When Advertising, Use Nets, Not Fishing Rods Part 3

October 9, 2009

Let’s look at some of the things that motivate people the most to look for a new home and how to case your nets to catch them.

Divorce: few people are as motivated as these.  When emotions run this high, some of these people will price their home (or accept offers) at far less than market value just so they can be away from their situation as soon as possible.  So speak to these people’s needs.  They want a quick closing, so advertise you can deliver quick closings with the buyers you have lined up.  Before they look for a real estate professional, they’ll be looking for a divorce lawyer.  So advertise your services in the legal section on classifieds sites, promising a quick closing.

Employment: people who need to relocate due to employment are almost as motivated as those divorcing.  They’re often given short notice about where they’re being re-located to and when they need to start their job, and so they need to move fast, especially if they’re moving out of the state or province.

So think about the circumstances these people face.  The spouse of the person being re-located will need to look for a job in the area they’re moving to, so try putting up ads in the job classifieds sections in your area.  Are there any industries experiencing a boom in your area?  If so, there is sure to be influx of people to your area for those jobs, so be sure to post your ads regularly in job classifieds for those industries.  Considering that these people will be completely new to the area, offer them in your ads some sort of compelling ‘welcome to the area’ information package that will help them feel more at home.

Immigration: you’ve heard the phrase, “birds of a feather flock together”.  That’s particularly true of immigrants to North America.  Many (if not most) of them like to move to communities where other people from their country have settled in.  Between 2001-2006, more than one million immigrants came to Canada, 69% of whom settled in the three largest metropolitan areas – Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver – and their surrounding municipalities.  So if you live in any large metropolitan area in the US or Canada, be sure to have a strategy for attracting these people, especially if you speak a second, foreign language.

As with families getting re-located, immigrants will also need new jobs, so try posting similar types of ads to employment classifieds.  Remember, design your ad and it’s positioning based on the type of prospect you want to attract.  If your area has lower priced, entry level housing, try advertising in employment classifieds for entry level jobs.  If you want to attract foreign students looking for housing, advertise on university campuses or in part-time job sections.  Many of these people will be taking English As A Second Language (ESL), so have these keywords in your ads so that new immigrants  searching for ESL classes will find your ads.

Learn more about online advertising strategies by taking my course Building Your E-Commerce Business.  This course has been approved by the Registrar, REBBA 2002 for continuing education credits.

Filed under: Marketing Tips,Networking Tips

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