In this article, Branding, Marketing, and Advertising, I'm going to dig into something that I find extremely upsetting about real estate agents. And, that is that so many agents just don't seem to realize that they're individual entrepreneurs. They don't understand that they are running a business.
I see so many agents who are totally undisciplined. They have no business plan, no strategy, no systems, no structure. They're just running around in chaos, like, a ball and a pinball machine bouncing from one thing to another.
And while some of these crazies actually make a deal now and then, they don't seem to realize that their lack of organization their lack of having a well thought out plan is not only preventing them from reaching their potential, they also don't realize that they're wasting their money and are physically and emotionally running themselves into the ground.
It's no wonder why so many real estate agents who achieve even a mediocre level of success end up damaging their personal relationships and ultimately burning out after a couple of years of leading such a chaotic life.
How do I know all this?
Because at one time earlier in my career, I was that type of agent. I was that guy.
And having gone through that turmoil, after the pain of personal loss, after suffering the emotional exhaustion, I realized that I had to organize. I had to structure. I had to plan my real estate business. If I was going to reach any level of potential success. So, this article will discuss the first topic that will help you organize your real estate career. And that is to understand the differences between branding, marketing, and advertising, as well as the need for, and the benefits of each.
Before We Dive In
Before we can recognize the benefits of each of these things, we really have to understand the definition of each of them. But even before understanding the definitions of these terms, you have to understand that while branding, marketing, and advertising are distinctly different from each other, they are all necessary. And they all work together to generate business.
And yes, if you're a real estate agent, I don't care if you work for a two-person firm or a national franchise with hundreds of agents; you are still just one individual who is responsible for generating your own income. Any person who's responsible for generating their own income, by definition, is operating a business. Consequently, you are an entrepreneur. You are an independent entity. You are a business owner.
Branding
In order to reach any level of success and to be able to sustain that success, every business owner has to understand how to present themselves to the people they want to do business with. And, to do that, they have to create their business persona, their image, if you will.
The first step to creating your business persona is to create a symbol, a graphic that identifies you. A symbol that will make people think of you the moment they see it. In the business world, this graphic symbol is called a brand.
The term branding in the business world was taken from cattle ranchers who burned their symbols into the hides of their cattle. The brand was an identifying mark used to identify and separate one rancher's cattle from another rancher's cattle. So, the advertising world co-opted the word brand converting it into a phrase that means burning a company's image into the memory of the public
Today, you can't see certain symbols or brands without associating them with the company they represent, like that little green Gecko used by GEICO insurance or that three-pointed star inside a circle used by Mercedes Benz.
The brand saves a lot of communication time because humans process pictures many times faster than they process words. Plus, the brand could be put anywhere. Literally, it could be placed anywhere it could be put on t-shirts, coffee mugs, signs, business cards, websites. You can even have a brand tattooed on your forehead if you really wanted to.
A brand symbolizes the business, or in our case, the real estate agent; you are the brand. An agent's brand can be several things, but the one thing a brand should be for a real estate agent, is a logo.
It doesn't matter if your company has a logo; that doesn't mean you shouldn't have one. In fact, you should have your own logo design to take it with you wherever you go, to whatever company you eventually may move to. Even if you ultimately open your own firm, you should maintain your personal logo. It's your brand. It says, "This is me."
Marketing
Exactly, what is marketing?
Marketing is a form of advertising. But the thing that separates marketing from advertising is that marketing is strictly for advertising the business and the services offered by the business.
For example, when you see an ad for GEICO insurance, they're giving you general inform about GEICO insurance. And what they're saying is, you could save up to 15% on your car insurance if you switch from your present car insurance company to GEICO.
So, when you hear a GEICO commercial, they're merely giving you general information about who they are and what they do.
Please Note:
I'm not paid by GEICO Insurance. I have no connection of any type with GEICO Insurance. The references in this article are not intended as promotions for GEICO Insurance. I'm merely using GEICO Insurance ads as an example of synchronous marketing.
Keep in mind that marketing only has one purpose; to get you, to call them get information about how you can benefit from their product to service.
"And, like a good neighbor, State Farm is there."
In this marketing piece, State Farm is telling us what that they'll be there when we need them. That's it, that's all they're telling us nothing more.
They're reminding you, who they are and what they do. Marketing is solely for the purpose of notifying potential customers or clients. They're saying, "Hey! I'm here. And, this is what I do!"
Marketing Never Stops
Marketing is something that is nonstop. Marketing has to be done continually, every day in some form or another. It's a never ending process.
And, the most effective type of marketing, the strategy that provides the highest response rate from exactly the people you want to do business with is called a "synchronous marketing system."
A "synchronous marketing system" is a strategy of marketing that uses several different types of media in a synchronized distribution. It's designed to reach a specific target group of potential clients on a continual basis.
Synchronous means that each type of marketing all work at the same time. This strategy is used by every type of successful business BECAUSE IT WORKS!
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Getting back to our little green gecko, let's say you have your TV on while getting ready to go somewhere and you see a commercial with that little green gecko.
Then, while you're riding in your car on your way to where you're going, you hear a commercial with that distinctive little voice with the British accent saying, "Save15% with GEICO."
And, then as you arrive at your destination, you see a billboard with that little lizard. And again, in yet another GEICO ad.
THAT, my friends, is a classic example of a synchronous marketing system at work.
Now, you don't have to spend piles of money for TV, radio, or billboard ads.
But, what you should understand is that GEICO, and virtually all other successful companies use the synchronous marketing strategy of placing their message in front of prospective customers in many different places on a simultaneously and on a continual basis.
Advertising
Now that we know what branding and marketing are about, the obvious question is this: If marketing is advertising, how is advertising different from marketing?
The difference is that marketing only advertises the benefits of a company. That's it, that's all it advertisers.
But, advertising is the act of trying to sell something specific, such as a product, such as a car, or a property. Advertising may also be used to offer a specific service, such as when we say, "Contact me today for a free market value estimate."
So the distinction is this. While marketing only advertises the general benefits of a business to attract potential customers, advertising spotlights a specific product or service for the purpose of selling that product or service.
Contact me if you have any questions or would like to know more about how to create your branding, marketing and advertising program.
Now that you have a basic understanding of the differences between branding, marketing, and advertising, check out my free course to learn how to create your own synchronous marketing system.
Click Here to learn more about my new FREE course that will teach you how to create your own Synchronous Marketing System.
THIS IS A LIMITED TIME OFFER!!!
