The year 2020 brought unprecedented challenges for the real estate sector in India, as well as around the world. The slow pace of digitisation gathered steam in just a few months and this trend seems irreversible now. Home-buying decisions are now being taken over Zoom calls, inventory selection is now available online and site-visits are truly virtual these days. In this scenario, one thing that has changed completely, is marketing. The way to entice, inform and convince home buyers has become digital. For a market like India, where the trust deficit is high, especially in Noida and Gurgaon, investors are now open to shopping for their dream home online. All this can be attributed to successful marketing strategies, devised by some of the biggest real estate brands in India. Here is a look at how real estate marketing changed in the year 2020 and what to expect in the future.
Knowledge-led marketing
In the pre-COVID-19 era, the term ‘knowledge-led marketing’ was almost non-existent, as the buyers used to rely on advice from friends and family who have been in similar situations or bought a house recently. However, the new normal shifted the onus on to the brands, to educate home buyers about the property market and all things related. From knowledge-based webinars to creating useful content through blogs and YouTube videos, this seemed to be the most cost-effective way to generate leads for real estate companies and to establish themselves as thought leaders in the market.
Social media marketing 2.0
As many people switched to remote working, the time spent online increased considerably. Real estate brands took this opportunity to increase their social media presence, by spending on social media ads and also creating more content for their feeds. While face-to-face interactions were not happening, people found help on social media, which not only improved brand awareness but helped these companies to connect with their prospective customer in a more personal way. Moreover, many brands also kept their audience busy with online quizzes, competition and other engagements, to understand their journey in home buying and to place them correctly in the marketing funnel. These fun ways were also used to announce their latest product offerings and increase the brand’s retention value, as compared to other marketing techniques.
See also: How to avoid social media backlash?
Email marketing revamped
As people got used to the new normal, following the Coronavirus pandemic, email marketing remained one of the most useful ways for real estate marketers, to send regular updates about investment opportunities, to their potential clients. Be it a webinar video that they missed or a content piece that could be important to them or even project construction status, email marketing got a new meaning in the past few months, which was more thoughtful and apt than regular spam marketing mailers which often used to end up in the trash.
Also read: How to create e-mailers for clients
Technology marketing
One thing that has interested home buyers the most, is the technological advancement. From virtual walk-throughs to aerial drone shoots of the project site, the better the technology, the greater the chances of attracting buyers. As home buyers always want to see the neighbourhood, the locality and the façade, before they even look inside the property, these live drone shoots serve the purpose. Real estate brands are actually highlighting the community features through drone technology and promoting it on social media, to sell the lifestyle that the project offers. This strategy also saves a lot of time for buyers and sellers, alike.
FAQ
What is social media marketing?
Social media marketing involves posting text, images, videos and other content, as well as paid advertising, to engage with the audience.
How do you generate leads?
The key to generating leads, is to identify the target audience, promote the property using appropriate methods (such as listing the property on Housing.com) and engaging the audience through social media and other platforms.
How do you create a real estate marketing plan?
A marketing plan should involve identifying one’s own USP, identifying the target audience and the message to be conveyed to them, studying the competition and setting the right budget.
Surbhi is an experienced content marketing expert for over nine years now and has contributed articles and research insights for top real estate portals. She is a journalism graduate and has keen interest in politics, urban development and infrastructure studies. Surbhi is a bookworm and delves into historical fiction and inspiring biographies when she is not sleeping.
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