It’s indisputable that videos in advertising make a huge difference to your marketing campaigns. Statistics show that using videos to take people on virtual tours, or an agent profiling the property on a listing, can increase sales success by as much as 400 per cent. That’s nothing to be sneezed at.
But how can you use it to your best advantage? And how can you get a jump start on your competition before the busiest time on the property sales calendar?
By being ACE: Authentic, Clear and Engaging.
All the practice you put in now will build your confidence come Spring, and videoing and live posts will become second nature to you.
Authentic – be yourself and show your personality
Authentic means ‘genuine’ and ‘not fake’. Using videos and live broadcasts such as Facebook Live gives you a brilliant opportunity to get your personality across. Be yourself. Your audience knows when you are not being your true self.
This is a way for people to get to know, like and trust you before they have met you in person.
Let your audience hear from you; be the expert that people want to listen to. Don’t let auctioneers and sales agents have all the limelight! Remember your rental team as well – tenants and investors want to be kept up to date with rental properties too.
Clear – Make sure you think about what you’re going to say
When you’re thinking about creating a short profile video, or going live from an open home, think about the three to five key points you’d like to make. This will help you get your message across by talking about the most important things.
It’s also a handy idea to have a standard introduction, so people start getting to know you better and know what to expect.
For example:
Hi everyone! Linda here, from The Best Real Estate Agents Co. It’s open house time again! Today I’ll be showing <insert address> and I’d love to see you there at <insert time> so you can see how great this home is <for selected audience – investors? Families? Downsizers?)
Engaging – put yourself in the potential buyer’s shoes
What would make you want to watch along when a professional is talking about a property?
You might highlight key features that will solve buyers’ problems or potential concerns – such as loads of storage space in a family home, or a low-maintenance native garden with room to sit and read the paper over a cuppa.
What if you could interview a happy customer? A testimonial on video is so authentic and really catches the gratitude the customer has for you in real time. Or go live with the client at an open home to talk about why this is a great investment/family home/easy care modern apartment/within walking distance to the best cafes, and so on.
The main thing to remember when engaging with your audience: be memorable, but also be and show the true you.
Here are some more video and live broadcast ideas you could be using to build your personal and business profile with buyers and clients alike, and being ACE while you’re at it.
Ideas for your videos or live broadcasts
You could:
- Go live on Facebook to remind people that the open is at a certain time and to meet you there to see this fantastic property.
- Go live when you’re at the property and show people watching some of the best features of the street, the garden, the home itself.
- Interview (if they’ll let you) the client about why this is a great neighbourhood or home to raise a family in.
- Introduce yourself and let people know more about you, that you are the go-to sales professional for a certain type of property, buyer or suburb.
- Get involved in the market round-ups, or property and suburb profiles. If your organisation doesn’t do them, be the video pioneer.
Over to you
Get the practice in now so come Spring you have it down pat – both your confidence and the technology.
Since your smartphone is permanently attached to you and we know you have a voice, use it to create short videos and go live on Facebook. Work your way up to creating your own YouTube channel. It’s virtually free to promote (other than your time) and it’s easy to do once you have your systems in place.
By Spring you will be an expert.
Oh – and don’t get too hung up on how many watchers you have. It will grow; someone is always watching, even if they don’t ‘like’ or comment.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Linda Parry is the Director and Founder of The Marketing Muse, a Sydney-based marketing company dedicated to delivering quality campaign management services to the real estate industry. For more information, visit themarketingmuse.com.au
