I wanted to take a minute to talk to everyone on this beautiful Friday morning about the extreme importance of continual marketing as we go forward with the launch of our new RealTour Fusion virtual tour software system. By now so many of you have seen just how much the Fusion system has to offer and how we are integrating the system itself to be used as a great marketing tool. With powerful items now just a click away such as integrated flyers, exposure engine, video ripper, the gyro enabled mobile tour, and more we’re giving you a huge opportunity to give your customers feel a sense of ‘shock and amazement’ at how far above and beyond your tours are from any other virtual tour company in the world!
But, take aside the things that Fusion does for you and think of how you can get in the game and do some outside marketing of your own. The importance of continual marketing is something so vital; no virtual tour provider can live without it. You may be asking me, “What if I simply don’t have the revenue to pay for marketing?” The good news is there are easy and inexpensive (even free) ways to constantly market yourself that you NEED to be utilizing.
For starters you can start looking for agents that use virtual tour technology on Realtor.com. These agents will be using a variety of virtual tour systems and the good thing is that they already understand the value of the tool. Start making a list of their names and contact information as you will want to connect with this group of individuals first.
Secondly be sure that you’re carving out a little time on Social Media. It is one of the MOST IMPORTANT tools you can use today and again this is completely free. Here are some places to go and set up free accounts:
• Facebook
• Twitter
• LinkedIn
• About.Me
These outlets will give you access to the people in your community that can see your virtual tour business growing as you create interactive virtual media in your community. You need to be interactive and ENGAGE with the people on these sites, especially Facebook and Twitter. It’s free and will create a larger audience for you as you start pushing virtual tours. I know at a recent trade show that Jim and I attended many realtors stopped by our booth and said, “We see your tours and posts all the time on facebook.”
Another thing I would like to tell you to start doing is a simple thing called Cold Calling. That’s right. Pick up the phone and start calling businesses in your area that you think could use your services. By calling as many as twenty new potential leads a day, you will see results from free marketing that will boost your sales and give you the extra income you’re looking for. Not sure who to call?? Call people you already know. That’s seriously the very best place to start. Where do you go to the gym? Who cuts your hair? Your spouses hair? Are your children in a daycare or in preschool? What church do you belong to? How about your doctor or dentist? A local spa or massage therapist that you go to is great. Do you know the chef or owner of your favorite restaurant in town? See there, you already have a list going and we’ve just scratched the surface!
On top of cold calling, I also suggest that you send out e-mail notifications, or a newsletter. Start gathering e-mails from people in your area. Businesses that may need your services will have their e-mail addresses on their websites or media outlets and you can compile a very useful list for yourself without paying a cent! Make sure that when you do these free e-mail blasts that you are putting something intriguing and useful in the subject line and not over doing it. Send out a nice e-mail once a month or so. Try to do it only when you have something truly important to say. With Fusion you’ll be busy for months to come. You’ll quickly brand yourself in the person’s mind and they’ll start feeling comfortable with seeing you in their inbox.
Social media, cold calls, and e-mailing that I’ve mentioned above are all free! Now, if you want to expand your wallet a little and get more direct results you can always try a few different things for being on a tight budget. Making sure you have eye catching business cards is HUGE! Instead of cold calling, take a day and swing into the establishments you’re looking to target. Drop off your card and engage with them first hand.
You’ll find as you start doing these things that there are so many ways to market and brand yourself that there is really not enough time in a day. As a final note please don’t put all of your eggs in a single basket. Meaning if you’re spending all of your day facebooking or list building or even cold calling you will want to try and spread things out a bit more.
Good luck out there everyone and get ready for launch!
Yours sincerely,
Jason
RTV, Inc
Virtual Tour Software & Digital Marketing Training
Order a virtual tour today: 866-947-8687