Real Estate Marketing: Use Storytelling

Also called “content marketing,” this technique helps you attract, convert, and retain your audience over the long term.

Whether in a blog, newsletter, or revitalizing their social networks, a real estate professional must constantly communicate and produce content to capture the attention of their target audience.

A puzzle for some, a pleasure for others, content creation requires the development of an effective strategy. So, like any good strategy, your content production should be thought out, anticipated and planned. And certain practices will help you stand out and stand out.

The power of story

Historically, stories and narratives have helped us to transmit, communicate and improve relationships between people. Storytelling allows you to draw your audience into your world, spark interest, and evoke emotion.

That is the power of story. Adaptable to all content formats, it attracts the attention of internet users and earns their trust. Because of your stories, people identify with characters or situations and remember you more easily.

In fact, for your stories to stay with your audience, you need to think about your clients’ challenges at different stages of real estate project maturation. You can then relate your story to their buying or selling journey to bring your added value or expertise.

Play on emotions

A story has a character, a conflict or problem, and a resolution. The emotional appeal of your stories is all about conflict. What catches their attention is the relationship between the character’s problem and the audience’s problem. Your story isn’t just about what you do, it’s about your values, your mission, and how you meet your audience’s expectations.

Your story should be clear, concise, and follow a structure that appeals to emotions. Start by explaining the “why” of your story, then the “how” it will help your target, and finally the “what” of your service. If you use 1st person, your story will be more intimate; it will create a connection and establish your authority. In 2nd person, the main character is your audience. And in 3rd person, your story takes the form of research about your customers or prospects.

The story also ties in perfectly with the strategy of personal branding1, which is the act of promoting yourself as a brand in order to be recognized.

Creative process

On the practical side, building a content creation strategy involves a series of processes to organize your ideas for the long term. This translates into the preparation of the editorial calendar and the various topics to be discussed. Focus on quality, not quantity, of content.

Your content planning should be linked to your commercial activities. It aims to create a roadmap for making informed decisions about topics to be covered, content formats to be planned and publication schedule. This allows you to anticipate events and build bridges with the field. Planning does not preclude maintaining a certain flexibility according to the context or news of the moment.

Over time, you should list the resources you need to create and organize your content and establish a simple process from gathering information to publishing your content. Try to cross-check your ideas and identify connections between them. As ideas can arise at any time, make sure you can write them down at any time, sort them or make associations later.

For convenience, a real estate professional will be inclined to share their property for sale, but this is not always wise depending on the choice of media or audience. Implementing a content creation process prevents white page syndrome and allows you to provide new, more original, quality and relevant ideas for your audience.

Recycle and add value

It’s true that creating content takes time and energy, but your creations are added to your library or content legacy so you can reuse them. Rest assured, you’re not the only one who struggles to create content on a regular basis, so content recycling is an interesting technique. By repeating your thoughts, you can increase the value of your content by keeping your editorial line consistent.

Plus, prioritize content that’s already done well while improving it. You may bring a new perspective, more specialized expertise, a different purpose, a new format, or even a different distribution channel.

Video for more performance

When it comes to form, video perfectly complements storytelling and a “content marketing” strategy. Regardless of the support or media you use, this is important now.

Most users also prefer video for information and there are many topics to discuss. You can even create a collection of mini-series that address each of your goals. Video content builds trust, builds connections, humanizes your communication, and allows you to build lasting relationships with your audience. Videos establish you as a trusted source of news or advice on issues facing your audience. They also serve a dual purpose: building lasting relationships and increasing your visibility.

Video can take many forms, but remember to consider the criteria specific to each platform, especially on social networks. The “smartphone” format, i.e. landscape, is often overlooked even though it is the most used medium for consuming content these days.

Of course, this format may seem scary at first, but the most important thing is to start. Video content production should become a routine. Build it into your weekly schedule and communication methods!