Don’t believe me?
There’s a lot of research that shows that we make decisions emotionally. Not just buying decisions, but any decision.
And you know what people are like when they’re looking at property. Their decision is intensely personal.
After all, they aren’t just purchasing a piece of property, but a home where they can raise their families. So it’s essential that you elicit emotions with your marketing.
Help people dream a little. Inspire them. Arouse a little enthusiasm.
When people feel that you understand them, they will want to do business with you. You won’t have to sell to them, they’ll trust you.
Here’s how to harness the power of emotion in your online marketing.
Get a Wow Website
A great website can set you apart from the competition, but more than that, it can help you connect with people.
Look at how Judy Killeen, aka Mrs Real Estate, uses her website to connect with her audience. People can instantly relate to her when they see her photograph.
Now look at Paris Mina-Pour. They’re clearly appealing to a different market, but they’re still connecting with their audience visually.
Having a website that represents you and your brand effectively is a huge asset. People can go to either of these sites and instantly know whether they feel a connection with the business.
Some people will prefer one site more than the other, and that’s OK. A website is also a great tool to help define your audience.
Show You Care
You show you care about your clients in person but you can do it online too. See how Marni and Shannon congratulate people on their new home.
They don’t mention any names, but they elicit emotion by showing the keys to the property. This is very different to the usual photograph of a sold sticker, and subtly shifts the emphasis away from the agent and onto the client.
And that’s what you want because your marketing should be all about the client.
Solve Their Problems
Holli Beckman generated more than 100 leads for her company from solving problems on Twitter. Speaking the authors of Youtility For Real Estate: Why Smart Real Estate Professionals Are Helping Not Selling, Holli said:
“I just started offering help. If someone complained, ‘My roommate sucks’ or ‘I can’t find a good roommate,’ I would tweet them and point them to a blog post we had already written about that,” says Holli. “But then I started tweeting more open-ended responses like: ‘Hey, I saw that you’re overwhelmed. It can be overwhelming. If you need any assistance, let me know.’ And people responded immediately to that.”
People vent online and you can use that to create a strong emotional connection.
This is a great example of the 80/20 rule in action. That is, that 80% of your social media content should provide value to your followers, while only 20% should directly promote your business.
Follow this rule and you’ll see your engagement soar!
Connect with Your Community
Polygon Homes do a great job of connecting with their community and celebrating the city of Vancouver. Here’s an example.
Post about local events in your neighbourhood, and invite people to join you when you’re out and about. Tell people where you’re going and where they can find you.
People love it when you celebrate where you live, and when you share behind-the-scenes information. You can also use this content on your website (think blog).
No one wants to read blogs about your latest listing or sale, but they’ll be captivated by content about the local community. And you can subtly weave in your involvement.
Get Gorgeous
How you look online, and how you present your listings, can have a huge impact on your sales. Professional photographers can elicit emotion through the images of the property.
The way you’re presented and the images you use online can also have a big impact, as can colour. Take a look at the photography and colour on this site:
If that doesn’t make you feel happy, nothing will!
Don’t Do It Alone
Before you get overwhelmed and disheartened, know that you don’t have to do this alone. You don’t even have to find a bunch of professionals like a website developer, a photographer, and an expert real estate marketer.
You just need to know one word: Pixilink.
We can make it fast and easy to get online. We can make it fast and easy to get gorgeous images of your listings.
And we can get you started on the path to building meaningful relationships with your raving fans.
They’re out there waiting for you. Start your journey today.