“It's easy to focus in on quantitative measures to gauge the effectiveness of your marketing. But in relationship-based businesses like #realestate, there's more to it than that. What are the qualitative signals that demonstrate what you're doing is working?”

Don’t get overly caught up in the numbers when it comes to gauging the effectiveness of your marketing. Sure, it’s important to pay attention to things like website traffic, engagement ratios, and follower-count… However, in relationship-based businesses like real estate, there's more to marketing success than just numbers.

Qualitative signals are, I’d wager, equally as important, if not more so, in demonstrating the effectiveness of your marketing. With that in mind, here are some subtle indicators to suggest you’re doing something right!

1. Your database is engaged: If you’re in contact with past-clients and sphere-of-influence contacts who ask you about the market or your business, this is a telling sign that they’re engaged with your brand and bought-in to your message.

2. You have a high level of name recognition: If people frequently mention that they, quote-unquote, “see you everywhere," this is a definite sign that your brand is becoming well-known in your market.

3. Your marketing materials are getting shared: If folks are sharing your social media content, emails, or even postcards with others, it signifies that your audience is onboard with your brand and confident sharing your content with their network.

4. You receive positive feedback from your audience: If you regularly receive positive feedback from your audience, like comments on your social media posts or positive reviews on your Google Business Profile, it’s a clear indication that your marketing and brand-building efforts are resonating with your target audience.

5. You are being referred by your customers: Word-of-mouth referrals are one of the most valuable forms of marketing for any business. If you are receiving referrals from your customers, this is a sign that they trust you and are confident in recommending you to their friends and family.

6. Customers make references to your content during appointments: If prospective clients mention your latest blog post or video during a meeting, it's a sign that they are actively engaging with your content and find it valuable.

7. Peers are extra curious about what you're up to: If you notice that your peers in the industry seem to be taking a keen interest in your marketing efforts, it's a good sign that they see you as a thought-leader in your field.

8. Long-lost contacts w/ whom you've lost touch suddenly resurface: If old contacts suddenly start engaging with your social media posts, it could indicate that they’ve been following your journey and are invested in your brand.

9. Increased website traffic and engagement: Though this is on the “quantitative” side of measurement, the insight of it is more qualitative in nature—so bear with me. If you're seeing activity like longer page views on your website, prolonged watch-times on your videos, or even an increased number of conversions, it's a sign that your marketing efforts are attracting and retaining the attention of your target audience. 

Point is… By focusing on both quantitative and qualitative metrics, you'll be able to get a more complete picture of the success of your marketing efforts. When you put extra focus on earning trust, improving customer satisfaction, and building brand awareness, you can gain a well-rounded understanding of the impact of your marketing strategies and make informed decisions about how to improve your efforts in the future.