As Easy as AMC: Making the Most of Social Media, Email and Blogs

LAS VEGAS – Growing your business means telling your story in many ways: via email, social media, blog posts and more. But how can you be sure that you’re telling your story in the most effective way? The answer is as easy as ABC — or rather, AMC.

That’s what a pair of Zillow Group marketing leaders told the crowd at the Premier Agent Forum today. Stephanie Reid-Simons (Director, Content) and Tara Clark (Director, Email) broke it down this way:

• The “A” refers to audience. Who are you speaking to? Clients, yes. But it may also include people you haven’t done business with yet.
• The “M” refers to your message. How can you make sure it’s timely and relevant?
• And finally, “C” refers to your communication channel.

Consider each of these three elements, and you’ll be creating some high-powered fuel for your marketing engine.

An audience of fans

The most important thing to remember about your audience is that your success depends on engaging them in ways that go beyond transactions. Your audience will become your fanbase if you make them feel something. Harvard Business Review found that emotions are how people know something is important to them. And few things are more important than buying or selling a home.

What kind of message has the power to make people feel something? The good news is that you have many options. Just keep the 80-20 rule in mind: 80 percent of your marketing communications should be about something other than selling. Share your passion for your community. Show people that your business is a family business. Inform your audience about the things they care about, like the opening of the farmer’s market, or which parks are best for families with pets.

Remember: Whether you're searching for the right words, or the right emojis, the key is to be yourself.

Tuning in to the right channel

Once you know who you’re trying to reach and what you want to say, it’s time to consider the channel.

Blog posts are a way to craft and share a message with some depth. With the right kind of blog posts, you can inform, inspire and show your expertise. But proceed with caution when it comes to creating a blog — you can generate tremendous value through articles and other blog-style content without starting a blog. Some options include:

• Community newspapers
• Medium (not the size, but rather the blogging site)
• LinkedIn
• Quora
• Zillow Advice

Email is one of the most established and effective ways to get your message out. You are a buying and selling expert, and a community figure — your emails should reflect that. Set up a calendar that reminds you of key dates: holidays, festivals, school closures, election information. And use emails to track and message milestones, such as birthdays or loan payoff dates. Automate when you can, but remember the human touch. You don't want to be the person who goes viral for sending a 'winter fun' email after a blizzard.

Social media is really many channels. There’s Facebook, of course, and that should be your go-to. It’s the largest social media channel and the one with the widest demographic. So really, the question becomes, who is your “Plus One”? Instagram can be a great choice if you’re willing and able to fill it with beautiful pictures. Same goes for Pinterest. If you enjoy frequent, newsy updates, consider Twitter. Trying to reach a younger audience? Consider experimenting with Snapchat.

No matter what you choose, you will need to come up with ways to keep your channels fed and healthy.

COPE for Success

Once you’ve created a great piece of content, whether it’s a blog post, a Pinterest board or anything else that resonates with people, find a way to use it in other channels. Send an email pointing to that social post. Create social posts about that article. This is an approach called “COPE” — create once, publish everywhere. It’s how you can exponentially increase your audience without having to create an impossible amount of content.

So when you’re creating a message, whether it’s about a new listing or market insights designed to attract new customers, keep the AMCs in mind. When you reach out to your audience, think of them as more than just receivers of your message. If you engage them, you can turn them into amplifiers and increase the reach of the messages you send — no matter what the channel.