In my last marketing tips, I stressed the use of e-mail as a primary prospecting device for doing Real Estate On-Line. Getting a hold of your past clients', sphere, and "farms" e-mail addresses should still be your number 1 internet "goal" year! In this next series of articles, I'd like to look at a different approach to driving "visitors" to your web page or site. In the '80's it was called "Networking"...
Remember when the rage was getting together a group of non-competing professionals and "networking" with them at a power breakfast or some such to exchange leads? For some, it was good advice and they are still making this work today. Almost all of us Network with professionals in some form or another, whether it's just a professional referral from a Realtor across town or a lead furnished by your favorite Loan Officer. We also "give out" a lot of networking business, from Homeowners Insurance policies to Roofing.
Why not take that same tried-and-true philosophy on-line? Now that you're Connected to the Internet, get Connected to the Business!
Start with your own profession and the people you already work with.
1) If you work with a "team" of professionals to get your clients home sold and closed, why not have a "My Team" page on your site to show how well connected you are? Besides the obvious links to loan and title stuff, think about your "handiman," roofer, landscaper, carpet cleaner, etc. etc. - What?.... these people don't have web pages? Even Better - you can make them up a little something that either they pay for up front or else they "owe" you a much bigger $ referral later in the year.... Either way, it's a win-win situation helping them get some extra exposure and business, plus you get the "team" connection and "one-stop" convenience (Not to mention the referrals from the network PLUS they all visit your web site when they look, or tell their friends to look, at their pages) Get some snap shots of these people or their business, faces & places matter.
2) Look for good informative links from your networking buddys' sites. Use the mortgage calculator from your LO's site, maybe current rates too. Your title company might have some good pages describing the closing or title process. Get permission and link them up! Even your Broker or Corp. page might have some useful sub-pages for you (Big Companies take note - this is a great idea that Corp. sites are not taking advantage of...)
3) Link Exchanging - by networking with out-of-state Realtors or non-RE vendors, you can often offer to "exchange" links with them. This means they will put a link to your site if you reciprocate. Always consider the advantages both ways on this. And it is usually done when there is little chance of any competition. For example, be careful linking to your corporate site if they in-turn either list alot of their other associates or solicit leads themselves.... don't pay someone a referral fee for your own lead!!! :)
4) Lastly, but probably MOST important, is to make sure you are "Networked" with all your local, state, regional, trade, business, charity, church, whatever organizations. Most of these places witll list you in their database, including links to e-mail and web, if they only knew what they were! This includes RMLS, State & Local Boards, CRS, even many private sites offer "free" links. Spend some time visiting all the various RE sites you can find - and make sure you submit your info if allowed or else e-mail them to find out what is available. The MLS is especially important since that is where your listing data "originates" and it is then distributed all over the country....