The future of marketing in the property industry
If the last ten years have been characterised by technology targeting buyers, the next ten will focus on vendors. But marketing has experienced two fundamental shifts in recent years that will underpin all new developments.
Firstly, consumers demand to speak with companies, rather than be spoken at, meaning you can either join in or be left out. This shift has social media at its core, and what people say online (including you) plays a greater role in purchasing decisions than ever before – word of mouth is undoubtedly the most powerful form of marketing. Winning instructions has always been dependent on the relationships you have with customers. But today, social media offers an opportunity to build and strengthen these relationships in new ways and on a mass scale. Technology emerging now will be geared towards helping you reach and interact with your target market most effectively (and efficiently) through this channel.
Secondly, what was traditionally based on experience and instinct has become an activity entirely driven by data. Marketing is no longer about seeing what sticks – today decisions are firmly rooted in facts and figures showing you what to do and when to do it in order to generate the best possible results. Marketing has moved from an art to a science, and the data is only set to get more powerful and accurate.
When it comes to the property industry, these two shifts could not be more relevant. Firstly, it is no longer a question of whether to be on social media (the answer is a resounding yes if you want to remain relevant), but instead a question of how to engage future clients and most efficiently generate enquiries through the channel. Secondly, wave goodbye to the ambiguous social media and digital marketing advice you may have heard previously. Today, you can access software telling you exactly what to do to maximise lead generation – specifically for your business, your location, and your audience. The future is personalised, intelligent marketing.
Propertyflock is a digital intelligence company building automated tools to help estate agents win instructions through social media. Find out more about what we do at www.propertyflock.co.uk