It can seem like a tough time for advertisers today. To effectively promote a business, you need to bust through a lot of noise and clutter, of course, but you must also contend with ad blockers and other commercial-skipping technology. Then there’s another challenge for our industry: being able to actively target people looking to buy or sell while also building an awareness among those in between home sales.
The situation leads many to believe that effective real estate advertising is harder than ever to pull off today.
I don’t buy it. When spent wisely, today’s advertising dollar can be incredibly effective.
When armed with the right data and resources, today’s savvy marketers are able to provide the right messages to the right audience at the right time. The key to it all is scale.
Yes, a lot of challenges present themselves for those advertising on their own or without an infrastructure—but for those organizations with the resources, broad-scale awareness, troves of data and technology to pull it all together, it’s game on.
Broad-Scale Awareness. Micro-Targeting.
As an individual agent, it’s easy to budget a few dollars for Facebook ads each month and conduct some social marketing here and there. After all, you don’t need a multimillion-dollar budget to advertise—but it certainly helps. For those who contribute to a larger budget, an entire new realm of highly effective advertising opens up.
Take, for example, what we’re able to do at RE/MAX. Through the collective buying power of the network, we’re able to launch a multifaceted, data-driven advertising campaign that reinforces broad-scale awareness, and, at the same time, empowers agents to more effectively connect with consumers with a consistent message in their local markets.
Drilling down further, this year, RE/MAX is offering an innovative tool—the first of its kind in the industry—that enables agents to create custom, 15-second videos with just a few clicks. The videos take the concepts and imagery from the multimillion-dollar “The Sign of a RE/MAX Agent” campaign and combines them with an agent’s personal touches and messaging.
The videos are perfect for sharing on social media or posting on agent websites—and since the videos are extremely simple to create, agents can easily generate different ones for specific audiences and social channels. The best part? Thanks to collective buying power, this resource is available at no added cost to RE/MAX agents and offices.
Another bonus of big-brand advertising is that it eliminates the need for an introduction. When you’re aligned with a major player (such as one that leads the industry in unaided brand awareness), you can focus on demonstrating your personal value, driving leads and generating business, rather than explaining who you are.
In today’s world, throwing messages into the wind and seeing what lands simply doesn’t cut it.
The most effective advertising leverages the power of infrastructure and scale. Here you’ll find the sweet spot, where well-researched, targeted messaging meets widespread awareness, and discover the key for busting through the noise and making meaningful connections with consumers.
Adam Contos is CEO of RE/MAX, LLC. For more information, please visit www.remax.com.
