In 2021 it is no secret that content delivery platforms and apps change their delivery models, algorithms, and internal features in the blink of an eye. New technology and platforms are constantly emerging and evolving -- a year ago we had no idea what Clubhouse, a "Reel", or TikTok were, but here we are a year later strategizing how we can increase engagement across all three. For business owners and leaders, particularly in the real estate space, marketing can feel like a constant moving target. Depending on how well you handle change, it can be either overwhelming or an exciting time to be alive.
When it comes to marketing my real estate business (both in terms of promoting my company's brand and marketing our individual home listings for sale), my formula for our marketing efforts is very simple: STAY NIMBLE. Double down on what is currently working and bail on what isn't.
There are, of course, exceptions to this. You don’t want to be constantly pivoting all over the place and chasing every shiny marketing object that is pitched in your direction. With marketing, consistency is always going to be key, however there are also often times where we as marketers need to cut bait on an effort, vendor, service, or strategy and pivot away from it.
In 2021 platforms and content delivery models are changing and evolving faster than ever before. Keeping a finger on the pulse of technology and the algorithms within SEO and social platforms, is critical to ensure you can pivot the second the tech does.
Here are my three best practices to ensure we are staying nimble within my organization:
1. SHORT TERM contracts and commitments are the name of the game in 2021 — We back on any vendor asking us to sign a long term agreement. I rarely commit to any contractual obligation longer than 90 days, whether it is an ad spend on a platform or a contract for any marketing type of service. Of course there are exceptions, like our printer lease or the lease on my office, but most of my contracts are shorter terms with cancellation clauses and lean payment plans.
2. COMMIT to the nuts and bolts of your brand, and go hard on establishing your brand’s voice. Establishing your company's voice and overall goals are key in marketing and establishing a credible brand. Don't pivot or tweak any big picture marketing efforts. Rule of thumb for me is if it took me longer than six months to prepare a marketing effort, then we need to give it the runway it deserves. DO, however, massage and tweak and maneuver your day-to-day marketing efforts, especially with marketing listings if you work in real estate. If it's not working, bail and try something else.
3. MONITOR your analytics like a hawk. Social media stats, engagement numbers, your website's traffic analytics - all of those numbers are critical to establishing the baseline for what works and what doesn't. Track these numbers like your life depends on it and use your own tracking mechanism to do so. Don't rely on Google Analytics dashboard and Instagram's Insights output to give you this data. It is very likely that those delivery dashboards will change, so create your own spreadsheet or way of tracking those numbers on your own so you don't lose the data. If and when you see one marketing effort popping off in the numbers -- analyze it and then double down on it. In contrast, when you see another area lagging in the metrics -- tweak it, massage it, or bail on it all together.
Holly Meyer Lucas is an award winning, top producing real estate leader and the founder of the Meyer Lucas Real Estate Team at Compass. Based in Jupiter, Florida and servicing the Palm Beach area of South Florida, Holly and her team of agents use cutting edge marketing techniques and analytics to drive their luxury home sales. While Holly is known nationally for her work with professional athletes and their families, she and her team treat every client like an MVP. To learn more about Holly and the Meyer Lucas Team, including seeing our current listings, please visit http://www.meyerlucas.com