This post is in response to a great article from Sarah Yaussi at Big Builder Online.
Read her post - Social Networking: How Housing Might be Missing the Boat
Sarah recapped the Big Builder 2008 conference. In her article she talks about how a group of 40 sales and marketing professionals got together to discuss challenges in the industry.
Forgive me for copying so much of this from her article, but it’s vital to understand the rest of this post:
“This group of professionals saw an opportunity to move the needle on SG&A by reducing marketing and advertising expenditures. However, participants agreed that any reduction had to be strategic; remaining dollars in the budget had to be thoughtfully deployed to return the greatest number of serious rather than just curious prospects.
The consensus was print advertising was dead–it was deemed expensive and ultimately lukewarm in its effectiveness–which left the Web as the go-to source for fresh blood.”
If the web is the go-to source for fresh blood how are home builders using it?
Sarah goes on to say, “not a soul in the room had any sure-fire ideas about how to use these interactive tools to drive builders’ businesses.”
Social networking isn’t a magic bullet. You can’t just create a Facebook page or upload your marketing videos to YouTube and expect home buyers to visit your model homes. Writing a blog doesn’t build trust with consumers if you’ve disabled comments and only post marketing fluff.
Social networking works because it’s honest and because it creates a two-way conversation.
If you use social networking to broadcast your message but not to listen…you’re going to offend more people than you attract. These tools will only be successful if used to help people talk with you and about you.
If you are just looking to join social networks to broadcast your message to a new audience I’d suggest staying home. It won’t work. In fact, don’t be surprised if it has a negative effect on your efforts. Why are all forms of traditional marketing struggling? Because people have become conditioned to ignore your messages. If you think that these new tools can be used to do business in the same old way…think again.
Instead, try using these tools to engage in conversations with your buyers. Here are some ideas that could actually leverage these tools to bring buyers to your models and get people talking about you:
- Help them upload photos of their new home to Flickr.
- Encourage your sales associates to create profiles on sites like ActiveRain and engage in real conversations with Realtors and buyers.
- Record a video of every willing homeowner at closing telling people why they love their <insert builder name> home and post these videos on YouTube.
- Join Twitter to communicate with buyers, employees and the press. Here’s an article about builders using Twitter.
- Give your homeowners their own website to talk about you with our URBaCS Referral Builder application.
The bottom line: If you’re going to use social networking…make sure you listen more than you talk. Oh…and keep the marketing fluff out of the conversation or you’ll only be talking to yourself.
Check out what these builders are doing:
- Martell Home Builders
- Blog - http://www.themartellexperience.com/
- YouTube Channel - http://www.youtube.com/user/martellhomes
- Facebook Page - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Moncton-NB/Martell-Home-Builders/6263063060
- SmugMug Photo Albums - http://martellhomes.smugmug.com/
- Twitter - @martellhomes
- Jeff Click Homes
- Facebook Page - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jeff-Click-Homes/9010458261
- Twitter - @jeffclickhomes
- Flickr Photos - http://www.flickr.com/photos/jeffclickhomes/
- Estridge Homes
- MyEstridgeHome.com - every homeowner gets their own website to share their building experience with friends and family
- The Estridge Blogs - Estridge uses a company called Compendium Blogware to manage a dozen or so blogs like this one about Home Decor and Furnishings
What about you? Do you know any builders that get it? What about builders that have missed the boat entirely?
Hey Jayson! Can you add D.R. Horton’s Tampa division to the list?
BLOG: http://drhortontampa.wordpress.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/drhortontampa
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tampa-FL/DR-Horton-Americas-Builder/21392272211
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/14284563@N03/
Jonathan,
Thanks for the feedback. I’ve starting following your blog and Tweets and I’m a new fan on Facebook.
I like how you’ve documented the realtor event on Flickr.
Jayson,
Thanks for the feedback, it’s nice to know all the “heavy lifting” gets noticed:-)
Yes! What Martell said…
Great article. I used to work for a large, national home builder for four years and currently work for Compendium Blogware. I now realize that the builder I worked for, like many others, was stuck in the Stone Age when it came to internet marketing. It amazes me that year over year many builders pour money into billboards and print advertising while search is a key part of most home buying decisions. Props to the builders who have adopted Social Networking and SEO strategies. You’re way ahead of the pack!