By Kate Khom
Before the age of marketing, a word-of-mouth strategy was one of the main ways to get recognized in the world of business, besides advertising. In the age of the internet, this strategy still exists under the term "viral marketing," saving its initial features, but having adapted to the demand of the digital world.
Viral marketing techniques are a blessing for any real estate agent. They allow a word to spread rapidly across the web, bringing you more exposure. And the stats support its effectiveness.
According to Smart Insights, 49 percent of Americans name word of mouth as an effective strategy to spread credible information; 54 percent of respondents contribute to positive purchase decisions. Additionally, an Ambassador study found that millennials rank word of mouth as the top influencer in their decisions.
Viral marketing presents many benefits for REALTORS®, and although there's no set formula for how to go viral, here are some tips to better your chances of having your content spread like wildfire online and via word of mouth:
Invest in a Blog
Show your expertise and share your unique knowledge by creating informative blog posts. The real estate industry is quite difficult to grasp for an average investor, and you can make the home-buying or -selling process a bit easier and understandable for your clients. Here are some of the top reasons why you should invest in a blog now:
- Owning a blog will give a boost to SEO. Search engines love relevant and up-to-date content. As a REALTOR®, you have valuable experience to share—don't just store it in your head! Present it in a creative way by writing a thought-provoking blog post.
- Running a real estate blog can strengthen the relationships you have with existing clients. Engaging these folks in the comments section of your blog is a great strategy to have them speaking more about you.
- A blog will give you a place among the leaders in your industry. Believe it or not, there are very few real estate agents that own a blog. By investing in one, you'll be able to stand out quickly.
Blog posts should be organized in categories, such as "Market Statistics," "International" and "Opinion," for the convenience of your readers. Keeping your blog well-organized will let your readers know that you care that they're knowledgeable about the real estate industry.
Create Unique Content
You should plan on creating unique content, such as podcasts, if you have hopes of going viral. Having a blog or being active on social media is great, but think about the other audiences you may be missing out on. There are many issues and financial difficulties in real estate that may not be getting the attention they deserve. You can use a podcast to talk about these issues and inform your listeners about any changes in government policies that may impact the real estate industry.
Develop a Strong Social Media Presence
Of course, you won't have much hope of going viral without a strong social media presence. By being active on social, you reach online communities that literally connect billions of people. And, if you plan to go viral, missing out on social is a huge mistake. After all, where else can you find a platform like Facebook that engages over 2 billion people?
Image credit: Statista
The first step towards having a strong social presence is identifying which platforms will work best for your needs and the ones you should invest more time in. Here is some helpful data from Brandwatch that reveals the number of users for many social sites broken down by the gender of these users:
Image credit: Brandwatch
Knowing which audience you want to target is crucial and will help you make your viral marketing strategy more detailed and effective. After that, you can start creating stronger social profiles, as well as content that fits best for each platform.
The use of viral marketing in a real estate is still quite unique, but it's an excellent strategy if you want to reach out to people and make them talk about you. Agents, how are you incorporating these three strategies?
Kate Khom is a passionate writer who likes sharing her thoughts and experience with the readers. Currently, she works as a real estate agent. You can check out her website here. She likes everything related to traveling and new countries.
At this age of technology, having strong social media presence is a must or else, no one will know your business exists. That is the Word of Mouth marketing nowadays. Very powerful.