Why Estate Agents Need a Marketing Methodology – Not Another Supplier

It’s absolutely correct that estate agents should tap into the wealth of experience, tools and professional execution offered by digital marketing agencies. We’ve already qualified why outsourcing marketing is the smartest choice but getting the supplier-led marketing model right will shape your success.

The danger can lie in hiring multiple, single-channel suppliers who each have a speciality: an SEO expert here, a PPC guru there and another person looking after your website. Your time will be spent agonising over conflicting advice, acting as a go-between when different suppliers fall out of sync and no one will take ownership of campaigns.

Your suppliers aren’t failing as individuals but your lack of structure is, especially if you’re juggling multiple single-channel suppliers. Without a methodology, you’ll end up with inconsistent, scatter-gun marketing that’s pumped out into the ether.

What is a marketing methodology?

Your marketing methodology outlines processes and creates accountability, allowing you to plan, test and scale across all digital touchpoints. 

There are 9 core principles to a marketing methodology:

• We’re going to target these people
• We’re going to reach them though these channels
• We’re going to communicate this message consistently across the board
• We want people to take this action
• We’re going to make it easy to take the action we want
• We’re going to output marketing content every X  weeks
• We’re going to measure the results over time
• We’re going to adjust campaigns based on feedback
• We’re going to refine and repeat what works to grow the business

Follow these and you’ll be able to make clear, decisive marketing decisions, pivot quickly in response to microtrends and target efforts to increase leads. 

Too many cooks spoil the structure

You can create a methodology and communicate this to all your marketing suppliers but there’s the risk of fragmentation. This often shows up as brand and messaging inconsistencies, timing issues, a focus on vanity metrics and not income-winning results and oversights when it comes to reporting.

And there’s the very real risk you’ll fall into the role of marketer and out of the role of estate agent. Let’s face it, which agent has the time (or desire) to be briefing and tracking multiple marketing agencies?

Make a multi-channel marketing appointment

If you’ve reached a growth point where you need help from a marketing agency, or would like to consolidate multiple single-channel suppliers, it’s wise to weigh up the benefits of a multi-channel digital marketing agency, like Superb Digital.

Single-channel suppliers can become obsessed with activity and the need to demonstrate how ‘busy’ they have been. They may show you engagement and likes but how about conversion rates? Can they show you the full lead journey, from the initial click on an advert or Instagram post to filling in a valuation from on your website?

And agents must remember each of their channels is interlinked and interdependent. Single-channel suppliers won’t be retargeting, remarketing and repurposing content in a way that drives traffic and growth. This is something best achieved by one agency who applies the same methodology to multiple digital channels at the same time.

Outcomes, not just action

Superb Digital develops methodologies that are outcome, rather than action, focused. Because we offer SEO, PPC, content marketing and web design, we can take a holistic view of digital performance. We do the work but we also track each channel’s performance and look at results as a whole. We’ll identify where leads might be lost, implement fixes and redistribute resources to where they’re needed most.

In layman’s terms, we’ll tell you what’s working, what’s missing the mark and, usefully, suggest alternatives that are proven to increase enquiries. All this is delivered while keeping your brand consistent and being held accountable by the methodology.

If you’d like your digital marketing to have more structure, definition and direction, book a discovery call with us today.