Digital First Series: The Golden Rules of Adopting Marketing Automation
Marketing automation has come leaps and bounds in the last few years, heavily influencing how industries across the board manage their online presence and generate business. 80% of MA users reported an increase in the number of leads, and 77% saw an increase in conversions. It’s unsurprising then that real estate too has jumped into the fray.
DOs
- Choose software carefully. Real estate is exhibiting the biggest demand for an industry-specific CRM, because generic CRMs cannot handle the unique needs and challenges agents face in their line of work, and yet the need for CRMs is greater than ever. Brokerages who adopted real estate CRM specifically showed a 41% increase in sales productivity per agent. The right MA software will empower agents with a comprehensive 360 degree view of all their marketing campaigns.
- Study the right metrics. No matter the industry, the most valuable response metrics to measure returns from marketing automation have consistently been CTRs, open rates and unsubscribe rates. This is a useful method for agents to ensure they’re collecting not only enough data, but the most relevant data in order to make automation work for them and hone in on the right data triggers.
- Maximize automation to build workflow. MA and CRM send real-time updates based on certain elements on an agent website, and once confirmation has come through that a lead has taken an action, the agent is able to customize email templates and interest-based triggers which saves the agent time and enhances engagement drastically. This ensures smooth, automated ‘handshakes’ between company and client because these technologies are designed to compile all necessary client data across all channels, encompassing website, live chat, landlines and mobile, social media and email etc.
- Let automation work alongside a content calendar. Agents who take the time to plan out a content calendar in advance (could be for the next two weeks or two months) and automate those posts will be offering great value to visitors and clients alike, while building up great SEO at the same time.
- Stay on the audience’s good side. Although MA can allow for stress-free, relevant campaigns running smoothly, the quality of the content is still up to the RE professional, which means staying clear of 2021’s list of ultimate SPAM trigger words and making sure content is definitely fulfilling what the subject line promises.
DON’TS
- Don’t add to the noise. Customers on social media are more connected and exposed to information than ever before, expecting complaints to be addressed quickly, and prompt to promote brands they feel comfortable with. When bringing social media into the MA mix, agents are able to keep track of when audiences are mentioning them or their brand, and in what context. Harnessing the power of MA to conduct some ‘social listening’ in an intelligent way, can mean getting the most valuable real-time information from social media, and creating more informed decisions and campaigns when it comes engaging pieces of content that can be automated through the right channels to generate maximum traction.
- Don’t lose brand consistency. Because we are dealing with email, social media and advertising marketing avenues, it’s vital for RE brands to present consistent, clear messaging and brand/personal image, so as not to confuse audiences, but build recognition and trust instead. MA helps by not only streamlining marketing efforts, but keeping the messaging consistent with customizable templates, drip campaigns etc. even when dealing with different subsets of a targeted audience.
- Don’t underestimate the bots. AI chatbots can be used to answer various generic queries raised by prospects and gather their relevant information.
- Don’t forget about ads. RE professionals can promote content and their brand through the PPC model in an effort to get more qualified leads, (paying for ads only when the ad is clicked on or other predefined rules are met). But MA helps by automating various processes and can also work alongside third-party apps to cater the ads according to different audiences, all while freeing up agents to work on other more pressing matters.
Don’t forget to analyze and test. A stellar MA strategy takes time to perfect, and regular benchmarking, analysis, A/B testing and adjustments can all help to ensure long-term success.
If you’re enjoying our “Digital First Series” - join us November 8th-10th for a free, online event
Real Conf. 2021 - Adopting a Digital-First Strategy
Exploring how property firms can harness the power of digital to grow reach, revenues and market share.
