BrandLyft | Small Business Marketing

Category: BrandLyft News

  • Where to Get Started: Content and Real Estate Marketing

    Real estate agents understand the power and value of authentic, original content as the key to standing out among the sea of qualified agents and brokers. I was asked to present the Content System framework to agents who want to use content to attract and grow an audience of new clients. This is the second of three posts. The first can be found here. If you work in real estate, this high-level view of a proposed set of content creation activities is for you.

    Be careful not to demotivate yourself

    Producing content is the most challenging step when building a content system. I usually hear well-intentioned, motivated people commit to producing a piece of content each week, but then they hit a mental block. Their hopes of a content system never materialize. Before I go any further, my advice is to start small and keep your content goals realistic. For example, rather than committing to a 10-part series explaining how to stage your home, start small. A more realistic goal for a new content creator might be to write short blog posts highlighting the top five staging techniques all sellers must implement. At the beginning, keep your content creation goals within reach. Completing one piece of content will motivate you to create more because it’s always easier to expand upon your previous work.

    How to develop ideas for content

    Here are three ways to quickly get started generating content ideas. The easiest way to get started is by answering this question: what are the top five questions buyers or sellers always ask? Don’t run with the first five that come to mind; write them all down because you may use more than five. Once you have your list, rank the questions from most to least frequently asked. Don’t omit anything because other sites or individuals covered the same topic. Your content will have a unique perspective.

    Another technique is to review your sent email. If you’re answering someone’s question, chances are there are others out there with the same question. Use that email as a starting off point to a longer piece.

    Search social media and sites like Reddit and Quora to see what people are talking about. Find out what’s important to sellers or look for emerging trends.

    The six most popular content types in real estate

    Here are six of the most common content types that I see in the real estate industry. You don’t have to stick with one type. Mix it up. For example, create some Instagram posts, blog posts and videos.

    Blog posts are features written in your voice. They are usually based on your opinion and are presented in a conversational style and tone.

    Videos don’t need to be stylized and highly-produced. Interviews with homeowners and experts recorded with phones can generate a lot of engagement. Now that the technology is accessible, 360 and drone videos are popping up on many real estate sites.

    Images are at the core of the real estate industry and should be part of every blog written for your site. Keep in mind that a single image can stand on its own if it tells a story or conveys a powerful message.

    Articles are fact-based and built on research. Articles may include expert interviews and cited references.

    eBooks and Guides are typically a compilation of previously produced content that has been reorganized and expanded upon.

    Infographics are a graphic representation of data that tells a story. Infographics are an easy way to explain data using diagrams, icons, graphs, and timelines.

    One basic rule to follow when creating content

    Absolutely no selling. Do not violate this because it will destroy any goodwill that you generated. You are here to serve, not sell. That’s why it’s important to reframe your thinking when producing pieces for your content system.

    One other basic rule to follow when creating content

    In On Writing Well, William Zinsser explained his four principles to writing: Clarity, Simplicity, Brevity, and Humanity. The first three are self-explanatory, it’s the fourth that catches people. You are a human communicating with humans. Do not write as a business or other entity. Write in your own voice.

    This is all very high-level information, but it was exactly what my audience of real estate agents needed to get started. In the next and final blog, I’ll give you an overview of publishing.

    Originally published at https://contentsystemsacademy.com on August 1, 2019

  • With Instagram Likes Going Away, What’s Next For Brands?

     

    The entire world is hooked on Instagram, and the likes are the drug!

    Since its launch in 2010 and Acquisition by Facebook in 2012, the ‘Gram has evolved from a pretty straight-forward photo album app into a full-fledged, worldwide popularity contest and marketing powerhouse. Likes and vanity metrics have been feeding addicted influencer egos, tormenting brand’s reaches, and destroying society’s self-esteem for years now, but that all might be coming to an end… sort of.

    Instagram is currently hiding likes for some users in a handful of markets and regions including Canada, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Brazil, Australia and New Zealand. It’s been driving some influencers crazy, as you can see this Australian Instagram model bawling at the fact that she can’t show her likes anymore.

    This social and business (risk) experiment represents a HUGE change to how Instagram works, and the existential flow of how its users engage with it. The number of likes a post gets has long been a status symbol (and vanity metric) on the platform which has launched the careers of influencers and helped generate revenue for brands both big and small. It’s definitely a social proof metric as well, and can be useful in that matter. So what’s next?

    Here’s what our friends over at Giant Propeller had to say:

    While it’s true that Instagram Stories don’t have any public metrics, that hasn’t stopped it from exploding in popularity with both users, brands, and influencers. In fact, brands generally care more about reach and engagement rates than they do followers, and it has become customary for them to ask for screenshots of influencers’ engagement metrics to see how effective they really are. So if the superficial popularity contest is going away, how will this affect the nature of the content itself?

    Some believe this shift will encourage users to post content with more authenticity. Previous strategies – such as scheduling specific times / days to post – now becomes less relevant and therefore, more liberating for users. In order to optimize their Instagram engagement, brands and influencers have had to consider a long list of tips and tricks that, quite frankly, sucks the joy out of breathing. Without likes, the platform feels less like a popularity contest between professional influencers with carefully-curated aesthetics, and average people who use the app to share their lives with family and friends.

    If this game-changer actually rolls out globally, here’s how brands can survive this brave new world:

    • Brands would become more reliant on influencers to share first-party analytics to understand content performance.

    • Content platforms within Instagram (Stories, IGTV, Shoppable IG) will provide actionable metrics such as swipe-ups and purchases — allowing brands to track performance as well as calculate ROI.

    • Alternate behavioral metrics, such as video completion, must be valued.

    • Video completion means high-quality content (that isn’t explicitly engineered to game engagement metric) must be produced. 

    • With production of quality content and creative becoming more important than ever, it’s crucial for brands to partner with agencies and creators who know how to make an impact. 

  • How To Choose The Right Marketing Agency For Your Business

    After having ran a marketing agency, consulting company, & coached sales team to convert for a couple years now, there is one definitive task I find myself repeating over and over in the sales meetings I’m involved in; Diagnosing if that business is ready for a true marketing agency engagement. When I’m pitching BrandLyft Marketing, I’m often left with business owners that have been burned with other marketing agencies, sometimes it’s not their fault, other times I know it’s because they weren’t ready. They weren’t ready often because they didn’t have the sales systems, processes, and foundation in place. Sometimes it’s also a poor product/market fit. Not only do I have to convince them of working with us, but in many cases, I’m having to re-educate the importance of marketing, sales-marketing synchrony, and brand positioning as a whole to their business. This in many cases leaves their idea of working with an agency a horrible nightmare, because if there not ready it can be for both.

    The #1 one thing a business owner or decision maker should be looking for in the early stages of looking for a marketing agency is whether that agency leads with a one-size-fits-all approach or a truly consultive deep dive on their business issues, how marketing plays it’s role, and making sure things happen towards their desired income. Too often, agencies offer packages, emailing marketing, PPC, SEO, Facebook Ads, without even finding out if that’s the best lead acquisition strategy. Not only that, but that may not be the cure to the business owner’s issue he/she wants to solve.

    Why A Package Approach Is Wrong

    When you go to a doctor, do they lead with a variety of medicines for you to choose from? Of course not. For a doctor to properly do their job, they need to know what issues you are and have been experiencing, and the symptoms they have caused. It’s no difference in business. A marketing agency that leads with things like Facebook likes, Twitter followers, web traffic, lead gen, etc. is an agency destined to fail you because it’s prescribing vanity metrics, no lead/sales attribution, or a marketing/sales journey map.

    The Consultative Deep-Dive Approach Is What You’re Looking For

    In order for a marketing agency to truly be the right partner, they need to take the time to understand the history of your business, your products, brand story, market positioning, your competitors, what’s worked, what hasn’t, the results (or lack of), and what your goals and objectives are (business outcome). Filling out a form or a 30 min call isn’t quite nearly enough to get there. An true agency needs to commit to taking the time, asking the right questions, and digging to deliver a customized strategic and tactical plan for your business. They don’t see you as a client, they see you as a partner. They want to be a true extension of your business and are committed to going deeper than surface level metrics!

    The good news, when you find an agency that does it right, you’ll know. They go above and beyond. They truly understand your brand story and wants to be part of the piece in the puzzle that helps you get it to where it needs too. A good question we ask ourselves in the pre-qualifying stages is, “What would a successful Agency partnership look like”. If the answer is attainable, we’ll let you know. If it’s out of the realm of expectations in the project scope, we’ll also let you know. By asking and listening, we’ve managed to work with some dream clients.

  • LaunchPad Fridays! ⚡ Showcasing Cartersville, North Georgia, & Metro Atlanta Small Businesses!

    BrandLyft Marketing is starting a YouTube / Facebook Video series where we highlight a Small Local Business every Friday near our Agency (Cartersville / Atlanta) area.

    Do you know of a entrepreneur locally that has an incredible story to tell? We want to know!

    The freedom to chase your entrepreneurial dream is one of the great foundations of America. Owning a business is a freedom the U.S. Census Bureau of Labor Statistics records 29.6 million Americans pursue today, supporting local communities with products and services while contributing millions of dollars and jobs to the American economy.

    It also takes a tremendous amount of hustle, sacrifice and dedication. But what does that really look like across America? We want to find out, learn more, and share this journey with you!

    Here’s our first episode with JZ’s Taste of Georgia. This is a story of a family and their love for all things homegrown and homemade. Transplanted in Georgia, loving its land, people, and all things Georgia grown and made, they bring their sense of community, sharing and family wherever they go. Gathering some of their very favorite things in one place, they now invite you to share in their little Taste of Georgia. We are sure you will love it too!

  • BrandLyft Clients Win Big at 2019 OBIE Awards

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    We want to congratulate our client/partners Tamra Wade (REMAX Tru) & Amy Buynoski (Ameris Bank). Tamra Wade is named Sales Manager of the Year, & Amy Buynoski is named the Mortgage Professional of the Year at the 2019 OBIE Awards hosted at the Atlanta Aquarium. Presented by the Atlanta Sales and Marketing Council, the OBIE Awards are the premier awards given in the Atlanta new home construction industry.

     

    The Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association’s OBIE Awards celebrated its 39th anniversary in 2019. The awards began in 1980 and have grown throughout the years to include more than 100 building, remodeling, marketing and personal achievement categories. The OBIE Awards are named after the obelisk shape of the actual award given.

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