The digital area is no longer new or in its experimental phase. Mobile technology is a pervasive part of our lives and our businesses. With that comes the ever-increasing importance of digital marketing, including an effective email marketing strategy. Email is essential in my line of work as a realtor. Think about how connected everyone is with mobile devices always out, clicking away. Placing well-crafted, permitted, relevant emails directly in front of our audience is invaluable. Did you know that around 2.5 billion people use email around the world? That number is only expected to go up.
Email marketing has numerous benefits, including the fact that it allows you to build and foster relationships and keep your name fresh in people’s minds. Email marketing can help you reach people in a highly personalized way, and it’s often a more effective means of customer acquisition than social media.
With that in mind, consider the following email marketing lessons for realtors and from realtors.
Don’t Underestimate What People See Before They Open Your Email
With business emails, there’s a tendency to underestimate the importance of what people see before they actually open the email. First impressions are everything when it comes to email marketing.
- Give time and thought to your subject line and preheader text.
- Imagine receiving the email you’re about to send. What would interest you? What subject line and preheader would compel you to read more?
- Don’t forget the importance of segmenting your subscriber lists as well because one cookie-cutter subject line isn’t going to work for everyone.
- Avoid clickbait-style subject lines, keep it clear and to the point, and use A/B tests on your subject lines to see what’s working and what you can eliminate.
Go Heavy with the Visuals
Real estate is an inherently visual industry. Some people even buy properties sight unseen and solely based on online media. You want people to open your emails and see something that’s instantly aesthetically pleasing and has beautiful content. You might also include other forms of visual media, such as videos, when relevant. When you do incorporate visual media, ensure that it’s not going to slow load times by testing emails before sending them. Smaily and other email platforms provide the tools to make sure your emails are responsive and mobile-friendly.
Take a Long-Term Approach
While emails can be a valuable way to acquire new customers and show new listings that hit the market, you should view your marketing strategy as more than that. Email marketing is a way to build conversations with your audience, show your expertise, and create a community that enjoys seeing that inbox notification pop up.
Look at the short-term benefits of email marketing, such as sales and conversions, but also take into account the long-run strategy. Don’t think of every email you send as a way to sell — entertain, engage, and inform your audience.
Send Highly Targeted Emails
Finally, targeting and personalization are essential for effective modern email marketing. You want to segment your audiences, for example, based on where they might be in their buying journey. The emails you send to potential homebuyers will be different from follow-up emails after a sale or emails you send to people interested in listing their property.
Consider personalizing your emails based on location, as well. For example, segment your email audiences by neighborhoods so that you can position yourself as a local expert.
With every email you send out, ensure that you measure how it performs. Track the clicks on the links that are within your email. Also, track other metrics such as your open and bounce rate.
Use the data you gather to refine your email marketing each time you send out something new. These metrics provide valuable insight into what works and what doesn’t, so maximize them.
Corey Tyner is the owner of Phoenix Fast Sell Home Buyers. He is one of the top real estate investors in Arizona, with over a decade of experience. His work has been featured in Bigger Pockets, Real Estate Agent Magazine, and several other real estate investor publications.
What to keep in mind:
- Don’t underestimate the readers’ first impressions.
- Take a long-term approach.
Next: Small and Medium Enterprises: Marketing Statistics
According to the European Commission, small and medium-sized enterprises are “the backbone of Europe’s economy”. No surprise there – SMEs represent about 99% of all businesses in the European Union. Do you know that in the past five years, SMEs have created about 85% of new jobs in the EU? That is why we will take a look at small and medium enterprises in the next blog post, and we found some really useful marketing statistics from across the world.
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