I’m a Realtor by day & P.I.M.P by night

I have a husband and two kids so it’s hard being a lady of the evening. But, it’s a small sacrifice to make and my clients love the services I provide. Now before you start getting the wrong idea; I think I should clarify what I mean when I say P.I.M.P by night. A (P.I.M.P)  is a: Person Incorporating Mobile Practices. So, when I say I’m a lady of the evening; well that’s just simply the time of day I set aside to implement steps in my mobile marketing strategy. What did you think I meant?

Needless to say during the day I’m often busy talking to clients and other agents, going on showings, visiting builders, but after 6 pm; when the sun goes down I’m a P.I.M.P. In fact there is no reason why you can’t be one too. If there is an affordable and low-cost solution to generate referrals and convert prospects to active buyers and sellers then give me one good reason why you wouldn’t try? Go ahead I’ll wait…………..

Exactly! I can’t think of one good reason why anyone who’s in a consumer centric industry like real estate wouldn’t want to apply mobile marketing to their business. I’ll be glad to share a few basic tips to help you get started. After all, everyone needs a P.I.M.P in their life.

P.I.M.P.-ology 101

1)    Choose a mobile platform that you would like to start with (QR codes, SMS text, or mobile app)

2)    Develop a call to action that would engage your target audience a reason for them to subscribe to your service

3)    Create and place ads introducing your new platform on your website, virtual flyers, facebook, twitter, your blog, YouTube, Craigslist, blogtalk radio, Backpage,

4)    Begin placing platform on business cards, flyers, email signature

5)    Every prospect you speak with begin asking them to subscribe to your mobile messaging, QR code, or App

1)    Monday & Wednesday evenings at 6:30 PM I send a message to mobile subscribers with content they would find useful. Usually people love a link to a video. It makes the subscriber feel more engaged.

2)    Tuesday evenings encourage enrollment by offering a give away or a prize that would be of some value to encourage subscriber enrollment. For example sometimes I offer paying for appliances or assistance with closing costs to people who enroll or refer a friend.

3)    Thursday evenings I make sure I post on all social media sites something that will encourage people to enroll or subscribe to mobile platform

4)    Friday, Saturday, & Sunday be sure I reach a goal of giving 100 people my business card with the mobile marketing platform on it.

Being a P.I.M.P is easy. Embrace it. Like it or not our market is shifting from pc web browsing to mobile browsing. Email marketing is becoming more and more like postal mail in that you’re information is quickly discarded in the trash before it’s even opened. Keep finding ways to reach your consumer and you will thrive.

If you’re interested in learning more about Mobile Marketing Strategies for Real Estate there are classes available. TEXT: SMARTREALTOR to 90210 for more innovative marketing tips, course schedules, information on good local deals for Realtors and BTSA’s.

P.I.M.P Schedule

You caught me! I cheated on email.

For the past year, I've been acting shamelessly. I've been carrying on like a giddy little school girl with a crush. I've been flaunting my affair around my local market area and talking about it to anyone that listens. But, I'm through feeling guilty for spending more time with one and ignoring other. I'm just going to come out with it. I've been cheating on my email with text messaging and it feels so good.

At first email marketing campaigns were great they had a 20% open rate or higher. As a Realtor when I wanted to get information out about an open house or a sweet deal on a foreclosure, I’d go to my laptop. I’d instantly whip up a flyer and click send. Automatically, I knew at least twenty out of every 100 people would receive the email and open it within the next 24 hours. Therefore on a contact list of 3,000 the probability of reaching a minimum of 600 people or more in a day is not too shabby. Like I said, in the beginning; email and I were great together.

Then, something changed. Somehow email and I began to grow apart. I would spend time creating eye catching email campaigns only for spam filters to block them from the intended recipients. I watched my response rate dwindle down slowly to an average percentage that was laughable. I even solicited the advice of a marketing consultant who explained to me that lately an email campaign is considered successful if it reaches a minimum of 10% open rate. My heart was broken into millions of pieces. Using email campaigns to communicate with my sphere of influence or generate referral business is slowly becoming more ineffective as technology evolves. I simply had to tell my email account, “It’s not you, it’s me.” I need more than what you can offer.

So, just like any other hot blooded motivated Realtor.  I began to search for something to fill the void in my marketing plan. I flirted with the idea of going back to print. I blogged on and off.  However, the key component is generating traffic to the blog and that in itself is another job. It works but it takes a lot of time and attention to grow. Blogging is effective but high maintenance. I had almost given up hope in finding anything that would satisfy me until one day, while at lunch; a friend decided to introduce me to text message short codes. It was casual at first and nothing too serious. But, as I learned more about how text message short codes work and how they could be applied to real estate, I began to fall in love. There was an instant connection. The capabilities of mobile marketing seduced me. Email who?

Text message marketing changed the game for me. It just made sense. It’s a medium of communication that is designed to reach mass amounts of people with a 97% average open rate. (Text Marketing Statistical Overview) From past and present clients, to current and future prospects; everyone has a cell phone and everyone reads their text messages. I’m able to send important links of videos, blogs, and facebook fan pages directly to people’s cell phones. Even more magnificent my audience is clicking on those links from their cell phone and responding instantly to my call to action. Plus, some recipients would go as far as to forward my text messages and links to their friends and family. This exchange of information takes place in a matter of seconds or minutes. With email, it took a day or so. Now my sphere of influence can be reached in 60 seconds or less and I can generate a response in 120 seconds from up to 50% of the people I send the text out to.

I love text message marketing and more and more consumers are going mobile every day. I want to be ahead of the revolution and depending on email marketing campaigns was just holding my business back from its limitless potential. Email still holds a place in my heart and in my business but the flame doesn’t burn as bright. I don’t spend as much money on it. Let’s face it people have long left the “you’ve got mail” enthusiasm and no longer look to email to get pertinent information. The only email people are concerned with reading are the ones from close friends, families, businesses they frequent, or a source that has something to do with the information they need at that very moment. If you don’t make the cut, then you find yourself going in the spam box. I’m plenty of things but, I am nobody’s spam.

I imagine when more Realtors have had enough of email campaigns that don’t initiate the response they’re looking for; they’ll dump their email and go out in search of something more too. Guess what? Text message marketing will be there waiting with open arms. (Flyer for Mobile Marketing MCE Course Wed. 11/9/2011)

(Realtors in Greater Houston or surrounding areas: TEXT SMARTREALTOR to 90210 to receive great real estate marketing tips, information on MCE courses from the best instructors, latest local industry news, best available BTSA's and chances to win freebies)