Do yourself a favor. Right now, pick up your local newspaper or real estate flyer. Notice anything?
Yep. Everything looks the same. Identical. Bland. Boring. Vanilla. Blahh. Rarely do I see an ad that catches my attention by making me think or want more information.
The truth is that most real estate agents have a hard time advertising themselves. They don't know how to stand out. They are followers, not leaders.
If you are to excel in the advertising arena, you must be a leader, not a follower. In life -- but especially in business and real estate -- leaders are usually contrarians.
Webster's Dictionary defines contrarian as "a person who takes a contrary position or attitude." Why would you want to be one? Because contrarians stand out and get noticed. Contrarians aren't afraid to do things that nobody else is doing. This often leads to spectacular results that followers never experience.
Here are the top ways to be an advertising contrarian:
1. Do "The Opposite."
Remember the episode of Seinfeld when George started to do "The Opposite" of everything he had ever done before? Suddenly he got a great job, a new apartment, and a girlfriend. Now, it may not be a good idea to pattern your life on the fictional George, but there is a grain of truth to his tactic.
Contrarians look for what everyone else is not doing. Then, they fill that void by doing "The Opposite." The same principle can and should be applied to advertising.
For example, if everyone else has pictures of house exteriors, a contrarian might advertise interiors -- or vice versa. A contrarian might decide to not put a picture of either and instead use the advertising space to raise an issue or educate prospects. It's rare to see an ad that doesn't just have a picture of a house. Such a demonstration of your expertise may bring more prospects to your website than just a few pictures of houses.
2. Utilize "The Dominance Factor."
This is your look, your "feel," your design, and your personality. Look at the ads in your newspaper again. Zero personality. Zero charm.
What to do? Catch their eye with a design, a logo, or a picture of you with two of your most recently happy clients -- or you standing at your town's "Welcome" sign holding up a giant golden key. It can be anything, as long as it's memorable. Be different!
3. Consistency instead of "Spot Advertising."
You are better off taking out a half-page ad on an ongoing basis rather than a full-page ad less frequently. Consistency is king. You've got to show up in the paper, and you'd better be there the next time.
This is why so many ads fail -- they just don't run for long enough. True, many are just plain bad ads. But others are pulled much too soon. Even a mediocre ad placed consistently will generate more response than a brilliant ad placed for only a short period of time.
Many people would disagree with me, but my own personal research has proven over and over again that consistency beats spot advertising every day.
4. Use an eye-catching headline.
Notice that very few ads have a headline. This is one of the most under-utilized "power tools" in advertising that attracts major attention. For example, a recent headline one of my clients ran in a local newspaper read:
"Wasting Money on Your College Student's Rent?"
The response to this ad was incredible. It targeted parents in a college town and brought attention to a specific need. Here's another one:
"The Market Is NOT Crashing!"
This also generated many serious inquiries. One of the benefits of making a powerful statement like this in a headline is that it provokes debate and questions. The agent that ran this had people calling up to both argue the point and to clarify what's really going on.
Clients want a point of view -- not just another agent selling another house. They want information, clarity, and someone who will say, "Don't believe the cynical critics. The market is in good shape and I'll show you why."
True, most of these people may not be ready to buy or sell this week. But, look at the lead generation possibilities here. What a great way to get prospects to pick up the phone and call you. My client added several names to her database from this headline -- and she knows the fact that they're interested in the market means they're at least thinking about buying or selling.
5. Quality over Quantity.
Contrarians don't advertise every property they have for sale. In fact, you might want to consider just advertising one.
"I can't do that!" you're probably thinking. "I've got six listings. If I only advertise one, my other five sellers will be upset."
Well, I have news for you: It's all in the presentation. When I was actively selling, I would never advertise six to eight houses together on a page. I would advertise one beautiful interior shot of one property.
Then, I would ask buyers what ad stood out most when they were shopping. Mine always made them stop and look, which is exactly what good advertising should accomplish.
When diving into the world of advertising real estate, it's important to plan a campaign by asking yourself some important questions:
"Where am I going to be advertising?"
Study your local publications. Before you even think about placing an ad, live them. Breathe them. Know them inside and out. Know your competition -- inside and out. You cannot be a contrarian without knowing what everyone else is doing.
"Who is looking in these publications? Buyers? Sellers? Other professionals?"
The more you know about your target market, the better. Everybody reads the real estate listings for different reasons -- buying, selling, investing, etc. It's not just buyers anymore.
"Am I advertising myself? The area I work in? My niche? Or just a house?"
The answer could be any or all of the above, but you won't know which one is the best until you've identified something that nobody else is doing—something that's going to set you apart.
Many agents tell me that they advertise house pictures simply to appease their sellers. But I have a better way to appease your sellers:
Sell their house!
That will appease them pretty darned quickly. And that's what contrarian advertising does for you -- it makes you stand out so that you sell more houses. It shows you have the guts to be a leader. Leaders are different. Dare to be different. Be a contrarian.
