How do title agencies stand out without a robust marketing team in today’s cutthroat real estate market? According to PropLogix’s 2022 State of the Title Industry Report, 51% of title companies operate without sales or marketing support. If you find yourself nodding along as a part of this majority, the struggle to remain conspicuous amid competition is palpable.
Title professionals often find themselves pitted against competitors with larger budgets and dedicated teams, and need help to level the playing field. The good news is that you can use innovative, low-cost strategies to get noticed.
In this blog post, we recap our recent discussion with Mitch Sullivan about the low-cost or free marketing strategies that title professionals like yourself can use to boost ROI.
A Little Bit About Our Guest
Mitch Sullivan has spent more than a decade as a marketing consultant and has been working in the title industry for the last four years. Currently, he is the Chief Marketing Officer at SnapClose and runs his own marketing consulting agency, Zero Eight.
What Is Marketing and Why Is it Vital for Title Agents?
When asked to define what marketing means and how it differs from sales, Mitch Sullivan gives a simple analogy. He says that “marketing is like choosing the right lake and bait. It’s understanding customer behavior and creating attractive promotions, whereas sales is the active catching of the fish. It includes direct interactions with customers, negotiating, closing deals, etc”.
Unfortunately, most title agents focus more on the sales side of things than marketing. On a positive note, Sullivan notes that title professionals are more interested in marketing.
He references the traffic that one of his articles, “The Complete Guide to Marketing Your Title Company,” is generating. The article generates 20% to 30% of SnapClose’s traffic, indicating a growing appetite among title agents to get savvy about marketing strategies.
The Best Low-Cost Marketing Strategies for Title Agents
The most impactful strategies often involve drawing customers to you rather than chasing them down. Here are some of the strategies you should consider:
Create and Optimize Your Google Business Profile
In today’s digital age, a strong online presence is paramount, and one of the most effective ways for title agents to achieve this is through a Google Business Profile (GBP). Think of it as your virtual storefront; it can act as a second website, showcasing the critical aspects of your business.
With its hyperlocal focus, it ensures that local clients seeking title services in their vicinity find you with ease. Here are the steps you can take to ensure your GBP convinces clients to choose you over others:
- Complete every detail: Fill out every section of your profile, including business hours, contact hours, location details, and services offered. The more information you provide, the more credible and reliable your business appears.
- Add high-quality photos: Include professional shots of your office, team, and key events or milestones.
- Utilize the posts feature: Share updates, offers, or news related to your title services.
- Add a FAQ Section: Address common questions or concerns. This showcases your expertise and saves potential clients time, which they’ll appreciate.
- Ensure NAP Consistency: Your Name, Address, and Phone number should be consistent across all online platforms. This boosts your credibility and helps with local SEO.
- Utilize keywords: Use keywords related to title services in your business description and services.
- Gather reviews: Sullivan quotes BrightLocal statistics showing that 84% of people trust online reviews as much as recommendations. That’s why you should encourage clients to leave reviews about your services.
Adding a note about customer reviews, Mitch Sullivan warns against using fake reviews on GBP. Interestingly, a flawless five-star score isn’t always the gold standard because some customers might perceive it as too good to be true. You should also leverage other third-party review platforms like Yelp and G2.
Set up Google Search Console
Google Search Console (GSC) is an indispensable yet cost-free tool that every title professional should integrate into their marketing strategy. At its core, GSC is a service offered by Google that allows users to monitor, maintain, and troubleshoot their website’s presence in Google Search results.
For title professionals, GSC reveals which keywords direct users to your site, aiding in content creation tailored to what potential clients are seeking. This tool also lets you track site performance, view click-through rates, and ensure all services are discoverable by Google.
It provides alerts for any site issues, from loading problems to security breaches. Overall, GSC will help you refine your online footprint, boost visibility, and optimize your website’s performance without cost.
Use Chat GPT for Content Creation
In the contemporary digital landscape, content is king, and consistently generating quality content can be time-consuming and costly. This is where tools like Chat GPT come in handy for title agents.
Chat GPT will save you time by helping you produce all types of content, including blog posts, FAQs, social media posts, landing pages, and detailed reports. Using such a model, you can rapidly generate informative pieces about your services, industry trends, or any topic that resonates with your audience.
Related: 5 Ways Title Professionals Can Use AI Chatbots
Leverage Other People’s Already-Formed Traffic Networks
Leveraging other people’s pre-established traffic networks offers you a golden opportunity to extend your reach without starting from scratch. One innovative approach is podcasting on relevant platforms.
By featuring on or collaborating with established podcasts related to real estate, title closing, or local business topics, you can share your expertise and draw listeners back to your services. You should also consider guest posting, where you contribute articles to reputable industry sites that can position you as an authority, driving curious readers back to your doorstep.
Engaging in Facebook groups related to real estate or title services can also establish you as a trusted voice in the community. And don’t shy away from commenting on posts by industry thought leaders, as engaging constructively can catch the eyes of their vast followers, boosting your visibility.
Bonus Point: Understand Your Audience
You should pinpoint where your audience is, who influences them, and how they behave online. This information ensures that every move you make is deliberate, targeted, and effective.
Mitch Sullivan recommends taking advantage of tools like SparkToro that show who your audience is, what they talk about, and where to reach them. Combine this with direct feedback from your customer interviews to refine your messaging.
Discover why they chose you over competitors and what they value about your service. This allows you to tailor your approach and amplify those points in your messaging.
Key Takeaway
In your marketing journey as a title professional, leveraging cost-effective strategies and tools is vital. Whether tapping into existing traffic networks or optimizing online visibility through platforms like GBP, the key is precision and relevance.
Every tool and tactic discussed here underscores a central tenet — it’s not about casting the widest net but ensuring that every effort is targeted and resonates with the intended audience. Doing so can ensure optimal return on investment and robust engagement in an ever-evolving digital landscape.
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