Identifying & Targeting Buyers in a Digital World Kevin Oldham Vice President United Marketing Services

Today’s Discussion 1.Today’s buyers 2.Where do buyers congregate online? 3.Best practices for online marketing 4.Social media do’s and don'ts 5.Measurement – ROMI Observations

TODAY’S BUYERS

The Home Search Process of buyers used the Internet in their home search Source: National Association of REALTORS® | Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers % …..dipped slightly from a high of 90% in 2009 as the demographics of home buyers shifted to slightly older repeat buyers from younger first-time buyers.

Today’s Buyers 98% 10% 35% of home buyers who used an agent while searching for a home viewed real estate agents as a useful information. percentage of home buyers who first looked online for information about the home buying process Source: National Association of REALTORS® | Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers 2011 percentage of home buyers whose first step in the home buying process was looking online for properties

Today’s Buyers 37% 45 $89,900 of home buyers were first time buyers, a drop from 50 percent in 2010 typical buyer age, up from 39 in 2010 Source: National Association of REALTORS® | Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers 2011 median household income

Today’s Buyers Today’s buyer is intelligent: a world of perfect information due to the Internet Today’s buyer is empowered: Information and knowledge are actionable Today’s buyer is skeptical: Word of mouth is more powerful than ad messages Today’s buyer is connected: Internet always on and engaged with social media Today’s buyer is time- pressed: Time is the new currency Today’s buyer is demanding: They feel they are owed something of value Today’s buyer is ahead of the curve

WHERE DO BUYERS CONGREGATE ONLINE?

Snapshot of Major Digital Media Search engines Forums Mobile devices Social networks Blogs Video Webcasts Podcasts Online classifieds RSS feeds SMS

Search for likely terms and have a presence on page one sites Ideas for Targeting Buyers Online

Facebook Ad Campaigns (or other PPC models)

Ideas for Targeting Buyers Online ‘Like’ Facebook Groups that align with target

Ideas for Targeting Buyers Online ‘Like’ Facebook Groups that align with target

Topic discussion forums – position yourself as SME Ideas for Targeting Buyers Online

Video –Tag with relevant keywords –Provide your YouTube channel link in your e- mail signature –Link listings to your videos – buyers love this Push to all major sites Ideas for Targeting Buyers Online

Online PR –For SEO –Link building –Keywords Google alerts Ideas for Targeting Buyers Online

Place messages in unusual places –Lifestyle websites –Financial websites –Retirement websites –Home improvement websites –Go where your competitors are not present Ideas for Targeting Buyers Online

DIGITAL MARKETING BEST PRACTICES

Best Practices Assess Current Market Practices –Determine the gaps and opportunities to position your organization Dedicate Resources –Commit staff, provide training; allocate budget. Strategize… Strategize –Design a Digital Marketing Strategy that incorporates your assessment Build on What You Do Best –Incorporate digital media to augment successful marketing efforts. Source: Entwine Digital

Best Practices Listen, Research, Refine –Monitor social buzz, real-time customer feedback; refine Give Value –Focus on giving before expecting anything in return (downloadable resources, free advice, and links) Be Consistent –increase your digital presence through regular conversations, but don’t push, overexpose or irritate. Develop Sustainable Relationships –Engage in conversations, take the time to interact

Best Practices Provide Social Sharing –Include easy to access to social amplification tools (social sharing buttons) to spread the message. Cultivate Satisfied, Loyal Customers –Encourage your “customers do your marketing” via sharing with their networks. Leverage Social Communities –Access related social communities that have a potential interest/benefit from your offering. Develop Online Environment as your Hub –Drive traffic to office website, Facebook site, landing pages, and blog.

Best Practices Integrate Media –Augment your traditional advertising (TV, radio, outdoor, direct mail, print) and PR with social media, mobile, and online efforts. Monitor your Digital Presence –Be ready to adapt if things are not working Keep Current…Generate Competitive Edge –Maintain your “fingers on the pulse” of your changing business ecosystem and the digital environment.

SOCIAL MEDIA DO’S AND DON’TS

Social Media Do’s Provide quality and original content / ideas Provide value to your audience Maintain the conversation Use it as a tactic to gain credibility and reinforce your brand – subtly Remember there is a right and a wrong place for advertising on many platforms

Social Media Don’ts Use your postings as advertisements – it’s a value exchange Spam your audience Commit partially. Go “all in” or don’t play ball

MEASUREMENT – RETURN ON MARKETING INVESTMENT

ROMI Tools Analytics software –Google Analytics –HootSuite Track incoming phone calls - extensions QR codes

2012 OBSERVATIONS

Emergence of Social Search 1 Google organic listings carry a +1 to indicate a “like” 3 Consumer gets this message confirming the +1 (and adding to that page’s popularity count) 4 Now that consumer’s preference show up in their friend’s searches endorsing that page 2 Consumer sees organic listing and gives it a +1

Mobile Explosion

Identifying & Targeting Buyers in a Digital World Kevin Oldham Vice President United Marketing Services