Is your real estate business relying on referrals to close more deals? Are you paying for Facebook or Instagram ads and not even breaking even? Are you looking for other ways to generate more traffic and leads, while increasing your ROI?
Fact: the online space is no different from the offline world. Real estate transactions are based on trust, and trust takes time to build because it requires genuine conversations and multiple interactions before deals are successfully closed.
Therefore, the issues causing stress and anxiety in the life of your prospect hold the key to building relationships with your target market.
How, you may ask? Well, TV shows have mastered the formula.
At the beginning of an episode, a problem is introduced, which is normally resolved by the end of the episode.
However, right before the episode ends, another problem is introduced, compelling viewers to watch the next episode.
You can also use this formula effectively in your industry. Here’s how:
Treat your content (article, blog post, podcast, etc.) like one continuous story. However, instead of creating a problem or inventing anxiety, you’ll tap into your prospect’s existing anxiety about the real challenges they face already.
I’m NOT referring to manipulation or exploitation tactics here.
We’re talking about providing meaningful content ideas and relevant solutions to your prospects to solve a specific issue in their lives. This is the main reason you entered the real estate business in the first place, right?
So… do you want to move prospects through your sales funnel with ease?
Here’s how your real estate experience and industry insights can transform this strategy into increased traffic and leads for your company.
(1) Uncover the most significant problems and associated pain points that face your prospects
Explain why it’s a problem, and discuss the consequences of ignoring it. Highlight a few of the mistakes beginners make, and help them understand that there are more pitfalls out there.
Example:
Aggravate the problem until the prospect realize the gravity of the situation, and desperately needs a way out, or a quick fix.
(2) Present the solution
Your solution should solve their problem completely, not just relieve the symptoms or eliminate the negative consequences already present.
(3) Lead prospects into your ultimate funnel
A marketing funnel is ideal for building trust with multiple prospects at the same time. Once they review your content they’ll learn more about you, as well as your real estate experience, offers, and other relevant information.
Sooner rather than later, they’ll recognize that you:
- Understand their problem
- Know how to solve it, and
- Are a reliable and knowledgeable source.
Pretty straightforward, isn’t it?
Unfortunately, this simple process is something real estate businesses continually ignore. Don’t fall into the same trap!
Your real estate website requires an effective lead generator strategy! So, stop ignoring the best lead capture channel!
I’m referring to the second most visited website after Google, YouTube.
If you’re watching videos online, then your prospects are probably doing the same thing. So, why not exploit this convenient platform for the benefit of your business?
Here’s how to take full advantage of this channel, and out-smart your competition with awesome video marketing content.
The #1 Reason WHY Youtube Is Not Optional For Your Real Estate Company or Website
An increasing number of people are using YouTube on a daily basis.
Statista reported that YouTube accounts for 37% of ALL mobile internet traffic.
YouTube, on mobile alone, is reaching more 18-34 year olds in the US than any TV network.
Video content, especially on YouTube, simplifies the process of familiarizing people with real estate companies and agents.
Plus, multiple marketing tests show that YouTube videos can rank on Google much faster and much easier than articles or blog posts.
That’s not all! VIDEO beats all the other content media types since it communicates on a more personal level. However, creating video content is more challenging since it requires more time and a higher level of skill.
Therefore, many people find it frustrating to create exceptional content on a regular basis, and ultimately choose to give up instead of forging ahead.
But hopefully, this is not you! I trust that you’re a doer, and a go-getter, and can accomplish what your competitors can’t!
Here’s what you’ll need to get started. Design your ultimate YouTube SEO strategy.
Buy or custom create two agendas. You’ll need them to jot down ALL your ideas and titles for creating extraordinary content on an ongoing basis. I’m referring to:
- A yearly content marketing plan
This helps you to prepare in advance, and set monthly and weekly achievable goals. You’ll be able to track and monitor your progress, and determine what works and what doesn’t. This information will allow you to make adjustments and improve your video marketing efforts over time.
- A content posting calendar
+
One or two additional social media content scheduling tools to help with that, because social media is also about automation and you can be certain that many of your competitors are already using SMM automation programs.
However, most of them are doing it wrong, meaning that they just broadcast content, and forget to actively engage with their target prospects.
For me, it makes sense and is so much easier to work with an offline agenda & make notes in a printed calendar, instead of depending on an online SaaS or mobile app.
You want to spend less time on the computer (to better protect your eyes), and invest more effort into hand-crafting content (or at least titles, and their main points)
In my case, this approach helps me to get a general view of what needs to be prioritized and provides me with a sense that I’m making significant progress on a regular basis, while avoiding procrastination.
TIP: because these online content calendar tools are easily editable, you get the sense you can use them for great ROI. However, this very feature makes postponing as easy as entering the content.
If you base this entire process 100% online, then you’ll more likely postpone creating & publishing content more often than you should. Plus, you may miss capturing some key content ideas.
Believe it or not, the best content ideas still emerge from the offline environment, because it’s where you interact with other people, and use all your senses and instincts.
Proper Content Marketing Research Starts Off Like This…
Search for the best, most relevant keywords & topics related to your prospects:
(1) Wants
(2) Needs
(3) Challenges
(4) Concerns, and
(5) Most Burning Questions.
That’s the first step in securing long term YouTube rankings, and dominating real estate YouTube search queries.
Top SEO and keyword research tools to use here, are SemRush, Ubersuggest, Ahrefs and Google AdWord’s Keyword Planner.
Once you know exactly what your target prospects require from you, then move forward with the next step.
Optimize your YouTube account.
[Here’s 9 Ways to Get More Subscribers on Your YouTube Channel in 2019]
If you’re new to YouTube marketing or haven’t set up your entire account yet, then listen closely. It is essential to attend to channel optimization first before addressing content optimization. Therefore, buying the perfect house first, before filling it with furniture.
Are You Guilty of These 3 YouTube Channel Optimization Blunders?
#1 – Sync the Look of Your YouTube Channel Page with Your Website or Alienate Leads and Customers
You should have an identical or very similar color combination whenever you create an eye-catching top header, where you highlight…
- Your company name
- Your USP (unique selling proposition – what differentiates you from your competitors),
- Your brand/logo, as well as your social media & contact information.
Here are some examples of real estate YouTube channels with simple yet outstanding design:
Depending on your goal (to motivate visitors to join your funnel, subscribe to your channel, or contact you), you should design your YouTube header accordingly.
For this you can use my prefered graphic design tool – Snappa – to create your own YouTube channel profile headers, as well as all your social media graphics.
#2 – Write a Compelling ‘Why Me/Us’ description in the ‘About’ Section.
The ‘About’ section of your channel gives you your ‘time to shine!’ and establish a strong connection to your prospective customers and investors. This is the space to share the reason why you’ve created your YouTube channel, and briefly explain why prospects should follow your video content. You can also tell potential customers to take other actions such as subscribe, join your mailing list, or call you.
Examples:
Consistency is the key to establishing an effective real estate YouTube channel. It is essential to share the long-term vision of your company through your channel’s content and engagement efforts.
Here’s how to stand out in a crowded marketplace:
- Invent coined terms and acronyms.
- Connect old to new, make boring interesting.
- Create a vlog where you interview like-minded entrepreneurs, and different local business owners, regardless of whether they are working within the real estate industry or not.
Spread the word about them, and they’ll reciprocate, in 9 out of 10 cases.
#3 – Optimize Your Playlists
Creating a playlist will help you organize your content like a pro, and serve as a collection of real estate (and other relevant) videos. What an amazing way to bundle your buyer-oriented and seller-related videos, along with other high-value, significant topics.
The playlist will allow users to view a stream of related videos under the same topic, or category.
Here’s how real estate moguls, and one of my favorite business minds – Grant Cardone – manages his YouTube playlist:
Bonus Tip – listen to the comments of your viewers, and consider the feedback of your subscribers
Reading your audience’s feedback is extraordinarily rewarding. However, this process can become time consuming, especially when your video content starts to take off. You could always get a team member or VA to handle this process later on.
This approach gives you the chance to interact with prospects and leads and, more importantly, get their real-time, candid feedback on things such as: what they liked, what they did not like and what they wish to see in the future.
You can use this data to further enhance the channel and come up with new topic ideas and video content.
Do You Make These 5 Video Content Optimization Mistakes?
YouTube content optimization comes next. Here’s the first thing to fix.
#1 – Create compelling headline titles that drive clicks and are not easy to ignore
It is essential to create video titles that include relevant keywords, and can attract users to watch your videos instead of all the other available alternatives. This is the first rule to ranking higher on Google and YouTube for your desired keywords and key topics.
The most effective way to create amazing headlines is to use this 3-step combo approach:
- What comes to mind (based on your experience)
- What the research tools uncover, and what your target prospects are telling you
- What your competitors are talking about (identify their best headlines)
#2 – Write search-optimized descriptions, detailing each video.
Some users even provide a full transcription of their video content, which tend to work wonders for SEO purposes and YouTube rankings.
#3 – Use closed captions for the hearing impaired and foreign language speakers
Being sensitive to what your audience needs can go a long way. This includes providing caption text for individuals who cannot hear, or whose main language is not English.
Transcripts and Google Translator Toolkit can help in this regard. Making the effort to reach this type of audience could potentially impact you lead generation in a positive way.
#4 – Use highly-relevant, custom thumbnails to increase your video CTR
In marketing, you have to adhere to the following principle: promise less, and deliver more.
Thumbnails need to be highly relevant to your overall video content or viewers may feel disappointed if your content lacks substance.
Sadly, most video creators have learned the science behind creating click-bait thumbnails. Yet, more often than not their content under delivers.
#5 – Include relevant call-to-actions and annotations
You can easily create call-to-actions (CTAs) using cards in your YouTube videos. You can have up to 5 cards in one video where you can choose whether to add an image, title or call-to-action text, depending on the type of card.
Example of a call-to-action popping up in a video of California-based Mainstreet Realtors:
Bonus tip: Geotag your video.
Geotagging enables you to associate your video with the GeoCoordinates of your real estate business’ location. This facilitates pick-up of your data by the search engines, therefore, including your page in the results on area searches that are most relevant to your viewers.
Providing your NAP (Name, Address, Phone) on the video will help viewers to connect with you when they reach your video.
Video marketing is the exchange of knowledge and experience.
Prospects need to feel your energy and understand your insights, things you’ve developed through practice and time. With the right content marketing plan and the organized approach of your team, you can provide the ideal solution to the biggest real estate challenges and concerns facing your prospects.
Because you already know: people buy from other people that they know, like, and trust. That’s the best kept secret in boosting your real estate website traffic and lead numbers, while rendering competitors and their marketing campaigns irrelevant.
With the right YouTube strategy, generating leads gets increasingly fascinating and exciting for the real estate industry.
Since this channel is growing continuously, it proves to be ideal for ALL real estate companies, regardless of their size, experience or location. You’d be foolish not to leverage this incredible platform to secure your financial stability and grow your business. You should grab this opportunity before the marketplace gets more crowded or YouTube makes it harder for real estate agents and firms to tap into their large traffic polls.
0 Comments