Few digital marketing tools are as expansive as Pay-Per-Click campaigns. They have the potential to reach more people than even social media, and they are cost-effective because you’ll only have to pay for the clicks that do go through. If you’re working in an industry as competitive as real estate, you’ll not only want to reach as many people, you’ll want to target as many of the right people as possible.
How do you do this? First of all, you’ll need to work on figuring out who your core audience is, and where do you reach them. Additionally, because you’re working to sell property, you’ll need to figure out where they are physically, not just virtually.
Once you have all that figure out, you can begin working on your actual copy: the text that you read in the ads. The copy is what draws your customer in, encouraging them to look at your listing, sign up for your newsletter, or contact you for site visits. The copy needs to be compelling, and the only actual way to write a compelling copy is to use everything you know about your customers and what makes them tick.
If you feel overwhelmed, don’t worry. We’ve broken down all you need to know in four important steps in this comprehensive guide to using PPC advertising to dominate the real estate market.
Step 1: Research your audience
This should not take much time, given that you are primarily looking to attract prospective homeowners in the immediate locality and nearby areas. You may widen your target scope since you may also want to attract potential buyers that may be thinking of moving to your area, but they should be less of a priority when writing your copy. Better yet, you should make a new campaign specifically for that purpose.
Things to research:
- Basic demographics such as age, income brackets, education, gender, marital status, etc.
- Recent life events that may affect decision making: Recently married couples and those with two or more young children are likely to buy a property. College students and fresh graduates are likely to rent.
- Specifics about your locality such as favorite landmarks, tourist attractions, or personalities. Anything that will help localize your campaign.
- Ongoing interest rates: this will help you time your campaign efficiently, such as when interests are low and more people are likely to jump the gun on purchases.
- Specific pain points – For most people, real estate is the biggest transaction of their lives and there will be several hurdles along the way. Whether it be questions about safety, accessibility, or even weather, there will be several considerations before a customer eventually puts in an offer. You cannot hope to address all of these in a simple PPC ad, but answering some of these questions will only help you in the end.
Step 2: Prepare your copy
The best way to write copy that converts is to just begin the creative process. You already have the data you need, and it’s time to put them to good use. But how do you make a good copy? Your copy should have the three Cs: Clear Objective, Compelling Message, and Call to Action.
Clear Objective –The foremost objective of any marketing campaign is to sell. However, we are only talking about a PPC campaign, and as a marketer, you understand that your copy alone is not going to sell your products. People will not complete transactions over the internet as they are likely to do with online shopping.
The objective of your PPC, therefore, is to get people to notice the product that you are selling and get them to contact you for a personal sales pitch or site visit. That objective serves the higher purpose of the actual sale. Keep that in mind as you write.
Compelling Message – Tell a story. Yes, you are selling a house. But when customers look at a property they are not just looking at the structure. They are likely imagining how it would feel living in the property. They are likely trying to figure out if the space would be enough for a home office, or if the kitchen and dining area is big enough for guests. Important family events such as thanksgivings and birthday parties are already being considered. Your ad copy should sound human because you are selling to humans.
But which good stories do you want to tell? This is where truly knowing your prospective clients will come into play. Try to touch on people’s desires. Give them a vision in their head. Don’t just sell a house, sell the stories and memories that could happen in that house.
Call to Action – You’ve already told them why they want to buy, now you need to tell them how. But the call to action is not just about displaying your contact details, it should act as the final push for the customer to get closer to buying by contacting you. The CTA should be kept to two sentences at most. Phrases such as “Get in touch” or “Visit our website” are appropriate.
Step 3: Test your Ads
The ability to tweak your copy based on data from carefully conducted A/B tests is what makes a great marketer. Sometimes your copy may not work, and you should try to understand why. The trick to doing a correct A/B test is to isolate an element you want to test and create two identical ads with one specific element as the differentiator. There you will be able to more closely finetune your copy.
Step 4: Study your competition
Knowing what your competition is doing is an important skill for any marketer. Copying what works and spinning it with your own flavor is a great way to outsmart your competition. Don’t hesitate to do some spy work. Understanding what your competition is doing better than you is just another way to allow you to make informed decisions.
Conclusion
PPC campaigns are a great way to reach more people. They are a lot more cost-effective than print advertising, and you are guaranteed to reach even the people outside your state. But the real key differentiator here is quality, not quantity. You should aim to write the most compelling ad and be able to target the right people, to ensure that you are getting quality leads.
Framework Pros is a digital marketing agency based in St. Louis, Missouri. We offer services in PPC advertising, Facebook ads management, and search engine optimization. Visit our website today to know more.