How to Build Relationships Through Home Builder Digital Marketing

If one of your biggest goals is to establish and differentiate your brand in a very competitive market, then having a home builder digital marketing strategy is essential to reach your goals. It ensures that the right people see your brand and are able to connect with it during a monumental decision in their life, setting you apart from competitors in a saturated market.

Not only does a digital marketing strategy allow your brand to reach more people in a cost-effective manner, but studies by Business 2 Community also found that 70% of consumers want to learn about products through online content as opposed to traditional ad methods, and 79% of people say that user-generated content on social media significantly impacts their purchasing decisions.

Here's how to build relationships through real estate and home builder digital marketing.

Storytelling That Resonates

Digital marketing has to be about creating an emotional connection with your buyer, and powerful storytelling is a great place to start. In fact, research performed by OneSpot has found that 92% of consumers want brands to make ads that tell a story, and a well-told story can make consumers happier to see an ad.

The key is to create storytelling that is creative and resonates with your buyers. This can be through blogs, landing pages, downloadable content, ebooks, emails — really anything with a written aspect should be creative.

While SEO tactics can prove useful, we write for people, not search engines. This is because people can easily resonate with creative copies that are directed to them over a copy that is compacted with search engine keywords and typically less directed. Yes, search engines can get your story in front of buyers, but that won't matter much if the buyer doesn't find value in what you're saying.

Think of it this way: it's easy to think about the importance of storytelling when we realize we are talking to people about the place they will raise their kids, grow old, build lasting friendships, and potentially spend the rest of their lives. 

Consistent Messaging

Prioritizing customer success throughout the entire buyer's journey is crucial, and consistent messaging across multiple channels makes the customer feel valued and leads to more meaningful interactions. According to Learning Hub, studies have shown that 50% of companies say their customers expect great design and cross-channel consistency from their brand, and 63% of employees say a consistent branding experience has a direct impact on whether a deal is closed.

This can be done through a strategic omnichannel marketing strategy that incorporates digital marketing elements to ensure consumer experiences with your brand at every touchpoint are consistent and positive. This means that all marketing channels you're using are strategically aligned with your brand message, image, and identity without any inconsistencies that might confuse or adversely impact your buyer's experience with your brand.

Many marketers confuse this modern-day strategy with multichannel marketing, when in fact, it's more evolved. The concept of using multiple platforms is the same, but while multichannel marketing focuses only on making a sale with the buyer, omnichannel marketing gives special attention to the buyer, their buyer journey, and their experiences. 

Considering nearly 70% of marketers lack a consistent and integrated content strategy, there's no better time than now to start reaping the benefits of a better relationship with your buyers and more positive experiences with your brand.

Personal Interaction

Homebuyers need to see a message curated for their specific needs, not one that is intended to speak to everyone at once. This is heavily supported by studies from Smarter HQ, revealing that 80% of customers are more likely to purchase a product or service from a brand that provides personalized experiences and 51% of digital marketers say that personalization is their number one priority.

Showing personality on social media and through emails and interacting at a personal level allows homebuyers to feel a stronger pull to the home builder and encourages them to become brand loyalists who are more than happy to share their positive experiences with friends and family. According to reports found in Marketing Dive, "Olapic's survey of social media users suggests that consumers are more likely to trust other posts by real people than those created by brands."

This means that building strong connections and maintaining your relationship with your buyers is more essential than ever. The more buyers you turn into loyalists, the more word-of-mouth marketing your brand will receive through these faithful buyers. 

Consider improving personal interactions with your buyers by:

• Getting to know them on a very personal level.
• Communicating and interacting through relevant channels.
• Offering 24-hour availability to buyers — this can include content that answers typical questions and concerns that buyers might be struggling with when making one of the biggest purchases of their life. 
• Showing buyers you appreciate them by meeting their needs throughout the entire buyer journey — for instance, offering rewards to loyal customers.
• Asking for feedback and responding to reviews (good and bad).
• Living up to your service/offer guarantees and never promising more than you're willing or able to give.

Get Ahead of the Competition

All of these components work together to build personal relationships that improve a customer's experience with you as the home builder and make it easier for them to make the decision to purchase one of your homes. However, the execution can still be challenging for some marketers.

According to Smart Insights, nearly 45% of organizations don't have a clearly defined digital marketing strategy. This means almost half of businesses aren't making sure they're using the strategy to its full potential. With that being said, there are many opportunities and advantages to standing out from the competition and partnering with experienced experts who can turn your biggest challenges into a competitive advantage. 

Get ahead of the competition and partner with Milesbrand for more home builder digital marketing insights and expertise. Our extensive experience in the industry allows us to understand your brand's needs and challenges and efficiently see that they are resolved. You don't have to go at it alone. We're here to help you maximize your brand's potential.