DIGITAL MARKETING
they’ve targeted me because they know I’m interested. Thirdly, I know it’s easier to unsubscribe – I just text ‘stop’ in a reply and no more text. It’s not as difficult as clicking on ‘unsubscribe’ and entering my email address etc. I only ever unsubscribe when it’s ambulance chasers or PPI claims – in other words, where somebody has bought my number from a list. If I get a text from a business that I’ve bought from previously then I won’t unsubscribe because I will probably be interested again. Your customers will differentiate in the same way. The price of SMS text marketing is around
4-6p per SMS unit, so it’s more expensive than email but considerably less than a mailing campaign. It generates the best response out of the three options too.
TOP TEXT TIPS
To get the most out of text marketing there are some easy tips to improve your response rate.
Target specifi c customers with specifi c messages/properties; Link it to mobile optimised content (such as your mobile website) – this gives customers the chance to choose to see more information if they’re interested; Use an SMS service that will manage your ‘stop’ (unsubscribes) for you; Use a service that lets you see who has opened your message and who has opened the link to your mobile website – that
Two Faced F
gives you the ability to follow up genuine interest rather than waiting for them to contact you.
Follow these simple guidelines and you can get some impressive results. We send out around a quarter of a million text messages per month on behalf of our property sector clients and we typically see a response rate of over five per cent (ie click-through to mobile optimised content). We also know from consumer behaviour that once a customer is browsing on a mobile site they are more likely to commit to an action (email for a viewing, call to speak to someone) because the
functionality is there in their hand instantly – it’s what we call action oriented browsing. Text marketing is simple, it’s instant, it’s cost effective and there are plenty of companies who can help you. The right message, to the right people with an appropriate call to action to encourage an
enquiry is all there is to it.
*source: emailcentreUK ** source: MobileSquared/Mobile Marketer
Ian Laverty is Sales & Marketing Director at Intelligent Mobile.
www.intelligentmobile.com
www.propertydrum.com/articles/textmessage Do you have any views on this? Log on and add your comments.
Is Facebook the marketing messiah or a very naughty boy? – asks Oliver Chapple.
acebook has been an established internet presence since its conception in 2004, and during 2009 it expanded beyond the realms of social interaction to become a growing commercial force. Much has been said about the benefits of its use in
business, but what are the implications for the property market? Some agents recognise the need for Facebook, but don’t know
exactly why. Others are sceptical about Facebook as a viable means of doing business, dismissing it as a purely social site designed for chat between friends. In essence, they are right. Facebook is just that, a social network, but it is precisely because of this that it can be a powerful tool for you to use. The social network should not be dismissed, but rather embraced. Word of mouth PR has always been a powerful tool; an opinion
from a trusted source is worth infinitely more than an advertisement. Generating a “like” on Facebook will instantly communicate this action to all of that person’s friends and family online who in turn could further recommend your brand. The exponential growth nature of social media can mean a recommendation is soon communicated to thousands of people, any of whom could be a potential client. Of course, exposure on Facebook isn’t going to instantly breed a
desire for everyone viewing to sell or buy a house, just as a billboard by a roadside, or an advert in the paper won’t instil than
same desire either. However, the brand exposure, the constant reinforcement of your brand recommended by their friends over any other, will ensure that your business is the first name on their lips when they do. Facebook shouldn’t be viewed in a different light to any other marketing or PR tool, the only difference is the sheer numbers of people your brand could be exposed to. In fact, the only real difference is the cost; Facebook is substantially cheaper than any other marketing or PR avenue giving you a far greater return on investment. In addition, generating a “like” on Facebook will give you key
information about that person. Demographics, interests and contact details will be accessible to your business. In effect, Facebook will generate contact lists and potential customer avenues for you, without any need for you to collate this information for yourself. Social networks are a social net, ensnaring vital information that you would otherwise spend hours trying to collect. They are also a bridge, enabling you to maintain relationships with past vendors, landlords and buyers. However, some agents ask, am I collecting the right information
through Facebook? Am I appealing to the right audience? Does Facebook provide the correct demographic for my business? Well, the simple answer is yes. Over a third of the UK population is on Facebook, 81per cent of whom are over 18. In addition, half of all
PROPERTYdrum MARCH 2012 15
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