If you are a real estate company, you know exactly how your audience works by now. Most audiences go through websites that list properties, often called real estate directories, to find properties in a location based on their preferences (number of bedrooms, facilities, property type, etc.). Reaching a real estate developer’s site is rare, unless, of course, you have a digital marketing strategy in place. Before we begin on how we can help you with your digital marketing campaign for your real estate business, let’s understand the audience.
The Audience – How They Choose Properties
Assume that you are looking for a property. Most people who are looking for a property will have one thing always set: the budget. They know that they are ready to invest 1 Crore or 10 million Rs for the property. The second thing they are almost sure of is the area. They are looking for a property in the Sama or Gotri area in Vadodara. The third condition would be the property type. Is it an apartment or a duplex/bungalow? And then it comes to the area, the number of bedrooms, and so on.
But when people search for properties, they do not search for “Properties under 1 Crore in Sama.” Most people searching for properties will not mention their budget in their search query. The search query is often “3BHK Duplex for sale in Gotri” or “2BHK Homes in Sama.” Most people search for a broader phrase, which is not really specific in the beginning, and then refine it further when they can’t find the results they are looking for.
Now, once you search for something like “3BHK Duplex for sale in Gotri,” the first few sites you see are not real estate developers who are in business but directories of real estate websites. They list magicbricks.com, 99acres.com, olx.com, housing.com, trovit.com, etc. The chances of you ranking for these keywords are almost none as these directories will list new content every single day, and user-generated content wins hands down when compared to content that will not change for weeks and months.
The second type of audience is those who will search for keywords like “Real estate in Vadodara” or “Real estate companies in Vadodara.” Though rare, these are keywords used by a limited audience. This has a higher chance of ranking in local SEO. If you look at the results of these keywords, you will notice the local search with “places” listed by Google on the top. This is a great opportunity for websites to rank in this space. What follows is the organic listing of real estate websites, mostly with directories dominating the space again. But these keywords are still easier to compete with compared to the earlier cases.
Apart from Search Engines, Where Do People Go to Search for Properties Online?
Frankly, nowhere. But is search engines the only source of real estate information? Definitely not. Social media platforms can help you with real estate marketing. And then there is the power of using websites that are already ranking on Google to your advantage. Let’s understand how we can take advantage of every single method to market your real estate business online.
Digital Marketing For Real Estate – Step by Step
- Start by Creating a Website
Digital marketing campaigns start with a website and are the most crucial part of your business. A website costs anywhere between 5,000 Rs to 50,000 Rs depending on your requirements. A simple website can cost just about 5,000 Rs and would often suffice to begin with. You can get your website up and running in a day or two. You can hire Admarkon as your website designer, web hosting provider, and domain name registration company, or choose a vendor of your choice. Decide on your website design based on your business and industry. If you deal with multiple properties at the moment, use generic photographs of properties to avoid redesigning the website every time you have a new property to list. Think ahead when creating a website for your real estate website. What would your business be 10 years from today? Design a website with that in mind. Yes, it may sound unrealistic at the moment, but it will save you a lot of time when it comes to website design if you think ahead.
- Create a Social Media Profile
While people don’t search for properties on social media platforms, you have the opportunity to display your properties to people who are interested in purchasing a property. Chances of people approaching you for your property increase if they are already actively searching for properties online. You can target people based on past searches on social media, and you will have an opportunity to advertise to these small groups of people based on their interests. Social media platforms are more complex than what most people want to believe. With over 95% of the population already on one social media platform or another, your chances of reaching them are higher than on most other platforms. Also, social media platforms are more informal than a website or search results. People leave comments, share your properties with other people who may be interested, and you can create branding with social media platforms. Take advantage of the benefits provided by social media by creating an account on at least one or two of these platforms. Remember that you get better results by focusing on one or maybe two platforms and not more. You will not have time to focus on all the platforms available, and the results vary from platform to platform. We recommend Facebook and Instagram for real estate digital marketing. With both these platforms, you have the option to post beautiful images of your property and market them to a wide range of people. Considering that more than 60% of the total social media platform users come from these two networks, it is only sensible to advertise here. Your other option would be to market on LinkedIn. LinkedIn is for professionals, and you have a good pool of people whom you can target based on their income. LinkedIn users are investors and not often looking for a home, but they are high-paying individuals with the ability to spend more.
- PPC – The Quickest Way to Generate Leads
When you cannot rank for your desired keywords on Google search, you have an option to pay for ranking in the first few positions. This is not organic search results. You pay for each click an audience makes to come to your website from search engines. PPC is very efficient when done right and can generate leads fast. You don’t have to wait for months or years for your keywords to rank. The competition is relatively less, and you can achieve desired results if you plan well, create the right landing pages, and know the process of PPC marketing. Unfortunately, PPC marketing has a steep learning curve and needs an understanding of not only Google’s side of ad creation, keyword research, and campaign management but you will also need to have the skills to optimize your landing pages. PPC marketing companies offer services for real estate developers and property managers in marketing your properties through PPC on search engines. You will need to do a bit of research in your area to find the right professional. If you are located in Baroda, contact Admarkon Marketing Online Pvt. Ltd for your PPC marketing needs. We can help you create a complete campaign and manage it efficiently. If you are located elsewhere, you can still contact us, and we can help you with your marketing needs.
- Email Marketing
When creating your website and your PPC campaign, create a form to acquire visitor details. You should try to get at least their names and email addresses. Getting a phone number would be a great bonus too. Your focus should be on getting as much information about your visitors that you may need to market to them. An address, current job, budget, preferred location, etc., can help you tailor your email campaigns accordingly. Email marketing is great for people who are just looking for property and have not decided what to buy and when they want to buy. They may not purchase today or even this year, but they do have an intention to purchase. This may happen after a year, or it may happen when they get the next promotion or a new job. You need to be on people’s minds all the time, and email marketing can help you with this. Craft great emails for prospects every month. Personalize the content and give them offers. If you provide bank loan processing facilities or if you are affiliated with a bank, let them know through the email. If you are giving them a discount on the property, email them. The main reason for email marketing is to ensure that your visitors don’t forget you in the huge property space where competition is high.
- Use Latest Technologies
Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality are making a great impact in the real estate industry. With people not having time to visit properties personally and check on the facilities of each property they want to purchase, AR and VR technologies can be put to use to give your audience a great visual experience of the property even before they step into your property. Try to get the users’ email addresses and phone numbers before they can take a virtual tour of your property. This way, you can always follow up on their experience and invite them for a real tour of your property. Additionally, use drones to take shots of surrounding areas, especially if your properties are villas and have great surroundings with parks or nature.
- Think Out of the Box
When it comes to business, the one who thinks outside the box makes the biggest impact. Think different. Not all properties are the same. Categorize your property. Luxury properties with high-end facilities cater to a different demographic. A property for working professionals has a completely different demographic. Is your property located in a remote location? This has a different set of benefits and a different set of people who are interested in these properties. Create a marketing campaign targeted for categories. You may be selling a 3BHK apartment, but tailor the campaign for a specific group. If the property is located near IT companies, your audience would be mostly IT professionals. If the property is located near an industrial area, target working professionals who have jobs in the industry. Your focus would be on people who are looking for a place to stay nearby their workplace. Market it accordingly. A property located away from the city can be marketed to people who are looking for a second home away from the hustle and bustle of city life. People who are retiring in a few years may be more interested in your property than people who are working. Create campaigns that focus on your buyer, not just your property.
