DIRECT
MARKETING
KFH’s mag is as much about brand values as property
a year. It reinforces the firm’s Completely London branding, and aims to develop a dialogue with customers that can continue after they’ve completed their transaction. Paul Masters, Marketing Director of Kinleigh Folkard & Hayward, says the magazine tried hard to be different. “What we didn’t want to do was to replicate what you had before; and London has lots of magazines, so we knew very clearly what we didn’t want.” Each issue has a theme, with exclusive content including articles on such topics as unique wedding venues, as well as property related articles. About half the total 60,000 print run is mailed to customers. “It’s targeted, not door- dropped,” Masters says, while a copy is included in all landlord and vendor packs. The magazine is also available through branches. KFH addressed the resources issue by appointing a media agency – August Media – as publisher. August commissions the articles and produces the magazine, and Masters believes firmly that “to get the best magazine, to get the best content, you need to go to a specialist.” But he points out that KFH is still proactive, asking local offices for ideas, establishing the theme and right balance of content. Currently, the magazine is a print publication, though articles are included on the website. That could change, Masters says. “We’re looking at where we might go digitally in future,” which might include a separate microsite for the magazine. But he adds the caveat that “SEO [search engine optimisation] is important. If we put content on to our website it has to work in terms of attracting traffic to our website and generating leads to the branches.” Once a magazine is in printed form, it takes just a simple (and free) process to convert to digital format to email.
‘We’re looking at where we might go digitally in future, which
might include a separate microsite for the magazine.’ paul Masters kinleigh folkard & hayward
24 SEPTEMBER 2010 PROPERTYdrum
There are no restrictions on space, extra pages can easily be added, which isn’t the case with print. Digital magazines are also cheaper; while the editorial and design costs are similar, the distribution cost is much lower. Changes can be made to digital
Moving to digital publishing Most estate agency magazines online are still digital versions of a print product. Savills, for instance, publishes its ‘Insights’ country house review on the web as a PDF file. They have the obvious drawback of not being a physical magazine. They don’t adorn waiting rooms and coffee tables, they aren’t glossy, they can be rather clunky and frustrating to use. But they do have significant benefits, cost being one of the obvious ones. They offer greater interactivity and a greater range of media content. A digital magazine, for instance, can link to video clips, or refer outside the site to hyperlinked content such as restaurant websites or local council information. It can also of course link to properties on the agent’s site, generating valuable leads directly. While the technology of producing a
digital magazine may have some agents foxed, a number of companies provide an easier way. One of these is Yudu, which has both a free service, used by some smaller agents, and a paid-for service which offers greater flexibility. Lisa Moore, marketing manager at Yudu, points out that the firm’s Yudu Pro technology allows agents to put a single link in an email for a reader to access the magazine. It doesn’t have to be downloaded in full like a PDF version. Yudu has now built email campaign management tools into the package, so that email addresses can be automatically collected for opt-in lists, and marketing campaigns analysed using the stats package. The simpler version is available free, for agents who want to try it out, or for smaller agents who have limited budgets. There are major advantages to going digital. For instance, there is no limit on the print run. Lisa Moore says, “You’ll never run out of copies to give to prospective customers.” The reach is potentially huge. And while print magazines are generally available only within the locality, digital magazines will reach potential customers who are thinking about moving to the area, too.
publications at any time after they’re published; print doesn’t have that flexibility. And the same digital publication that’s made for the web can also be pushed out as an iPhone or iPad app with Yudu, which she points out enables agents to address a high net worth market. But perhaps the most interesting advantage of digital magazines is their trackability. Agents can see which pages are being read, and the level of traffic they are getting, and most importantly they can track lead generation from the magazine, which isn’t possible with print publications. That enables agents to see just how effectively they are spending their marketing budget and
Digital ‘page-turners’ – cheaper than print
where their leads are coming from, and to use this information to refine the marketing mix. So which style of interaction should an
estate agent choose – magazine (digital or printed), email newsletter, traditional printed leaflets? Agents have to look at the shape of their own business and should consider all the tools that are at their disposal and work out which is going to be most appropriate for their particular market and their own marketing budget. This series of features set out to show you what’s on offer, and what advantages new technology can bring. Suck it and see!
www.propertymanageronline.com www.briefyourmarket.co.uk www.woodblockprint.co.uk www.ravensworth.co.uk
What’s your experience? Share it online at:
www.propertydrum.com/articles/techno3
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68