As agents, you are expected not only to understand the complexities of the property market and the legislation governing it; but you must also understand marketing and how to do it well.
Just as the property market is ever-evolving, so too is the practice of marketing. So much so, that almost every public facing role in the corporate world requires a basic understand of marketing principles and how to leverage them to drive business.
Realestate.com.au, HomePrezzo, BrownieBox and other industry service providers have made the marketing process simpler for agents, but there are so many more opportunities to improve your personal brand as an agent. And one of these is retargeting.
What is retargeting and how does it work?
“Retargeting, also known as remarketing, is a type of online advertising that pushes your brand out to your website visitors after they visit your website,” says Jacquie Rice, Digital Campaign Specialist at REINSW.
“Generally, only around two per cent of traffic to your website will take the desired action on the first visit. Retargeting is a great way for agencies to reach the remaining 98 per cent of people who didn’t take action right away.”
How does retargeting work?
“Retargeting is a cookie-based technology that allows you to anonymously ‘track’ your audience all over the web,” says Rice.
Just to put your mind at ease, Rice says retargeting is a commonplace marketing strategy, and not a form of cyber-stalking as it sounds! A good example is when you Google a holiday you can’t afford on your lunch break and then it pops up as an ad all over your computer screen for the next two weeks…
“Even though it sounds sophisticated, retargeting is as simple as setting up ads on Google or Facebook and adding a code – often referred to as a pixel – to the back end of your website,” continues Rice.
“Google and Facebook provide unique pixels, that when triggered by a visit to your website, display your ads to the visitor when they are online reading an article, listening to music or shopping and direct them back to your website.”
How to leverage retargeting as an agent
So you can see now how retargeting is effective in driving traffic to your website, but how can it help build your personal brand?
“Simply put, it gets your name and face in front of more prospective clients,” says Rice.
“Real estate used to be a face-to-face process – and in many ways it still is. But as agents are becoming increasingly busy, they are adopting digital strategies to streamline their service. This has many benefits but is sometimes at the expense of making connections.
“Through retargeting, you have the opportunity to soft-touch prospective clients that you previously wouldn’t have had access to. Without having to pick up the phone or send an email, you are subtly building brand recognition among your target audience.
“It helps to keep you top-of-mind and is a great foundation for when the prospective client does take action.”
If you’re going to do it, do it well
Rice says, although retargeting is very effective, there are some considerations.
“There’s no point setting up sophisticated ad campaigns on Google or Facebook and including the pixel on your website if it will never be triggered,” she says. “In other words, you have to have good traffic to your website before you set up retargeting.”
Additionally, Rice says what you promise in your ads must be reflected on your website.
“People bounce from websites for many reasons, but one of the most common is they’ve realised the content doesn’t meet their need,” she continues.
“If your ads purport that you’re a local agent with hyperlocal knowledge – and this is your unique selling proposition – your website should use imagery from your local area and feature local sales. Your blog – yes, you should have one – should focus on issues impacting your community and how you connect with them.
“As with most marketing strategies, anything less than complete synergy will dilute the message.”
Retargeting reasons
One | Retargeting allows website visitors, who may not have been ready to commit on the first visit, an opportunity to connect with you again. 97 per cent of people who visit your website for the first time will leave without doing anything, and then they’re lost forever. Unless you can bring them back.
Two | Retargeting ingrains your offering into the minds of your target market and helps block out the competition.
Three | Retargeting is a cost-effective marketing strategy, in comparison to other types of advertising.
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