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"Koeppel Direct's media buying expertise has played an integral role in making my company successful. Koeppel generated so much business for our company, occasionally we have to limit their media buys, in order to handle all of the new business." | |
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MEDIA BUYING DIRECT RESPONSE TELEVISION (DRTV) ARTICLE ...... |
Market Yourself
By:Corie Costello
Published: 08/06 - Michigan Realtor |
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Due to many factors, REALTOR competition is more intense than it has ever been.
According to the National Association of REALTORS, there are now over 2.5 million real estate licensees.
Michigan has also seen a surge in real estate professionals over the last few years, and now MAR has over
34,000 REALTOR members. These numbers give consumers more choices when deciding which REALTOR is right
for them, but this may leave REALTORS wondering how they can get and retain clients.
SIMPLE SOLUTION: REALTORS need good, solid branding, marketing and advertising techniques. That sounds good, but
in reality that advice can seem more overwhelming than helpful, especially if you are a REALTOR working in a
smaller office or for yourself. Where should you start? Michigan REALTORŪ has brought together some experts
in this field to give you useful advice on how to stand out in a such a vast population.
"Many REALTORS offer very similar services. To stand apart from the competition you need to focus on what's unique
about the way you do business," said Peter Koeppel, founder and president of Koeppel Direct, a leader in
direct-response television media buying, marketing, campaign management and creative strategies. With over 20
years of marketing and advertising experience, he has helped Fortune 500 companies, small businesses and
entrepreneurs develop marketing campaigns to increase their profits.
Koeppel stresses that REALTORS need to think outside the box to find out what they can offer to make them
unique in the industry, suggesting it could be your level of commitment or an area of specialty. Once you
discover what it is that makes you different, use that in your branding and marketing. "Narrow the focus of
what you offer, so people think of you first when looking for a particular type of REALTOR," he said.
Jackie Huie, president of JohnsonRauhoff Communications Group, based in southwestern Michigan, said that one of the most
commonly made mistakes in branding is not finding and using that niche that makes you stand out from the crowd. Huie?s
agency serves both small regional and large national accounts, such as Coca-Cola Foods, GE, McDonald?s, Meijer, Pepsi,
Whirlpool and many more. JohnsonRauhoff works on everything from branding to advertising, promotions, direct marketing,
trade shows and e-commerce. Huie suggests that you start with your logo. "Spend time on that, and assure that
everything you do plays to the strengths and uniqueness you claim as your own," she said. After you have the
basics of your logo and niche marketing message, think about visibility and getting out in front of people to
make an impression. "Visibility is very important. Your strategy for building visibility should position you
perfectly in your target market so that you are top of mind with your ideal clients, " said Suzanne Bates,
prominent executive coach, communications consultant and president and CEO of Bates Communications. Bates helps
executives and professionals develop a unique and authentic communication style to become stars in their
industries.
Being in places where you can reach your audience and send them a clear, consistent message is vital to creating
a successful marketing strategy and a brand that lasts. "A brand is really nothing more than an impression
people have of you based on their experience, or what they hear by word of mouth," said Bates.
In the current market conditions, REALTORS may feel that branding and marketing are not an important place to
make an investment with their time or money. Nothing could be further from the truth. When the market is tight,
competition for clients is even fiercer. A strong branding and marketing campaign may be just what a REALTOR
needs to get ahead of the competition. Making sure you are visible in today?s market could be the reason why
you are chosen to list a property over the other numerous REALTORS in your community.
In response to the economy, there are different approaches REALTORS might want to consider when tackling
their brand. "In this economy, targeted marketing is most advantageous," said Huie. "Approaches in
targeted marketing are direct mail and e-commerce working off contact lists. Think about investing some
dollars in supplying communication tools for your agents to use directly, including follow-up materials." Such
tools include utilizing the Internet. This is an effective, inexpensive way to let clients browse your
inventory and experience your brand at the same time.
When thinking about Web marketing, you need to make it easy for the consumer.Web pages cannot take too long to
load, and the colors used should be Web-friendly (don't use bright reds, yellows, pinks, etc.) so your message
is easy to read. Also, remember that uniqueness is the key to successful branding. You should put some thought
behind your Web-marketing strategies. Seek experts to provide advice and feedback. With today's technology,
every computer has design capabilities, but not everyone is a professional designer. These programs are great
for building personal Web sites, but your brand needs a more polished, professional touch.
If you decide that hiring an agency is best for meeting your needs, according to Huie, you should make sure that agency does its
homework and knows your market. "The greatest impact will be achieved by matching services with needs and
making claims in a proactive way. Our experience has been that impactful communications are clear on the
value-added. Gone are the days where businesses have the time or money to advertise for entertainment value.
"Branding and marketing do not have to be expensive. According to Bates there are many actions you can take
to make sure you're visible in your market. They include reaching out to groups within your community and offering
your expertise to speak at one of their events, or writing articles or columns for the local newspaper. You
could also be helpful to the local press by pitching your story ideas and becoming an accessible interview
source. You may also want to consider sponsoring tables, events or teams that would help you reach your target
audience. "When people see you are involved and interested in the community, they are far more likely to send
business to you. That is powerful branding," Bates said.
When reaching out to the community you want to do
business with, it is best to keep your message focused and consistent. According to Koeppel, doing so will help
people quickly recognize you and your services. "Don't send out a mailer one day where you position your
company/service one way and then send out another mailer with a different message," he said. "It takes lots
of repeated messages to get the brand into people's minds. So be consistent with your advertising messages
and advertise on a continuous basis. That's the only way people will become familiar with you, thus increasing
your name and brand recognition."
Koeppel also said to try some alternative ways of getting your message out to your target audience. Like Bates,
he suggests doing some public relations work by writing articles for media within your industry and try being a
featured guest on local radio and television programs. Both professionals agree that if you need help in this
area you should seek out a good public relations firm. The right public relations firm can give your brand a
boost into the media spotlight. You can also use a professional to just help in certain areas such as speaking
and writing.
When Meijer wanted to boost holiday sales earlier in the season, Huie?s firm created "The Twelve Days of
Thanksgiving." Using a combination of branding and promotion, JohnsonRauhoff created a personality for
Meijer while enticing customer traffic before the traditional holiday shopping rush. "The multi-media effort
included broadcast, direct and in-store marketing efforts and was so successful ? increasing store traffic by
53 percent that it was repeated three years in a row and won a national Telly for creativity," said Huie.
This is a prime example of the results a professional firm can create for a company.
Huie's firm was also successful in an e-commerce campaign for Lakeland Regional Health System. The firm created
both Internet and intranet Web sites for the healthcare group."When the community was interested in learning
about network services,physicians, training or anything that had to do with health, they knew where to turn,"
she said. "On every piece of communication about Lakeland, there was reference to the site. In a short time
from re-launch, site traffic increased dramatically and continues as the portal of communications for the
healthcare group."
In consulting with a professional firm, Huie cautions to take your time in deciding which firm is best for you.
"Challenge them to service your business well and hold them to the numbers for performance," she said.
"You can't lose with a group that will stay up nights thinking about how they can help you achieve your goals."
Never forget about the most powerful tool for attracting clients, word of mouth. You want to create a positive vibe about
you and your brand and you want people to communicate that positive vibe to each other. "A positive personal
brand gives you leverage," said Bates. Staying active in your community and spending time building your branding
and marketing strategies will ensure you stay at the forefront of people's minds and when they know of someone who needs
a REALTOR, they will recommend you.
This is the perfect time to either create or strengthen your brand. If you are thinking about cutting back on your
advertising due to current market conditions, think about Huie's advice. "There is no greater opportunity to be visible
than to advertise when others aren't, she said. "Companies are money ahead on their communications spending when the
competition is less visible. Companies that can market themselves should market themselves."
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