A Strong Digital Marketing Campaign Starts With Planning — Today

New construction buyers take nearly five months to search for, select and purchase a home.* By launching multifaceted advertising and retargeting campaigns early, you could align the timing of your messages to reach buyers when they’re most receptive to them.

Retarget buyers 4-5 months before purchase

More than three-quarters (76%) of buyers use online resources to find a home.* During this initial phase, which lasts several weeks, buyers become aware of their options and begin actively researching: They’re collecting information, understanding what’s available and assessing the landscape.

While buyers are asking themselves if they’re emotionally and financially ready to purchase, you should be planning your digital marketing messages months in advance to sync with buyer actions as they draw closer to their home purchase.

Plan ahead for your marketing campaigns

Knowing the long lead time that new construction buyers can take, consider starting your campaigns 4-5 months in advance to target (and retarget) buyers and match your timing with theirs.

• Identify your goals and measure your performance using Builder Dashboard.
• Identify your target audience: first-time home buyers? Repeat buyers? Millennial buyers?
• Decide on an appropriate timeline to achieve your campaigns’ goals.
• Plan for your budget: Set money aside now to fuel your campaigns later.
• Understand available resources: photography, design, writing support, sale center teams, etc.
• Manage a campaign calendar with project milestones.
• Align teams: Make sure your sales team understands the goals and can help you reach them.
• Select the most effective channels to get your message heard.

Use Builder Boost to help buyers find you

Builder Boost and Builder Boost + Precision Targeting — using native ads on Zillow and Trulia and retargeting on Facebook — reach high-intent buyers during their active research mode, combing through listings and seeing what homes people are talking about on social media. Buyers might have seen your listing a couple times on Promoted Communities, but you want them to see it again and again in different contexts so you remain top of mind.

More ways Builder Boost helps you reach buyers

Target buyers based on key demographics:

• Boost Active Adult for buyers 55 years and older
• Boost Rent Targeting for renters who may be ready to become first-time home buyers

Get maximum exposure to buyers who are already searching within your area:

• Boost + Precision Targeting amplifies your message by retargeting interested Zillow shoppers with premium ad placement on Facebook, Zillow and Trulia.

Planning out four- to five-month marketing campaigns — to start at any time of the year — with Builder Boost and Builder Boost + Precision Targeting helps you retarget new construction buyers and keeps your homes and communities top of mind at every stage of the search.

*Zillow Group New Construction Consumer Housing Trends Report 2018.