Logical Flow of Information - The core message about the property needs to be developed across several channels. You may describe a benefit about your property in a short ad to be posted on Craigslist that sends the prospect to a website with your video on it. The website will list the property address and the prospect may want to drive by the neighborhood. You will want any site specific flyers or brochures to relay consistent information. This flow of information between online and offline needs to be carefully coordinated.
Cast a Wider Net to Capture Prospects - You can't be sure how a viable prospect is going to get to your marketing information. They could prefer to start online or they might prefer to drive around in neighborhoods that they desire. You need to have a presence in all channels likely to deliver prospects so that you can bring them into your marketing system and let the system work for you by channeling your prospect to your desired presentation area.
Funnel Prospects from Offline to Online - You may find that a core group of likely prospects comes to you from offline sources. Onsite signage is a very typical way to initiate prospects to your property. You will want to make sure that you have a clear and concise pathway from the sign information to the meat of your presentation. If you focus just on online tactics, you could well miss this critical linkage.
Automated Selling Works Online and Offline - One goal of a proper real estate marketing program is to build in automated features that allow good prospects to get information without your personal involvement. This could be in the form of an 800 telephone line or in the form of a website linked to a dedicated e-mail account, or it could be in the form of a survey you ask prospects to fill out that provides clues as to the quality of the prospect. The point is that you can build in automation both online and offline to make your effort more efficient.
Pre-filtering Needs to Be Performed At All Stages - Pre-filtering refers to a process of taking a prospect through a sequence designed to self determine whether there is a good fit between your property and the prospect. This can start from the earliest stages of a marketing program where you force your prospect to go to an 800 number for information or online to watch a video about your property. Those unwilling to do this are not likely to be good candidates and saved you the time and effort of learning that yourself. Filtering can be performed by forcing a candidate to first understand all there is to know about the property from your presentation before they have a chance to come over and view it.
Prospects Expect Information in Both Modes - The best candidates for your property are likely to be diligent and will work to obtain as much information as possible to help them make a decision. They will welcome your information from offline sources as well as online sources. In fact, they probably expect you to be in a position to convey your property's core message in almost any viable delivery channel available to them. Failure to do so could put you at a competitive disadvantage.
Best Opportunity for Success - In today's competitive environment, you must be prepared to compete across all available information channels. Print advertising, onsite signage and flyers, an online aggregator presence, a dedicated website, a pre-recorded 800 telephone number, a dedicated email and any other channels need to be properly coordinated in order to maximize the probability of successfully marketing your property.
A well coordinated real estate marketing program should have several features including automation, pre-filtering, excitement and a broad presence in both the online and offline channels. Offline channels are just as important as online channels and you can't afford to ignore either. More importantly, offline and online marketing needs to be choreographed so that they deliver a consistent and powerful message that leads a good prospect down a path to a successful conclusion for both parties.
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About the Author: Jeff Crossriver is a seasoned real estate investor that blends Real Estate Marketing offline with online marketing techniques. Get free video training on his Vanquish Your Vacancy.
