“Visual Marketing” still inspiring customers – but is it bringing you business?
February 11, 2013 | Social
Media, Tips
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“Brands that can rock visual media will find themselves market
leaders.” ~@eKaterina of Fast Company in 2012
Visual marketing is still one of the most compelling trends in technology and social media, and for good reason. The use of photos to increase engagement in social media is showing no signs of stopping, and the big brands are taking notice.
In real estate, we can learn from big brand’s formula, and we can provide something they can’t; context. Your written word, in your voice is still the connection to creating trust in your customer. While it may be tempting to abandon or not use blogging as a web marketing tool, having a blog is still the way you can increase traffic to your website by almost 500%. Do it well, and you can increase it even more.
Visual marketing is still one of the most compelling trends in technology and social media, and for good reason. The use of photos to increase engagement in social media is showing no signs of stopping, and the big brands are taking notice.
Last week Zillow announced it’s new
app Zillow Digs, a home improvement
and design app for iPad, and Instagram
announced it was unleashing it’s app as a full web experience, allowing users to
view their streams via the web, (not just the app) the buzz around Vine video
app is still buzzing, and they all focus around social sharing. But it seems
with most things these days, brands are innovating a new product or another,
easing us into another distraction that may or may not have any real use to you
OR your customers, but one thing it does do, is create web traffic for those
that create it. This is could be hazardous to the health of your
business. Why?
It’s becoming all too easy to use a photo, and provide little else.
Where there is brevity in words, there is brevity in a photo. Make sure you are
providing the context. In real estate, we can learn from big brand’s formula, and we can provide something they can’t; context. Your written word, in your voice is still the connection to creating trust in your customer. While it may be tempting to abandon or not use blogging as a web marketing tool, having a blog is still the way you can increase traffic to your website by almost 500%. Do it well, and you can increase it even more.
Seth Godin said
it well:
But economies are always based on scarcity (hence the term ‘economize’). There is no market for humming, for example, because everyone has unlimited humming at their disposal at all times. So, in the abundant digital world, what’s scarce? Where is the economy?It’s in connection.Who trusts you? Who wants to hear from you? Who will collaborate and support and engage with you?These are things that don’t scale to infinity. These are precious resources.That’s the analysis that informs the connection economy–is it worth interrupting this person? Is my next action going to build a relationship or take from it? Am I earning trust or burning trust?
Here are some tips to make sure you are the one standing out in the digital world like the big brands:
- Provide amazing, compelling, delightful content on your blog or website. Use photos, with stories, in your voice. You provide the expertise and insights that surround the visual element, and stive to reach a connection.
- If you do use Instagram or Pinterest, don’t forget to drive traffic back to your website. Don’t have a board on Pinterest called “Dream Homes” (there are too many!) Name your board, “Atlanta Dream Homes for Sale”. Each photo should drive vistors to our website. Otherwise, your use of Pinterest is called a “hobby”, not marketing.
- Be mindful of where you spend your precious time. Hype can be confused as the newest and greatest. But is it where your time and value is best measured? Expand your reach on the web, convert your relationships into informed connections, and be brilliant, measured, focused, and strategic in your choices. That is what makes a market leader.
About Laura Monroe
As the Social Media Director for Inman News, Laura
oversees the social media strategy and implementation of Inman News events; Real
Estate Connect and Agent Reboot. She also oversees editorial content strategy
for InmanNext, one of the leading real estate technology and business blogs in
the industry. Laura brings 10 years as the CEO of her successful real estate
support firm that specialized in marketing, technology, and social media for
agents and brokers. Facebook: http://facebook.com/LauraMonroe
Twitter: @LauraMonroe
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