Darwon's Theory | Lights, Camera, Action!
A picture may be worth a thousand words - but one minute of video is worth 1.8 million words. That's not my stat, by the way. It comes from the market research experts at Forrester Research. Video is powerful stuff!
Granted, video marketing is an added expense: often affordable, but still more costly than photos. However, if you're looking for the biggest return on your marketing investment, video is your answer. Today I'm going to tell you why, and give you a few ideas that you could use to sell your property.
Simply put, video gets the message across. People retain 95% of a message when they watch it in video format , compared to a meagre 10% when reading it in text. (Given that 65% of the world are visual learners, this isn't hugely surprising!) This is probably why so many brands have turned to video in recent years - no doubt you've seen at least a couple of video ads on Facebook or Instagram.
However, the decision-making process involved with buying a property is more in depth and takes far longer than the decision to buy almost anything else. House hunters don't just look at one, two or even three properties. Across the country, the buying process is taking about 6 months. That's a lot of weekends to inspect a lot of different properties. The ones with a listing video have a much better chance of being remembered.
Plus, a listing video acts as a 24 hour open home - allowing buyers to 'walk through' the property at any time of the day or night, from the comfort of their couch. They can then revisit it from anywhere, at anytime, on their mobile devices. This reinforces the main selling points, again and again.
Another reason why we offer listing videos as part of our marketing packages is that it helps leverage human nature. After all, emotional connection is the key ingredient in any successful property campaign (and more often than not the catalyst to selling at the best price).
Sunset snaps and wide-lens shots can be very effective in piquing interest, but video ads help buyers to connect on a deeper level right from the beginning - giving them the chance to really imagine themselves in the home. We can use creativity to evoke nostalgia and tug at the heartstrings with expertly chosen backing music and a well-crafted story. Plus, buyers are hungry for details, and a video can intimately showcase a home's finest selling points in a way no photograph could alone. For example, we can showcase your kitchen (perfectly positioned so parents can keep an eye on the backyard) without any words by having the kids run through the house and outside to play. My dog Moe has even made a cameo appearance, to give a property a more homely feel.
But it's not just about showcasing what's inside your home. Video can also help to sell the lifestyle the property offers, and that the buyer could enjoy if they were to live in the property. Drones can even be sent up to get a birds' eye view, and really show people you're 'a stone's throw away' from the local cafe precinct and just a short stroll from the kids' school.
… and the final reason. Video drives action. It works, across every industry. According to Adobe, e-commerce customers that view a video are 1.81 times more likely to purchase than those who don't - and the stats specific to the real estate industry are even better. Video has been proven to generate 4 times more property enquiries on average. Videos are more compelling than text, fact. It cuts through the market clutter like no other campaign tool and will boost your property's profile.
Hopefully, all of the above has shown you that video is fast becoming an essential marketing tool for property. But, as with any content, it needs to be intelligently planned, targeted and professional to have the greatest impact. I work with a skilled video content team to produce compelling, high-quality real estate videos, within a fast turnaround time. Get in touch today to talk about what we could do with your property!
Cheers,
S.D.