Our Top Three Digital Marketing Articles | October 3

The world of digital marketing is constantly changing. There are always new updates to social media platforms, SEO, privacy regulations, and strategies. Part of my goal in this series, is to share some articles that I’ve recently found helpful for keeping myself apprised of new changes and updates. Today I’m sharing three articles focused on social media, new privacy regulations, and new updates to the home staging process. Let me know if you’ve recently read another helpful digital marketing article that you want to share!

Creating social media content in real estate, mortgage: Focus on the details by Jason Frazier

Oftentimes as marketers, we’re so consumed with making sure we get content out regularly, that we forget that the details in the content matters. But as Frazier points out, the details are what can make content stand out in a crowded marketing world. Part of it is in the details – like knowing the intended platform for your videos so that you can make sure you’re filming them in the best possible way. Sure horizontal videos perform best for Instagram and Snapchat, but those don’t convert well to YouTube or Vimeo. If you’ve ever seen those little black bars on the sides of videos… that’s why. Also, content you’ve designed for print (like flyers) doesn’t often translate well into social content. It’s important to keep the channel in mind for the content you are posting.

My reflections: I agree with Frazier’s points. Sure it may take longer to format content for each channel, but doing so will show intentionality and will show your audience you really do know what you’re doing and in the long run, will make your brand stand out.

New California Privacy Law: What You Should Know by Kathy Thomas

You’ve likely heard about all the concerns for privacy on the internet and new rules and regulations coming into effect for businesses who handle personal information. Recently California passed legislation that allows residents to have more control over their information. If you’re familiar with GDPR, this new regulation shouldn’t be too much of a surprise. Even though it won’t come into effect until 2020, it’s still good to be aware of it and it’s implications. Some consumer rights that the regulation specifies is the right to know all the data a business collects on you, the right to say no to the sale of information, the right to have data deleted, and the right to know the categories of the sources of information where the information was collected. Specifically for home builders and realtors, the last one will be important, especially if you keep data in a CRM, you’ll want to make sure you’re tracking that information.

My reflections: More and more legislation is coming into play that controls how user information is collected and used. It’s always good to know and be cognizant of how you’re collecting personal information and how you’re storing it. Staying up to date with the current legislation is not only good from a legal perspective but will help provide your leads and customers with the peace of mind that you are respectful of their information.

Virtual Staging: An Innovative Way to Impress Buyers by Angie Bersin

Staging can help in the sales of a home because it can help prospective buyers see themselves in a home. However, traditional staging isn’t always a viable option. Virtual staging works particularly well in homes that are vacant, have outdated furniture, or who have current tenets that already have their own furniture (making it hard for prospective buyers to visualize what it may look like for them). There are pros and cons to both methods. Some pros of virtual staging are that it can be cheaper, it can help showcase an empty home’s best features, and you can stage flex rooms in a variety of ways. However one of the biggest cons is that prospective buyers will only see the staging online and not in “real life”.

My reflections: We know that staging properties can help with the sales of properties. Virtual staging is a fairly newer option that will really benefit some properties. It’s important to think about the pros and cons and what will work in your individual case.

Meredith Oliver is a digital marketing expert, sales and marketing professional speaker, and author. If you’d like more information on speaking engagements or books, visit MeredithSpeaks.com For sales and marketing tips, you’re in the right spot! Take a look around Meredith Communications. Follow her on Twitter: @MeredithCSPand follow her killer shoe collection on Instagram: @MeredithsShoes22.

Categorised in: Digital Marketing, FANtastic Marketing Tips, Home Builder Marketing & Sales, Social Media