Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/576094
OCTOBER 2015 12 THE JOURNAL BY BRUCE SAVAGE COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTANT Responding To And Connecting With People As I promised in last month's column, I'm going to talk about our industry's challenge in re- sponding to and connecting with potential home- buyers who are considering purchasing manufactured homes. With all the forms of homes competing for the buyers' attention, it's critically important that we convey key information about our homes in ways that reach homebuyers where they live and then help them move from simply considering a home to the reality of actually pur- chasing the home. That's got to be our ultimate responsibility if we want to remain competitive in today's housing market. Any buying decision comes down to what we offer and how do we compare with the competi- tion. If we deliver an outstanding product that meets or exceeds housing needs/or expectations, then we have a chance of making the persuasive argument that manufactured homes offer a real opportunity. If we don't deliver our argument, then we fail the test and we are eliminated in the process. We must deliver an industry message that con- nects with people's dreams and wants…everyone wants a great home that they can enjoy and af- ford. That's why it's so important to tell potential homebuyers the advantages and to showcase how we help them achieve their dreams. Relate to what they are looking for and help them under- stand that we are the way to achieving their goals. With all the technologies available today to create visual images, producing such video and photography does not have to be slick, time-de- manding or expensive. Sometimes the simpler the video, the more effective it can be in developing and reaching people with you brand or message. Testimonials from happy buyers can be one of our most effective ways of letting people know what they might expect in terms of satisfaction with manufactured homes. In today's world, the visual message must be a key element in building the image and brand for manufactured homes. There's already enough confusion about what we are, so we need to use good visual images that say more about our homes than a thousand words. The more specific mes- sage we deliver that connects the home and the buyer, the better we are. The n repeat that images in your signage, business cards, business forms so that repetition drives the point home even stronger. Effective, Not Expensive That's why an image campaign works that works these various angles and helps drive the in- dustry messages home even stronger is one of the primary ways we can move forward. While every- one assumes that these campaigns are expensive and time-consuming, there have been many changes over the past five to eight years that are making such campaigns more affordable and ac- cessible to the manufactured housing industry. Ten years ago, the only way to reach large num- ber of potential homebuyers was through tradi- tional media and the traditional network of retail centers, trade shows, word-of-mouth referrals. Well, these costs associated with such campaigns have not dropped and it still can add up quickly and not a s efficiently as expected. But the advent of new social media (such as Face Book and other communications alterna- tives) now deliver a much more efficient and cost- effective approach for our industry. They give us a much more practical way of identifying and reaching out to large groups of potential buyer with our messages/brands. We can be much more pre- cise in identifying our target market and delivering our messages in ways significantly less expensive than the old, more traditional methods used in previous years. Relationship Building Is Key Today's communications strategies are more fo- cused on talking to people with like-minded in- terests who find each other through these new social media sites and congregate around building and sharing similar information. These people provide a logical gathering spot for potential homebuyers who ar e easy to reach by our outreach efforts. The fastest growing sector of the Internet world has to do with building relationships that we can tap into. We can also use these gathering spots to create media interest that leads to higher visible media coverage…further driving public knowledge and interest. With estimates that 80 to 90 percent of all new home searches beginning on the Internet and these related social media sites, the new rule is that "most everyone's involved in some form of infor- mation gathering" and you need to put yourself in front of these people and become a part of the opening dialogue. Or you simply shut the door on these people and loose a key way of beginning the "relationship" process. And another wave of communications ad- vances is also taking place that offer great new op- portunities. Cell phones a re restacking the way people communicate…more than 50 percent of cell phones are now SMART phones. These phones allow people increasing access to the In- ternet through their phones. More and more of people with cell phones are doing most of their "surfing" using these SMART phones with more and more depending on their phones for browsing the Internet and gathering information. If you want to take full advantage of these SMART op- portunities, you must have your information de- signed and developed as "mobile applications" that facilitate such communications. All of these and new emerging communications technologies mean that the manufactured housing industry can more easily and more efficiently reach the very people who are likely looking for infor- mation to assist them in their home search. It means taking a modern approach to today's com- munications world and keeping an open mind to what opportunities are opening up to an industry seeking to deliver up-to-date messages and brand information that might not have been available only a few years ago. More importantly, it means using modern technology to provide the best in- formation to help people move forward in their understanding and appreciation of new housing opportunities that directly benefit potential home- buyers and our industry. That's the type of image campaign our industry needs to adopt…very targeted with very forceful messages that relate to future homebuyers' dreams and wants…but in ways that are both efficient, effec- \ 18