleaning, mowing, and paying to heat and cool empty rooms.

Some young Boomers might need a larger house, as are more likely than any other age group to have a multi-generational household and share their home with their parents and children over 18.

Boomers may begin their home search online, but they ultimately count on a real estate agent with a solid reputation and extensive knowledge of their neighborhood. They’ve simply been burned too many times – not just with home buying, but with all they’re life experiences – and they know that something as important as purchasing a home should be handled with care. This group is more likely to play 20 questions with a new Agent than a hopefully naive first-time home buying Millennial, so be prepared to talk about your experience in detail when going to meet a potential new Boomer client.

Days are long and attention spans are short; time and money are synonymous to a lot of people. If your community is like most – multi-generational – then your marketing strategy and selling approach should include everyone. This means email, social media, seminars, direct mail, and maybe some good old fashioned door knocking. It also means marketing with content that the community cares about, that will “expertise” you, not just testimonial Facebook posts and Just Sold postcards. Once a prospect is interested, it means meeting with them in person, and communicating with them according to the channels they best respond to. For younger folks, email and texting home matches makes sense. Even sharing them through Facebook. For older clients, email is probably sufficient, and a printed and mailed (or personally delivered) summary report would resonate well with the way they like to leaf through and organize Yes and No piles of potential homes. The bottom line: people of all ages like to deal with someone who is an expert in their field, respectful, honest, and helpful. Strategic multi-generational marketing just helps you communicate these timeless, universally desired traits.

Exclusivity, why is it important? Did anyone ever give you a check that bounced and the bank mailed it to you with rubber stamped stigmata on it like “Insufficient Funds” or “Dishonored”? Do you remember who gave you this infamous check? Think hard.

Of course you do, and you didn’t need to think hard about it! Well, let’s hope you haven’t got many of those, but they make a striking point. Good or bad surprises have one thing in common – you remember them. And that’s the ultimate goal of your marketing, getting your prospects to remember you (in a positive way, of course), because you are the brand. You are what they will buy. You win because people have become familiar with you. This is not to say that your campaigns have to be spectacular or filled with dramatic surprises. Simply put, what your campaigns need is something your competitors don’t have, and that will position you as an expert.

Conferences underscore this better than anything we know of. Just browse through the rows of exhibitors at the shows such as NAR, RE/MAX, Keller-Williams, Century 21, ERA, Better Homes & Gardens, Howard Hannah, on and on. Vendors know that real estate agents are always in search of the next big thing that will differentiate them from the crowd. Most of the offerings are uncannily reminiscent of the television commercial in the early days of the Internet: A young web designer is enthusiastically showing off his creation to the business client. “Look, look, music plays, it spins wildly, and then fire comes out of the top!” The client looks very disenchanted and says, “But does it update our inventory?” Alas, where’s the beef?

Successful Innovation is a very tough commodity and we don’t intend to short-sell ideas that don’t quite hit the mark. Many of these ideas are wonderful and can really help you stand apart from your competitors, even to the point of exclusivity in some cases. However, we’d like to offer a short litmus test to increase the odds that your marketing campaigns hit the mark, get you remembered, and build your listing inventory:

1. Is the product unique? Have your prospects received anything like it from competing agents?
2. Is the product of high quality in craftsmanship, composition, and other important elements?
3. Does the product have a real value, not just perceived value?
4. Does the vendor give you the right of exclusivity to a marketing area under agreeable terms?
5. Can other competing agents reproduce your product easily?
6. Is the product used by other successful real estate agents?
7. Do past and current users vouch for claims of achieving substantial ROI?
8. Does the product endure over time and can you use it repeatedly with similar strong impact?

We have found that product exclusivity is perhaps the most important aspect of any successful campaign, but be sure to apply all reasonable criteria to the final selection.

We hope you found this information useful, and Happy Marketing!

Episode 1: “The Real Estate Man with No Marketing Plan”

Tune in to Discover Publication’s founder Leo Zupan’s “War Story.” In this debut episode he talks about a big-ticket client with a haphazard marketing approach. Our takeaway from the story? Consistency is key to a successful marketing program, especially B2C, especially in real estate, and most especially with direct mail.

The challenging thing about marketing in the real estate industry is that homeowners are only ready to sell their homes every 3, 5, maybe 15 years, depending on turnover in the area. And to make matters worse, when that magical time comes, an agent has about five minutes to win the listing before it’s gone. The most successful agents we’ve encountered understand that they need to be in that prospect’s head months, perhaps years, before they are ready to sell if they have a fighting chance of getting a contract. That’s why they mail consistently to their farm month after month, and why they tend to get more leads in the later years than in the early month.

Enjoy our latest video, and be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel and Facebook page for the latest news, content, and updates. Happy marketing!

Top real estate agents know the value of becoming the go-to person in their community. Here are five ways they’re getting ahead.

Why is being the “go-to person” in your community so important for a real estate agent? The industry is a very personal business, people need to feel comfortable with the agent they choose. Establishing yourself as that go to person assures people that you are a community leader, and the person they want to work with. Being active locally will create new business, referrals and lasting friendships within the community.

1. Hold free seminars – educate people on the local market, refinancing, retirement. Free seminars are a great way to meet people in the community and let them know you care. You are their real estate agent, and their resource when it comes to anything industry related.
2. Host an annual past client party – rent out a movie theater, the local zoo or just have a BBQ. This is a great way to show appreciation to your past clients and build a personal relationship with them. Also get referral business!
3. Consistent direct mail and online marketing – As a real estate agent, you always want to stay in front of your market. Marketing will allow the general public to know you, people want to work with someone they know and trust.
4. Community Fundraisers – Hosting fundraiser events for the local schools, or building a team to participate in a cancer walk are great ways to show you care about the community and are actively giving back.
5. Advertise that fact your audience and clients may call your office for anything – Need a contractor? Call my office, I can refer someone. Want to refinance your home? Call my office we will help get you on the right path. Just another great way to help people in the community and let them know you are their go-to real estate agent for everything and anything.

Real Estate is the Best Industry for Direct Mail Marketing

Over the last few decades, here at Discover we’ve made huge efforts at getting custom publications in the mailboxes of various industry prospects. We’ve tried the full gamut of small businesses marketing to a geographic farm. What we’ve found is that real estate is the best industry for direct mail, and yet, we still run into agents who don’t get results. Here we’ve come to understand a few basic principles about direct mail; when and how it becomes effective. These are our nuggets of wisdom.

(1) You are still building a community presence

Real estate is such a great industry for direct mail because you only need a few good leads to cover the cost of several mailings. This isn’t true for other industries, whose services are yielding much lower revenue per lead. But to get even those few leads, your mail needs to reinforce an image that is already familiar. Of course, your mail assists with the familiarization process, but having a few yard signs in the neighborhood and a booth at the fireworks will make you mail much more effective. That doesn’t mean that if you’re a new agent you shouldn’t use direct mail (we think you should), but you must realize that it probably won’t send leads your way for a long time.

We’ve found that agents who have been working in the community for 5 or more years, have 5% or greater market share in their farm. And those who participate in community events regularly get the best results in the fastest amount of time.

(2) You aren’t sending the right kind of mail

Ah, postcards. Even here at Discover we’ve dabbled with them. We learned early on that postcards can be a great tool for showcasing a recent sold or a hot listing, but they should not be used as the backbone of a direct mail strategy. Today’s consumers are highly distrustful of almost anything promotional, and it’s really tough to cram anything but self-promotion on a postcard. You’re go-to direct mail piece should speak to the homeowners in your community about what interests and concerns them. It should show, not tell, how you are an expert, member and leader in the community.

This realization was the genesis of our custom publication, which is designed to position agents as caring, contributing members of the neighborhood who are also successful real estate agents. Sending relevant, engaging content to your prospects is more effective over the long haul than promotional postcards or fliers.

(3) You aren’t properly prospecting or supplementing your direct mail with other forms of marketing

We’ve heard of agents who love the idea of direct mail so much that they rely too heavily on it, and it gets them nothing. A seasoned real estate agent knows that you’ve got to heavily prospect as part of your overall strategy. This includes regular phone calls, emails and even door knocks. If you’re calling on people you’ve been mailing too, you can use that as an opening line so the call doesn’t feel as cold.

Direct mail is also one of the least threatening forms of marketing because it is so easy. You send it. With your websites, social media, videos and emails, you’re taught to follow rules, cross-connect multiple channels and then analyze all of the metrics. We get it. But nonetheless, the fact is that even if you are a fantastic networker, direct mailer and community leader, if your prospects can’t find you online they’ll be turned off. To get the most out of direct mail you should:

• Lead prospects to a beautiful, functional and well-integrated website. It should tie to all your social media and other online profiles and sites (like your broker landing page and Zillow profile), showcase listings, link to tools your prospects can use to value their home and search local listings, and feature regular updates and blog posts
• Have a presence with frequent posts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.
• Build and maintain a clean email list of past clients and future prospects. You should email them at least twice a month with interesting content that is non-promotional, including videos

We know it takes a lot of inertia to do all of this, but we have found that agents who take advantage of multiple marketing channels get more calls from the direct mail they send out.

(4) You aren’t mailing consistently 

Just like with prospecting and email marketing, consistency is key. We’ve found that mailing a good, core piece at least every other month will pay off within 6-8 months (for an agent with presence, market share, and a good supplementary marketing program).
But what’s interesting is that once the agent mailing hits this “break-even” point, the leads don’t come in at a steady pace, they tend to come in faster and faster. It’s as though the continual reinforcement starts to take hold and homeowners start to associate the agent with “successful real estate selling.” At that point it’s exciting because it’s a matter of housing turnover more than trust building, because that’s already been accomplished.

We hope you’ve found this information helpful. We’re always here to share our experience and insights, so let us know if you have any comments or questions.