How to Dominate a Marketplace
I’ve actually been meaning to write this article for almost a year now. I first thought of these tips the last time I was down here in Mexico at my friend’s wedding in November of 2010.
I got the idea because I was hanging out with a couple of old college buddies who had ‘grown up’ to become real estate agents (you can actually still make good money selling houses and condos in Toronto).
While I listened to them describe their lead generation, I knew I could out-lead generate them using a simple Internet strategy.
(By the way, please forward this email to any of your friends who are real estate agents. They will thank you for it later.)
But then I came back to Toronto and forget about writing up this plan for them.
I was reminded of it the other day while on Facebook. At the time I was doing a fitness interview with another expert, and whenever I’m on the phone, I like to browse around Facebook at the same time.
While I was checking my newsfeed I noticed an ad with a hot girl. So duh, I clicked on it.
Now this ad had to have been losing a LOT of money everyday for this poor gal.
First of all, it was a hot girl, and that means it got a lot of clicks.
However, this real estate agent lived over an hour away from me. That means she probably wasn’t doing proper geographic targeting with her ad.
Second, the ad sent me to one of those terrible flash homepages that takes a while to load (even on the superfast Internet connection I have in Toronto).
So likely she would have lost a lot of visitors from that.
Third, there was no photo of her on her website. So maybe it was a bait and switch, I don’t know, but I’m sure 99% of her traffic (if not more) bounced from her site in 3 seconds or less.
She was basically making every single Facebook ad mistake you could make, with the exception of having a pretty face in the ad image.
I’d be really interested to know how much money she burned through in this campaign…because I continued to see the ads for days and days.
Poor girl. She probably thinks Facebook advertising is the biggest scam in the world right now.
So that’s the wrong way to do things. Now here’s what I would have done.
By the way, I don’t know much about Facebook ads, so they will not be part of my plan.
What I know is how to create content and build relationships through words and video. And it would be a much better strategy for Miss Hot Girl Real Estate Agent (HGREA) , and for most other people who try to advertise on the Internet.
My Plan
Step #1 – Identify a neighborhood in my city that I wanted to completely dominate in the real estate industry.
For example, there’s a guy I know here in Toronto who has done a great job with this. He’s named himself “CondoMan” and specializes in selling condos to first-time home buyers in the downtown core of Toronto where there are tens of thousands of condos. He even drives around in a minivan with a photo of him in his CondoMan outfit.
Now that’s Niche Market domination. While he could probably still benefit from Facebook ads, he probably gets dozens and dozens of referrals from his clients
He has set himself up to be the GO-TO guy in that niche.
And that’s a lesson EVERYONE – especially Miss HGREA
Step #2 – Start a blog about the niche market you want to dominate
Every day write a 500-1000 word article about something AWESOME in the neighborhood. Interview local business owners. Report on special events. Talk about the amazing houses in the area.
But don’t OVERTLY sell anything.
Just deliver awesome content that gently persuades visitors to your site to consider your neighborhood for their next home.
NOTE: Make sure to use video posts, not just written articles. Or if you do stick to articles, make sure to take lots of photos.
Step #3 – Drive traffic to the site for pennies.
How?
By following all of the amazing content I have posted for you here
If you don’t know how or if you don’t have time to do this, hire a teenage kid from the neighborhood to do it for you.
No excuses. This stuff is not rocket science, but it’s as powerful as rocket fuel for your business.
I love sharing these insider tips with you, so make sure to put them to work.
Step #4 – Create a free report on the #1 secret about finding an amazing house in this neighborhood.
Don’t promise 7 tips or a 5-day e-course or anything like that. Instead, keep it to the ONE secret that will blow their minds when it comes to finding an amazing house or condo in your dominated niche market.
Overdeliver awesome content in this free report. In addition, use the report to persuade readers to contact you for more information about the amazing real estate opportunities in your neighborhood.
Make sure they know you are the GO-TO expert and that there is NO ONE else who compares to you.
Give yourself the crown by creating a category of one.
If it’s a competitive marketplace, search for a unique angle that will allow you to truthfully claim an edge of expertise over all other agents.
Step #5 – Build the relationship and communicate with your new readers just as you would with friends you have known for years.
Become the #1 trusted source of insider information on buying and selling houses in your area.
Get them to know-like-and-trust you by being a Value-Adder.
Be cool. Be awesome. Build that relationship.
And remind them about your edge of expertise about selling real estate in your chosen area.
By the way, it’s no time to be humble. When you sell something, let them know.
Tell them how you helped your clients get an amazing deal or an amazing return on their sale.
Be honest, but be proud too.
Show them you are #1.
And not just because you’re a hot chick, but because you are the best darn real estate agent in your market.
Dominate it with this simple formula.
Of course, all of this can be used in other industries (from plumbing to retail to restaurants). Once you’ve decided on your location and area of expertise, then start becoming one of the superstars in your neighborhood and the voice of your industry.
If you are consistent, no one will be able to keep up with you.
That is how you dominate the scene,
Craig Ballantyne
Either do it or don’t do it. No more wishy-washy, half-hearted attempts.