Effective advertising is the key to success in the real estate industry, and in the digital era, it may be tempting to abandon old-school options altogether.
The question, then, is whether such an exodus makes sense, or if in fact it is still worth making use of traditional advertising platforms today.
Cross-pollination is possible
The first thing worth mentioning is that long standing options like print advertising can be combined with the lead generation capabilities of digital ads, as outlined in the guide here, in a mutually-beneficial way. This means that it is sensible to see the old and the new as complementing one another, rather than as being diametrically opposed.
For example, all good print ads for real estate should also feature connections to the agent’s digital presence, whether that might be a web address, a social media handle or even a QR code that automatically makes this link when scanned with a prospective customer’s smartphone.
The leads you generate via traditional methods can therefore be passed onto digital channels where it is easier to track their progress and extract actionable insights from these data-driven interactions that follow.
Brand Reputation is Solidified
While the latest generations of web-savvy consumers may be comfortable with encountering a new brand online for the first time and developing a trusting relationship based solely on its digital presence, there are still plenty of people who see brand reputation and trustworthiness as tied to more traditional marketing methods.
Thus if you want to build a new real estate business in a particular location, it pays to make use of print media and other tangible types of advertising if you want to give your brand the heft and respectability it needs to strike a chord with as many customers as possible.
It is this tangibility that gives your brand a sense of accountability; people will know that if they want to ask questions or raise issues, they have a physical location at which to contact you, which can help to overcome any initial hesitance they might have experienced.
Effective Strategies are Transferable
It is definitely worth remembering that the tactics you use to advertise real estate through traditional platforms will still be relevant and impactful in the digital sphere, even if the specific ways in which they are deployed and delivered to the target audience are fundamentally different.
For example, concise and engaging copy should be used for print and online ads alike, because space is always at a premium and if you do not grab the reader’s attention with something relevant, you will lose them and potentially line the pockets of a rival as a result.
Ultimately it is best to see digital marketing and traditional advertising as two sides of the same coin, with each having something valuable to offer to your real estate business. A concerted, cohesive approach to leveraging both will be the most beneficial angle for any up and coming business to take.
