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MARCH 2016 22 THE JOURNAL 10 Marketing Blunders To Avoid In 2016 – Part 2 BY SCOTT STROUD MARKETING CONSULTANT Marketing your homes is a moving target with constant new developments and changing buyer behavior. Fail to keep up, and you could find your phones growing silent and your sales office empty. Last month we introduced the first five of our Top 10 Marketing Blunders to watch out for. Here are the remaining five mistakes to avoid: #6: Poor Use of Social Media People will believe what others say about you more than they believe what you say about yourself. Social media allows those who know you to talk about you, tell others how they feel about you and even share your pictures and posts, which introduces you to their friends. It's called 'so- cial proof', and it's power- ful. However, to be effec- tive, you need to be consis- tent – posting content regularly, at least a few times per week. Encourage interaction to get others talking. Quizzes, con- tests and polls are great ways to get people in- volved, and they allow you to build a list of interested prospects that you can sell to. Implications: You can pour time and energy into social media, but without a good strategy, it's hard to get any traction. Solution: Understand what your buyers are interested in, which social networks they use, how you will get them to take action, and how much time it will take to manage the program. Then, develop your strategy and budget, and measure your results. #7: Poor Photos and Video When buyers are comparing homes, builders or communities online, the quality of your of- fering is judged completely on the basis of what they see. If your photos suck, they assume your homes do, too. Professionally staged and composed photos are a must, as these stimulate excitement and desire. Studies show that great exterior photos are critical; buyers won't consider a home that doesn't have curb appeal. Then, follow those up with interior shots that convey space, warmth and character. Implications: You are being judged strictly by what your prospects see online. Good photos at- tract buyers; poor ones repel them. Solution: Use profes- sional photography. It's better to have fewer high- quality photos than to add more photos of inferior quality. And if you don't have any good photos to show, then don't spend another penny on market- ing until you do. #8: No Testimonials The greatest obstacle you have to overcome in sales is fear. Your buyer's most paralyzing fear is that they'll be disappointed with your home, or worse, that they'll look bad and lose face with their family and friends. Building trust to overcome that fear is a lot easier when they can hear from others who have bought from you and will sing your praises. Testimonial letters and videos give buyers the assurance that, "if you made them happy, chances are I'll be happy too." Reviews, refer- rals and testimonials should be featured on your website, social media and printed materials. Third-party ratings, such as Yelp! or Avid Rat- ings (avidratings.com) build trust and buyer assurance. Implications: Buyers. Buyers distrust adver- tising and need to know that you have a strong record of keeping your promises and wowing your customers. Solution: Have a systematic program to get printed and video testimonials and reviews from happy customers. Use a service like Avid Rat- ings for third-party management. #9: No Referral Program If you've performed well for your buyers and they are proud of their home, then they want to refer you to their friends. You don't have to pay them to do so, just show that you still value and appreciate them. Referral fees are really just financial transac- tions, not true referrals. But if you have a Cus- tomer Appreciation Program in place that keeps your past buyers engaged and part of your fam- ily, then they'll be eager to spread the good word about you. This is 180 degrees from how most salespeople attempt to get referrals. But, if you take the action first, the referral will be your reward. Implications: A Customer Appreciation Pro- gram will keep your best customers engaged and eager to refer new business to you, resulting in higher customer satisfaction. 40% of your sales or more should be coming directly from refer- rals. Solution: Outline what your Customer Ap- preciation Program should look like, create a budget for it, and begin implementing the pro- gram beginning with your most recent cus- tomers. #10. Failure to Automate If you're trying to do any of the things we've talked about by hand, then you're wasting time, energy and money. Worse, your market- Last month we introduced the first five of our Top 10 Marketing Blunders to watch out for. Here are the remaining five mistakes to avoid.