By Sharon Vornholt
Today we’re going to talk about how to create more effective marketing for your business.
First of All…
It’s important to understand that hardly anyone sits down and reads an entire article without skimming it first. People today are skimmers.
This means you only have a short time to grab their attention and every word matters. That’s why it’s more important than ever that you spend time learning how to create effective marketing; marketing that gets you the results you want with the fewest words necessary.
#2 Get to the Point Quickly
When someone gets a marketing piece from you, it should be something they can consume quickly. They should know immediately “what’s in it for them”. What problem can you solve for them now? The days of folks reading a lengthy letter telling them how great you are, are long gone. You will have time to tell your story later if you hook them with an effective marketing message.
This is one reason postcards work so well. There is nothing to open. They see how you can help them immediately: “I will buy your house as is, pay all cash, and close quickly”. That says it all. It’s short and it’s much more effective marketing.
Take a look at all your marketing and see if there are ways you can simply your message. Do you have words that really don’t need to be there to get your message across? If so, take them out.
#3 Don’t Confuse Sellers with Too Many Options
When presented with multiple options upfront, this can be overwhelming for many people. What you will find is that when there are too many options people simply can’t choose. They will just move on to a simpler solution AKA your competition.
Have you ever come upon someone marketing a physical product that has a dozen of choices, versions, scents, colors etc.? When faced with this decision you are likely to go to the next simpler option which is another product or company.
#4 Have a Clear CTA
Your marketing should have one clear CTA (call to action) like:
“Contact us today ….”
- For your fast, no obligation offer
- To see how we can buy your house this week
- To find out how you can have cash in hand by this time next week
- And learn how you can be rid of that worry today! (Think pre-foreclosure, job loss, etc.)
- To find out how you can be rid of that problem property this week.
The goal of your call to action should be to get them to take the next step which should be to contact you.
It doesn’t matter if they are looking at a letter, a postcard, your website or a video. The desired result is the same.
#5 It’s all about the Presentation
The way you deliver your content is important. Remember, people want fast information. This is pretty easy to accomplish with postcards. The message is short by nature.
It takes some practice to write short, concise, direct mail letters, but it’s important that you learn to do this. You have to tell sellers exactly how you can solve their problem, and tell them what to do next.
#6 What about Your Website?
Your first paragraph of each page should accomplish the same thing as your other marketing pieces. Don’t assume they are going spend time going over your website and all the options you offer. They just want to know what to do next to solve their problem.
This means that the placement of your contact form is critical. It should always be located above the fold (on the top half of the page).
If your CTA is “contact us so we can buy your house”, providing them with multiple ways to contact you is important. I can tell you this; they aren’t going to search for your contact information so make it easy for them to contact you. This is one case where you want them to have a choice. Not everyone will want to call you, and some people won’t be comfortable filling out an online form.
Give them options. Contact us:
- By phone
- Fill out the convenient form on the right side of the page
- Email me at [email protected].
#7 Using Social Media to Help You Create Effective Marketing Strategies
Social media is great for helping you get the word out about your business, your services and your products. The fact that you can share everything to such a large audience (generally for free) can’t be beat.
You spend a lot of time to create effective marketing, but it’s of no value unless people know about it. Set up social media profiles on the major social networks. Once that is done, you can share information easily which will start to build your brand.
#8 Final Tips
Here are some tips for connecting with your ideal customer.
- Speak their language. Make your message simple to understand.
- Tell them exactly how you can help solve their problem.
- The best marketing connects with the customer, and it makes it clear that it’s “all about them”. Words matter.
- Limit your ideal customer’s options. Effective marketing will always have a clear call to action and make it easy for them to say yes to your offer.
- Offer a bonus for working with you. What might that be? Find out what they need. Ask them! There is always something else they want or need. It can be things like moving money, an offer to finish cleaning out the house, paying expenses they cannot afford to pay. To be clear, these “bonuses” are always accounted for in your offer. Think outside the box and get creative. The best bonus is the one they tell you they need. Having a happy customer AKA buyer or seller is just about the most effective marketing on the plant.
- Always send them a thank you note after you’ve looked at their property. This is one tip that will definitely make you stand out as an investor.
Once You Have Closed the Deal…
As for a testimonial. This makes all your marketing even more effective.
Happy investing!
Sharon Vornholt
Sharon Vornholt is the owner of Innovative Property Solutions, LLC in Louisville, KY.
Sharon owned and operated a successful home inspection company for 17 years. She began investing in real estate in 1998 and became a full time real estate investor in January of 2008.
Sharon specializes in wholesaling, and is also an experienced landlord and rehabber.
In addition, Sharon is an internet marketer and also writes articles for several national real estate sites. Sharon is the author of a popular real estate blog called the “Louisville Gals Real Estate Blog”. For your FREE REPORT “Probates and Absentee Owners: Your Fast Track to Real Estate Riches”, stop by her blog at: http://LouisvilleGalsRealEstateBlog.com.
