subject: How Real Estate Agents Could Simplify Online Advertising [print this page] The good old days of property advertising have long been gone. Things were much simpler and more familiar then. Real estate agents knew exactly what to do, who to call, and of course, what to expect. During those times, agents just needed to deal with newspapers' sales representatives over cups of coffee. They were made to choose between sponsoring little league teams and buying spots on church bulletins. But now, everyone knows that the game has significantly changed. With the advent of the Internet, how could real estate agents make advertising simpler but more effective?
Currently, any average property agent is facing panoply of mass media, creative challenges, and formats. Among the popular and usual options are pay-per-click or search engine marketing, direct response display advertising, brand displays, video, syndication, print, and mobile. The list is continuously growing. Mobile was not there two years ago. Video was not there four years ago. Who knows what new thing would make it to the list in the coming year or two. Perhaps, by next year, Twitter, MySpace, FaceBook, and other online social sites would make it to the growing list.
First, pick the appropriate or best media platform that you would be most confident about. You should make sure you could execute well in this media choice. If your real estate marketing department employs a good designer, perhaps you should aim to focus primarily on display advertisements. If there is an excellent writer in the team, search engine marketing could be a perfect option. If any broker or agent registers well on screen and performs very well in front of the camera, starting syndicating video for marketing and promotions purposes would be a bright idea. Stick to that media where you would be most capable to execute well.
Second, when using the digital media, be sure to think way beyond the click. With this, you should focus on the landing page where any online user would be taken or redirected to after they clicked on your ad somewhere. Always make sure you are presenting to your online visitors and prospective clients something clear. The message should be always consistent and the overall presentation should be persuasive and attractive enough. It should also be loaded with the strongest call to action. One simple tip: do not bother if you think you could not execute beyond the click.
The advertising world would never see a market again where advertising is more straightforward and target audiences are more concentrated. This time is one of multiple. It is most of the time blended with atomized audiences and media channels. The aim of every real estate agent is to make that stark reality even more manageable. Do not be overwhelmed by the current online media. Instead, you should aim to always use it to your advantage. Your Internet marketing and advertising campaign need not be complicated and tedious. Know where you should be headed and strive to take it simply but effectively.
