Sellers Want the Spotlight: Marketing Strategies for Top Listing Agents

What sets you apart from other listing agents? In today’s competitive real estate market, sellers expect more than just the status quo. They’re looking for innovative strategies that give their homes a competitive edge. Marketing a home involves more than just syndicating through the MLS. So, how are you stepping-up your sellers’ experience and ensuring their property stands out?

Consider Brad McCallum, who’s created a distinctive “seller stage” through his YouTube channel. His property tours aren’t just videos—they’re like HGTV episodes that captivate viewers and attract thousands of potential buyers. Sellers see this and think, “That’s the kind of exposure I want for my home.”

But you don’t have to be a video extraordinaire to create your own stage. The challenge is to find what works best for you in your market. Maybe it’s a well-curated email list full of potential buyers, a locally-concentrated social media following, or an event strategy that drives major buzz and press. The key is to think beyond the conventional methods and build a platform (i.e., a “stage”) that highlights your listings in a way that resonates with today’s sellers.

 The possibilities are endless, but the goal is the same: to offer something more, something memorable that makes sellers confident in your ability to market their home.

So, what’s your seller stage? How are you setting the scene to ensure your listings get the attention they deserve? The real estate market is evolving, and the agents who thrive will be those who continually innovate and captivate their clients.

Save on Boosted Ads: How to Avoid Apple’s 30% Service Fee on Facebook and Instagram

When you boost Facebook and Instagram ads from iOS apps, Apple takes 30% of your ad budget—a fee now expanding globally from its start in the U.S. Want to avoid these Apple service fees? Here’s how:

• Boost on facebook.com Instead of the Facebook iOS App. Boosting directly from facebook.com saves you 30% on your total ad spend, before taxes and local fees. Ads boosted from instagram.com, Meta Business Suite, or Meta Ads Manager will reach your audience just like those boosted through the Facebook app.

• Add Prepaid Funds. Use facebook.com’s payment settings to add prepaid funds to your ad account. These funds can be used on the Facebook iOS app to boost ads without incurring the Apple fee.

• Use Meta Business Suite. Manage and boost content with the Meta Business Suite app or from a computer, bypassing the Apple service fee.

• Create Ads with Meta Ads Manager. Create ads using the Meta Ads Manager app or website to avoid Apple’s fee.

These strategies not only enhance your budget efficiency but also ensure your ads are delivered seamlessly to your target audience without compromising on reach or effectiveness.

Taking Charge: 5 Ads to Generate Real Estate Leads Without Third-Party Reliance

Generating your own real estate leads puts you in the driver's seat of your business. Far too many real estate professionals are caught in the cycle of dependency on third-party leads, limiting their potential. Break free from this cycle and take control by setting up and running these 5 proven lead-generating ads.

1. Lead-form “Listing Lists” Ads: Start by creating enticing ads on Meta (Facebook/Instagram) that offer exclusive access to curated property lists. The key is to make the lists relevant – for example, "Top 10 Luxury Homes in [Area]" or "Affordable Homes Under [Price] in [Area]."

Detailed Steps:

• Ad Creation: Open Meta Ads Manager and start a new ad campaign. Select “Lead generation” as your marketing objective.

• Target Audience: Define your target audience based on geographic location and/or other relevant factors.

• Ad Placement and Budget: Choose where your ad will appear on Facebook and Instagram and set your budget.

• Ad Design: Design your ad with engaging visuals and copy that highlights the unique appeal of your property list.

• Lead Form Setup: Click on the “Lead form” section. Choose “New Form” and create a form with fields like name, email, and phone number.

• Custom Questions: Add custom questions if needed, to qualify leads further (e.g., "What is your preferred property type?").

• Privacy Policy: Ensure you have a privacy policy on your website and link it in the form. This step is mandatory for lead forms.

• Completion Steps: Set up a “Thank you” screen that appears after form submission. Include a call-to-action like “See properties,” linking to the specific property list on your website.

• Tracking and Testing: After publishing, monitor the ad’s performance and tweak targeting or creative elements as needed for optimal results.

2. "How we did it" Just-Sold Postcards: Just-sold postcards are more than announcements; they're tools for storytelling. Highlight your unique selling strategies, such as innovative marketing techniques or negotiation skills, with "how we did it" bullet points or seller testimonials.

Distribute these postcards not only to neighbors around your listings but also to your personal network. This approach positions you as a trusted expert and leverages the power of social proof, essential for standing out against competitors.

3. DM Automation Ads: Utilize the “Send Message” CTA in your Meta ads to directly engage with leads. Offer them the same exclusive property lists as in your lead-form ads, but through an interactive chat.


Detailed Steps:

• Ad Setup: In Meta Ads Manager, create a new ad campaign with the objective of “Messages.”

• Choose the Messaging App: Select the messaging app where you want to engage with leads (e.g., Facebook Messenger, Instagram Direct, and/or WhatsApp).

• Ad Creation: Design your ad. Use engaging visuals and copy to entice viewers to use the “Send Message” CTA, such as offering access to exclusive property lists.

• Automation Tool Integration: Set up an account with a chat automation tool like ManyChat or ChatFuel.

• Scripting the Conversation: In your chosen automation tool, script a conversation flow. Start with a welcome message, then guide users to request the property list.

• Data Collection Setup: Include steps in your chat flow to ask for the user's contact information, like email and phone number.

• Linking to Meta: Connect your chat automation tool to your Facebook and/or Instagram account. Ensure the automated chat flow is triggered when someone clicks the “Send Message” CTA on your ad or messages a specific keyword.

• Testing: Before going live, test the chat flow to ensure it works smoothly and collects information effectively.

• Monitoring and Adjustments: After your ad is live, monitor its performance. Make necessary adjustments to the chat script or targeting based on user interactions and feedback.

By meticulously setting up your DM automation ads with a clear conversation flow and data collection strategy, you can efficiently engage leads on Meta platforms and gather valuable first-party information for follow-up and conversion.

4. YouTube Seller Streaming Ads: Create compelling in-stream ads (commercials before or during YouTube videos) to target specific groups like local homeowners, suspected in-market sellers, and real estate decision-makers.


Detailed Steps:

• YouTube Channel: Ensure you have a YouTube channel set up for your business.

• Google Ads Account: Log in to your Google Ads account. If you don’t have one, create it.

• New Video Campaign: Click on the “+ New Campaign” button. Choose “Create a campaign without a goal's guidance.”

• Campaign Type: Select “Video” as the campaign type. Choose a campaign subtype that aligns with your strategy.

• Targeting Setup: In the “People” section of campaign creation, use the Audience Segments feature. Target audiences like “Homeowners,” “Real Estate Agents,” and/or in-market audiences related to real estate purchases.

• Video Preparation: Create a high-quality, engaging video. Ensure it clearly communicates your message and includes a strong call-to-action (CTA), like visiting your website or contacting you for more information.

• Uploading to YouTube: Log in to your YouTube channel. Upload your video as an unlisted video. This ensures it's available for your ad but not publicly listed on your channel.

• Using Video in Google Ads: In your Google Ads account, when creating the ad, you will need to provide the URL of this unlisted YouTube video.

• Bidding Strategy: Choose a bidding strategy based on your campaign goals (e.g., CPV - “Cost Per View”) and follow Google Ads’ guidance/recommendations.

• Budget and Scheduling: Set your daily budget and choose how long you want your ad to run.

• Finalizing and Launching: Review all settings, then click “Create Campaign.”

5. Sign-Call Interceptor Ads: Dynamic Google search ads can intercept potential sign calls. The key is to have your IDX website's listing titles include property addresses, then use these links in your Google Ads.

Detailed Steps:

• Preparation of IDX Website Listings:

  1. Ensure your IDX website's listings include accurate property addresses in its page titles. This is crucial for matching your ads to relevant search queries.

• Creating a Targeted Property List:

  1. Conduct a search on your IDX website for properties you want to target with your ads.

  2. Select properties that align with your marketing goals, such as homes within a specific price range or in a particular area in which you sell regularly.

• Using Google Sheets for Ad Management:

  1. Open a new Google Sheet and list the URLs of the selected properties from your IDX website in column A.

  2. In column B, create custom labels for each property URL. These labels can include descriptors like the property type, neighborhood, or price range. Custom labels will help you organize and segment your ads more effectively in Google Ads.

  3. Ensure the Sheet is clearly organized and labeled, as it will be integral in managing and targeting your ads.

  Linking Google Sheets to Google Ads:

1. In your Google Ads account, go to the “Tools & Settings” menu and select “Business data” under the “Setup” section.

2. Choose to upload a data feed and select Google Sheets as the source. Connect the Sheet you prepared with your property URLs.

3. This integration not only allows Google Ads to dynamically generate ads based on the URLs in your Sheet but also offers the flexibility to add or remove listings as your ad campaign progresses. This feature is particularly useful for keeping your ads up-to-date with current property listings and adjusting your strategy in real-time.

• Setting Up Dynamic Search Ads:

1. In Google Ads, create a new campaign and select “Search” as the campaign type.

2. In the “Settings” section of your new campaign, look for the option to enable Dynamic Search Ads.

3. Choose the option to use your own data set, which will allow you to link your Google Sheet that contains the property URLs.

• Ad Creation and Customization:

1. Develop ad templates with relevant headlines and descriptions. Google will dynamically adjust these based on the search query and the content of the linked URLs.

2. Include calls-to-action that encourage potential leads to contact you or visit your website for more information.

• Budgeting and Bidding:

1. Set your budget according to your marketing plan and based on Google’s estimated performance markers.

2. Choose an appropriate bidding strategy to maximize ad visibility and effectiveness.

• Monitoring and Optimization:

1. Regularly monitor the performance of your ads.

2. Make adjustments to your Google Sheet, ad copy, or bidding strategy based on the ads' performance and conversion rates.

In summary, not relying on third-party leads is pivotal for taking control of your real estate business. The 5 methods mentioned above will empower you to carve your niche, foster growth, and redefine success through self-generated leads.

Gaining the Upper Hand: How to Uncover Your Competitors' Digital Advertising Secrets

In the competitive realm of digital marketing, keeping a close watch on your competitors can provide invaluable insights. One of the most effective ways to gain a competitive edge is by peeking behind the curtain and spying on the ads your competitors are running across the internet. In this blog post, we'll unveil the secret tools and platforms that allow you to do just that.

1. Google and YouTube - adstransparency.google.com

Google and YouTube are global advertising powerhouses. To uncover your competitors' strategies on these platforms, head to adstransparency.google.com.google.com. This tool offers an inside look at a wide range of ads, providing you with a wealth of information on the types of ads currently in circulation.

2. Facebook and Instagram - facebook.com/ads/library

Social media advertising is a force to be reckoned with, and Facebook and Instagram are at the forefront of this revolution. Navigate to facebook.com/ads/library to explore your competitors' ad campaigns. You can search for any Page and uncover details about their active ads, enabling you to dissect their creative strategies, ad formats, and messaging.

3. TikTok - ads.tiktok.com/business/creativecenter/inspiration/topads

TikTok, the hub of short-form video content, has become a dominant force in the digital landscape. When it comes to understanding what's making waves in your industry, TikTok is a goldmine of inspiration. To gain insights into your competitors' TikTok ad strategies and discover what's performing best in your niche, make your way to ads.tiktok.com/business/ads.tiktok.com/business/creativecenter/inspiration/topads/inspiration/topads.

So, as you embark on your journey of digital marketing mastery, remember that in this realm, information truly is power, and the tools are at your disposal to wield it effectively.

How to Target Consumers Looking for “Real Estate Agents” with Google & YouTube Ads

You’ve heard me talk ad nauseam about optimizing your Google Business Profile to rank in Google’s “Map Pack,” a search results section that features the top three businesses optimized for that search. Phrases like “Best Realtor in ____” routinely trigger the Map Pack.

You’ve also heard me talk about how buyers characteristically search for homes, whereas sellers are far more likely to look for the top agent in the marketplace.

You’ve even heard me say that for 85 times web browsers search, “Coffee near me,” 5 folks search, “Realtor near me.” That all spells:  o-p-p-o-r-t-u-n-i-t-y.

Well, get this: Google unveiled a new audience segment in its advertising portal, dubbed “Real Estate Agents” whereby advertisers like you can now opt to target the types of folks running searches like “Best Realtor in ____.”

That said… Looking at the fine print, most of this audience is actively seeking a real estate agent. There's a small subset interested in real estate careers, likely people wanting to join the profession. Despite this, targeting the whole audience is still a smart move.

In terms of the types of ads that’ll stand-out best, I’d opt for YouTube in-stream ads, the commercials that play before, during, and after videos on YouTube, and Google Display Network ads, the square-shaped, tall-and-skinny, header/footer, and pop-up styled banner ads that appear across the web and in various apps.

Be top of mind when it matters most! Here’s how to run these ads:

• Navigate to ads.google.com to open up Google Ads.

• Make sure you're in "Expert Mode" which allows for a full range of customization and advanced settings.

• Initiate a new campaign.

• Select your campaign's objective and decide on the type of ad (such as Video or Display).

• Determine your bid, set the start and end dates, and fill in other basic details for your campaign.

• Specify a geographic boundary where your ads will be eligible to run.

• Under Audience Segments, locate "Search," then look for "Real Estate Agents." Select this option and continue building your ad campaign.

FB Business Pages Can No Longer Post Real Estate Listings to Facebook Marketplace (Effective January, 2023)

You might’ve received an email from Meta today informing you that your Facebook Business Page would be restricted from posting real estate listings to the Facebook Marketplace, effective January, 2023.

For reference, the Facebook Marketplace is the buy/sell classified ad section of Facebook. It’s essentially Facebook’s version of Craigslist—within which, for instance, users can list properties for rent and/or sale.

When launched in 2016 only Personal Facebook Profiles were eligible to use it. However, they eventually rolled it out for the use of Facebook Business Pages. But now, regrettably, Meta is rescinding Facebook Business Pages from posting real estate listings (or vehicles, not that this matters to us) to the Marketplace. Bummer. 😢

Notwithstanding, you can still post real estate listings to the Marketplace through your Personal Profile. The major drawback, of course, is that—when posted via a Business Page—Meta collected data whereby you could create ads to retarget anyone who viewed or engaged with your Marketplace listing.

Granted, I don’t believe I’ve ever met an agent who utilized that particular feature. 🤔 In fact, I even made a video about it like two years ago… watch it here if you want:  https://bit.ly/3fwLP63.

Bottom line, though… you CAN still post real estate listings to your Facebook Business Page, boost those posts, run ads, and so on. None of that has changed. The only new restriction here is in respect to posting real estate listings in the Facebook Marketplace.

Hope this is helpful for everyone! :D

What’s the Optimal Instagram Posting Frequency? (in 2022)

How often should you post on Instagram? Just try Googling that question and you’ll find a wide variety of answers 🙃:

• One reputable source will recommend 2-to-3 times a week.

• Another will swear you’ve gotta post at least once-a-day.

• A third source will urge you to post like 2-to-3 times a day, if you wanna grow.

So who has the right answer?

Logically, the more frequently you post (especially with Instagram Reels, for instance), the greater the total reach of your posts. That is, the more users who—whether they follow you or not—will see one or some of your posts. And, the more folks who see your content, the greater the odds of gaining new followers.

In a way, it’s like having a surplus whereby—because you “fed your followers,” so to speak—there’s still “reach” leftover for non-followers.

On the downside, however—the more often you post—you should also expect a slight reduction in the engagement rate of your respective posts.

Later Media, in fact, just did a comprehensive study on this exact topic. The loss of engagement is likely because Instagram’s algorithm—in the main Feed, especially (where your “engaged followers” are the most likely to see your posts)—tends to favor showing your most recent post. So if you’re posting like crazy, each respective post is gonna see slightly less of that action.

But don’t let that scare you into posting less. In fact, Later Media recommended that accounts with between 1,000 and 250,000 followers post, on average, 14-times a week. I’d wager that sources pretty daunting 😫. If so, I challenge to you look at your current content mix and ask FOUR questions:

1. What additional content am I missing that I should start producing?

2. How can I batch content to produce more of it in less time?

3. What existing content could I expand into multiple posts?—i.e., “slice-&-dice.”

4. What old content can I repost or repurpose?

Tactics to Attract More Instagram Followers (Who are LIKE Your Current Followers)

Wanna attract more Instagram followers who are like your current followers?

For starters, double-down on making valuable content that’s intended FOR your followers. It’s sometimes easy to get caught up in the desire to grow your following, all the while failing to look after the followers you’ve already got. Thing is, if you 100% focus on adding value to your existing audience by continually publishing content “worth following,” then you’ll naturally draw a bigger crowd (i.e., more followers).

That said, there are some accounts that for one reason or another stall out growth-wise. And I know you’re thinking—that it’s gotta be the content. But not necessarily.

Sometimes it’s the product of a low engagement ratio—i.e., an account’s average number of hearts/likes relative to its follower count. Engagement ratios are a major factor Instagram evaluates in deciding whether it should suggest your account to non-followers or distribute your content in its explore feed.

Over time, accounts gain and lose followers. Some of those followers engage with your content, some don’t, and some are bots—regardless of whether you’ve ever “purchased followers.” The point is, it’s possible to fall victim to stagnation at no real fault of your own.

So… Another tactic you may consider is to try boosting your posts. Not all of them — just every so often. When you boost, by default, Instagram targets people LIKE your followers. So… if you’re making content that’s FOR your current followers, perhaps consider boosting your posts to Instagramers LIKE them. Logically, since they’re LIKE your followers, the odds are pretty solid they too will elect to follow you.

Instagram’s job, in terms of helping its users discover new accounts to follow, is to size up your page and recommend it to other Instagramers who are “like” your current followers.

So… If you’re dissatisfied with the degree to which that’s happening for you, boosting may go a long way.

WHEN and HOW to Ask for Online Reviews: Google, Yelp, and more. (For Realtors)

When should Realtors ASK clients for an online review🤨:  Google, Yelp, et al.

From what I’ve observed, loads of agents wait to ask until they’re at the closing table ✍️. I don’t wanna sound hypercritical or anything, but I’d argue that’s perhaps the least-optimal time to request a review because clients tend to be fairly preoccupied with the proceedings of the closing.

The best time to ask for a review, IMO, is whenever something good happens. For example:

☑️ a ratified purchase agreement

☑️ contingency removal(s)

☑️ the clear-to-close notice

☑️ post-occupancy, after the dust has settled

Build in multiple requests as part of your transaction-to-close process! As the saying goes:  “If at first you don’t succeed – try, try again!”

And it isn’t just WHEN you ask – it’s HOW you ask.

Most agents simply send out a one-off email 📧 with a link to leave a review 💬. Unfortunately, that isn’t enough! You may get some reviews but  not as many as possible (IMO). Even if it’s the best-written, warmest email ever — a lone email isn’t gonna cut it. Try, for example, accompanying that email with a text message. Something like…

“{NAME}, it’s Jason Pantana. I just sent you an email requesting a review on {PLATFORM]. It’s been truly wonderful working with you and I’d be grateful to hear your feedback about the experience. Will you take a look at that email when you get a free moment, please? Thanks in advance!”

Sending a coinciding text, DM, video message, or even a handwritten note or card with your email casts a spell of multichannel magic ✨—thereby upping the odds of request performance.

Getting online reviews is well worth the effort (IMO). REVIEWS = REPUTATION.

4 YouTube (TrueView) Ads for Realtors to Run in 2021

YouTube is an ideal advertising platform. Here’s why:

1. It’s the second-most popular website on the planet 🌎—runner-up to its parent company, Google. What’s more, by extension, it’s also the second-most utilized search engine here, there, or anywhere.

2. Amongst video-streaming apps and sites, it holds the top-spot by a sizable margin in terms of total watch-time. You might’ve heard TikTok recently unseated it, which isn’t actually the case. TikTok is indeed number-one in terms average watch-time per user—however, YouTube has considerably more users.

3. YouTube is a more of a search-engine than a social-network. On social platforms, for instance, users are conditioned to scroll (mindlessly, on occasion). On YouTube, however, users are accustomed to search for content of a specific type or topic, which demonstrates intent. From an advertising and targeting standpoint, intent is everything!

Whether you’re looking to build-up brand-awareness, grow an audience, or generate leads, YouTube ads are a definite way to go!

Exploring Different Types of YouTube Ads

YouTube provides numerous different advertising products:  e.g. in-stream ads, in-feed ads, display, overlay, and more.

Some ad formats are created in Google Ads (formerly known as, AdWords) whereas others are placed on a reservation basis through a Google sales representative.

This video/article covers in-stream and in-feed video ads, dubbed, “TrueView” YouTube ads—which are made in Google Ads. 

The term, “TrueView,” refers to the length of time a viewer watches a specified video. For example, the viewer must watch the subject video ad for a minimum of 30 seconds. If the full video ad is less than 30 seconds long, the viewer must watch the video in its entirety. If they don’t, it’s not a TrueView, and thus, it doesn’t count against your ad-spend.

And remember, because it’s a video ad, your viewers aren’t just random people; they’re your target audience (based on your campaign settings).

There are two distinct types of “TrueView,” YouTube ads:

1. In-Stream: the, quote-unquote, “commercials” that play before, during, or after a video on YouTube. If you’re a frequent YouTube viewer, you might’ve noticed varying subtypes of in-stream ads.

   • Skippable - presents viewer with a “skip ad” option after five seconds elapses. Don’t forget, a TrueView requires a viewer to watch at least 30 seconds or the duration of a video ad or the advertiser isn’t charged.

   • Nonskippable - up-to 15-second videos in which the viewer has no option to skip. Every view would count as a TrueView seeing as how the viewer must watch from start-to-end.

   • Bumper - same as the nonskippable format but only up to six seconds long.

2. Video Discovery: when you see a promoted video in search results, recommended alongside related videos, or displayed on the Home Feed.

Considering YouTube’s Video-Discovery Algorithm

Before rushing into ad creation, keep in mind, a YouTube ad is simply a promotion of a natively uploaded video that lives on your Channel. That means the paid performance of the video and its organic performance are inextricably linked. In other words, an ad could potentially damage your video’s organic performance. Here’s how:

The YouTube algorithm runs off of two primary variables: A. Watch-Time and B. Click-Through Rate (CTR).

WATCH TIME:

Watch Time is what it sounds like:  the average amount of time viewers spend watching your video. The longer your video’s average watch-time, from YouTube’s POV, the greater its relevance to a designated topic—which means, increased distribution (e.g. search results, feeds, etc.).

CLICK-THROUGH RATE:

The Click-Through Rate means that when a prospective viewer is shown your video (in search results, as a recommended next video, or in YouTube’s browse features), YouTube monitors how often viewers click to watch. If they do, that signals YouTube to keep distributing your video far and wide. If they don’t click, then YouTube holds your video back, pure and simple.

Your video’s thumbnail (i.e., the preview image attached to the upload) and its title are the top influencing factors of its CTR.

**CLCK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE YOUTUBE ALGORITHM**

So think about this:  if you upload a video to your Channel and then run it, for instance, as a skippable in-stream ad—and then, as the campaign runs, its viewers hit the “Skip-Ad” button time-and-again—from an SEO standpoint, you’re literally tanking your video’s hopes of organic performance.

My thought is, if your video is time-bound—meaning, its content will become irrelevant or outdated quickly, then run it as an ad. On the other hand, if the video is considered timeless, then you may be better off to let it be and see what comes of it organically. 

(Step-by-Step) YouTube Ad-Campaigns for REALTORS®

Today’s video training demonstrates four (4) different YouTube ads, outlined below. Watch the video to for step-by-step instructions!

1. Just-Listed Video Ad Campaign

   • Description: upload your next listing video to YouTube to utilize as an ad. Include a clickable thumbnail.

   • Ad-Format: skippable in-stream

   • Audience-Targeting: homeowners + purchasing a home soon + in-market for residential properties, located in your defined geographic area.

2. Home Valuation Video Ad Campaign

   • Description: record and upload a video offering homeowners an instant home-price estimate; briefly speak of local market conditions and home-value appreciation.

   • Ad-Format: skippable in-stream

   • Audience-Targeting: homeowners located in your defined geographic area.

3. Local Market Update Video Ad Campaign

   • Description: upload/ a market video explaining nothing but the facts specific to your area’s housing market. Repeat process monthly.

   • Ad-Format: skippable in-stream

   • Audience-Targeting: homeowners located in your defined geographic area.

4. The “Queue-Jumper” Video Ad Campaign

   • Description: promote a video intended to perform organically (over time) to rank top-of-page in YouTube search results.

   • Ad-Format: video discovery; YouTube search results only (disable Video partners on the Display Network and YouTube Videos)

   • Audience-Targeting: keywords specific to your video’s topic.

Watch the video, get the training, and take advantage of YouTube ads to promote and grow your business!

NEW UPDATE!! Paid Advertising on Instagram Reels

Ads for #instagramreels! Yup—they’ve arrived!

Just like Story ad placements display in the Stories Feed, Reels ads show in the Reels Feed.

Reels are already best spot on Instagram to reach non-followers -- now multiply that with ads! 📈

To get started:

1. Open your Facebook Ads Manager and create a new campaign. FYI, not every campaign objective is enabled for Reels ads. Currently, you can select from Brand Awareness, Reach, Traffic, App Installs, Video views, or Conversions. And, bear in mind, some of those objectives often let you modify when you get charged from Impressions to a CPA (cost-per-action). Just a heads up, such options may be prohibited.

2. Follow your normal ad-setup procedures. For example, declare your Special Ad Category (e.g. Housing)—if applicable. At the Ad Set level, specify your budget, schedule, custom audiences, location parameters, and so forth.

3. When you make It to the Placements box, tap the “Manual Placements,” and uncheck everything except for the Reels destination.

4. Move on to the Ad Creative level and either choose an existing video or upload one. It needs to be a vertical (i.e. 9:16 aspect ratio) video with a runtime of up to 30 seconds.

5. Add or modify your caption and, at your choice, insert a CTA (call-to-action): “Learn More,” “Sign Up,” “Download,” et al.

6. Finally, press the Publish button and you’re all done!

Hashtag #ReelEstate (get it? 😆) — go get them views!

1 Facebook Ad Campaign to Promote ALL Your Content: Videos, Blogs, Social Posts, and More!

Content creation—let’s face it!—is a major undertaking 😓 The time and effort involved to consistently produce and publish blogs, videos, and social posts takes a toll.

Notwithstanding, if/when a video goes viral, if/when a blog ranks in the search results, and if/when a social post generates a bunch of hearts, likes, comments, and shares—well then it’s all worth it!

On the other hand, if/when the content doesn’t perform as hoped or expected, then it’s easy to get all gloomy and question the point of what you’re doing.

It’s sort of like the old saying:

If a tree 🌳 falls in a forest and no one is around to see it fall, did it make a sound?

The truth is, if nobody was around, then WHO REALLY CARES⁉ 🤷‍♂️

The same principle applies in your content marketing. Videos with hardly any views, posts without hearts, saves, or comments—for all intents and purposes—never actually happened.

We know social networks and search engines alike—algorithmically speaking—simply do not rank or circulate content that doesn’t perform.

And if your content never appears before its intended audience, then, honestly, who really cares!? For all intents and purposes, it’s as if that content never actually happened.

So… 🤔 what to do?

Whatever should you do? Well, one idea, for instance, is to ante up 💰and pay-to-play—Boost your posts on Facebook and Instagram to purchase the desired attention.

Granted, your issue could be—and, to put it bluntly—probably is the content itself. I’m not trying to sound negative or insulting here, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t bring that up. And if your content isn’t performing organically, presumably, it won’t perform as an ad either. A discussion for another time, perhaps.

Additionally, Boosting introduces yet another step in an already laborious content-publishing process. And what’s more, there’s a learning curve to it:  declaring ad objectives with every promotion, specifying your target audience(s), setting budgets, and so forth. It’s not as effortless as you’d think.

And to do it with every post!?—that’s just inefficient. Once again, some of your posts will make for effective ads, others won’t. For those that don’t, it’s purely a waste of money. (Ref. my comments above about poorly performing content.)

Still, something has to be done. After all, if your content isn’t reaching its intended audience -- or, better yet, if it is but not the the extent it deserves, considering its quality -- then a paid strategy makes perfect sense. I mean, my goodness, if the content is performing organically (on a small scale), then all the more reason to double-down via paid promotions to expand the size of your audience by an order of magnitude.

How (and Why) to Promote Your Content

For starters, content promotion helps to:

1. Maximize the usefulness of each and every post!—videos, images, et al. Squeeze every last drop, so to speak. A post shared to social, for example, has a relatively short lifespan—up to a few days at best. Promoting your content is just economical.

2. Grow your audience. For instance, if, as a byproduct of your content-publishing efforts, you’re already generating inbound, organic leads, then a bigger audience will theoretically multiply those results. 

3. Retarget your existing audience(s).  E.g. website traffic via your Facebook Pixel, all your leads and contacts stored in your CRM, and s0 forth. Once again, if your content never appears before its intended audience(s), then it’s as if it never actually happened.

“One campaign to rule them all.”

In the training video above, I explain how to create a SINGLE (Facebook/Instagram) ad campaign to promote ALL your social content -- posts you’ve shared within the past week or even the past month. This method of promoting content, compared to Boosting every post (on Facebook/Instagram), for instance, offers some noteworthy benefits:

• One-and-done! You don’t have to create a new campaign (i.e., separate Facebook and/or Instagram ads) for every single post. Instead, you create just one campaign with multiple ads—each ad, just to be clear, represents one of your selected posts.

• Algorithmic autonomy. Remember, if your content doesn’t perform organically, it’ll probably flounder as an ad too. That means, if you’re running ads for each post separately, some, inevitably, will be duds. Using this technique, however, Facebook-and-Instagram’s learning algorithms can decide which of your ads (i.e., your posts) will work best depending on the audience it’s targeting. So, bottom line, it’ll get you a better cost-per-result.

Step-by-Step Instructions

From a technical standpoint, in today’s training, we’ll build one Campaign with two Ad Sets and three Ads. (“… Easy as A-B-C 🎶 1-2-3…”) When I tested it for myself, the results were astounding! Hierarchically, it’ll look like this:

• Campaign (I)

  • Ad Set (A) | Retargeting

    • Ad | Post (i)

    • Ad | Post (ii)

    • Ad | Post (iii)

  • Ad Set (B) | Targeting

    • Ad | Post (i)

    • A | Post (ii)

    • Ad | Post (iii)

Structure of a Facebook Ad

• Campaign - specifies the primary objective you’re trying to achieve: e.g. video views, engagement, traffic, etc.—it’s the foundation of the advertisement.

  • Ad Set - defines who you’re targeting (and/or who aren’t) as well as how much you’re spending and for how long.

    • Ad - all the creative/media elements: e.g. images, videos, text, links, etc.—this is where you’ll select the post you would’ve previously published organically and will now use for a paid promotion.

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1. Log into your Facebook Business Manager.

2. In the main menu, select “Audiences.” We’ll prepare who you’re targeting/retargeting before building and running the campaign itself because it can take Facebook and Instagram up to 24 hours to aggregate custom audience(s)—just getting a head-start.

3. Tap the blue button labeled, “Create Custom Audience.” Once the window pops up, make your selection(s). In the training video, we’ll construct several custom audiences—e.g. your Facebook Pixel web traffic, uploading a spreadsheet of your CRM data (i.e., leads, contacts, et al.) as a customer list, Facebook Page and Instagram Business Profile engagement audiences, and more.

4. Next, access the main menu and select “Ads Manager.” Tap the green button that says, “Create.”

5. Choose your campaign objective. Note that if, for instance, you select, “Video Views,” then you can only use videos in your ads. Depending on the type of content you’re looking to promote, you may opt to choose a more flexible objective or you’ll need to create more than one Campaign.
   
   Scroll down in the window to name the Campaign and the Ad Set. There’s no reason to name the Ad as of yet. Press to continue.

6. At the Campaign level, declare any applicable Special Ad Categories, such as Housing for my real estate practitioner friends. Ensure the “Campaign Budget Optimization” setting is toggled OFF. Press to continue to the next section.

7. In the Ad Set level, scroll down to the “Budget” section and allocate a daily spend. Also, make sure to set an End Date! After that, navigate to the “Audiences” box and add the custom audiences we made back in step #2 inside the “Include” text field.
   
   Next scroll down to the “Locations” heading and make sure that your defined geographic area doesn’t inadvertently exclude any folks in your custom audiences. If you chose a campaign objective like “Video Views,” in the “Optimization and Delivery” box, tap, “Show more options” and opt to only be charged for ThruPlays. In other words, require Facebook/Instagram put its money where its mouth is!—only pay for results, not impressions. At the bottom of the page, click to continue to the next section.

8. At the Ad level, scroll down to the “Ad Setup” box, tap the dropdown menu and choose, “Use existing post.” Then, tap the “Select” button to peruse your previously published posts on Facebook and/or Instagram. Choose one and edit placements as necessary (e.g. too much caption text for Instagram).
   
   Scroll down and check the box to make sure you’re Pixel is tracking “Website Events.”
   
   Finally, scroll back up to the top and name your Ad whatever you like so that you can easily recognize which Ad it is.

9. On the lefthand sidebar, look for the “…” to the right of your selected Ad. Tap it and choose to “Duplicate.” It’ll ask you if you want to start a new Campaign or add to an existing one. Obviously, specify the latter. Pick your current Campaign as well as the current Ad Set and then click to continue.
   
   Once that’s done, scroll down to the “Select” button and pick your next post. Same as before, make sure “Website Events” are being tracked, re-name the Ad, and then duplicate it again and as many times as necessary depending on how many posts you plan to include in your Campaign.

10. Once you’ve added all your Ads (i.e., your posts), on that lefthand sidebar, click the “…” next to the Ad Set and make a duplicate. Be sure to add it to the current Campaign. It’ll automatically make copies of all your Ads too—streamlined and efficient!
    
    Rename the Ad Set as you see fit. For instance, I would call the first Ad Set something to the effect of, “RETARGETING…” since it’s aimed at your custom audiences. For this Ad Set, something along the lines of, “TARGETING…” would make sense—because, this go-around, we’re setting our sights toward new growth!

11. In the (new) Ad Set level, scroll down to the “Audiences” box and remove (i.e., just “X-off”) those custom audiences. Then, tap the “Exclude” button and re-add your custom audiences in its text field. So, in essence, we’re telling Facebook/Instagram, for this Ad Set, DON’T TARGET the custom audiences—that way you’re not paying to show those folks the same content twice.
    
    Make your way down to the “Locations” heading and set, for instance, a 15-mile radius around the city where you conduct business. In other words, you’re telling FB/IG to show your ad to the residents in your marketplace—as in, prospective home buyers and sellers.
    
    Find the “Publish” button to submit the ad for review and you’re done!

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When you’ve got content, you’ve got options. Content is like arrows for a bow 🏹

In other words, the bow is functionally worthless without arrows to shoot. Likewise, it’s hard to target market your message or campaign at an audience without content: videos, blogs, images, and more. Everyone flat-out needs content!

Having said that—while content marketing definitely works—it’s a significant undertaking. What’s more, a failure to maximize the reach and impact of every post is, frankly, a disservice to your efforts.

Use this strategy to:

A. Remarket to your existing audiences, deepening their affinity (and consideration) for your brand.
B. Use your content to attract new followers, subscribers, and future customers.

I want you to hear all-day, everyday:

Oh, you’re that agent! I see you EVERYWHERE!.

Win the mindshare of the marketplace to become the agent-of-choice.

5 Essential Types of Content You Should Be Creating and Posting on Social Media

It’s common knowledge that agents are supposed to post more videos, post more stories, post at least once a day, etc. - etc.

In fact, there’s no shortage of rules and best practices about "𝙝𝙤𝙬" to post, "𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣" to post, or "𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚" to post, but there’s not nearly as much guidance about "𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩" to post, which, for many agents, is a major pain point.

Your content—pics, vids, graphics, and more—should cover five primary topics, listed below. And you get to decide how often to post in one subject versus another. After all, it’s your brand.

1. Real “Me”
2. Knowledge Broker
3. Hyperlocal
4. Agent BTS
5. Social Proof

Keep up the stellar content, friends 👊

Facebook Pixel Tracking Dead? Discussing the New Apple Privacy Policy iOS 14.5 Update with Juefeng Ge

Internet privacy updates have arrived: Apple’s App Tracking Transparency Framework (courtesy of iOS 14.5), Google’s Privacy Sandbox, and, basically a coming embargo on third-party cookies (which is explained in-depth during the video). So, in essence, we’re talking about the end (or at least a serious diminution) of Facebook’s Pixel, Google’s Global Site Tag (i.e., Google Analytics), and other website measurement and tracking tools. Translated: that means problems for remarketing and lead-conversion tracking.

In today’s episode of Marketing Stream, I’m joined by Co-Founder and Chief Marketing Officer of Ylopo, Juefeng Ge (aka, Ge). Candidly, some of what’s happening with these updates is beyond what we need to know or discuss. Nonetheless, it’s been difficult to get straight answers about the functions and/or features that will or won’t remain in place with the major ad portals:  Facebook, Google, et al. That was, until this podcast!

On the table for discussion:

0:00 - Intro
3:17 - Internet Privacy Updates and Impacts on Real Estate
8:36 - The Apple App Tracking Transparency Framework
17:20 - Changes to Facebook's Pixel and Tracking Tools
24:25 - First-Party Data vs Third-Party Data
33:04 - What Stops an App from Selling Your Data
36:14 - Changes to Functionality of Facebook Ads
37:55 - Speculative Changes to Google Ads
41:53 - Strategic Advertising Changes for Real Estate Agents
48:23 - Final Takeaways

How to Grow a YouTube Channel (That Attracts Business) with Andrew Kan | Marketing Stream 🎙 003

For any established/aspiring YouTuber, the TubeBuddy browser extension is a downright must to optimize and grow your channel. In today’s episode of #MarketingStream, I’m talking with TubeBuddy Creative Director, Andrew Kan -- YouTube SEO and optimization expert.

(⚠️𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚:  this episode is nonstop with actionable takeaways!)

YouTube is a different type of social platform. In fact, it’s less of a social network and more of a search engine. (No surprise given that it’s owned by Google.)

Now, the trouble with social sites like Facebook or Instagram is that your content is here today, gone tomorrow. To that end, I was recently asked to explain why one should even bother posting to their Stories, for instance, when that content automatically disappears after just 24 hours. Fair question! But based on that, I replied, what’s the benefit of posting any content to your Feeds or otherwise since it’ll only circulate (algorithmically) for maybe 48 to 72 hours once published?

My point isn’t to make you question the efficacy of creating or sharing social content (far from it!); it’s to showcase how YouTube is different.

Imagine publishing a video that amasses hundreds (or thousands) of views month-after-month, only gaining in popularity as time elapses! And, what’s more, consider that for all those views (like clockwork 🕰) a certain percentage of onlookers will inevitably inquire about your business services. Yup—you heard right!

So grab your notes 📋 and strap in for 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺, 𝗲𝗽𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗱𝗲 𝟬𝟬𝟯.

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How to Compete in 2021's Housing Market

In today’s (insane) marketplace is it necessary (or even worth it 🤨) to market a listing when it’ll invariably sell in a flash? Short answer: 𝐘-𝐄-𝐒!

As a listing agent it’s your job to expose a property to the largest pool of would-be and could-be buyers!

No doubt, it’s by-and-large a sellers’ market. However, in a manner of speaking, it’s only sellers’ market 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 if every eligible buyer in the marketplace, at minimum, knows about it. If a seller wants to take the market for all it’s worth💰—pure and simple—don’t repress the marketing!

👀 More exposure, more showings.
🚪 More showings, more offers.
📝 More offers, more leverage.
💰 More leverage, more money.

Granted, if a home sells before you even publish the Facebook ad, for instance—in all seriousness—what’s the point? The trick is to 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐞𝐝 your marketing 𝚞𝚙, not to 𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐞 it 𝚍𝚘𝚠𝚗.

For example, try submitting your Facebook Ads 72 hours before the listing goes live. That way you clear Facebook’s internal review process w/ time to spare. Schedule the ad to start running 24 hours in advance of the listing officially going live on the market. Sidebar: make sure you’re compliant w/ all applicable rules/regs (e.g. Clear Cooperation). FYI, the first 24 hours of a Facebook Ad is considered its “learning phase”—so by starting it a tad early there’s adequate time to resolve any bugs before the, quote-unquote, “on-market timer” formally starts. Last thing: run your ad for fewer days than you would normally and increase its budget accordingly.

I don’t mean for this post to sound like I’m just talking about Facebook ads -- because I’m not! This is about adjusting your entire 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵 𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙨𝙚𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 to keep pace w/ the velocity of the marketplace. #NeverStopMarketing

[VIDEO] YouTube In-Stream Ads for Real Estate Agents: Step-by-Step Guide to Attract Listings in Your Market

Let’s talk to you about how to attract listings in your marketplace using YouTube In-Stream Ads!

I’ll put it like this:  YouTube In-Stream Ads are what Facebook Boosted Posts were when initially released. My point is you’re gonna want to take advantage of ‘em!

YouTube In-Stream Ads are essentially commercials that play before, during, or after a selected video on YouTube.

Additionally, there are a few different ad subtypes:

• Skippable: the viewer has an option to skip the ad after five seconds. This format utilizes a CPV (cost-per-view) bid strategy so the advertiser only pays when a viewer watches 30 seconds of the video (or the full duration if it's shorter than 30 seconds) or interacts with the video (e.g. clicks a link).

• Non-Skippable: the ad may not exceed 15 seconds and doesn’t provide the viewer an option to skip. This type utilizes a CPM (cost-per-thousand impressions) bid strategy and so the advertiser pays whenever the ad is shown regardless of how long its viewed.

• Bumper: same as the Non-Skippable variation except that the ad is limited to a max of 6 seconds.

From a strategy standpoint this training centers around LISTING ATTRACTION 🏡. A couple of months back I did a livestream with Tom Ferry business coach, David Caldwell, during which we discussed how he’s been publishing simple Market Update Videos once-a-month and targeting homeowners in his local marketplace using skippable in-stream ads.
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The 10-minute video above presents a STEP-BY-STEP TUTORIAL on how to run these campaigns—screen sharing, examples, and all.

Please note, the training assumes you’ve already setup a Google advertising account. What’s more, I’m working in Google Ads “expert” mode, not “express” (a.k.a. “smart”) mode. Here’s how to swap, just in case.

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Back on topic:  David runs each ad for 30 consecutive days at $5 a day and, on average, he’s paying between $0.02 and $0.04 a view. And it isn’t just David—it’s been the same for many of his personal coaching clients as well as several of mine. Now here’s the punchline:  whenever David’s cumulative views tally-up to 20,000—like clockwork—his phone rings with a “Come-List-Me!” 🏡 call. If you do the math that’s basically $400 to $800 per listing.

Sounds good to me! We (desperately) need the listings, friends! Perhaps you caught the WSJ’s recent report that there are currently fewer homes for sale in the US than there are licensed real estate agents 😳. Granted, it’s typically not too far off of that figure in normal markets—that’s just a headline. Notwithstanding, inventory is significantly lower this year, no ifs, ands, or buts about it.

Also, consider that most homeowners rely on regional or national news outlets to learn about what’s happening in their local real estate markets. Nope—not gonna cut it! Personally, I believe it’s incumbent on agents to act as “knowledge brokers” at a hyperlocal level.

Why else would you suppose David’s phone rings every 20,000 views? Certainly, I could wager it’s just a matter branding and positioning—homeowners keep seeing David’s face, he seems competent, and, because he’s top-of-mind at the right time, they dial his number.

Far more than that, however, I think it boils down to the value of the information he’s providing. Frankly, how could it be anything else when viewers elect to watch 80% of a video advertisement they could’ve skipped ⏭ after the first five seconds? It’s because the information matters to them! Otherwise, how’s a prospective seller supposed to make an informed choice about whether or not to list, when to time it, or how to navigate through local conditions and competition? My advice:  supply the info; be the knowledge broker.
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Please leave a comment, and/or tag a friend or peer who might also benefit from this training. Additionally, if there are other topics you’d like for me to build a training to support, please let me know 😃

SLICE & DICE: How to (re)purpose your videos/posts

Content creation ain’t no small undertaking! Writing copy, producing videos, designing graphics, and more -- w/o question, it’s a significant investment to time, resources, and effort. Granted, no other marketing or branding channel (comparatively) even comes close to the vast reach of today’s digital and social platforms.

Thousands of Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok views or impressions—for FREE—versus, for instance, $0.55 cost per stamp on postage. Evergreen blog posts or YouTube videos that continuously rank on long tail search queries—it’s hard to put a price tag on the value of that stuff!

I’m certainly not trying to disparage the use of postcards, just so we’re clear; my point is, the benefits/ROI of content marketing, when executed strategically, far outweighs the pain of its production.

Trouble is, I suspect your content isn’t getting the, quote-unquote, “𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐠𝐞” (in terms of reach and exposure) as it could or should.

For example… Imagine you publish a stellar 6-minute video w/ a killer caption to boot. And let’s just say it garners 1.5K views on Insta, 800 more on Facebook, another 365 on LinkedIn, and finally, an additional 550 via YouTube, all organic. That’s not bad — but it’s not done either.

If you want to maximize the 𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐠𝐞 of that video, for instance, try digging through the caption to identify quotable blurbs. Use ‘em as Tweets or as text-overlay on an image post. Clip 30-second excerpts out of the long-form video to repurpose as IG Reels or YouTube Shorts. Point is:  I̲t̲ ̲a̲i̲n̲’̲t̲ ̲o̲v̲e̲r̲ ̲’̲T̲i̲l̲ ̲I̲t̲’̲s̲ ̲O̲v̲e̲r̲ 🎶 (Lenny Kravitz) 😆.

If you’re pouring yourself into producing content, then you owe it to yourself to maximize the 𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐠𝐞 of every blog, every video, and every post.

Let’s talk about how. From a content-planning standpoint, begin by identifying your top-level content:  e.g. video shows, blogs, podcasts, et al. Basically, the stuff you’re creating episodically across your platforms. From there, map out the various ways you can 𝘴𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘦, 𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘦, 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘱, or 𝘫𝘶𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘯𝘦 (so to speak) each respective piece of content into subsequent Posts, Stories, Reels, and more. Here are some ideas to get started:

1. Post “throwbacks” of prior posts

2. Group related posts into a single, “round-up” post (perhaps using carousel)

3. Send out a compilation email of your best listing-videos

4. Highlight 30- or 60-second chops/clips of longer vids (Reels, Stories, et al.)

5. Transcribe podcast interviews and publish blog articles

What’s your best hack/tactic for repurposing your content? Please share in a comment and/or tag a friend who should chime in.

5 Ways to Use QR Codes in 2021 (for Real Estate Agents)

Scanning a 𝑸𝑹 𝒄𝒐𝒅𝒆 ain’t what it used to be:  swipe right-to-left to launch your camera, point, tap, and the page loads. Simple!

It used to be you had to download a special app, which, to even use back then, you had to physically enter your pin to unlock the phone when you needed it—and then you had to hold your smartphone camera ever-so still (and physically close) or it wouldn’t scan properly. It was pretty inconvenient. In fact, I typically just entered the web address manually because it was faster 😆.

But like I said:  it ain’t what it used to be. Especially not now with everything shifting to contactless experiences. To that point, I’d argue the catalyst behind me even making this post at all is (in large part) due to restaurants ditching physical menus for digital ones displayed via QR codes. Mostly because of that (imo), everyone’s become quite adept at scanning QR codes — and willing to do it.

And it isn’t just restaurants:  it’s hotels, retail stores, and, by the time you’re done reading this post 😉—real estate agents.

Statista recently reported that 𝟏𝟖.𝟖% of US and UK consumers have noticed a discernible uptick in the usage of QR codes ever since the onset of the pandemic. No surprise there.

What’s more, the modern smartphone camera scans codes faster and from practically a mile away compared to older devices.

Also keep in mind, QR codes aren’t just for web links. They can perform a range of actions:  e.g. place a call, Tweet, send a pre-drafted text message, direct message, or email, book an appointment, sign up for a newsletter, follow an account on social, or deep-link to an online review destination. 𝙶𝚘𝚘𝚐𝚕𝚎 𝚒𝚝:  the applications are extensive.

Anyway... I think I’ve made my point! Review the list below for some sample ideas of how to integrate QR codes into your marketing materials:

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1. “Learn-More!” Yard Signs

Install a “Scan-to-Learn More” wire-stake 🪧 yard-sign at your listing linked to a forced registration landing page whereby passers-by can garner pertinent details about a subject property:  photos, floorpans, 360º tour, price, specs, etc. 𝐏𝐫𝐨 𝐓𝐢𝐩:  make the code BIG so it can be scanned roadside.

𝚂𝚒𝚐𝚗 𝚌𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚜 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚕𝚘𝚗𝚐 𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚍𝚞𝚌𝚎𝚍 𝚚𝚞𝚊𝚕𝚒𝚝𝚢 𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚜 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚊𝚐𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚜. 𝙷𝚘𝚠𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛, 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢 𝚌𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚛, 𝚑𝚘𝚠 𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚢 𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚒𝚎𝚜 𝚓𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚔𝚎𝚙𝚝 𝚐𝚘𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚋𝚎𝚌𝚊𝚞𝚜𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚠𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚗’𝚝 𝚠𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚘 𝚌𝚊𝚕𝚕? 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚀𝚁 𝚌𝚘𝚍𝚎 𝚒𝚜 𝚊 𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚙-𝚛𝚎𝚖𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚍 𝚊𝚕𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚗𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚖𝚊𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚊 𝚍𝚒𝚛𝚎𝚌𝚝 𝚌𝚊𝚕𝚕.

“Learn-More!”

QR Codes

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2. Scan-to-RSVP (QR) Stickers

Print “Scan-to-RSVP” QR-code stickers for your (private) open house directional 👉 signs. Link it to Calendly, a web form, a Facebook Event, or whatever system you use to manage open house registrations, subject to your local regulations. Again, the bigger the code, the easier to scan it.

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3. Call-to-Action QR Codes

Add “QR-CTAs” (i.e., “calls-to-action”) linked to your postcards and mailers:  home valuation reports, local market data, seller guides, buyer guides, and other marketable resources.

Call-to-Action QR Codes

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4. Video-Embedded Newsletter

Embed videos in 𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒏𝒆𝒘𝒔𝒍𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔 (or local literature)! Simply place your video’s thumbnail image in the document w/ a QR code and link it to content on a social channel or your website.

Video-Embedded Newsletter

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5. Review-Linked Handwritten Notes

Order custom notecards (e.g. VistaPrint, et al.) for handwritten ✍️ notes w/ printed QR codes that deep-link directly to your Google My Business review form.

Review-Linked Handwritten Notes

𝑸𝑹 𝑪𝒐𝒅𝒆 𝑮𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒔:

‣ 𝘊𝘢𝘯𝘷𝘢
‣ 𝘘𝘙 𝘚𝘵𝘶𝘧𝘧
‣ 𝘒𝘢𝘺𝘸𝘢
‣ 𝘝𝘪𝘴𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥
‣ 𝘛𝘩𝘦-𝘲𝘳𝘤𝘰𝘥𝘦-𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘳.𝘤𝘰𝘮
‣ 𝘲𝘳-𝘤𝘰𝘥𝘦-𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘳.𝘤𝘰𝘮
‣ 𝘘𝘙 𝘊𝘰𝘥𝘦 𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘬𝘦𝘺

𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘁 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗰𝘆 Changes That'll Impact Facebook/Google Ads

🚨 Big online ad-targeting and user privacy updates are at hand to affect major marketing platforms—including Google and Facebook 🚨

For instance, you might’ve heard about how Google, starting next year, plans to prohibit targeting based on users’ browsing history 😳 Translated: interest-based audiences, intent-based audiences, remarketing, and a bunch more is up for grabs.

You might also recall the fuss between Facebook and Apple about a month ago whereby Facebook was in a tizzy about Apple’s impending iOS 14 update, in which will be included the App Tracking Transparency Framework. Basically, any app sold or distributed in Apple’s App Store will be required to show users a prompt asking for permission to track activities and sell that data to advertisers. Let’s be candid: most will deny that permission. So I bet you can guess why Facebook’s been in a tizzy now! That’s essentially their entire business model.

To analyze these matters and more, I went LIVE 🔴 w/ leading authority in the digital marketing space, @dennis.yu, CEO of renowned digital marketing agency, BlitzMetrics. Bit of background: before becoming who he is today, Dennis was once a Senior Engineer at Yahoo, where he specialized in ad optimization and analytics. That bit of experience should be useful to our dialogue 😜

Tune in and we’ll get the facts straight about what to expect down the line and how to navigate the impacts.