Get your sellers to pay for the advertising! - Tip #10
In Australia and New Zealand, Realtors do something rather interesting. They ask the sellers to pay the total costs for a professional media mix advertising campaign, often amounting to many thousands of dollars.
Now, before you read further, I would point out that not all realtors in Australia do that; only the best agents have the skills and are able to obtain substantial advertising dollars from the sellers and achieve great results for them. Other agents, many of whom cut their commissions to win listings when times are tough, also pay all the advertising (albeit very small campaigns, as it is coming out of their pocket), which reduces their commission further.
The better agents are not only retaining full commission, but also those substantial amounts of advertising dollars, which enable them to put together very effective advertising campaigns and obtain a better result for their sellers. What do you think that does for their profile? Absolutely through the roof.
That is one of the main reasons why newspapers in these two countries are still such powerful tools for the real estate industry, carrying hundreds of millions of dollars in glorious full-color real estate advertising. As an example, where I now live at the Gold Coast in Queensland Australia, our daily newspaper recently had a Saturday real estate liftout containing over 200 pages.
I have heard many times in the USA and Canada in particular, that “newspaper advertising doesn't work” -- not true! As long as newspapers have readers, then the right message put in front of them will achieve results, particularly when managed as part of a media mix campaign, complementing the other media used, as I have discussed previously.
Research "Down under" shows that the higher the seller paid advertising percentage, the better the campaign, with more sales at higher prices in a shorter time frame. As proven across the Australian and New Zealand markets, sellers will pay, if they believe as a result, they will achieve a better end net result. You're also guaranteed to achieve a much higher listing to selling success rate, retain full commission and also, both ends of the deal or "sides".
Industry support
Some time ago, the real estate Institute of Queensland (REIQ) quoted in the daily newspaper "On the subject of real estate advertising, the REIQ supports the policy of seller paid advertising." This is the industry Association the public listens to and trusts.
1% - 2% of Property Value
In Australia and New Zealand, the aim is for 1% - 2% of the selling price, for the advertising budget. This is merely in line with all other businesses and industries, in terms of what advertising money they spend, as a % of product value or annual turnover. Which means of course, that property is dramatically under promoted compared to everything else, therefore not giving it the exposure it deserves!
As I teach Australian and New Zealand Realtors, if you don't believe you can achieve a better end net result (that's the money in the seller's pocket after all commission and advertising costs have been paid), by using their money for advertising -- DON'T DO IT -- they don't deserve to pay the money and you don't deserve to get it!
Can it be done in marketplaces where the practice doesn't currently exist?
Yes, if a proper professional advertising campaign is presented to the seller as an option (and in a consultative selling situation, they have been part of the information gathering process) and they can see the dramatic difference between that and the usual campaign, they can be influenced to invest in what they see will be potentially a better result for them.
Example - Calgary, Canada
I have also been working in this marketplace over the past 11 years and recently there was a property priced at just under $1 million that had expired, with the sellers desperate to sell. What happens next?
All too often, the price could be dropped many tens of thousands of dollars to sell the property in a desperation situation. However, a local Realtor suggested the seller give him around $2000 to produce a better advertising campaign. The result? A record price for the area, with an overjoyed seller. Was that a good investment for them? You bet!
I mentioned John McKenna from Pennsylvania previously winning a listing that had been on the market for three years and the previous Realtor couldn’t sell the property for $259,000. In desperation, who knows how many thousands of dollars they could have dropped, to sell their property.
However, not only did they not have to drop in price, John achieved an amazing extra $30,000 for them, selling the property quickly at $289,000. Good advertising did that for them and as you could appreciate, they would have been more than happy to invest in advertising that would produce those results.
If you are asking for sellers to contribute advertising $$$’s, how can you compete with Realtors offering to do the advertising for free? We have an interesting situation in Australia, where in the Western Australian marketplace, the practice of sellers contributing towards advertising is very rare.
A long-term Realtor friend of mine, Mark Passmore from Passmore Real Estate, works in that marketplace in Perth the Capital. He's very good at what he does and was previously in the top 2% of Century 21 Realtors worldwide.
He has been using my advertising system for around 10 years now and as he said recently "my last 10 listings, I averaged over $6000 in vendor advertising contribution for each one ." In every instance, he was competing against other agents saying they would do the ads for free, but Mark’s professional advertising approach convinced the sellers they would achieve a better end net result with him, and he can hardly keep up with his repeat and referral business.
With success after success, his job is easy, with hundreds of testimonials to draw upon, that potential listings are invited to contact, to get first hand feedback and proof.
Of course, to make this a reality, you have to become an advertising "expert" and really know what you're doing, demonstrating a systematic professional approach to sellers that gives them the confidence to entrust their hard earned dollars to you their Realtor, with a belief that you will achieve the best possible end net result for them.
Don't get left behind!
Be careful of saying things like "We don't do that here, the sellers would never pay. It wouldn't work in our marketplace. It wouldn't work with our commission structure". Very simply, if an investment of $3000 gave a return of an extra $10,000 or more for example, then it would work in any marketplace with any commission structure.
As I mentioned before, while it should never be a focus, the top agents achieving seller advertising contribution gain huge exposure and their profile in their local area goes through the roof. One selling Principal/Broker in Australia has won awards for achieving around $1 million per year in seller advertising contribution. Imagine what that has done for his and his office’s profile!
For those of you in marketplaces where the practice doesn't currently exist, I ask you to open your minds and consider the possible benefits. Don't get left behind and find that others are doing it. It is already happening in the USA and Canadian marketplaces. We are becoming global and ideas and business practices tend to spread around the world. Look to being a leader not someone left behind, saying "I never thought it would work here", and if you need some input, just contact me, Ian Grace, at amazing@iangrace.com.au
In my next post, I will tell you how to test your ads for effectiveness and also give you some great dialogue for when you are welcoming potential buyers at open houses, to make you "the one" -- the Realtor who will stand out in their minds amongst all those Realtors they may have seen at open houses that day or weekend.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Pricing -- take your sellers for a ride!
Pricing -- take your sellers for a ride! - Tip #9
Research
As an example, a Realtor in one of my classes was buying a house himself. He had been to see this particular home and thought it was okay, then arranged for his wife to view the property with him and the Realtor who was selling it.
They were in two cars and when they arrived at the property, the wife had one look at the front of the house and said she hated the property and there was no chance she would agree to buy it. She was absolutely adamant initially that she was not even going to get out of the car.
Eventually, the husband managed to get her (very reluctantly) to walk into the house, convincing her to be polite out of respect to the Realtor who had met them there, have a look and then they could tell him it wasn't for them.
However, once the wife walked into the house and particularly, walked onto the expansive back deck/veranda, with a beautiful view over natureland, the wife fell in love with the property and they bought it.
This is a perfect example of when an ad showing the front of the house would never have worked with this lady and how giving them the address in advance, also would never have worked with her. She would have hated it and the Realtor would never have seen her.
Number of bedrooms
No, it probably doesn't mean what you are thinking. We're not going to take them on a one-way trip to a deserted place and we are not going to con them. What we are going to conquer once and for all are two things I get really tired of hearing from Realtors.
Firstly, a Realtor who can't sell a property complaining bitterly "Aaah, the property was always overpriced….". That's their excuse for not being able to sell the property as, according to them, it was always the seller's fault who wanted too much money.
Secondly, Realtors complaining they have lost a listing to another Realtor who indulged in the practice of "buying the listing" or telling the seller they would achieve a higher price, often unrealistic, to win the listing, then afterwards gradually "conditioning" or "educating" the seller to keep lowering their price.
Firstly, a Realtor who can't sell a property complaining bitterly "Aaah, the property was always overpriced….". That's their excuse for not being able to sell the property as, according to them, it was always the seller's fault who wanted too much money.
Secondly, Realtors complaining they have lost a listing to another Realtor who indulged in the practice of "buying the listing" or telling the seller they would achieve a higher price, often unrealistic, to win the listing, then afterwards gradually "conditioning" or "educating" the seller to keep lowering their price.
Research
Let's have a look first at what research tells us and the three most important pieces of information that potential buyers look for in any real estate advertising.
Price, Location, Number of Bedrooms
Price, Location, Number of Bedrooms
If all the research done shows conclusively that these are the top three pieces of information potential buyers require, then common sense says...give it to them! I make mention of that fact because, depending on which country I am working in, I see some or even all of those pieces of information left out of the advertising. How illogical is that?
Price, therefore (number one on the list), is obviously vitally important. However, in countries such as Australia and New Zealand where auction is a very popular and often very effective way of selling homes, many agents using this practice leave price out completely -- not even an indication of price to be seen.
This leads to many disgruntled potential buyers, who probably should never have attended a particular auction in the first place, because they have dramatically misjudged the price of the home. I also have research from one of the Australian Real Estate Institutes showing as high as 58% of potential buyers would not ask the Realtor for any further information, if the price or at least a price indication, wasn't included in the ads.
Consultative selling means teamwork
Price, therefore (number one on the list), is obviously vitally important. However, in countries such as Australia and New Zealand where auction is a very popular and often very effective way of selling homes, many agents using this practice leave price out completely -- not even an indication of price to be seen.
This leads to many disgruntled potential buyers, who probably should never have attended a particular auction in the first place, because they have dramatically misjudged the price of the home. I also have research from one of the Australian Real Estate Institutes showing as high as 58% of potential buyers would not ask the Realtor for any further information, if the price or at least a price indication, wasn't included in the ads.
Consultative selling means teamwork
Consultative selling is the most powerful form of "selling", when, instead of selling at the sellers, the Realtor works as a team with them. So, pricing is obviously vital because if the Realtor and the seller can't agree on pricing before the relationship starts, then they are never working properly as a team. This is when the Realtor needs to have the courage and integrity to walk away from a listing, while offering any assistance the seller should need in the future.
Time after time, I have seen this happen, then the Realtor has still ended up with the listing, as the seller, given time to think about it, was impressed with the honesty and integrity of the Realtor and decided to go with them.
So, how do we get closer to real agreement on a realistic price? By taking the sellers for a ride! Realtors should automatically be showing sellers a CMA or Competitive Market Analysis (different terminology in different countries), showing them exactly what has sold in their area and surrounds, right up until yesterday.
That is the kind of information a seller should be able to expect from their real estate "expert". Obviously, comparisons should be shown with properties that are as close to identical to the property for sale as possible. However, it is still just words on paper, plus maybe a photo or two, but never the same as the real thing.
Firstly, impress upon the seller how important it is to be working together on the same goal/price in mind. Tell them you need to spend a little time with them and take them for a drive. Armed with the CMA and your digital camera, you then visit several homes that are similar to theirs, that have sold in recent times.
Photograph the homes and compare what they have to offer, not just the home itself, but what the surrounding area offers. For example, two homes that would appear to be identical can be priced quite differently, if one is adjacent to a park, where children could play, pets could roam or be taken for a walk and adults could just relax, stroll or perhaps picnic.
That home could quite possibly attract a substantially higher price. With homes near the beach, the difference is quite dramatic -- beachfront homes, then one street back from the beach, then two, then four, then six -- prices will differ quite dramatically even when the physical characteristics of the homes might appear to be the same.
Again, properties that are within walking distance of just about every facility required will attract higher prices every time than properties where the buyers would have to drive everywhere to get to what they need.
Once you return to the seller's home armed with the photographs, your CMA and the actual comparisons of real homes and actual prices achieved, it is normally a much easier exercise to reach agreement on what a realistic price goal should be.
In my experience, sellers are also highly impressed by the integrity of the Realtor and the fact that they took the time and trouble to drive the sellers around to make those comparisons. It sets that Realtor apart, because you can guarantee that 90+ percent of Realtors would never consider doing it.
Also, if another Realtor tries to "buy the listing" by inflating the expected selling price, the seller has now been armed with the correct information in the most honest possible way and as much as they would like to believe an inflated price they are presented with, they realize it's not right and now question the integrity and advice of that Realtor.
So, taking your sellers for a ride has some great advantages and will win you many more listings, as countless Realtors have told me over the years.
Location
Time after time, I have seen this happen, then the Realtor has still ended up with the listing, as the seller, given time to think about it, was impressed with the honesty and integrity of the Realtor and decided to go with them.
So, how do we get closer to real agreement on a realistic price? By taking the sellers for a ride! Realtors should automatically be showing sellers a CMA or Competitive Market Analysis (different terminology in different countries), showing them exactly what has sold in their area and surrounds, right up until yesterday.
That is the kind of information a seller should be able to expect from their real estate "expert". Obviously, comparisons should be shown with properties that are as close to identical to the property for sale as possible. However, it is still just words on paper, plus maybe a photo or two, but never the same as the real thing.
Firstly, impress upon the seller how important it is to be working together on the same goal/price in mind. Tell them you need to spend a little time with them and take them for a drive. Armed with the CMA and your digital camera, you then visit several homes that are similar to theirs, that have sold in recent times.
Photograph the homes and compare what they have to offer, not just the home itself, but what the surrounding area offers. For example, two homes that would appear to be identical can be priced quite differently, if one is adjacent to a park, where children could play, pets could roam or be taken for a walk and adults could just relax, stroll or perhaps picnic.
That home could quite possibly attract a substantially higher price. With homes near the beach, the difference is quite dramatic -- beachfront homes, then one street back from the beach, then two, then four, then six -- prices will differ quite dramatically even when the physical characteristics of the homes might appear to be the same.
Again, properties that are within walking distance of just about every facility required will attract higher prices every time than properties where the buyers would have to drive everywhere to get to what they need.
Once you return to the seller's home armed with the photographs, your CMA and the actual comparisons of real homes and actual prices achieved, it is normally a much easier exercise to reach agreement on what a realistic price goal should be.
In my experience, sellers are also highly impressed by the integrity of the Realtor and the fact that they took the time and trouble to drive the sellers around to make those comparisons. It sets that Realtor apart, because you can guarantee that 90+ percent of Realtors would never consider doing it.
Also, if another Realtor tries to "buy the listing" by inflating the expected selling price, the seller has now been armed with the correct information in the most honest possible way and as much as they would like to believe an inflated price they are presented with, they realize it's not right and now question the integrity and advice of that Realtor.
So, taking your sellers for a ride has some great advantages and will win you many more listings, as countless Realtors have told me over the years.
Location
Research item number two is also very important. The suburb definitely, then it is up to yourself whether you give them the exact street address. This can now depend on how you have advertised the property. If it's the same old front of the house main photo, then often if they visit the property and are not really impressed with the front of the house when they see it in real life, they can drive away and you have lost them.
As an example, a Realtor in one of my classes was buying a house himself. He had been to see this particular home and thought it was okay, then arranged for his wife to view the property with him and the Realtor who was selling it.
They were in two cars and when they arrived at the property, the wife had one look at the front of the house and said she hated the property and there was no chance she would agree to buy it. She was absolutely adamant initially that she was not even going to get out of the car.
Eventually, the husband managed to get her (very reluctantly) to walk into the house, convincing her to be polite out of respect to the Realtor who had met them there, have a look and then they could tell him it wasn't for them.
However, once the wife walked into the house and particularly, walked onto the expansive back deck/veranda, with a beautiful view over natureland, the wife fell in love with the property and they bought it.
This is a perfect example of when an ad showing the front of the house would never have worked with this lady and how giving them the address in advance, also would never have worked with her. She would have hated it and the Realtor would never have seen her.
Number of bedrooms
This is pretty obvious, but in some areas I see Realtors who leave out the number of bedrooms. Most particularly when it only happens to be one or two bedrooms, as they somehow feel that might put them off, but they will "sell" them on the property when they phone to see how many bedrooms it has.
Sadly, it's not when they phone, it's if they phone and one thing is for certain, if there are two properties advertised side-by-side that appear to satisfy the buyers needs, one property telling the number of bedrooms and the other not, guess which one they will phone first -- obviously, the one telling them how many bedrooms, rather than playing guessing games with the other one.
In my next article, I will give you an insight into the unique process in practice in Australia and New Zealand, where the Realtors obtain advertising dollars from the sellers. That's right, they get the sellers to pay for the advertising campaigns, often many thousands of dollars. But, many of these sellers come back for more and repeat the process with their next home for sale, time and time again. I'll show you why, and also how this practice is appearing in other markets and countries.
Sadly, it's not when they phone, it's if they phone and one thing is for certain, if there are two properties advertised side-by-side that appear to satisfy the buyers needs, one property telling the number of bedrooms and the other not, guess which one they will phone first -- obviously, the one telling them how many bedrooms, rather than playing guessing games with the other one.
In my next article, I will give you an insight into the unique process in practice in Australia and New Zealand, where the Realtors obtain advertising dollars from the sellers. That's right, they get the sellers to pay for the advertising campaigns, often many thousands of dollars. But, many of these sellers come back for more and repeat the process with their next home for sale, time and time again. I'll show you why, and also how this practice is appearing in other markets and countries.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Keep the Same Ad Running
Keep the Same Ad Running - Tip # 8
Once you've created a great ad, run it at least four times if not more. As research shows, people need to see the same ad or message three times or more, on average, before they will respond. Now this will particularly apply to real estate publications and printed matter, whether magazines, journals, newsletters, flyers or newspapers, as your Internet ads obviously just keep running.
In some countries, particularly the USA, real estate advertising in newspapers has diminished dramatically -- in countries such as Australia and New Zealand, there is a huge amount of real estate advertising in newspapers like the Gold Coast Bulletin in Queensland, which covers the area where I live, will carry 100-200 pages or more of full-colour real estate advertising every Saturday.
Now, this is mostly because of a local phenomenon where sellers, working with their Realtors, actually pay for the advertising for their properties. I'll touch on that later.
This is where the "four times or more" rule really applies and the newspapers have incentives for the Realtors to run the ads 4 times or more. Newspapers around the world have done that for decades with their classified advertising because of that research showing that people need to see the same ad three or more times on average before they will respond.
Even if newspaper advertising is not a big part, or any part, of your campaign, the same rule will apply to any magazines and journals you're using, as well as your flyers. Put the message in front of your audience 4 times or more to get the best results.
Realtors often change ads quite quickly, only running them once or twice, because they feel they're not getting the result they want. If the ad was a good one, it's like going fishing, throwing out a line and bait, getting a nibble then cutting the line and throwing out a freshly baited hook and starting from scratch.
Others may change an ad because they think it has grown stale and perhaps people out there will be saying "there's the same ad again, obviously they can't sell that property." We must forget about them, even if they were thinking that. It doesn't matter as they are not the right audience and their opinion doesn't matter.
What we must keep in our minds is that the market is changing every day and new buyers are constantly coming into the market. A good campaign will work with them.
I've already emphasized the importance of understanding that you are putting a media mix advertising campaign together, where the ads need to carry the same message, same main photo and headline in all the media. All too often, when the Realtor changes an ad, they only do it in one medium, which means the new ad is not matching the ads in the other media. Therefore nit is not a campaign and they have effectively decreased the chance of a good result.
Different ad campaigns for different markets
So it goes to show that if you've put together a great campaign, keep it running, consistent across all your media, you will obtain the results your buyers deserve.
However, that doesn't mean to say you are not constantly reviewing the performance of your campaign, the properties competing in the same price range, the weather and any other events that can affect response to your advertising.
In my next article, I will be talking about pricing, which is absolutely vital to get it right, as well as some points that must be included in every ad. Then we will touch on the concept that is so prevalent in Australia, of influencing sellers to contribute towards their advertising campaigns.
I realise in many countries it would mean a paradigm shift in thinking, but once it is done, the results can be quite amazing for all concerned. See you next time.
Once you've created a great ad, run it at least four times if not more. As research shows, people need to see the same ad or message three times or more, on average, before they will respond. Now this will particularly apply to real estate publications and printed matter, whether magazines, journals, newsletters, flyers or newspapers, as your Internet ads obviously just keep running.
In some countries, particularly the USA, real estate advertising in newspapers has diminished dramatically -- in countries such as Australia and New Zealand, there is a huge amount of real estate advertising in newspapers like the Gold Coast Bulletin in Queensland, which covers the area where I live, will carry 100-200 pages or more of full-colour real estate advertising every Saturday.
Now, this is mostly because of a local phenomenon where sellers, working with their Realtors, actually pay for the advertising for their properties. I'll touch on that later.
This is where the "four times or more" rule really applies and the newspapers have incentives for the Realtors to run the ads 4 times or more. Newspapers around the world have done that for decades with their classified advertising because of that research showing that people need to see the same ad three or more times on average before they will respond.
Even if newspaper advertising is not a big part, or any part, of your campaign, the same rule will apply to any magazines and journals you're using, as well as your flyers. Put the message in front of your audience 4 times or more to get the best results.
Realtors often change ads quite quickly, only running them once or twice, because they feel they're not getting the result they want. If the ad was a good one, it's like going fishing, throwing out a line and bait, getting a nibble then cutting the line and throwing out a freshly baited hook and starting from scratch.
Others may change an ad because they think it has grown stale and perhaps people out there will be saying "there's the same ad again, obviously they can't sell that property." We must forget about them, even if they were thinking that. It doesn't matter as they are not the right audience and their opinion doesn't matter.
What we must keep in our minds is that the market is changing every day and new buyers are constantly coming into the market. A good campaign will work with them.
I've already emphasized the importance of understanding that you are putting a media mix advertising campaign together, where the ads need to carry the same message, same main photo and headline in all the media. All too often, when the Realtor changes an ad, they only do it in one medium, which means the new ad is not matching the ads in the other media. Therefore nit is not a campaign and they have effectively decreased the chance of a good result.
Different ad campaigns for different markets
We discussed this previously and if your campaigns have been put together properly, these targeted ads will achieve the results you need.
All too often, Realtors are adopting the shotgun approach--trying to aim at everyone. The reality is, we only need one person to sign the contract and having another two or three interested in the property at the same time helps to push the price as high as possible.
We don't need to reach millions of people, only a few of the right ones, effectively.
Repetition across different media
All too often, Realtors are adopting the shotgun approach--trying to aim at everyone. The reality is, we only need one person to sign the contract and having another two or three interested in the property at the same time helps to push the price as high as possible.
We don't need to reach millions of people, only a few of the right ones, effectively.
Repetition across different media
As we have covered previously, effective advertising works accumulatively, with buyers seeing the same ad time and time again, with the same message, across different media.
Delivering my programs across the USA, Canada, UK, Australia and New Zealand over the past 17 years I have seen countless examples where buyers have seen ads for properties 8 times or more, even as high as one example I'm thinking of right now -- 20 times.
That was a Realtor himself, who had driven past a photo signboard for a property (prevalent in Australia in New Zealand -- 6' x 4' signs with full-colour photographs, headline and some wording) at least 20 times and it finally grew on him enough that he ended up buying the property. Job done!
Delivering my programs across the USA, Canada, UK, Australia and New Zealand over the past 17 years I have seen countless examples where buyers have seen ads for properties 8 times or more, even as high as one example I'm thinking of right now -- 20 times.
That was a Realtor himself, who had driven past a photo signboard for a property (prevalent in Australia in New Zealand -- 6' x 4' signs with full-colour photographs, headline and some wording) at least 20 times and it finally grew on him enough that he ended up buying the property. Job done!
So it goes to show that if you've put together a great campaign, keep it running, consistent across all your media, you will obtain the results your buyers deserve.
However, that doesn't mean to say you are not constantly reviewing the performance of your campaign, the properties competing in the same price range, the weather and any other events that can affect response to your advertising.
In my next article, I will be talking about pricing, which is absolutely vital to get it right, as well as some points that must be included in every ad. Then we will touch on the concept that is so prevalent in Australia, of influencing sellers to contribute towards their advertising campaigns.
I realise in many countries it would mean a paradigm shift in thinking, but once it is done, the results can be quite amazing for all concerned. See you next time.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Use the Power of All Your Media Working Together
Media match: Use the Power of All Your Media Working Together - Tip #7
In my last couple of posts, I promised I would talk about the power of creating an advertising CAMPAIGN, rather than just individual ads in individual media.
Campaigns
All too often, I see Realtors with totally different ads for the same property, in different media. They don't even look like each other. Either that, or they are so ordinary, showing yet another front of a house, with nothing memorable about it for prospects to remember.
In this case, it means that each ad is having to start from scratch with the prospective audience/buyers, rather than having an accumulative effect to get the best results.
Once you understand how CAMPAIGN advertising taps into your prospects’ conscious and subconscious minds, to give your properties "top of mind awareness", you will see how obvious and simple it is -- and how amazingly powerful!
In this case, it means that each ad is having to start from scratch with the prospective audience/buyers, rather than having an accumulative effect to get the best results.
Once you understand how CAMPAIGN advertising taps into your prospects’ conscious and subconscious minds, to give your properties "top of mind awareness", you will see how obvious and simple it is -- and how amazingly powerful!
(Remember John McKenna, the Pennsylvania Realtor who hasn't missed one listing in over two years now because of utilising this process -- NOW THAT'S POWERFUL!!)
Reach, frequency and OTS?
Reach, frequency and OTS?
Advertising experts talk about "reach and frequency" aimed at as many "OTS" as possible, for the best possible outcome. Realtors mostly just talk about "writing their ad", mostly in a rush if an advertising deadline is due, or alternatively in some kind of mad rush, just to get the property on the Internet.
In other words, they would rather have a rushed, bad ad there quickly, than devote the time necessary to put together a powerful advertising campaign. If that was done, then they would harvest the synergistic effect of getting all the media employed, to work with and complement each other, rather than having them working in isolation.
Reach?
With any advertising campaign, the Media Planner in an advertising agency, in this case, the Realtor, selects their media by establishing how many potential prospects the particular media they are using will reach.
The more specific the media, the better. For example, an advertising agency looking to reach and influence doctors, might advertise in the Medical Journal, knowing that this medium will reach the specific audience they are after.
For real estate, while the internet is available to all, in some circumstances there are luxury property internet sites, designed to attract those who have the buying power for those types of property.
Certain magazines are designed to reach only affluent readers or areas, therefore, they are a good media choice for a high priced property. Realtors are actually very fortunate because there have always been specific real estate categories in newspapers or magazines, or standalone media, unlike those available to most other products or services.
Frequency and OTS?
A media planner will now gauge how many times (i.e. the frequency), the prospective buyer can see the same ad, the same message. A good campaign will reach as many of the right kind of prospects as many times as possible to give them the most OTS, which in advertising parlance, simply means "Opportunities To See".
Why is this important? Research over the years, shows us that people need to see the same ad, the same message, at least three times or more on average before they will react to it. That's why a carefully planned campaign will give prospects the opportunity to see the same ad, and react to the same message as many times as possible, even 10 times or more, to catch those at the top end of the average.
Media Mix Advertising Campaign
That just means a mix of different media working with each other to give them as many opportunities as possible to see a memorable positive message that will remain in their minds.
When that message is identical across different media, each time the buyer sees it, the brain remembers and immediately ties them together, giving a powerful accumulative effect to the advertising.
For instance, imagine you are sitting at home watching television and on comes a TV ad about an SUV. Now, if you can see the driver, you can pretty well guarantee it won't be an 80 year old. It's pretty straightforward; if the car manufacturer and their advertising agency had determined that their prime market is in the 38 year age group (that's the who part of HOODOO), then they will go to the model agency and book a 38-year-old model and put them behind the wheel of the vehicle to drive on the beach, or rough terrain, enjoying themselves (that's the do part of HOODOO).
Then, the ad will be repeated time and time again -- there's your frequency.
Now, the next day when you are out driving your car, on comes a radio commercial, which is the audio part of the TV commercial you've seen the night before. What will your brain do immediately? It will do an instant match and will immediately recall the TV ad from the night before, showing the 38 year old model driving and enjoying the vehicle.
Then once again, the ad will be repeated time and time again -- more frequency.
Next, you pick up a newspaper, magazine or perhaps flyer or direct mail -- guess what the main photograph will be? Yes, the main visual from the TV commercial which is already filed in the prospect’s brain. The minute you see the ad, your brain will bring up the TV commercial you have already seen. See how the media work together?
Can you identify with this example I’ve just related? I'm sure you can, as we see these media mix campaigns every day of our lives, selling us every imaginable product and service, whether it be cars, carpets or cornflakes.
Now think about this. If the ad in the newspaper or magazine, instead of showing the visual from the TV special night before, showed the same vehicle with a front on shot, displaying the engine. Would that have worked? I'm sure your answer will be no. It just doesn't make sense because there is no match for the brain to recognize.
Some might argue that the ad and photograph is still aimed at selling the same vehicle; however, it may now be talking to a different audience that is more technically minded and interested in specifications. Sadly, this means that all the money invested in the TV commercial and radio commercial has now gone straight down the drain because there is no match, no recall. Does that make sense?
Realtors have the greatest opportunity to create the biggest media mix campaigns of all.
- As many as 4 different Internet sites
- 1 X database e-mail
- 1 X Flyer
- 1 X newspaper ad
- 1 X real estate magazine
- 1 X window display
- 1 X photo signboard
- plus, maybe TV and/or radio
- social media
- the list goes on - how many is that? 10, 12, 15 or more!!
Imagine the power if you can harness all of those media to work with and complement each other, giving a huge amount of OTS with your campaign -- with a memorable message that shows a clear picture of what living there, in that property, will do for them. Every time the prospective buyer sees the message again, it will be matched with what is already in their brain, they will become more familiar with it and it immediately gives them "top of mind awareness" of the property you are advertising.
So, now you can harness the power of a media mix advertising campaign, with every property you list from now on (AND WIN EVERY LISTING) when sellers see you as the advertising expert in their area.
In my next post, we will cover tips 8 and 9 and talk about how often the same ad should run and also looking again at specific content. See you then!
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Use different ads for different target markets
Use Different Ads for Different Target Markets - Tip # 6
Don't forget, the whole HOODOO concept is about carefully targeting your market -- those prospects who will see the most value in the property for them, based on their particular value structure at that time in their life -- and who will therefore be prepared to pay the highest price.
In my last couple of posts, I promised I would talk about the power of creating an advertising CAMPAIGN, rather than just individual ads in individual media. However, before I do that, there is another powerful tool I want to cover first -- using different ad campaigns for different target markets.
Don't forget, the whole HOODOO concept is about carefully targeting your market -- those prospects who will see the most value in the property for them, based on their particular value structure at that time in their life -- and who will therefore be prepared to pay the highest price.
TARGET YOUR MARKET
Talk to them only!
Talk to them only!
This is vitally important. This is what professional advertising agencies do with every product or service they sell on behalf of their clients. Every product we see advertised is aimed at a specific market. It may be aimed at men, women, seniors, children, affluent people, mass market, brand label conscious people, and the list goes on.
I talked before about your ads becoming a personal communication, which can be read by your prospective buyers, as if you are talking directly to them -- that is targetted marketing.
I talked before about your ads becoming a personal communication, which can be read by your prospective buyers, as if you are talking directly to them -- that is targetted marketing.
However, ads I see all the time saying things like "ideal for first home buyer or investor" are not targetted marketing and once you mix two very different markets into the same ad, you cannot communicate directly with either one of them. It's like trying to have a conversation with an 80-year-old and a five-year-old in the same sentence -- it can't be done.
Now, before we look at communicating with each of those markets separately, let's have a look at the "checklist" that will help you to choose the best possible target market for each property you list -- in some cases, as above, two totally different relevant markets.
The advertising experts will normally split this into three distinct areas, using one, two or sometimes all three, to ensure they are right on target. See how easy it makes it for you:
GEOGRAPHIC
Where is the purchaser of this property likely to come from? ie. local area; particular suburbs; beyond greater city area; another city, state or country.
DEMOGRAPHIC
Age, sex, income, singles, couples, families; occupation / profession / investors, etc.
PSYCHOGRAPHIC
Expectations and aspirations: hobbies, habits, preferences, likes and dislikes. eg. People who love entertaining, gardening, golfing, relaxing, peace, activity, etc.
By focusing on each of these 3 areas, it becomes so much easier to determine who your ad campaign should be directed at to generate the greatest (qualified) response.
(Important note: always be aware of any anti-discrimination laws in your particular state and make sure you don't transgress them. Targetted marketing is about offering the property to the best possible prospects, who will have their needs satisfied the best, not about discriminating, but please apply common sense and be aware of your local laws).
Different ads for different target markets
Now, before we look at communicating with each of those markets separately, let's have a look at the "checklist" that will help you to choose the best possible target market for each property you list -- in some cases, as above, two totally different relevant markets.
Selecting your target market
The advertising experts will normally split this into three distinct areas, using one, two or sometimes all three, to ensure they are right on target. See how easy it makes it for you:
GEOGRAPHIC
Where is the purchaser of this property likely to come from? ie. local area; particular suburbs; beyond greater city area; another city, state or country.
DEMOGRAPHIC
Age, sex, income, singles, couples, families; occupation / profession / investors, etc.
PSYCHOGRAPHIC
Expectations and aspirations: hobbies, habits, preferences, likes and dislikes. eg. People who love entertaining, gardening, golfing, relaxing, peace, activity, etc.
By focusing on each of these 3 areas, it becomes so much easier to determine who your ad campaign should be directed at to generate the greatest (qualified) response.
(Important note: always be aware of any anti-discrimination laws in your particular state and make sure you don't transgress them. Targetted marketing is about offering the property to the best possible prospects, who will have their needs satisfied the best, not about discriminating, but please apply common sense and be aware of your local laws).
Different ads for different target markets
Now, if you look at the concept of running two totally different campaigns, aimed at two totally different markets in all the media you're using, it makes absolute sense.
In each case, the ads will evoke a better response, as they read so much more personally and therefore more powerfully. Added to that is the fact that you will be reaching two different markets at the same time, giving more chance of competition between prospective buyers from both markets.
You remember the headline I used in the successful campaign that sold our investment property?
As you can see, there is no discrimination here and the laws of common sense dictate that someone reading the first headline, who was looking for a place to live in, can say to themselves, when they see that headline and the photo "I'd love to live there and watch the waves every day -- let's go and have a look".
Also, an investor reading either of the two headlines above could assume that property would be a good investment with a high rental return (possibly with an ulterior motive of living in the property in years to come).
Another example of a property where first home buyers or investors are equally feasible markets -- some headlines could be as simple as:-
The reality is that most Realtors never think about the idea of running two different campaigns for the same property, so the minute you do it for any of your properties, your ad campaigns will be different. They will stand out and they will achieve way more results.
Campaigns
In each case, the ads will evoke a better response, as they read so much more personally and therefore more powerfully. Added to that is the fact that you will be reaching two different markets at the same time, giving more chance of competition between prospective buyers from both markets.
You remember the headline I used in the successful campaign that sold our investment property?
Watch the waves ...... and the $$$’s roll in!
If we had been aiming to sell the property to someone who would live in it, the headline could have been something like: Watch the waves .....every day.
Or
Your view ...... every morning!
Or
Your view, your lifestyle ... every day!
Or
Your view ...... every morning!
Or
Your view, your lifestyle ... every day!
As you can see, there is no discrimination here and the laws of common sense dictate that someone reading the first headline, who was looking for a place to live in, can say to themselves, when they see that headline and the photo "I'd love to live there and watch the waves every day -- let's go and have a look".
Also, an investor reading either of the two headlines above could assume that property would be a good investment with a high rental return (possibly with an ulterior motive of living in the property in years to come).
Another example of a property where first home buyers or investors are equally feasible markets -- some headlines could be as simple as:-
Could this be your first home?
Or
Secure your future with this great investment.
Or
Secure your future with this great investment.
The reality is that most Realtors never think about the idea of running two different campaigns for the same property, so the minute you do it for any of your properties, your ad campaigns will be different. They will stand out and they will achieve way more results.
Campaigns
All too often, I see Realtors with totally different ads in different media. They don't even look like each other. In this case, it means that each ad is having to start from scratch with the readers rather than having an accumulative effect to get the best results.
More about this in my next post, when I will finally share with you, the advertising experts secrets about "reach and frequency" aimed at as many "OTS" as possible, for the best possible outcome. After that, explaining the synergistic effect of getting all your media to work with and complement each other, rather than viewing them in isolation.
Once you understand how CAMPAIGN advertising taps into your prospects’ conscious and subconscious minds, to give your properties "top of mind awareness", you will see how obvious and simple it is, and how amazingly powerful!
More about this in my next post, when I will finally share with you, the advertising experts secrets about "reach and frequency" aimed at as many "OTS" as possible, for the best possible outcome. After that, explaining the synergistic effect of getting all your media to work with and complement each other, rather than viewing them in isolation.
Once you understand how CAMPAIGN advertising taps into your prospects’ conscious and subconscious minds, to give your properties "top of mind awareness", you will see how obvious and simple it is, and how amazingly powerful!
Monday, June 14, 2010
Put people in your photos
Put people in your photos - Tip #4
As we established in my last post, photos and headlines should work together, always keeping HOODOO in mind. Choosing a photo that is not the front of the house, as the main photograph in your ad, is a paradigm shift for most Realtors, as the industry has been doing the same old thing for so long.
However, once we make that bold step, then we can take photographs that will complement and work with the headlines and the results can be quite amazing -- very often, just like clicking on a light switch, from bad, dull, boring ads to great ads that instantly produce fabulous results for your sellers.
Living there -- as we said previously, that is what property ads should be selling and what better way to show potential buyers what it would be like to live there once they purchase the home, than by putting people in the photos, enjoying themselves?
So now we take the next bold step, by putting people and/or pets in your photos. It's a great way to show people what they will be able to DO when they live there.
Remember our personal home we sold?
See how easy it is for the prospective buyer to project themselves into that picture, visualising themselves relaxing after a hard day, once they are living there?When the buyer (who lived a 2 hour plane flight away) phoned me on the 4th day of our advertising campaign, he only had two questions for me -- "do you get any noise from the highway" (which he saw from Google Earth, was about 1 km away) and "is that you and your wife in the spa?" It was!
As you can see, I practice what I preach.
Another example of the main photo not being the front of the property and showing people, is when we worked with a local Realtor to sell an investment property of ours.
Watch the waves... and the $$$’s roll in! Once again, see how the photo complements the headline and specifically targets the investor market? We wanted an investor to buy it as a going concern, including all furniture and that was exactly who we attracted, achieving $6000 more than the price in the ad after the campaign had only been running for six days.
Remember John McKenna, the Pennsylvania Realtor who hasn't missed a listing for over 22 months since he began putting this advertising system into place?
Well, to demonstrate how a great ad campaign can make an immediate dramatic difference in results -- John picked up the listing for a property that had been on the market almost 3 years. The previous Realtor couldn't sell the home for $259,000. With a very different ad campaign, John had the property sold in just a few weeks, for a staggering $289,000 -- yes, that's right, $30,000 more than the previous Realtor couldn't sell it for -- how is that for results?!
The headline:
Ron and Janet recall the many family barbecues and
get-togethers enjoyed on this patio
get-togethers enjoyed on this patio
The photo:
I'm sure you've guessed it -- a photo of a smiling Ron and Janet on their patio, next to the barbecue. Imagine how that ad stood out amongst all the other usual boring real estate ads showing nothing but fronts of houses -- and the same with the other two ads shown above. They give life to the properties for sale and the prospective buyers can match it to the picture they already have in their own minds, of what it will be like to live in their new home.
Testimonial
Obviously, John uses this example as a very powerful testimonial, showing that photo and headline. Other sellers love the very different advertising approach, look forward to achieving similar results and happily list with him.
Use people's names in your ads - Tip # 5
The ad above brings up another powerful element you can use in your ads to "humanize" and personalize the ads and the properties for sale -- people's names. When you use the sellers’ first or last names (with their permission, of course), it immediately creates a picture, that real people actually live in and love in the property -- and isn't that what buying a home, then living in it, is all about?
The O'Neales are moving
-- was the headline from another successful ad campaign, with the main photo showing the O'Neales with their suitcases packed, then leading into the story about how much they have enjoyed living in the home, the neighbourhood and the surrounding area and everything it had to offer. The inference being of course that the buyer of the home can look forward to the same enjoyment.
Another property that had been on the market for five months, was sold in two weeks with a new advertising campaign -- the headline:-
Tony and Gai will miss the garden
-- with the photo (yes, you guessed it) showing them sitting relaxed in their garden, with the wording talking about how much they have enjoyed it. The potential buyer can visualize themselves relaxing there in exactly the same way, once they have purchased the property and are living there.
Your name - when you use your name in the ad, make sure it is in full and put one powerful little word ahead of it -- that word is "me" e.g. Phone me, John Smith at........
The minute you do that it changes the communication. "Phone John Smith at..." is a direction, not an invitation. "Phone me, John Smith at...." is an invitation that says "I have viewed the property, I have written the ad, I am talking directly to you and I am inviting you to phone me.
Following the HOODOO concept, you probably realize by now that powerful advertising is a direct personal communication and the readers feel as if you're talking directly to them, when they read the ad.
Most real estate advertising is impersonal, merely talking about the thing for sale -- in this case, the property. Powerful advertising first establishes WHO is the best possible prospect, who will see the most value in the property for them and therefore pay the highest price. Powerful advertising then talks directly to that audience, showing them and telling them what they will be able to DO as a direct result of their purchase -- living there!
I don't wish to make this post too long, so don't miss my next post, where we will talk about something that is vitally important -- putting a media mix advertising CAMPAIGN together and understanding the synergistic effect of getting all your media to work with and complement each other, rather than viewing them in isolation - powerful stuff!
Monday, June 7, 2010
Powerful Photos for Great Results
The Top Ten Tips for Writing Great Real Estate Ads - Tip #3
What is the most important part of any ad? The top bit! -- the very first part of the ad that prospective buyers see. People will never read every ad, rather, they skim from ad to ad, letting the photo and first few words (which is normally the headline of the ad) decide for them whether they will read the ad further.
So, now we know the photo and headline are absolutely vital. As I said in my last article, research shows that with all advertising, only one in five people read past the headline of an ad, then it is imperative we get the headline right -- and the photo!
In my last article, I talked about the ad campaign that sold our own home (it was only the 4th day of the campaign when the buyer contacted us, by the way). I also said the main photo I used would blow you away -- I will come to that later, but it illustrates a vital point, a vital rule of advertising, that most real estate ads ignore completely.
Photos and headlines must work together to grab the prospective buyer's interest initially, enough for them to decide the ad has something to offer them and that they should read further. Remember benefit, news, curiosity?
This is where we will change what the real estate industry has been doing forever and I promise you, the results will be amazing. It's time for a paradigm shift in your thinking!
Visualize a properly that, from the back deck or veranda, has a lovely view down over the ocean. Now let's assume we have a headline something like:
Watch the yachts sail by
and the body copy might continue:
Relax with your feet up on your back deck, enjoying this glorious view of the sea, the seagulls circling and the yachts sailing by..............
Got the picture so far? Now, what would be the ideal photo to complement that headline?
You've got it haven't you? A photo taken from that back deck, with the view prospective buyers will enjoy once they are living there, in their new home -- certainly not a photo of the front of the house -- make sense?
Now, with that photo and that headline, can you see how they are absolutely working together, to give the prospective buyer a clear picture of how they will enjoy what they will be able to DO as a result of their purchase (remember HOODOO?).
Now, just to reinforce what I am saying, go and pick up some magazines, your daily newspaper and look at the professionally put together ads. Looking at what we've just done above, do you think you might find that the photos and headlines are working together, to identify prospective customers--their wants, their needs, their problems (and how to solve them)-- so they will make a decision to read past the headline, to see what the ad has to offer them.
Photos and headlines must work together!
Now, this is where we come across a dilemma. Looking at real estate ads, whether they be on the Internet or hard copy, what do you find as the main photo in almost every case? Yep, a photo of the front of the house.
However, if the rule of photos and headlines working with and complementing each other makes sense, then, if we have all fronts of houses as the main photo, with different headlines -- they can't work together -- breaking one of the most vital rules of advertising -- with the most important part of the ad.
Therefore:
The main photo does not need to be the front of the house!!
Research -- In Australia and New Zealand, one of the real estate franchise groups wanted to develop a new logo or identifying symbol, that would infer success, that they are the franchise group that buyers come to. Research was conducted and they found that people skimmed across the ads, mentally or physically crossing out the ones they felt weren't for them and roughly circling those they might look at in more detail.
Therefore, to tie in with this obvious practice, their design people came up with a logo/symbol that looked as if somebody had roughly circled a graphic interpretation of a house -- inferring, that buyers mentally circled their houses first before others, so for those intending to list their property, they were the obvious choice.
However, it rather powerfully illustrates that most real estate advertising is not doing what ads are supposed to do in the first place. In fact, if the ads in newspapers and magazines, selling all manner of products, department stores and services, did what real estate ads do, they may as well close their businesses tomorrow. They would be dead!
Think about it...with real estate, on the one hand the industry is very fortunate, as there are specific advertising sections in all the media, that focus purely on real estate, whether it be real estate Internet portals, real estate magazines, or newspaper real estate sections.
Therefore, you know the audience attracted are definitely interested in property. However, knowing this, the industry has been complacent over decades, placing the same old boring, mindnumbing succession of ads in front of the buying public.
Have you ever looked to buy a property yourselves? You look through pages and pages (Internet or hard copy) of ads showing fronts of houses -- boring, boring, boring -- how can people possibly make an informed decision about what it would be like to live there, in that house, with those neighbors, in that area, with everything it has to offer by looking at those ads?
Consequently, time after time, prospective buyers look at a property they have seen advertised and it is not for them, it is nothing like they expected from the ad. What a waste of everyone's time! Have you ever noticed how people will often buy a house totally different from what they had first specified? Very simply, with the property they actually bought, they had a clearer picture of living there and were prepared to change or sacrifice some of the features they thought they originally needed.
Once again, that is what good advertising does. It puts them in the picture, so they can already visualize themselves living there. That is very powerful!!
Now, most other products don't have a dedicated section. There isn't a refrigerator section, a TV section, a food section, a furniture section, etc. When people read a newspaper or magazine, they are reading the articles, they are not looking at the ads.
Therefore, what the ads have to do is grab their interest (this is where the photo and headline come in) with a product or service they weren't even necessarily thinking about at that precise moment and get them enthused enough to make a looking or buying decision.
That is what ads are supposed to do -- grab people's interest or attention immediately
-- wouldn't you prefer that your ad leapt out ahead of any other ads, the focus of attention?
Once you get your photos and headlines working together, then that is what is going to happen. As I said before, the results are absolutely amazing. What is also very important to remember, is that the other photos you take, must also match the body/copy/wording of your advertisements, in the sequence that they are addressed.
Remember the headline of the ad that sold our own home, that I mentioned in my previous article? Now, the three “x”’s (three “a”’s could have done the same job), really emphasizes the relaxing. The photo? In my last article, I said it would blow you away and compared to the front of a house, it is like chalk and cheese.
The main photo showed my wife and myself in our bubbling spa (hot tub), relaxing with a glass of wine. Now, how easy is it for you to visualize yourself relaxing in exactly the same way? The buyer, who first saw the property on the Internet, asked if it was myself and my wife in the photo. It totally personalized the ad, gave it a life, depicted enjoyment and created the perfect picture of what the buyer could do once they owned the home.
Then, the copy talked about doing some laps in the pool, or just relaxing in the shallow beach entry area. So, of course, the next photo was of the pool.
Then it talked about them enjoying a game of pool and the next photo showed the games room with the pool table.
Then it talked about enjoying a game of darts -- you guessed it, the next photo showed the dart board with scoreboard and its own light -- and so on. Oh, by the way, we had over 20 photos in total, showing the home and all the area had to offer and if there was a photo of the front of the house, it was probably about the last one to be seen because it was not important. If a house has "street appeal", then that is a bonus, not the reason to purchase a house, except on very rare occasions, with a house that is absolutely unique for some reason.
Do you get the picture? Can you imagine how different these ads will be and how they will stand out against your competitors ads, time after time after time?
Final thing to remember -- always make sure your photo matches the headline, not the other way around.
I hope this has all made sense to you. I've been teaching real estate advertising in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, USA and UK for the past 17 years and for those following these basic rules of advertising, their success is legendary, including John McKenna from Pennsylvania, who I mentioned in the previous article, who hasn't missed a listing for over 22 months, because he has become "the advertising expert" in his area.
Don't miss my next article where we will talk more about photos, personalizing your ads and also understanding something that is vitally important -- putting a media mix advertising campaign together -- powerful stuff!
What is the most important part of any ad? The top bit! -- the very first part of the ad that prospective buyers see. People will never read every ad, rather, they skim from ad to ad, letting the photo and first few words (which is normally the headline of the ad) decide for them whether they will read the ad further.
So, now we know the photo and headline are absolutely vital. As I said in my last article, research shows that with all advertising, only one in five people read past the headline of an ad, then it is imperative we get the headline right -- and the photo!
In my last article, I talked about the ad campaign that sold our own home (it was only the 4th day of the campaign when the buyer contacted us, by the way). I also said the main photo I used would blow you away -- I will come to that later, but it illustrates a vital point, a vital rule of advertising, that most real estate ads ignore completely.
Photos and headlines must work together to grab the prospective buyer's interest initially, enough for them to decide the ad has something to offer them and that they should read further. Remember benefit, news, curiosity?
This is where we will change what the real estate industry has been doing forever and I promise you, the results will be amazing. It's time for a paradigm shift in your thinking!
Visualize a properly that, from the back deck or veranda, has a lovely view down over the ocean. Now let's assume we have a headline something like:
Watch the yachts sail by
and the body copy might continue:
Relax with your feet up on your back deck, enjoying this glorious view of the sea, the seagulls circling and the yachts sailing by..............
Got the picture so far? Now, what would be the ideal photo to complement that headline?
You've got it haven't you? A photo taken from that back deck, with the view prospective buyers will enjoy once they are living there, in their new home -- certainly not a photo of the front of the house -- make sense?
Now, just to reinforce what I am saying, go and pick up some magazines, your daily newspaper and look at the professionally put together ads. Looking at what we've just done above, do you think you might find that the photos and headlines are working together, to identify prospective customers--their wants, their needs, their problems (and how to solve them)-- so they will make a decision to read past the headline, to see what the ad has to offer them.
Photos and headlines must work together!
Now, this is where we come across a dilemma. Looking at real estate ads, whether they be on the Internet or hard copy, what do you find as the main photo in almost every case? Yep, a photo of the front of the house.
However, if the rule of photos and headlines working with and complementing each other makes sense, then, if we have all fronts of houses as the main photo, with different headlines -- they can't work together -- breaking one of the most vital rules of advertising -- with the most important part of the ad.
Therefore:
The main photo does not need to be the front of the house!!
Research -- In Australia and New Zealand, one of the real estate franchise groups wanted to develop a new logo or identifying symbol, that would infer success, that they are the franchise group that buyers come to. Research was conducted and they found that people skimmed across the ads, mentally or physically crossing out the ones they felt weren't for them and roughly circling those they might look at in more detail.
Therefore, to tie in with this obvious practice, their design people came up with a logo/symbol that looked as if somebody had roughly circled a graphic interpretation of a house -- inferring, that buyers mentally circled their houses first before others, so for those intending to list their property, they were the obvious choice.
However, it rather powerfully illustrates that most real estate advertising is not doing what ads are supposed to do in the first place. In fact, if the ads in newspapers and magazines, selling all manner of products, department stores and services, did what real estate ads do, they may as well close their businesses tomorrow. They would be dead!
Think about it...with real estate, on the one hand the industry is very fortunate, as there are specific advertising sections in all the media, that focus purely on real estate, whether it be real estate Internet portals, real estate magazines, or newspaper real estate sections.
Therefore, you know the audience attracted are definitely interested in property. However, knowing this, the industry has been complacent over decades, placing the same old boring, mindnumbing succession of ads in front of the buying public.
Have you ever looked to buy a property yourselves? You look through pages and pages (Internet or hard copy) of ads showing fronts of houses -- boring, boring, boring -- how can people possibly make an informed decision about what it would be like to live there, in that house, with those neighbors, in that area, with everything it has to offer by looking at those ads?
Consequently, time after time, prospective buyers look at a property they have seen advertised and it is not for them, it is nothing like they expected from the ad. What a waste of everyone's time! Have you ever noticed how people will often buy a house totally different from what they had first specified? Very simply, with the property they actually bought, they had a clearer picture of living there and were prepared to change or sacrifice some of the features they thought they originally needed.
Once again, that is what good advertising does. It puts them in the picture, so they can already visualize themselves living there. That is very powerful!!
Now, most other products don't have a dedicated section. There isn't a refrigerator section, a TV section, a food section, a furniture section, etc. When people read a newspaper or magazine, they are reading the articles, they are not looking at the ads.
Therefore, what the ads have to do is grab their interest (this is where the photo and headline come in) with a product or service they weren't even necessarily thinking about at that precise moment and get them enthused enough to make a looking or buying decision.
That is what ads are supposed to do -- grab people's interest or attention immediately
-- wouldn't you prefer that your ad leapt out ahead of any other ads, the focus of attention?
Once you get your photos and headlines working together, then that is what is going to happen. As I said before, the results are absolutely amazing. What is also very important to remember, is that the other photos you take, must also match the body/copy/wording of your advertisements, in the sequence that they are addressed.
Relaxxx in privacy, after a hard day
Remember the headline of the ad that sold our own home, that I mentioned in my previous article? Now, the three “x”’s (three “a”’s could have done the same job), really emphasizes the relaxing. The photo? In my last article, I said it would blow you away and compared to the front of a house, it is like chalk and cheese.
The main photo showed my wife and myself in our bubbling spa (hot tub), relaxing with a glass of wine. Now, how easy is it for you to visualize yourself relaxing in exactly the same way? The buyer, who first saw the property on the Internet, asked if it was myself and my wife in the photo. It totally personalized the ad, gave it a life, depicted enjoyment and created the perfect picture of what the buyer could do once they owned the home.
Then, the copy talked about doing some laps in the pool, or just relaxing in the shallow beach entry area. So, of course, the next photo was of the pool.
Then it talked about them enjoying a game of pool and the next photo showed the games room with the pool table.
Then it talked about enjoying a game of darts -- you guessed it, the next photo showed the dart board with scoreboard and its own light -- and so on. Oh, by the way, we had over 20 photos in total, showing the home and all the area had to offer and if there was a photo of the front of the house, it was probably about the last one to be seen because it was not important. If a house has "street appeal", then that is a bonus, not the reason to purchase a house, except on very rare occasions, with a house that is absolutely unique for some reason.
Do you get the picture? Can you imagine how different these ads will be and how they will stand out against your competitors ads, time after time after time?
Final thing to remember -- always make sure your photo matches the headline, not the other way around.
I hope this has all made sense to you. I've been teaching real estate advertising in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, USA and UK for the past 17 years and for those following these basic rules of advertising, their success is legendary, including John McKenna from Pennsylvania, who I mentioned in the previous article, who hasn't missed a listing for over 22 months, because he has become "the advertising expert" in his area.
Don't miss my next article where we will talk more about photos, personalizing your ads and also understanding something that is vitally important -- putting a media mix advertising campaign together -- powerful stuff!
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