All agents should pass this class, that is if you want to be successful. Branding is one the most critical business needs an entrepreneur must master. in order to master it you must know what it is. Basically, according the American Marketing Association, “A brand is a name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller’s good or service as distinct from those of other sellers”.
I like to describe it like this, " it is the idea or image people have in their mind when thinking about you, your products, services and activities"
This happens in both:
*a practical way (e.g. “the dinner is low in calories”)
*an emotional way (e.g. “the dinner is satisfying”).
In short, your brand is how they are going to remember you!
Ok so now you know what branding is.
Now you need to understand how people remember, lets tackle that next.
How people remember
According to studies:
* People process visuals 60,000x faster than text.
* Web post with visuals drive up to 180% more engagement than those without
* 90% of the information transmitted to the brain is visual
* 94% more total views on average are attracted by content containing compelling image
in summary people remember graphics easier than words. Keep this in mind for later.
Why the need to have them remember you?
According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR):
And some info from NAR.
Based on this information NAR indicates that 98% of people chose their real estate agent not because of the agency they represent but the connection they feel with the agent. Now in order to have a connection they must remember you! I hope it is clear the need to have them remember you. now lets cover some tools.
Tools for branding
Here are some tools to help you brand yourself.
* Logos
* Business Cards
* Video
Before you go out and get all this tools you need a plan. you can not wing it. Take your time and think about how you are going to use these tools. They all should flow together and be consistent.
I will break down each one and give some pointers.
Logo
It should serve as a constant reminder that you are in Real Estate without having to say it. It should have what you do and your focus.
Business Cards
The five rules for a good card
Picture
*Should be current and natural
*Not 20 year ago, and not glamour shots
Logo
*Prominent but not overwhelming
*If you use a tag line, it should be next to you logo
*Your name should be visible and easy to read
*Include Broker Logo with contact info (email, website)
Simplicity
*Don’t over populate the card with info, the cleaner the better
*Should have your Picture, name, logo, tag line, 1 contact method (prefer Phone#)
Contact Info
*Provide only minimal points of connections ( phone, email, website) -Reduces confusion
Remember it’s a piece of paper they can’t click and go
Back Page
*White and non-gloss
*Leave room for writing
Video
This is the holy grail of marketing. Videos are everywhere, just ask anybody. You need one, no correction, you need a bunch. Start small and simple and as you get more comfortable you can add more fancy stuff to them. Keep these on YouTube and let it be a chronicle of your progress. It will attract viewers. You need one for an introduction and this should be as professional as possible yet it should bring out your personality. People connect to people they like.
Building a brand
The key to this is keeping it simple. Basically be authentic and make it personal. Do not make it too cold or mechanical. Here are my thoughts on things you can do to grow your brand.
* Subject mater expertise. For example schools (not just the name but where they rank), demographics, local establishments and services near by.
* Create a strong network by creating events for your followers.
* Get involved with the community and do little things for the community vendors.
* Stay top pf mind. Use social media, websites, video, blogs, flyers, letters and activities.
* Constantly stay connected to your past customers.
Final Thoughts
Branding is not a do it once type of job. You have to constantly work on it, evolve it and adapt to the current needs of your clients. Keep your clients in mind when creating your brand. Client get attracted to brands they can relate to.
Your turn
I would love to learn from you on this topic. Please feel free to let me know your thoughts or changes I should make or add to this article.
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