Modern Marketing Starts with Connecting

When it comes to marketing, I can tell you this: It’s all about connecting. After all, you control what the consumer sees, but the consumer controls what happens next. Consumers need to feel connected with you before they take action.

The old-school approach is promoting your services only when someone wants to buy or sell a home. But in our fast-moving digital world, it’s not enough. If you can connect with someone and become a resource at all points in their journey, they won’t need to find an agent when they’re ready to make a move  – they’ll already have one.

That’s just one of the points made by James Schwartz, RE/MAX VP of Marketing, in a fascinating conversation we had on my “Start With a Win” podcast. I urge you to listen to the whole exchange, but in the meantime, here are four other marketing insights James and I discussed:

1. It’s not about you. 

Your marketing should not be about you, but about them – your potential customers – and what they need. Your focus must be on delivering value that helps them achieve their goals. 

2. Consistency is crucial.

Know your story – and tell it in compelling, consistent ways across different platforms. So you’re adapting and adjusting your key messages to fit each medium, but the content is recognizable as yours the whole time. 

3. Be in their focus – a lot

You need to realize that it often takes 20-30 touchpoints before someone decides to engage with you. So stay in their focus as much as you can. Leveraging their digital footprint, based on where they’ve been and what they’re doing online, can keep you top of mind.

4. Get in quick

With so much content bombarding us every day, our attention spans are growing shorter. Marketers need to acknowledge that and adjust. A 15-second video has a better shot at breaking through the noise than a 7-minute clip does. 

The world is moving quickly. Do your homework and keep up with it.