Marketing costs can be a killer of business success. We all know agents whose gross is one of the best in the office, but who is struggling to make ends meet because their promotional costs are so high. A good business strategy involves careful assessment of marketing costs versus return on these investments. After all, the net is the ultimate measure of how your business is doing.

Focus your promotional and marketing efforts on the most likely people to do business with you, on those who already know and love you and those areas where you have some instant credibility and you'll increase your return & results. Going deeper and narrower is the mantra of the successful marketers.

On a recent mastermind teleconference, several agents helped me compile the following:

Top Ten List for Smarter Marketing

1. Create Events To Build Relationships

Kathy Girgenti of Keller Williams in Houston is planning a mixer in her farm area that will be held at the community center with line dancing lessons. 500 Homeowners will be invited. Events like this give opportunities for multiple exposures. The initial invitations, the event itself, the follow up (the idea of having folks bring a can of food for the food bank and a press release crediting the homeowners was suggested) all combine to raise name awareness and value.

2. Website Marketing

Now you have it, how do you drive traffic and prospects to your site? Bill Tilghman of RE/Max Triccounty in NJ shared his success in using the software Webposition to increase his ratings in the search engines. He also recommended Webcards to raise the awareness of his site with mailings. These are postcards with a full color picture of your website. Mal Duane of RE/MAX Realty Associates in New Jersey also uses Webcards with success and reports results from putting her URL on everything marketing piece she uses: from name riders to business cards, flyers, etc.

3. Problem Solving Postcard Campaign

Pat Argo of RE/MAX Aerospace in Titusville, FL developed a campaign with success stories, detailing a common problem one of her buyers or sellers might face and how she has recently solved it for one of her clients. This combines the power of third party endorsement with value adding for the client!

4. Targeted Newsletters For Small Target Markets

Personalized, one-on-one marketing pieces increase your credibility and your expertise an the authority. You become the GURU! Sandra Kane of The Vaughan Company in Bosque Farms NM focuses on the metaphysical community and specifically the Buddhist community that she is part of. A newsletter that appeals specifically to topics that are of interest to this sphere of influence brings her clients

5. Charity Tie Ins Increase Value with Socially-Conscious Groups

Bill Tilghman shared how effective the tie in with the Children's Miracle Network has been. Making certificates for the clients so they are aware they made a contribution possible is one way of levering this more fully. What charity might appeal to your target market? Or are you willing to donate, say 5%, the charity of the client's choice?

6. Virtual Open Houses

Mal Duane is using more virtual tours and virtual open houses. Think of how much easier you make it for agents to see your listings and how many more people will be able to preview without leaving the office or their homes.

7. Create a Special Program with Higher Standards

Kathy Girgenti says she uses specific criteria to determine which will be marketed by virtual tours. Calling it a special program with higher standards than most listings, this encourages the sellers make some repairs or concessions they otherwise wouldn't. A special program can contain the criteria you want for the "premium" listings. Offering a decreasing commission amount based on the time on market is another way to present this strategy.

8. Sellers Alliance Program

Mal Duane uses a program with FSBO's designed to give them free marketing tools to help them sell their homes. They will benefit from use of a free 800#, email broadcasts, exposure on her website. Becoming the resource for them results in many listings as well as buyers. She has positioned herself as having value and helping instead of wanting something from them. Very attractive!

9. Focus on Marketing to Other Realtors

After all, most of the buyers are generated by co-broking. Knowing the top agents in your market and in your niche and directing your marketing dollars to raising awareness of your properties and your professionalism will reap business. Try sending a gift to the participating REALTORS® each time they sell one of your listings. Emailing hot listings or virtual tours can increase the ease with which other agents gain knowledge of your listings. How can you make it EASIER for the agents?

10. International Markets

Kathy Girgenti has recognized the trend that is happening everywhere of more global interest that has especially accelerated with the ease of finding information over the Internet. She's building a package of services to fit the specific needs of these international buyers. Bill Tilghman shared Bablefish, the resource for translating automatically.

11. Guru Marketing

Here is the Extra Added Tip: Become the authority for your market. Know more, give more, create yourself as the GURU!

Smart use of your marketing dollars will make your business stronger. Try several of the tips above and increase your Guru status for increased results in the next few months! What's the highest and best use of your marketing budget this month? Editor's note:

Joeann appreciates the ideas and input from the agents mentioned above. If you'd be interested in participating with other agents nationwide, monthly, free mastermind calls are announced in the monthly email ADvantage Solutions Newsletter. It only takes a telephone to get hooked in and participate!

Published: September 2, 1999

Use of this article without permission is a violation of federal copyright laws.

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Joeann Fossland ePRO, GRI, MCC, PMN, SRS is a dynamic speaker and business coach. Co-creator of THE REAL ESTATE GAME® and NoBloggerLeftBehind.com, she provides coaching solutions to enhance your effectiveness and life balance. You can subscribe to her free weekly tips, attend free monthly tele-seminars, and find out about classes delivered by email and personal coaching by visiting Joeann.com or email her at .

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