Content Marketing: You’re Doing It Wrong

Don’t worry, it’s not your fault, you may not even be doing it at all. Maybe you just don’t know what the heck it is (hold on…we’ll explain). At any rate, content marketing has a lot of buzz, a vast definition and a big, fat gray area when it comes to results. Let’s break down the long and short of this strategic marketing tactic and how it can help you reach today’s homebuyers.

So what is content marketing? According to the Content Marketing Institute, it’s:

      “the marketing and business process for creating and distributing relevant and valuable content to attract, acquire, and engage a clearly defined and understood target audience – with the objective of driving profitable customer action.”

According to us, it’s sharing what you know and do best (i.e. home building) to get what you want (i.e. buyers and leads) through better relationships. We may have trimmed it a bit but the guts are still there.

People are flogged with ads these days and, we hate to break it to you, they really don’t care about your brand or your message unless it a.) educates them or b.) makes them smile. So the main question that needs answering with any solid content marketing strategy for home builders is “Am I doing either of these with my _______(Insert: email, blog, video, Facebook post)?” If the answer is no, then press pause.

It’s no mystery that consumers don’t want to be seen as, well, consumers. They digest and react to media based on what’s attractive and compelling. The goal is to wrap your core message in packaging that makes people want to open it, enjoy it and then share it with others. Engagement is what makes content marketing successful and increases the likelihood of future conversions. We’re not suggesting you trick your audience into reading your blog posts or watching your videos, we’re urging to you up your game and make your content valuable.

Every builder thinks they build the best homes in the best neighborhoods. We say, prove it and here are some tips:

1. Find the personality behind your product.

   Buying a home is a serious purchase but that doesn’t mean the transaction needs to be void of pleasure. Your prospects aren’t from another planet, they like to laugh just like you and me. So lighten up whenever possible and most important, be authentic.

2. Teach your audience something new.

   Tip them off on where to find the best burgers near your community, school them on the pros and cons of various exterior options, or be the first to share trending paint colors. You may need to do a little homework to sound like the authority, but your customers will appreciate a break from the sales pitch.

3. Let others do the talking.

   Don’t just market to attract new buyers, remind the ones that already bought why they did in the first place and get them to tell their friends. If you build a relationship with your existing fan base they may become champions of your message. Testimonials are so effective because they’re real and relatable, so a few cheers from your “brand evangelists” may just bolster future subscriptions to your content.