01 Jul 3 Ways Realtors Can Increase Personal Brand Awareness Using PR
Starting out in real estate is pretty daunting. There’s so much to know about, well, everything. Legal considerations, marketing tactics, lead generation, the list goes on. One aspect of building a career in real estate that can’t be overlooked is the importance of public relations (or simply, “PR”) efforts.
In today’s fast-paced world, realtors need to get on the forefront of channels people are already tuned into. In fact, PR is more important than ever because your business relies on people viewing your personal brand in a positive light. You need to let people know who you are, what you do, why you do it, and that you do it better than all the other agents in your city.
There are so many ways to shed a positive light on your name out there, whether you’re a seasoned professional or a green realtor with the rookie advantage. Below, we’re sharing 3 PR tactics you can employ to boost your personal brand awareness.
1. Guest Blogging
You’re an expert in real estate and that’s why your clients come to you for guidance! Now you just need to share it with the world using PR so you’re easily identifiable to potential clients. Starting a blog on your own website is a great way to boost your search engine rankings online, but if you’re looking to reach a wider audience, it may be time to consider writing articles for other blogs, too.
Within Your Circle
You can start by leveraging your connections. Although real estate is a competitive industry, you’re likely part of a team, a brokerage, or you may have a mentor. It’s likely they’ve started their own blogs, so ask to contribute to them! They’ll be grateful for the content and you’ll benefit from the increased exposure their larger platform gets you. Don’t forget to ask for a link back to your own website or social media pages, and send along a professional headshot so they can highlight your bio in their credits.
Building Connections
Once you’ve moved beyond your own network, pitch to bloggers who are outside of your immediate network. It can be beneficial to pitch to more general real estate blogs, since they cast a “wider net” but don’t underestimate the power of niche bloggers. To figure out which bloggers to pitch to, you need to have an understanding of your own target audience. What is your niche? Are you an expert on luxury real estate? Which luxury bloggers need a property-related piece? Are you more focused on family homes? Which mom bloggers can you contact so for a feature on what new moms should look for when upsizing? These are all important considerations. Knowing who you want to reach can save you a lot of time! The last thing you want is to pitch to a digital blog and then find out that their audience isn’t your target market.
Adding Visuals
Bonus: Send along some visuals to really hook readers in! Professional photography and other media assets like videos will make your blog post more interesting for the reader. Nobody wants to read a huge chunk of text all at once – not when there are a trillion other websites and apps that are fighting for your reader’s attention. You want to keep them entertained.
Once your guest blog post has been posted, promote the link like crazy! In fact, 20% of your time should be invested towards creating great content, and 80% of the time should be used to promote existing work you’ve already written. This includes published work on websites other than your own. Make it a point to promote a finished piece every single week on your own channels, whether that be your newsletter, social media platforms, or even your email signatures to maintain a steady flow of visitors.
2. The Original “PR”: Media Relations
Guess what? Local TV channels and real estate publications are always looking for new content ideas and people to feature on their platforms. Because they have a wider reach than most digital publications, they’re another viable PR strategy for realtors to increase brand awareness. And truthfully, it doesn’t matter how long you’ve been in the game, as long as what you’re looking to share is entertaining and informative. Pitching to mass media is an art in and of itself, so before you begin sending out emails, consider the following:
- Who is the channel or publication creating content for? You can even create a list of several that would be a good fit. Be specific about the age group, location, and even psychological behaviours of their target audiences. Knowing this information will help you write a piece that’s in line with what their viewers care about.
- What is the tone employed in their content? Serious and professional? Lighthearted and fun? Whatever you submit should be consistent with their brand.
- What haven’t they already published? Pitching a story from a fresh angle will increase your chances of getting a feature.
Building successful relationships with media outlets entails positioning yourself as an expert. This is where the other aspects of your social media presence comes in. When pitching, link your social media pages and website to further demonstrate your knowledge on the topic. That way, if the editorial team wants to get a better understanding of who you are, they’ll have a better idea after checking out your profiles.
Alright, say you’ve successfully booked your first media feature.
Congratulations! So … What now?
If you’re going to be on TV: Get a good night’s sleep. Stay hydrated. Have a general outline (not a memorized script) of what you want to say. Dress well so that you look and feel your best. Remember to take deep breaths. Don’t worry – you’ll rock it!
If your written article will be published in a magazine: Similar to guest blogging method above, promote it! You can request a tear sheet of your piece, take photos of it, and share it online. Don’t forget to celebrate and congratulate yourself for a job well done.
Remember that mass media also includes radio stations and newspapers. As dated as these mediums may seem, the more modern equivalents of these channels (ie. podcasts and news apps) can be a great way to reach more people as they’re very targeted. Nothing is off the table as long as their audience includes people you want to get in front of!
3. Social Media Collaborations as PR
Believe it or not, social media engagement is part of your PR efforts, depending on how you use it. With almost everyone housebound, now is the perfect opportunity to ramp up your social media game to boost personal brand recognition.
Social media algorithms have evolved to highlight true engagement and interaction with others, which means it’s time to think beyond posting the occasional photo and commenting on your peers’ market updates. While there is still huge value in posting and engaging on social media, there are other ways to use these platforms to reach a larger audience than the one you currently have.
Influencer collaborations
One way is to collaborate with influencers in your same niche or have the target audience you desire. For example, you can create a video and cross-promote it on each others’ channels. Ideally, you are both trying to reach the same audience so when your content is published, your followers will discover them, and their followers will discover you.
Guest appearances on webinars
Another way you can get in front of the right people is through online webinars, which have been extremely popularized in the Age of the Covid-19. You can go LIVE alongside influencers on any social media platform and broadcast your best real estate content for their audience and yours – at the same time.
(Speaking of social media, you’re looking for content ideas your audience will love, check out our 31-Day Social Media Calendar for realtors. We know how tough it is to consistently generate new content ideas, so we’re giving you our favourites so you’ll be set up for the entire month.)
Creating Win-Win Situations
What you’ll notice is that all of these methods create win-win situations. You as the guest contributor receive exposure, and the other party receives fresh content that no other publication, channel, or digital content creator has covered before. If you think about your PR efforts as a way of adding value – not noise – to an existing or brand new conversation, you’ll create more awareness for your personal brand and further distinguish your business from the rest!
The Sona Standard
Between managing your social media profiles, pitching to media outlets, and – oh right – actually selling homes, we know that you might be pressed for time. You wear a lot of hats and quite honestly, some of those hats are full-time roles on their own. That’s why we’re here to help you out with media, measurements, and other marketing strategies to amplify your business, so you have more time to get to know your clients and their unique needs. Have questions about our services? Feel free to reach out to us at [email protected]!