Thursday, another balmy day in August in Phoenix Arizona. I’m working on writing content, excuse me – unique, dynamic, engaging and valuable content – for some of our clients at PRO-Found Marketing. I’m a former title rep for a national title insurance company in Phoenix. I spent 10 years helping real estate agents grow their business.
I’m in the zone – writing. My phone is on vibrate as I’m focused. Twitter is blowing up on my iPhone 404-04 buzz – buzz – buzz, it’s annoying so I turned my iPhone over and continued to write. With all the buzz – buzz – buzzing I missed a call. I finished writing my article and looked at my phone – 1 missed call, new voicemail message. It’s an out of town area code. 607 – New York. I know because I am from Upstate New York – Syracuse. I press play and expect to hear one of my buddies checking in or telling me about some CRAZY thing that happened back in my old stomping ground. It’s not one of my buddies. It’s a woman in New York. Her voicemail says
Hello Stephen, my name is Anna, I was wondering if you could help me. I live in New York but I have a home in Phoenix I would like to sell. I was looking online and came across your website MyTitle something [MyTitleGuy.Com I’m sure] and was wondering if you could help me. It says that you are not a real estate agent but when I googled for an agent – I found you. Please call me back at 607 – yada yada yada. Thanks.
I remember when getting calls from consumers used to be exciting. I will never forget the 1st call I got from an Asian gentleman that wanted to buy his sisters house 2 years ago – when I was still a title rep. Like a good sales guy I asked him “who can I thank for referring you to me?” There was a pause. Probably only a second or so but it seemed like an eternity – Google he said. I remember the chill I got that went through me as he said “Goooooooooooogle”. Even funnier, he said it like “duh – Google” as if that is where most people turn when they need to gather information or solve a problem. [They do by the way]. I took his information, I paired him with a real estate agent and that real estate agent wrote my title company on line 91 of the purchase contract. [Win – Win]
It’s funny, I switched my marketing methods a little over 2 years ago. Up until then I used to cold call real estate agents or walk into real estate offices to try and set appointments with real estate agents that didn’t know me, didn’t know about the value I could provide and from what I have heard didn’t necessarily see the difference between title company A and title company B. Actually it was title company 1 and title company 60 as there are over 60 title companies here in Phoenix – one of the most competitive markets in the country. I switched my marketing 2 years ago from outbound marketing – cold calls, postcards, flyers, open house pop by’s, sponsored office meetings [I brought lunch], bus tours etc to inbound marketing. I built a website called MyTitleGuy.net [I have since acquired MyTitleGuy.com] and filled it with content – marketing tips for real estate agents, video, things that I saw right and wrong with the way they were attempting to market themselves and their services. I started getting calls from real estate agents – Dude, I see you everywhere – they said. I created VALUABLE content like best practices for email marketing in real estate and why changing real estate brokerages isn’t the answer to your problem , WordPress vs Active Rain, which is better? for my ideal client [real estate agents] and syndicated it across facebook and Twitter and Active Rain and Linkedin and Youtube – places I knew my ideal client liked to congregate, where I thought they would go when looking for marketing tips or HELP with their real estate marketing. I did not talk about WHY I was an awesome title rep or WHY my title company was better than their title company, I simply created content they would look for when they wanted more business. The phone started ringing. Soon after I started creating content for home buyers, home sellers, investors around changing real estate agents, what is title insurance and why you need it, qualities to look for in a real estate agent, what to watch out for when selecting a real estate agent, title company, lender etc. consumers started calling and emailing me.
Not just local consumers but people from around the country. It was awesome. I had been hearing from other people I respected that I should put my talents to another use so I formed an Internet Marketing Real Estate company called PRO-Found Marketing in March of 2011 and haven’t looked back since.
Back to Anna in New York. She had a need and she went to the Internet – to Google. She asked a question. She was trying to gather information or solve a problem – selling her home in Arizona. She found my website. She found me. She didn’t find another real estate agents postcard, or flyer, or sports schedule, magnet, grocery store ad, fly swatter, branded oven mitt, when she had a need not that she would have anyway – she is in New York.
What’s my point? YOU Just Lost ANOTHER Lead. Actually you didn’t lose it because you were never really in the game. You were not in the game because you were not where she or any other consumer in need of your services could find you. You are not on the Internet. At least not the way you should be. I find it ironic that I am NOT A REAL ESTATE AGENT or REALTOR and consumers are finding me online when they have a need – because I created content specifically for them – to find.
I referred Anna to a real estate agent. To say he was happy was an understatement. He will call her and it will most likely turn into a deal for him. Did I mention she owns the home outright, no mortgage, a home she bought for $500,000? She knows it’s worth substantially less – even if it’s $300,000 its still a $9000 commission for this agent. Not too shabby.
It could have been YOU “Anna” and other consumers like “Anna” found online. It still could be. If you know HOW TO GET FOUND ONLINE by your ideal client. We can help. Fill out the form below and stop LOSING ANOTHER LEAD.
