Tag Archive for: Thought Leadership

Top 10 Commercial Real Estate Marketing Hacks to Grow Your Corporate CRE Business

Categories: , , ,

Top 10 Commercial Real Estate Marketing Hacks to Grow Your Corporate CRE Business

In the fiercely competitive commercial real estate arena, distinguishing your corporate business is imperative. As the digital landscape evolves and client expectations shift, traditional marketing methods no longer suffice. Today’s CRE professionals must employ innovative, strategic marketing hacks to capture attention and cultivate trust, demonstrate value, and forge meaningful connections. This guide counts down from 10 to 1, starting with essential strategies and culminating with the most impactful approach to elevate your CRE business.

10. Maximize the synergy of media channels

In today’s fragmented media environment, leveraging a mix of owned, earned, and paid media channels is crucial. CRE firms enhance their visibility and engagement across the board by creating content that performs well organically, then amplifying its reach with targeted advertising dollars. This integrated approach ensures that your message resonates with the right audience at the right time, significantly expanding your brand’s reach and awareness.

 

9. Harness the power of social media engagement

Social media is not just a platform for broadcasting your message; it’s a powerful tool for engagement. Adopting a data-driven approach allows you to understand what resonates with your audience, fostering a community around your brand. Regular, meaningful interaction on these platforms makes your firm accessible and relatable, building a foundation of trust and loyalty with potential clients.

 

8. Optimize marketing efficiency with external experts

Building an in-house marketing team is a significant investment for many CRE firms, especially startups or those with limited budgets. Partnering with third-party marketing experts offers a cost-effective, efficient alternative — the cost is typically less than hiring one CMO. These partnerships provide access to specialized knowledge and industry insights, enabling you to implement comprehensive marketing campaigns quickly and effectively without the overhead of an entire marketing department.

 

7. Engage audiences with dynamic video content

Video content, both long-form (like podcasts and webinars) and short-form (such as reels), offers a compelling way to connect with your audience. Videos convey your firm’s personality, expertise, and value proposition in a format that’s engaging and easy to consume. Leveraging video content on social media can also increase your organic reach, helping to build rapport with prospects before you even meet.

 

6. Craft a conversion-driven website experience

Your website is often the first point of contact between your CRE firm and potential clients. A professional, well-designed website optimized for search engines (SEO) and conversion can make a powerful first impression. By clearly communicating who you are, what you do, who it’s for, and why you’re the best choice, your website will effectively convert visitors into leads, reducing the need for costly PPC advertising.

 

5. Elevate brand credibility through strategic public relations

Public relations (PR) can significantly boost your firm’s credibility. Being featured in the media, quoted as an expert, or appearing on podcasts positions you as a thought leader in the CRE industry. This increased visibility and credibility can enhance your closing rate as clients feel more confident choosing a firm that’s recognized and respected in the industry.

 

4. Tailor offerings to meet market demands

Successful CRE marketing hinges on understanding and meeting the real needs of your clients. You can develop offerings that genuinely resonate with your target market by focusing on solutions that address these needs — rather than what you want to sell. This client-centric approach differentiates your firm and builds lasting relationships based on value and trust.

 

3. Showcase brand uniqueness and ethical commitments

Differentiating your brand in the crowded CRE market involves more than touting your services. It encompasses demonstrating your firm’s unique approach, values, and commitment to corporate social responsibility (CSR), environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). By intentionally shaping prospects’ perceptions through effective brand messaging, you underscore your dedication to innovation, transparency, and ethical practices.

 

2. Align messaging with stakeholder values

Crafting a brand message that aligns with the values of your stakeholders — be they professional, personal, ethical, or environmental — creates a deeper connection with your audience. This alignment enhances your brand’s appeal and fosters a sense of community and shared purpose, making your firm the preferred choice for clients who value more than just the bottom line.

 

1. Establish authority through thought leadership

At the pinnacle of CRE marketing strategies is creating value through thought leadership. By sharing unique insights, knowledge, and ideas, you help your clients achieve their goals, whether it’s financial growth, a better lifestyle, or both. Thought leadership establishes your firm as an authoritative leader in the CRE industry, attracting clients and opportunities based on the genuine value and expertise you provide.

 

Elevating your CRE marketing game

Incorporating these top 10 marketing hacks into your strategy can transform your CRE business, setting you apart in a competitive landscape and paving the way for growth and success. Each hack builds upon the last, creating a comprehensive approach that not only meets the market’s current needs but also anticipates future trends. Let’s take this journey together, leveraging these innovative strategies to elevate your CRE marketing game and achieve unparalleled success in the industry.

0 Comments/by

Don’t Trust Your CRE Public Relations Content (or Your Brand) to AI

Categories: , , ,

Don't Trust Your CRE Public Relations Content (or Your Brand) to AI

As digital advancements redefine boundaries, artificial intelligence (AI) is taking ground in various sectors, including the commercial real estate industry. While AI offers groundbreaking tools for data analysis and operational efficiency, entrusting it with your public-facing content is a significant risk to your brand, operations, and revenue.

This article digs deeper into why the human element remains indispensable in CRE public relations and copywriting despite the appeal of technological convenience.

The essence of human connection in CRE

In commercial real estate, organizational growth potential lies in developing long-term connections and making well-considered strategic decisions — rather than solely focusing on completing transactions. Human-crafted content brings emotional intelligence, empathy, and an understanding of human needs that AI cannot fully grasp.

Additionally, prospective investors, tenants, and partners look for assurance and a personal touch in communications, a nuance crucial in a sector where stakes and investments are substantial. The emotional undertones in human-written copy can be the deciding factor in building trust and credibility within the CRE community.

Grasping context and nuance

AI, for all its sophistication, often misses the mark when it comes to context and nuance, particularly in intricate or sensitive scenarios characteristic of CRE dealings. Whether it’s navigating the complexities of lease negotiations or presenting investment opportunities, the tone and subtlety of the message matter. Human writers are adept at interpreting these nuances, ensuring the content aligns with the audience’s expectations and speaks to their specific concerns and aspirations — providing a sense of security that algorithms cannot replicate.

Crafting a unique brand identity and voice

A distinct and consistent brand voice is vital in distinguishing your CRE firm in a competitive landscape. AI-generated content might deliver efficiency but fails to convey the unique personality and creative flair essential for reflecting a brand’s true identity. Human copywriters can intricately craft content that embodies the brand’s values, mission, and audience persona, creating a compelling voice that AI tools cannot mimic.

Navigating ethical considerations and accountability

AI-generated content opens a set of ethical concerns, including the accuracy of information and potential misinformation. In CRE, where data accuracy and adherence to ethical standards are paramount, human oversight becomes non-negotiable. Commercial real estate professionals must uphold regulatory compliance, legal accuracy, and ethical conduct — areas where AI’s lack of knowledge, experience, and judgment could lead to detrimental outcomes for a brand’s integrity and client trust.

Embracing adaptability and creativity

The dynamic nature of the CRE market demands content that can pivot with evolving trends, market sentiments, and client needs. AI can process data and generate predictive content but lacks the creative spark and adaptability of human intellect. Human creativity fosters innovative approaches and unique solutions, engaging clients and stakeholders in ways AI cannot foresee or embody.

A tool rather than a crutch

Incorporating AI as a tool in your CRE marketing strategy can enhance efficiency and offer insightful analytics. Yet, it should not overshadow the indispensable role of human creativity, insight, and emotional intelligence in content creation.

The appropriate balance of AI’s analytical prowess and human empathy ensures that your CRE brand communicates effectively, fosters meaningful relationships, and distinguishes itself in a saturated market.

Emphasizing the human touch in your public-facing content, you ensure your messaging reaches and resonates with your audience, reinforcing your position as a leader in the commercial real estate sector.

0 Comments/by

Kirky Galt on Shannon Robnett’s Real Estate Run Down Show

Categories:

Commercial Real Estate Copywriter

In this guest appearance on Shannon Robnett’s Real Estate Run Down, Kirky and Shannon discuss inbound marketing strategies in today’s real estate world and how commercial real estate will experience one of the largest shifts in the industry.

0 Comments/by

Value-Add Inbound Content for Brand Positioning in Real Estate

Categories: , ,

Value-Add Inbound Content for Brand Positioning in the Real Estate Industry

What does your brand represent?

A brand embodies your values and attitudes toward your product and customers – and your prospects’ perceptions.

Your approach to marketing positions your brand as a provider of knowledge, value, and solutions – and has a direct bearing on your ability to attract and convert prospects to clients.

Let’s get into the ‘whys’ and ‘hows’ of improving your brand position through compelling inbound content for your marketing channels in the real estate industry.

Why Inbound Content for the Real Estate Industry?

While there are many ways to connect with your target market, inbound marketing is the most effective and does the most to support your credibility – and generate value.

If your brand were real property, inbound marketing and thought leadership would be your value-add strategies to enhance amenities, optimize expenses, and drive NOI.

Traditional outbound methods such as broadcast, print, cold email, and pay-per-click (conventional by current inbound best practices) may get your message to the public; however, they don’t provide your ideal prospects with substance. Outbound marketing provides linear (and often diminishing returns), while inbound strategies are logarithmic in generating increasing returns.

Inbound strategies bring the leads to you and uniquely position you as a credible provider. Outbound strategies convey neediness that doesn’t command the respect of prospects and doesn’t prompt them to contact you in appreciation of your insights.

For lean marketers (I’m not talking about your figure) – which is everyone in the current market – inbound content marketing is far less expensive. Though a sophisticated, credible piece of content, such as a whitepaper or contributor article, may require time and expense, it provides a one-time expenditure with continuous and increasing returns (with consistent promotion to your web and social channels supported by video).

Effective Real Estate Brand Positioning via TL

The essence of effective brand positioning is thought leadership (TL) via the inbound channels your prospects frequent.

‘Thought Leadership’ is an oft bandied about catchword; however, it’s an aptly named strategy that builds brand value and status through the most valuable asset – knowledge. TL also projects authenticity and transparency – 94% of consumers are loyal to companies with transparent practices, and 91% prefer authentic brands.

While many perceive competition as intense in the real estate and related industries, it’s relatively straightforward to differentiate yourself through TL and inbound content marketing. Surprisingly, the majority of firms are not utilizing these tools or implementing them consistently.

Your competitors may have similar products, services, and solutions that are viable substitutes for your offering; however, they don’t have your unique personal and collective knowledge. Besides, competing firms are likely not leveraging their insights as effectively as you are or will.

Knowledge, above innovative features and benefits, is your intrinsic differentiator and driver of value in a competitive marketplace. Incidentally, 75% of decision-makers attribute their final choice to sign with a company based on the substance of the vendor’s TL, while 70% determine your ability to deliver primarily based on your insights.

Inbound Content Opportunities

What are the most effective inbound content strategies for real estate executives and their enterprises?

The key to effective content that appeals to prospects and investors is offering answers and solutions to the questions and dilemmas they are facing.

For instance, if you’re offering a SaaS solution to help commercial property owners and asset managers track and interpret large volumes of contract data across a portfolio, you can provide content that answers questions such as:

  • How does it simplify operations?
  • How will it help me provide enhanced value to my clients?
  • How does it reduce expenses?
  • How is the software implemented?
  • What type of equipment do I need?
  • Does the service run entirely in the cloud?
  • Are there self-hosting options for greater security and control?
  • Is the solution sustainable in economic, operational, and environmental terms?

Knowing that prospects are seeking answers, what are the best opportunities to connect with high-level prospects – decision-makers – in the real estate industry?

The most popular and highest-value content forms include:

  • Podcast
  • Blog posts
  • Contributor articles
  • Whitepapers
  • Informative and inspiring social videos
  • Live streaming video on LinkedIn, FB, and Instagram

 

These inbound content forms yield not only leads directly, but also additional media opportunities, including invites for guest/contributor spots on podcasts, blogs, and high domain authority (DA) industry publications.

What are the best channels to distribute your inbound content?

  • Your corporate website
  • LinkedIn (B2B)
  • Facebook and Instagram (B2C)
  • Podcast platforms
  • YouTube, Vimeo
  • High DA publications (Forbes, VentureBeat, Inc, Entrepreneur, etc.)

 

How do you leverage these channels to generate leads?

  • Supporting your content with video
  • Tagging of people, companies, and groups
  • Sharing to groups and pages
  • Partnering with competitors and affiliated firms
  • Paid or ‘boosted’ posts

 

Putting it into Action

How do you get started?

These strategies can be overwhelming to consider, but taking the first step is simple:

  1. Create an outline of your ideal prospects’ demographic and psychographic profile, needs, desires, and the questions they’re asking.
  2. Research what channels and platforms they’re most active on and engage with them to understand their questions and language.
  3. Create a content map of all the insights you can share and leverage this to create topic ideas – incorporate SEO research for relevance.
  4. Start writing consistent content or enlist the help of content professionals.
  5. Publish your content, support with video and imagery, and engage with your audience to build your following.

Have more questions? Please leave a comment or contact us directly.

0 Comments/by

Sustaining Growth in the Real Estate Industry Despite Recession

Categories: , ,

Sustaining Growth in the Real Estate Industry Despite Recession

If we weren’t certain before about an impending recession, we’re all pretty sure that it’s here now. The COVID-19 crisis and Congress’s response with the prompt passage of the CARES Act have quasi-officially welcomed the recession.

What does the recession mean for continued growth in the real estate industry?

It’s time for a renewed commitment to our marketing.

My intention with this statement is not self-serving. As a marketing firm, we too, make sure that consistent and thoughtful marketing is even more a priority than usual.

Rather than drawing back the budget to ‘conserve,’ we need to generate consistent, quality thought leadership and public relations content to keep our message prominent in the minds of ideal prospects and our stakeholders.

Let’s talk about some of the critical considerations for growth in a down market.

 

Volatile Demand

We can assume that a recession will mean fewer prospects and reduced conversions, though this may not be the case for every niche.

As we proceed, we’ll find a greater share of motivated commercial and residential sellers due to falling and stagnant values, deferred rents, loss of jobs, and declining incomes.

Indeed, many parts of the industry will experience restriction as demand for commercial and retail space is held back by lockdowns and the consequent shift toward remote work and online retail.

Multi-family will continue to do well, but increasing demand will mean an expanding market that must be addressed with your message.

The Fed’s move toward zero range rates is excellent for short-term refinance and purchase volume, as well as reducing the cost of financing for development; however, construction financing is typically figured on the 10-year Treasury, which moves independently of the Fed Funds Rate and recently increased 25 basis points – the impact on commercial development may be negligible.

What’s the answer to achieve sustained growth?

 

What Drives Your Growth?

Diligent and thoughtful marketing.

All other factors aside, thought leadership positions your firm for sustained long-term growth most efficiently.

The most refined and advanced processes and technology may drive your value chain and core competencies; however, they will generate little bottom-line returns unless the public is aware of your ongoing strength and presence. The need for public awareness is essential regardless of the pandemic and resultant market volatility.

When businesses and consumers receive their aid as part of the economic relief package, and the crisis passes, you need to be properly positioned as the best choice for their expenditures – those which will be made judiciously.

 

Investing in Increasing Returns

I’m not suggesting that you blindly throw funds into marketing during the recession. Veritably, this is the time to be most judicious – though not conservative – with your marketing budget.

For the best results and efficiency in utilizing your budget, focus on marketing strategies and channels that yield escalating rates of results and returns as you consistently apply them. Some methods don’t behave in this fashion. Examples of predominantly linear result generating strategies include pay-per-click, direct mail, and paid social media.

Stated in other words: once you stop paying, the results subside; you only get out what you put in. Conventionally, that may make sense; however, digital thought leadership marketing, in particular, creates results that compound over time with consistency.

Consistent marketing via thought leadership to your website, social channels, and the media, effectively position your brand and build trust – vital during times of volatility when B2B and B2C consumers raise the question of solvency and longevity concerning the firms they patronize loyally.

 

Flourish in a Down Market

The message of this article is straightforward: flourish in a down market by placing emphasis on building marketing systems and messages that deliver increasing returns at lower cumulative expense than traditional methods.

While quality content is expensive, it’s worth it compared to the hundreds of thousands that can be easily spent away on messages that don’t stick or provide real value to your market.

0 Comments/by

Why Sustainability is Crucial in Your Thought Leadership Content

Categories: , , ,

Why Sustainability is Crucial in Your Thought Leadership Content in the Commercial Real Estate IndustryCreative Real Estate Copy

You can attribute it to many things: tightening environmental regulations, social change, and consumer tastes, but one thing is certain – business and consumer prospects want to see environmentally and socially-conscious messages.

But it goes beyond environmental concerns. Sustainability is about human health, social progress, and the physical and financial prosperity of all stakeholders to the industry and community.

Getting to the Heart of Sustainability in Commercial Real Estate

How can we succinctly describe ‘Sustainability?’ Is it about being ‘green?’

Yes. However, it’s a complex topic that merits a lifetime of devotion and study.

The heart of sustainability is the 3Ps or ‘triple bottom line:’

People, Planet, and Prosperity.

Human progress and innovation in these three respects improve our odds of maintaining a green planet and eliminating conflict due to economic and social strife.

Wasteful and negligent business, investment, and construction practices pollute the environment, contribute to disease, repress social progress, and restrict communities economically.

To illustrate further, let’s look at an example of considerations in sustainability specific to commercial real estate, asset management, property management, and workplace development:

 

Aspect of Sustainability
Components
Human Health
  • Quality healthcare
  • Excellent education
  • Indoor air quality (IAQ)
  • Water quality
  • Indoor environmental quality (IEQ)
  • Thermal comfort
  • Natural views
  • Ergonomics
  • Functionality (productivity)
  • Daylighting
  • Walkability
  • Transportation
  • Open space
Environmental Health
  • Reduced material consumption (3Rs)
  • Regionally-sourced materials (limits transportation waste and pollution)
  • Efficient water use
  • Reducing the carbon footprint
  • Native and adaptive vegetation
  • Protection of waterways, lakes, oceans, and aquifers
  • Stormwater runoff mitigation
  • Leveraging emerging green technologies
  • Reducing solar heat gain and island effect
  • Brown and greyfield remediation
Economic Health
  • Durable construction materials and methods
  • Use of local labor
  • Energy efficiency and reduced operating expenses
  • Minimized liability for sick building syndrome (SBS)
  • Quality education for a skilled and adaptable workforce
  • Efficient and ergonomic design for productivity
  • Quality public transportation and infrastructure
  • Designs and operations that appeal to incoming industry and capital – regional growth and prosperity

 

These are all interrelated, and synergies exist in benefits across the components of the 3Ps.

Incidentally, these are pertinent topics and elements to incorporate in your thought leadership messaging strategy. This table is a significantly abridged list – you’ll never run short of content ideas when weaving your sustainable brand position.

Got it. So, how do content marketing and thought leadership mesh with these high-level objectives?

Demonstrating Expertise and Commitment to Innovation

Our primary goal in thought leadership is to advance our brands and build trust. The most practical and effective way to accomplish this is through written content.

Every bit of content you distribute – email to editorial – is an opportunity to show that you know your industry, your prospects’ problems, and how to solve them.

Coincidentally, many of your prospects’ and users’ problems are centered around issues of sustainability, regardless of whether identified as such.

Cash flow issues? Tenant Satisfaction?

Both have causes and remedies involving efficiency, comfort, and long-term functional utility.

Incorporating these topics in your press releases and ghostwritten contributor articles shows that your commitment to values and principles is more profound than to economic profit and social status.

As opposed to formal mission and ethics statements that attempt to convey sustainability consciousness, editorial and informative content provide concrete evidence to the audience of your knowledge and dedication to doing the right thing for people, planet, and prosperity.

Furthermore, talking about sustainability in your thought leadership campaigns positions you and your firm as a conscientious innovator in your field.

Carving Out Your Brand Position and Building Social Goodwill

For pragmatists, this is really about brand positioning. Considering that young and older generations alike are becoming more sustainability-conscious, we need to make it a priority for inclusion in our marketing.

Millennials – now the largest segment of our population – gravitate to sustainable brands and are willing to pay a premium for associated products and services.

But it’s not limited to millennials; 57% of Baby Boomers self-report that they’re more concerned about protecting the environment now than when they were in their 20s, while 68% indicate they’ve changed their practices concerning environmental preservation.

Community support and social goodwill for your venture are paramount. Whether it’s financing, permitting, or leasing, you’ll need the community on your side:

42% of US and UK consumers consider sustainable materials to be the deciding factor in their purchasing decisions, and a third hold brands responsible for environmental health and change. Additionally, two-thirds put more trust in brands that make a public pledge to sustainability.

Become a Sustainable Brand

Commit to pursuing sustainable practices in your commercial real estate projects – and talk about it publicly on a broad spectrum of media.

If you’re not sure exactly where sustainability fits into your business and how to leverage sustainable strategies to grow your practice through efficiency and goodwill, consult with design and content specialists that have an intimate understanding of the topic and how to relate it effectively to your audience in ways they find accessible and appealing.

0 Comments/by