Identifying & Targeting Buyers in a Digital World Kevin Oldham Vice President United Country Marketing Services

Today’s Discussion 1.What is marketing? 2.Today’s buyers 3.Where do buyers congregate online? 4.Best practices for targeting buyers online 5.Social media do’s and don'ts 6.Measurement – ROMI 7.New from the EMS Team 8.Chime in any time and let’s all learn from each other!

WHAT IS MARKETING?

“Marketing” Defined Marketing is the process by which companies advertise products or services to potential customers. It is an integrated process through which companies create value for customers and build strong customer relationships in order to capture value (i.e. sales) from customers in return.

Leverage an integrated process to create customer value and increase sales in return. The Evolution of Marketing

Think of marketing as a value exchange….not selling your services or goods.

TODAY’S BUYERS

The Home Search Process of buyers used the Internet in their home search Source: National Association of REALTORS® | Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers % …..dipped slightly from a high of 90% in 2009 as the demographics of home buyers shifted to slightly older repeat buyers from younger first-time buyers.

Today’s Buyers 98% 10% 35% of home buyers viewed real estate agents as a useful information source by buyers who used an agent while searching for a home. percentage of home buyers whose the first looked online for information about the home buying process Source: National Association of REALTORS® | Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers 2011 percentage of home buyers whose the first step in the home buying process was looking online for properties

Today’s Buyers 37% 45 $89,900 of home buyers were first time buyers, a drop from 50 percent in 2010 typical buyer age, up from 39 in 2010 Source: National Association of REALTORS® | Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers 2011 median household income

Today’s Buyers Today’s buyer is intelligent: a world of perfect information due to the Internet Today’s buyer is empowered: Information and knowledge are actionable Today’s buyer is skeptical: Word of mouth is more powerful than ad messages Today’s buyer is connected: Internet always on and engaged with social media Today’s buyer is time- pressed: Time is the new currency Today’s buyer is demanding: They feel they are owed something of value Today’s buyer is ahead of the curve

WHERE DO BUYERS CONGREGATE ONLINE?

Snapshot of Major Digital Media Search engines Forums Mobile devices Social networks Blogs Video Webcasts Podcasts Online classifieds RSS feeds SMS

Ideas for Targeting Buyers Online Search for likely terms and have a presence on all page one sites Facebook Ad Campaigns (why vs. Google AdWords? Place message in unusual places Topic discussion forums – position yourself as SME

DIGITAL MARKETING BEST PRACTICES

Best Practices Assess Current Market Practices –Determine the gaps and opportunities to position your organization Dedicate Resources –Commit staff, provide training; allocate budget. Strategize… Strategize –Design a Digital Marketing Strategy that incorporates your assessment; clarifies goals and brand, integrates all media; tracks and evaluates. Build on What You Do Best –Incorporate digital media to leverage and augment successful marketing efforts. Source: Entwine Digital

Best Practices Listen, Research, Refine –Monitor social buzz, real-time customer feedback; refine Give Value –Focus on giving before expecting anything in return (downloadable resources, free advice, and links) Be Consistent –increase your digital presence through regular conversations, but don’t push, overexpose or irritate. Develop Sustainable Relationships –Engage in conversations, take the time to interact; this is a social environment. Conversations build relationships and encourage participation. Regular updates and newsletters.

Best Practices Provide Social Sharing –Include easy to access to social amplification tools (social sharing buttons) to spread the message. Cultivate Satisfied, Loyal Customers –Focus on caring for, thanking, satisfying, and providing value for your customers. Encourage your “customers do your marketing” via sharing with their networks. Leverage Social Communities –Access related social communities that have a potential interest/benefit from your offering. Develop Online Environment as your Hub –Drive traffic to an online environment including website, Facebook site, landing pages, and blog.

Best Practices Integrate Media –Augment your traditional advertising (TV, radio, outdoor, direct mail, print) and PR with social media, mobile, and online efforts. Monitor your Digital Presence –Be ready to adapt if things are not working Keep Current…Generate Competitive Edge –Maintain your “fingers on the pulse” of your changing business ecosystem and the digital environment. Timely responses drive innovation and competitive positioning.

SOCIAL MEDIA DO’S AND DON’TS

Social Media Do’s Provide quality and original content / ideas Provide value to your audience Maintain the conversation Use it as a tactic to gain credibility and reinforce your brand – subtly Remember there is a right and a wrong place for advertising on many platforms

Social Media Don’ts Use your postings as advertisements Spam your audience Commit partially. Go “all in” or don’t play ball Learning Exercise: Let’s dive into social media advertising a little further....

MEASUREMENT – RETURN ON MARKETING INVESTMENT

ROMI Tools Analytics software Track incoming phone calls - extensions QR codes

2012 FORECAST

Emergence of Social Search 1 Google organic listings carry a +1 to indicate a “like” 3 Consumer gets this message confirming the +1 (and adding to that page’s popularity count) 4 Now that consumer’s preference show up in their friend’s searches endorsing that page 2 Consumer sees organic listing and gives it a +1

Mobile Explosion

NEW FROM YOUR EMS TEAM

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Identifying & Targeting Buyers in a Digital World Kevin Oldham Vice President United Country Marketing Services