5 Ways To Help Distinguish Your Marketing From The Competition

In today’s world of real estate, it is essential that you stand out from the crowd. It is not enough to present yourself and your business in the same tired ways as everyone else. You need to find marketing that brands you in a unique way that is easily remembered. The more people instantly recognize your name and associate it to real estate the stronger your business will be. With all the modern technology currently out there it is easier than ever to find ways to promote your business and quickly generate a following. How, and where, you market your business is the one thing you can do that separates you from everyone else. Here are five ways to help distinguish your marketing from the competition.

• Come up with a niche. One of the most common reasons that investors fail is by trying to be all things to all people. One week they focus on multifamily rentals and the next they want to flip mobile homes. It is ok to diversify your portfolio but everything starts with a niche. What is the one area of the business that really excites you? Do you like working with sellers but don’t enjoy the rehab side? If so, you should think about ramping up your wholesaling business. Wholesaling gets a bad rap but if done right you can make a great income focusing exclusively on this. Perhaps you like single family rental properties or have access to inexpensive financing options. Whatever it is, find an area of the business you really enjoy and feel you know better than your competition. Once you establish a niche you can start marketing it to everyone in your area. Soon enough you will be branded as the “condo guy” or the “wholesale specialist”. This gives you first crack at certain deals in your area and a step up on your competition.
• Testimonials. Potential people you work with need to know they are in good hands. Unless you were personally referred by someone who can vouch for your character you need to make them feel comfortable. One of the best ways of doing this is by showcasing as many positive testimonials as possible. As simple as it sounds you can simply ask people who you worked with in the past or on an individual deal to write a few lines describing their experience. If you are pleased with the response you should put this on your website. It is important to remember that real estate is a service industry. You may not feel that a testimonial really matters or makes you sounds "sales-y." The truth is that a few positive testimonials will put someone on the fence at ease and make you look professional. You never know when someone will read a testimonial by someone they know and push them over the top and want to work with you.
• Share your expertise. It is not enough to simply proclaim that you are the “tax lien master” or the “commercial building specialist.” You need to constantly show the people in your area by writing blogs, making timely posts and speaking about your niche at networking groups. Don’t be afraid to put your name and niche out there to as many people as you can. You may run across some opposition sometimes but for every one negative person there will be nine positive ones. You will be surprised at how much impact just one daily social media post has. Once you create a following you can ask your following if they would be interested in an eBook you created. Your eBook doesn’t need to be overly lengthy if you are specific and show that you are an expert in the topic. All it takes is one person to see your post and want to work with you to make it worthwhile.
• Start a networking group. If used properly the internet is truly an amazing tool. There is no better way to reach more people than by utilizing the internet. In addition to timely posts and social media updates you can use the internet to build a network. You can create a networking event inviting everyone on your contact list. Make the event specific to real estate or real estate investing. At the meeting, you can talk about your niche and how it can benefit everyone in the room. If nothing else you can get your name out to everyone on your invite list, but more specifically everyone in the meeting. As the leader of the group people will be impressed in your ability to get everyone together and may be inclined to work with you.
• Embrace your personality. The most important quality in business is authenticity. It doesn’t matter who you are or what you offer if the people around you don’t trust you they will look elsewhere. What makes real estate so great is that anyone can do it. If you have a laid-back personality don’t feel you should change to cater to the business. There are enough people that will want to work with you for you. If you have a sense of humor don’t be afraid to show it. You are investing in real estate not solving foreign affairs. A timely joke can break the ice and make people comfortable with you. Plus, there are dozens of investors who take things too seriously and put everyone around them on eggshells. Someone with a different personality is a breath of fresh air in the real estate world.

There are several different ways of marketing without breaking the bank. If you are looking to distinguish yourself from the crowd try one of, or all, these five areas.