The Top Three Digital Marketing Tools for Your Real Estate Business
While attending networking events and pursuing personal relationships are not yet obsolete methods of establishing rapport and presence as an investor, digital marketing and advertising are becoming increasingly critical in the world of Kona Hawaii real estate. And we’re not just talking about craigslist ads. There is a whole host of digital tools and programs designed to help you maximize your online presence. The key to success in Kona Hawaii real estate is to understand what tools to use and how to use them.
Below we discuss what we believe are the three absolutely essential digital marketing tools: websites, search engine optimization, and social media.
Website
Developing your website is the natural first-step to establishing your online presence. Using services like WordPress and Squarespace, even the technologically un-savvy can develop a professional website with ease. We’ve found that our website for Kona Hawaii real estate has been a springboard for most of our other networking opportunities.
In developing your website, you want to be very deliberate about how you present yourself and your mission. What exactly is it that you do—that is, what do you buy or sell, and in what area? What markets are you operating in? Why would someone want to work with you? You don’t just want people to know what it is that you do. You also want to convey the reason that you do what you do. Having an ethical business objective or a specific source of inspiration will inspire more trust and interest in your business. A visitor to your website should easily obtain a sense of your personality as a Kona Hawaii real estate business.
Keep the frivolity to a minimum. Clean pages, basic fonts, professionally taken photographs, and articulate and concise paragraphs are essential. You also want to make sure your page is navigable—no hidden links or inundating images. Finally, make sure your contact information is big and bold so it’s easy for people to reach you.
Search Engine Optimization
Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, involves incorporating certain keywords into your web pages and blogs. The objective of SEO marketing is to ensure that your page ranks highly on a given search engine (typically Google), thus increasing your web traffic. Unlike Search Engine Marketing, which charges you per-click for an ad, SEO is like an investment. Once you purchase a keyword it will continue to produce returns in the way of increased web ranking and traffic.
Using critical SEO tools like WordPress and Nichebuilder, you can search and analyze keywords to determine how likely they are to increase your page’s ranking. The tools then provide guidelines on how to use those keywords, i.e. how many times to use them, how to incorporate them into blog titles, image descriptions, slugs, and meta descriptions, and so on. Oftentimes these tools will also help you optimize your writing skills as well to ensure that, once individuals land on your page, they will find your material engaging and understandable.
Two critical SEO tips: first, be location specific when you are choosing keywords. If you are selling a home in Kona, don’t just search for broad, simple phrases like “buying a home.” You want your keyword phrases to be short but specific. The most crucial and rewarding way to add specificity is to include your location in the phrase.
Second, don’t forget to optimize your website for mobile devices as well. Today, many people use search engines on their phones more often than they use them on laptops. This is especially true of the business people you will want to connect with as an investor, as they may be constantly on the move. The more accessible your website is to mobile users, the better your page will rank.
Social Media
In today’s day and age, social media outreach is one of the most effective methods of advertising. Millenials, who are now becoming of home-buying age, are frequent users of media forums like Facebook and Instagram. Using these mediums is therefore a great method for attracting renters and buyers of Kona Hawaii real estate.
If you want to advertise through Facebook, you must first create a Facebook page (not a profile) for your business. Invite people to like you. Send a “like” to other investors, as well as agents and wholesalers, to encourage them to like you back and gain visibility in the world of Kona Hawaii real estate. Join real estate related groups where you can post ads for lenders, rental properties, flipped properties, and the like.
One of the most important things to do if you’re seeking to establish legitimacy through social media is to post original content. Catchy ads, statuses, and comments might gain you visibility, but they won’t go far in establishing your credibility. Consider creating a blog that you can post weekly on a given real estate topic to demonstrate your knowledge. You can also post other people’s articles to create a dialogue with other professionals.