How to Adapt to the Me-Economy Standards

(Me-Economy Standards = It’s All About the Customer)

Isn’t it amazing how fast our world changes? One day, leads are responding to email messages and the next day they’re not. One day text message is the most effective way to get a response and the next day that doesn’t work either. We live in a me-economy world and consumer behavior has changed marketing forever. The me-economy standards apply.

Old school marketing is basically dead. Remember when telemarketing was really effective (in the 90’s!)? Today, land lines are archaic. Even cable TV is becoming a thing of the past so commercials reach less people. The world of marketing has changed from outbound marketing to a more consumer-centric world of inbound marketing.

Have you heard of inbound marketing? Possibly not. It’s really not a cool term. But, you’re probably DOING a lot of inbound marketing already. So, what the heck is it and how can inbound marketing help you meet the new me-economy standards while growing your real estate business?

A Marketer-Centric Approach

So what do I mean by old school marketing? Thinking back even just 10 years ago will give you a pretty good idea of some of the outdated tactics that are no longer effective: website pop-ups, cold calls, and spam emails, to name a few. These practices still exist, they’re just painfully obvious (and quite futile) attempts at getting in front of our faces. Not to mention they’re a HUGE waste of money.

Old school marketing is all about interruption— about getting in front of the prospect’s face at any cost. TV commercials are a great example of interruption marketing. Banner ads on websites are interruption marketing. Honestly, even postcards in the mail would be an interruption too.

The new approach toward marketing is much more consumer-centric and it’s referred to as inbound marketing. It’s not a very sexy name, but it’s effective. Don’t get me wrong, there’s still room in our world for outbound marketing, but when you combine it with inbound marketing, that’s when you get results.

A Customer-Centric Approach

Inbound marketing flips this intrusive, outdated approach on its head and focuses on creating and delivering outstanding, quality content your customers actually WANT. Whether you’re blogging, creating a video, or providing other useful resources, inbound focuses on attracting and delighting your customers. Not getting in front of their faces by being pushy at any cost.

It’s all about empowering your customer.

The 4 Pillars of Inbound Marketing:

• Attract: The first step in an inbound marketing strategy is to create content that your customers want. Think about what they need (and are searching for), and make it easy for them to find you. Strategies like SEO (search engine optimization), blogging, creating video content and other resources and tools that your customers want (me-economy!) are essential.
• Convert: Now that you’ve got your customers’ attention it’s time to deliver– give them exactly what you promised. Make them hungry and curious for more information on your product or service. They’ve already invested the time and energy to find you and absorb your content; it’s time to convert them into a subscriber. You can accomplish that with a lead magnet, an opportunity to opt in to your email list, or an opportunity to get in touch with someone on your team.
• Close: Now that your prospect is interested, it’s time to empower them. Give them all the tools and resources they need to make an informed decision. If you’ve done your job well, the decision to work with you will be an easy one.
• Delight: There’s nothing better for your brand and your business than an ecstatic customer or a raving fan. They’ll promote you to their families, friends and networks (and do a lot of your marketing for you!). Providing your existing customers and followers with top-quality content on a regular basis is a surefire way to a sustainable (and highly profitable) marketing program.

There are lots of moving parts when it comes to an effective inbound marketing strategy, but one thing is for sure: if you want your business to succeed with the me-economy standards in 2017 and beyond, these 4 steps will be imperative.