For any homebuilder, your website is your biggest marketing tool and the window to your company. Consequently, it’s crucial to understand what online presence and content marketing mean if you’re trying to increase your website traffic.
Your company’s online presence is the sum of all the identities and/or platforms you’ve created and the interactions you have established and participated in while using them. This can be anything from your website to your Facebook page to your YouTube channel.
Content marketing is a strategic marketing approach to creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content that attracts and retains a clearly-defined audience – and ultimately, drives profitable customer action.
When combined, these two elements constitute any interesting and/or shareable content that is written, such as social media posts, stories or blogs, which makes people take action – whether it’s picking up the phone, sending an email or walking in your door.
So the big question is, how do you best use content marketing to effectively drive targeted traffic to your website? In this blog, we share five strategies that homebuilders can implement to increase their presence on the internet through writing and sharing content that makes people TAKE ACTION!
1.) SOCIAL MEDIA/WEBSITE
You can’t be a successful business in today’s digital world without having a website or social media presence. Your website’s keywords and social media posts have more of an impact on how your platforms rank in search engines than ever before.
More Sharing > Better SEO> More Leads
People are searching online for a new home, and you better believe they’re researching your business through Google, Facebook and other channels. It’s important to have a modern, responsive, user-friendly website, and to share content on your social media that encourages a prospect to become interested in your content, and inspired by your photos and beautiful homes. Keep your content relevant and up-to-date, and measure your posts over time to see which posts are most engaging and which posts are duds. 75% of customers say they use social media as part of the buying process – so don’t make the mistake of ignoring this platform!
2.) E-BLASTS
Send out weekly e-blasts to your prospect and realtor lists, or purchase a targeted list based on your buyer demographic. The main goal here is to reach the right people consistently, and give them relevant content that they enjoy reading and will share with their network. When putting content together, make sure you write irresistible headlines that motivate a prospect to open the emails. Think from the perspective of your buyers. What did you want to know when you were on the cusp of buying a home? Great topics include:
- Available home updates
- Special promotions
- Tips to help educate buyers (and position YOU as the expert)
- Monthly newsletters that allow people to stay up to date on your communities and business
3.) BLOGGING
Did you know companies who blog receive 97% more links to their website?
Blogging is a huge opportunity for homebuilders. Think of your website as a car, and your blog as the gas that helps keep that car running. By providing consistent content through blogging, search engines reward your website with higher rankings. Your blog is also a platform that allows you to share lengthier content than you can in a tweet or Facebook post. Share your Builder Story, a testimonial from a happy homeowner, feature a specific community or floor plan – the sky’s the limit!
You will be rewarded by search engines for writing blog posts comprised of a minimum of 250 words with relevant key words. Even more importantly, if you’re writing content that people emotionally connect with and then want to share, that’s icing on the cake!
Finally, make sure you’re sponsoring your blogs through social media boosted posts. Boosted posts allow you to promote your content in targeted individual news feeds. For instance, if you’re posting about an available home, boost it for $30 and reach an additional 5k-10k people in your local area. This strategy puts your product directly in front of prospects!
4.) SEO/GOOGLE ADVERTISING
SEO (search engine optimization) and paid Google advertising are both key when it comes to making sure you’re showing up in the right places, with the right message, to people who are conducting a new home search.
SEO is a process that focuses on making your content relevant to search engines, by optimizing your website in terms of keywords and allowing you to rank higher in organic search results.
Google Adwords, on the other hand, makes it possible for you to position your ads on the top of the Google search results page so that people who are searching for a relevant term will see your company name near the top of the list. Although this isn’t the least expensive way to get your message in front of potential homebuyers, it’s hugely beneficial to increasing your online presence, especially if you are not showing up very high through organic listings!
5.) REVIEWS
A huge influencer of online content is people – otherwise known as online reviews! With websites such as Facebook, Yelp and Houzz, it’s very easy for people to write a positive or negative experience they’ve had with your company for the entire world to see.
88% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations, so the power of a review is invaluable. While positive reviews are always preferred, it is actually very easy to turn a negative review into a positive by offering an immediate solution to the problem the consumer is having. This positions you as a homebuilder who cares about its customers and does what’s necessary to right a wrong or provide a solution. Happy customers = successful builders!
We’re excited to help you implement these strategies to drive more qualified traffic to your website. Learn more about our full service marketing and social media programs to see how we can become part of your team and put these strategies into action. The beauty of the internet is that it’s constantly evolving, so there are always new and unique strategies for staying in front of your customers.
Group Two Advertising is a full service agency devoted specifically to new home builder marketing and social media. 215-561-2200.
