Win more business from your sphere: 3 ways to tweak your marketing

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The ads and flyers you run to your geographic farm often act as an introduction to you, your brand and your business niche. It’s acceptable (and expected) that your Just Listed flyers explain who you are and what you do.

But when it comes to marketing to your sphere — the people who know you best — it’s important that you work to reinforce your value proposition, not introduce it. Because while a refrigerator magnet with your face and email on it may be a suitable giveaway for 500 people in your farm, it’s a weird gift to offer the cousin who bunked with you every summer at Camp Lakota.

Your goal, then, is to make Cousin Jim feel more special than anyone in your CRM. Here are three ways you can tweak your marketing to better appeal to your sphere contacts.

1. Don’t act like you’re on a first date

The first rule of sphere marketing is to make assumptions of what your contacts know, then build on them. That means that you shouldn’t introduce yourself as if for the first time in every single flyer and ad you target at your sphere.

If you’re aiming for more referrals, then don’t be afraid to bring it up directly. These are people who know and trust you. Reference that trust explicitly by saying:

You know me. You trust me. I’d be honored to take care of any referrals you send my way.

2. Talk about a recent sphere referral

Instead of a generalized testimonial from a client who started as an online lead, include a testimonial from a recent referral.

In a one- or two-sentence intro, mention how you met this client.

My friend Julie introduced me to her brother and sister-in-law last year, and I was happy to help Max and Scarlett buy their first ever house! Here’s what they had to say about the experience.

Then, make sure that Max and Scarlett’s testimonial offers insights into how you went above and beyond to help them find the perfect home in their budget and timeframe.

3. Get rid of stock photography

We live in an era of Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook and constant image sharing. As a real estate professional, you have countless opportunities everyday to snap photos that will stand out and offer more personal appeal than even the most perfectly lit stock photo.

As you go about each day, try to get photos of:

    • Your favorite place to get a latte, or the amazing milkshakes at your town’s old-school diner
    • A local hiking trail, lake or river path
    • A busy day at the local pool*
    • The best place to see changing fall leaves each fall
    • Scenes from a local 5k or marathon*
    • The pool at your new listing, staged to perfection
    • Winter wonderland activities, like skiing, snow tubing and snowshoeing*
    • A spring cherry blossom festival*
    • Interior photos of your office, decorated for an upcoming holiday or after a deep clean

*Be sure not to capture anyone’s face, or to get their permission if using their likeness in an ad campaign or social media post.

Having local, original photography will help to reinforce that you’re more than a real estate expert. It will remind your sphere contacts that you’re the #1 advocate for your community and local businesses.

Whatever it is that makes you love what you do and where you work, photograph those moments and use them instead of stock photography.

Can’t take a photo to save your life?

In that case, pay attention to the people who can — and ask if you can feature their and credit their work in a future ad campaign or social media post.

Whether it’s your amateur photographer friend with a $5,000 camera or a high schooler with a great eye and an even better iPhone editing tool, you can easily request and reward local photographers while reinforcing your work as a local agent.

Need help with sphere-based marketing and seller predictions from your sphere?

SmartTargeting for your Sphere helps you identify the homeowners most likely to sell from within your sphere and our automating marketing platform helps you appeal to these friends, former colleagues and acquaintances to win their business.
Reach out today to see which of your CRM contacts are selling this summer.

For more helpful tips, visit the SmartZip blog.

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