Get Your Google Business Profile Discovered More Frequently with Paid Google Ads!

Wanna run ads to promote your Google Business Profile? You better say “YES!”

I’ve said it before:  pretty much EVERY product or platform, feature or function Google offers for business-promo purposes:  DO IT! Operation, “Game-on, Google!”

Did you know there are about 3.5-billion searches run on Google each and every day—of which, 46% are of local intent. And so, consequently, Google has been doing a lot to advance its relevance in terms of supporting location-sensitive search behaviors. Point is:  if you’re running a local business, Google is literally your best bud.

Now, I’ve posted a fair bit of content in the past (CLICK HERE) with regard to optimizing/leveraging your Google Business Profile (formerly called, “Google My Business”). In today’s training, we’ll go one step further by running Google Business Profile ads (a.k.a. “Google Local-Search Ads”).

Want would-be customers to call you directly? Then watch this training, setup the ads, and turn your ringer on 📲

Google Business Profile Optimizations for Realtors: How to Rank in Local-Intent Google Searches!

Nearly HALF of all Google searches are looking for something LOCAL:  your business, possibly

If you want to increase the discoverability of your #GoogleBusinessProfile (GBP)—which, naturally, YOU DO!—swipe through the images above and follow the recommendations.

Here’s a quick rundown of the points:

1. Select the most “trending” business categories to help rank your GBP in the top-three section of Google’s Local Pack.

2. Tweak your profile name to rank on “Best realtor near me” types of search queries.

3. Collect keyword-optimized reviews from customers to boost your SEO.

4. Upload photos, videos (max file-size of 75M and up-to 30 seconds long), and posts on-the-regular. Profiles w/ 100+ photos, for instance, garner 520% more inbound calls from prospective customers.

My advice:  PLAY THE GOOGLE GAME!

The Secret of Better Lead Conversion (for Realtors)

Wanna improve your lead conversion⁉️IMO… It’s all about context!

For instance, if you’re aware of exactly HOW you generated a given lead—and, by extension, what can inferred about the 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙩 of that lead based on the manner in which they were attained—then you have some useful context. W/o that knowledge, however, you’re operating in the dark.

Every lead enters your sales funnel with varying needs, circumstances, desires, preferences, goals, and timeframes — and knowing is ½ the battle.

Too many agents’ approach to, quote-unquote, 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘴, is to call, text, and email like crazy for about two weeks and then, if that doesn’t do the trick, donezo! — the leads get “archived” or maybe parked inside some type of generic drip sequence.

Leads aren’t random—they’re generated in repeated patterns: e.g. form-fills on your website, DMs on social, inbound calls off of Google, property inquiries, etc. If you take time to understand the steps a lead has taken to get to you, you’re in a better spot to help them take their next step. Every lead has a story!

Invest in Marketing that "Appreciates" in Value/Results Over Time

Reality is that some marketing activities produce only short-lived results: ads, emails, social posts, mailers, and more. Gotta keep at it over-and-again or the results will start to subside. That doesn’t mean it isn’t all worth doing -- not at all‼️ My point is—after awhile—you may begin to feel like you’re treading water or running on a hamster wheel.

But to the contrary, some marketing activities provide more enduring returns. For example:

• Reviews: The more online reviews you get, the more they all become worth—each one reinforcing the record.

• Google Business: Every photo and/or video uploaded to your #GoogleBusinessProfile (formerly titled, #GoogleMyBusiness) subsequently stocks-up Google’s inventory of what it can show viewers in its local search results or in Google Maps, thereby increasing your opportunities to earn views.

• YouTube: You’ve heard me say it before: YouTube is a search engine. So the more videos you feed it, the greater the probability of your videos ranking in key searches or being recommended after other videos. What’s more, the more videos on your channel, the more there is for new viewers “watch next.”

• TikTok-&-Reels: When someone watches one of your TikTok videos, it triggers the algorithm show them your other videos. The more “other videos” you have, the better. And, btw, it works the same with Instagram Reels.

• Blogging/SEO: Every time you post content on social, you should also post it as a blog on your website. Over time, your blogs will start to rank on searches, thus increasing traffic to your site, and, consequently, increasing your site’s domain authority—which will then help you to rank even more. It’s called SEO.

Marketing a big ole numbers game; it’s math!

Posting Videos on Google Business Profiles that Aren’t Yours!

Did you know you could post photos and videos on Google Business Profiles THAT AREN’T YOURS 🤯

(Disclaimer:  don’t go posting on the Google Business Profiles (GBP) of peers or competitors in your marketplace. That’ll make for a BIG mess.)

Try running some local Google searches for neighborhoods, subdivisions, or even condo-complexes in your area. Chance are, you’ll find that a bunch already have existing Google Business Profiles set up. That’s what South-African agent, Amore Van Der Ende, does!

Amore uploads 30-second, “branded” (as in, her name, logo, and contact info, on-screen and visible) video tours on the respective GBPs of key buildings and/or communities in her marketplace. She’ll showcase the grounds, amenities, common areas, and, if it’s her listing, the interior of a property.

And you know what? Her videos get TONS of views and, what’s more, they help to position her as the agent-of-choice with would-be buyers and sellers conducting research online.

Think about it… you’re accustomed to seeing “customer uploaded” photos and videos in Google Maps and Google Search for hotels and restaurants. Welp, it’s the same thing here.

To get started, you’ll need to enroll in the Google Local Guides program. Simply visit maps.google.com/localguides to get started. Here are a couple of quick tips to consider:

1. Make sure you’re logged into the Google Account that’s tied to your Google Business Page.

2. You may (possibly) consider modifying your Google Account name from, say, “Jason Pantana” to, for instance, “Jason Pantana, Nashville, Realtor,” just to reinforce what you do as people view your contributions. You’d make this change at myaccount.google.com.

Crush it with Google, y’all. If you’re going to do this, please comment “🔥🔥🔥” below to let me know!

6 YouTube SEO Tools for Realtors

#YouTube is more of a ꜱᴇᴀʀᴄʜ-ᴇɴɢɪɴᴇ than a ꜱᴏᴄɪᴀʟ-ɴᴇᴛᴡᴏʀᴋ—meaning, viewers are prone to discover your content in YouTube's search results versus scrolling through feeds, like w/ other social sites.

In a way, it’s as if viewers are literally seeking out your videos:  they’ll watch for longer and tend to demonstrate higher levels of intent/interest concerning your video’s subject-matter (e.g. “real estate in ____”).

On the flip side, though, it’s a lot more competitive to get discovered on YouTube—which is why you need an SEO tool to optimize your uploads for maximum reach and performance.

Swipe through the images to review a short list of services to dial-in your YouTube SEO strategy. (Personally, I use @tubebuddy—there’s a link to it in my bio.)

Who’s putting energy/effort into growing on YouTube in 2022? Comment below ⤵️

How to Guarantee More Video Views (in the First Three Seconds of Your Video)

Roughly 99% of videos ruin their chances of generating crazy-high views 📈 in the first 3 seconds. The mistake (IMO):  it’s because those videos lead with opening pleasantries:

• “Hi, I’m Jason Pantana—blah, blah, blah.”

• “Welcome to another episode of ‘nobody cares!’”

In the time it takes to say the words, your viewers will have scrolled past. Theme-song intro clips, bumpers, and logo-stings -- it’s all extraneous to your video’s subject. My point is:  get to the point straightaway! 

Facebook recently conducted a cross-platform study in which they learned that half of viewers who committed to watching the first three seconds of a video, statistically speaking, would’ve gone on to have watched for 30 seconds or longer. So, in theory, it’s a battle over capturing that first three seconds of attention. (Hence, Yoda 😂)

It’s not that you can’t or shouldn’t include intro bumpers or say who you are—just don’t do it at the very beginning when it’s make-or-break in terms of winning the viewers attention.

Pretty much every algorithm in existence (Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, Google, YouTube, et al.) is predicated on holding viewers/users attention.

• If a web-surfer clicks a link on Google and immediately bounces before the page loads, Google infers that link should be demoted in the future search rankings. 

• If viewers watch only a few seconds of a YouTube video and then quickly move on to someone else’s video predictably, YouTube concludes something about that video isn’t relevant and therefore holds back its reach in its search rankings, explore pages, and its various other feeds. 

If a video is able to sustain viewership, then naturally, a platform is incentivized to push that video out far and wide. It’ll rank better in searches, distribute through explore/discovery feeds, and get pushed to more of your followers, period.

So if you wanna improve how your next video performs, hook viewers with an opening “Lean-in Line”—i.e., an attention-grabbing statement, question, or stat. Something that’ll draw viewers into what you have to say.

And remember:  the success or failure of your next video is determined in its first three seconds!

In your opinion, what are the best ways to start a video? I’d love to hear your thoughts/experiences in a comment below ⤵️

The Market Belongs to Those Who MARKET!

Now and always: the MARKET belongs to those who MARKET.

So don’t ⛔️ be a DABBLER!—don’t try 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 then 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵, never sticking w/ anything for long enough to test, measure, and improve.

Videos, ads, billboards, postcards, emails, events, gifting, or something else -- whatever makes up your marketing mix in 2022, execute on it relentlessly!‼️

I’m curious… What marketing efforts/activities are you planning to delve into next year? I’d love to hear what you’re thinking about in a comment 💬 below.

5 Ways to Market/Advertise Your Local Business on Google

Google get’s more than 3.5B searches every day — and nearly ½ are looking for something local. You think Google cares much about its ability to serve-up relevant local results?—because I sure do! My advice:  if Google offers it—whether its a platform or a product, organic or paid—do it.

1. Wanna learn how to optimize your Google Business Profile (A.K.A. “Google My Business” listing) for local-intent searches? Here are ALL my blogs and videos on the topic (in one place):  bit.ly/JP-GBP

2. If you’re not running YouTube Commercials (A.K.A. “Skippable In-Stream Ads”) you’re MASSIVELY missing out! Here’s a link to ALL my trainings on how, what, where, when, and why to run YouTube ads: bit.ly/JP-YTads

3. Google Local Services Ads are a total no-brainer 🧠 They’re sometimes called “Google Screened” or “Google Guaranteed” and rank at the tippy-top of Google’s search-results page. These are a definite must! Here’s a link to get more details/info:  bit.ly/JP-GLSA

4. Have you setup/run Google Local Search Ads? If not, do it! I’m in the process of developing some how-to videos, so standby for links. To make things simple (for the time being), go to Business.Google.com and tap the  “Create an Ad” button. Just follow the prompts.

5. Wanna run Google Display Network Ads (i.e., the image-, text-, and/or video-based “banner ads” that crop up all over the Internet:  website side-columns, pop-up banners and bars, or located along the footers of mobile apps, for instance) so customers see you literally EVERYWHERE across the web? Here’s a step-by-step video training for you:  bit.ly/JP-GDN

If you’re not taking full advantage of Google’s products and platforms, start now!

Rank Your Google Business Profile Higher with this Trick

I’m just going to say it:  there’s no online profile of greater importance than your Google Business Page (GBP) — that is, if you can get it to show up in front of prospective customers.

Because that’s the trick, isn’t it?—optimizing your GBP to rank on key Google Searches and/or in Google Maps:  e.g. your name, your competitors’ names, your profession, and/or the area(s) you serve.

The good news is, it isn’t too difficult. For instance, start posting videos in the “Photos” section of your Google Business Page (formerly known as “Google My Business”). Aim for once-a-week (at minimum).

Of course, keep in mind that it’ll take more than just posting videos to realize the full potential your GBP. So if you’re ready go all-in, be sure to check out these resources:

• Local SEO Ranking with Google My Business for Real Estate Agents (2021)

• Generate Sales with Google My Business: 8 Techniques for Real Estate Agents to Upgrade their GMB Profile

Your Google Business Page videos should adhere to the following specs:

• Up to 30-seconds ⏱

• At least 720p resolution 👾

• 75MB max file size 📁

As far as video dimensions are concerned, that part’s a bit tricky since some viewers will access your content on mobile devices and others will do so on desktop computers. What’s more, some viewers will find your profile on Google Maps whereas others will locate it via Google Search. So cover your bases by publishing some vertical videos AND some horizontal videos.

Fact is, prospective customers spend extensive time looking up and assessing their available options when it comes to hiring or selecting businesses. So give ‘em more to go off of!

Just look at #TomFerry coaching member, Sean Ryan, for example:  he’s posting a handful of videos every week and is generating roughly 50,000 views a month, thereby dominating his (local) competition across Google. The results don’t lie!

And your videos don’t have to be “for Google only.” Try repurposing your social media videos, for instance:  listing video teasers, market update clips, tips and advice, behind-the-scenes content, and more.

It goes w/o saying:  the future (and present moment) of marketing is VIDEO—so get after it!

How to Run Google Display Network Ads in 2022 (for REALTORS): Step-by-Step Video Training

🚨Don’t do JUST Google Display Network ads!🚨

As far as online advertising goes, Google Display Network ads certainly aren’t the “be-all, end-all” — but they’re the perfect “in-between.”

What I mean is, if your entire online advertising strategy were to consist of nothing but Display Network ads, chances are, you’d be disappointed with the results. On the other hand, if you utilized Display Network to reinforce ALL your other marketing efforts—e.g. videos, social media, SEO, signage, postage, and so on—they’d work like magic!

• Display ads as your ONLY marketing? Don’t bother.

• Display ads as PART of your marketing? It’s like pouring gasoline⛽️ on fire🔥

The Google Display Network (GDN) is a group of over 2-million (more like 3-million) websites, videos, and apps where your “Display” ads can appear. Display ads (sometimes called “Banner ads”) are image-, text-, and/or video-based ads that crop up all over the Internet:  website side-columns, pop-up banners and bars, or located along the footers of mobile apps, for instance. And they come in myriad shapes and sizes:  square-shaped, tall-and-skinny, or wide-and-skinny, for example.

Today’s training video demonstrates how to create and run Google Display Network ads from start-to-finish! That said, the content focuses primarily on “how” to run the ads, not on “what” ads to run, necessarily. Good news is that part is simple! SHOW ME YOUR FACE 😇

End of day, GDN ads are about building brand awareness/consideration.

• Your voice 🗣

• Your mind 🧠

• Your heart ❤️

• Your face 😙

Sure, you could feature images/videos of properties. Unfortunately, though, most viewers won’t be paying close enough attention to consciously realize it’s your ad—so why even bother!? Logos and branded colors will absolutely go a long way—but there’s nothing as effective as images (or videos) of YOU!

(P.S. There’s a lot of psychology and neuroscience behind this: learn more HERE.)

“Oh, you’re that agent—I see you everywhere!” I promise, you’ll hear it again-and-again.

A Video's Success (or Failure) Boils-Down to the First 3 Seconds!

Want more video views⁉️ Ditch the intro.

Fact is, there’s simply no time for opening pleasantries! “Hi, I’m Jason Pantana — blah, blah blah.” In the time it’d take to even say the words,  would-be viewers will have scrolled away.

Statistically speaking, the success (or failure) of your next video boils down to its opening three seconds.

• Two-thirds of viewers who watch three seconds of a video will watch for at least 10 seconds

• Nearly half will watch for 30 seconds

Logo stings, intro graphics, and video bumpers are ALL break-points for viewers to bounce. While can they certainly help to promote your brand, they don’t belong at the beginning of a video before the viewer has committed to the content.

What’s more, just about every social 𝘢𝘭𝘨𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘮 out there—YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, etc.—is predicated on 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. If a video is able to sustain viewership, then naturally, a platform is incentivized to push that video out far and wide. It’ll rank better in searches, distribute through explore/discovery feeds, and get pushed to more of your followers.

Video-marketing is math 🧮

Google Ads Opens Up Customer List Retargeting to All Advertisers

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🚨Google News: you can upload your database into your Google Ads account and retarget your database with your Google Ads — as in, Google Search ads, Display Network ads, YouTube In-Stream ads, and more!

Historically, only Google advertisers who’d spent more than $50K USD were even eligible for the feature. However, due to new and emerging Internet Privacy rules/regs—and the subsequent significance of “first-party data” (i.e., email address, phone number, mailing address, etc.)—Google’s opened up the feature to ALL advertisers. Watch 👀 the video for a quick demo.

3 Ways to Repurpose Your Social Media Content

Fact is, making content is a HIGH-EFFORT activity:  researching topics, recording videos, writing captions, optimizing and distributing from platform-to-platform. There ain’t nothing easy about it -- but, on the other hand, there ain’t nothing like it either!

Today’s video is simple:  3 (easy) ideas for recycling/repurposing your content to extend the lifetime of every post, video, or graphic you publish!

• ♻️ Repost your Reels (occasionally).

• ➗ Edit down long-form video into snippets.

• 😎 Make ❝quote-cards❞ or graphics out of cool things you say.

The algorithms governing social media feeds burn 🔥 through content in mere hours (days at best), and then—poof—it’s over. What’s more, your followers don’t read every caption word-for-word or watch every second of every video you put out. In addition, a sizable chunk of your followers probably weren’t your followers six months or a year ago—and I’m willing to bet most didn’t go back and forage through your old posts when they subscribed. My point is:  your content bears repeating!

Go look through my feed at past posts, for instance. You might notice that there’s somewhat of overlap under way.

• Most of my “Tweet screenshot” posts, for instance, started out as part of some other post’s caption

• I published a Reel last week that got more likes/engagement its second go-around than it did when I first uploaded three months ago 🤷🏻‍♂️

Truth is, none of us are publishing enough content—not even close! But that doesn’t mean you’re not actually producing enough 😉. See the difference⁇ Slice, dice, and start repurposing your posts, friends :D

The Future of Instagram (and Social Media Altogether) is VIDEO!

By now you’ve probably heard the message:  “INSTAGRAM IS NO LONGER (JUST) A SQUARE PHOTO-SHARING 📸 APP.” Algorithmic priority has adjusted (and will continue) to favor:

• Creators (i.e., producers of engaging content; influencers)

• Video Content (i.e., short or long runtimes, horizontal and/or vertical aspect ratios)

Put ‘em together and it reads like this:  𝙲𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚜 𝚞𝚜𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚟𝚒𝚍𝚎𝚘 𝚠𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚋𝚎 𝚊𝚕𝚐𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚑𝚖𝚒𝚌𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚙𝚛𝚒𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚒𝚣𝚎𝚍.

And it isn’t just Instagram! Case in point, the very reason for Instagram to have made this pronouncement was due to the competitive pressures it felt from TikTok and YouTube — both of which, obviously, run on nothing but video.

My point is:  everything that can be video, will be video!

For example, just look at the impact of video on other popular marketing channels, such as email and blogging/SEO:

• 📧 Video can increase open rates by 19% and click rates by 65% while reducing unsubscribe rates by 26%. (Campaign Monitor)

• 🔎 Video is 50x more likely to get organic ranking than plain text results. (ImpactPlus)

• 🎥 Video is the #1 form of media used in content strategy, overtaking blogs and infographics. (HubSpot)

• 🔗 Posts with videos earn more backlinks and see a 157% boost in search traffic (Search Engine People)

Pure and simple—if video isn’t the centerpiece of ALL your marketing activities—candidly, your marketing is out of focus.

How to Stop Over-Thinking Your Social Media Content (for Realtors and Entrepreneurs)

I love ❤️ this quote:

You wouldn’t worry so much about what others think of you if you realized how seldom they do. (Eleanor Roosevelt)

I’ll bet there’s a good chance you’re overthinking your social media content—worried over what others might think of you based on what you post (or don’t post). But the thing is, no one (aside from Internet trolls) is paying that close of attention, friends!

• “I can’t make videos like that!—who do I think I am?”

• “What if this post falls flat and doesn’t get any engagement?” 

• “Will this make me look too ‘silly’ or too ‘salesy’?”

My advice:  STOP RIGHT NOW! It’s far better to over-index on content than to over-think it.

I’m not saying to behave like a robot 🤖 or act disingenuously on social, but, the fact is, you’re life isn’t lived on the inside an app. It doesn’t deserve that much mental space (IMO). Social media may be a representation of the “real you,” but it surely isn’t the genuine article.

Question:  if you weren’t overthinking your content, what would you post (or, perhaps, repost)⁉️ It’s go time, friends👊

4 Ways to Grow Your Email List (For Realtors)

The Internet is changing (rapidly) — for instance, new privacy regulations are coming into operation practically every day (e.g. Apple’s iOS 14.5 , Google’s Privacy Sandbox, etc.). And, because of that, running targeted or retargeted ad campaigns (e.g. Facebook, Google, and more) to reach customers is now and will become increasingly more restrictive.

Advertising platforms like Facebook and Google, for instance, have historically relied on what are known as third-party cookies to accurately deliver targeted/retargeted ads to designated audiences. Now that’s all changing—third-party cookies are getting the boot 🥾

Backstory:  when you installed your Facebook Pixel and/or Google’s Global Site Tag on your website, for instance—in so doing, you permitted Facebook and Google to plant “cookies” (third-party cookies, technically) on the web browsers of your site’s visitors. Those cookies were/are used to track the actions and behaviors of the folks surfing your site and could/can then be made into target audiences for your ad campaigns. Impressive, right?! 

In effect, however, every Pixeled-and-Tagged website here, there, or anywhere has become somewhat of a spy network for these platforms, observing Internet-users’ patterns, interests, and so forth. (Sort of like how, in The Dark Knight movie, Batman turned everybody’s cell phones into a sonar system to track down the Joker 🤡) It’s all big data!

As privacy restrictions intensify—and, as a result of that, as ad-targeting becomes less and less effective—it’ll be all the more critical to build your email list! (What’s more, it’ll be equally as important to develop useful/valuable email content to send out.)

Email marketing is (way) underrated! Many marketers believe it's purely a direct sales channel—but it's more than that. In 2022, consider distributing a once-a-week email in which you share ALL your content (i.e., blogs, videos, social posts, and so forth).

Here are FOUR ideas to grow your email list in 2022:

1. Postcard QR-codes:  On every mailer you send out, consider adding an email opt-in call-to-action (CTA) adjacent to a scannable QR-code. Link the code to an entry page on your website whereby visitors can subscribe to your email list.

2. Website Pop-Ups & Banners:  Optimize your website with pop-up boxes, banners, and/or promo-bars to offer visitors a free subscription to your weekly email.

   Heads-up:  improper use of pop-ups, for instance, can damage your site's SEO. (I’ve added details in my blog — just tap my LINK-IN-BIO.)

   For example, Google penalizes websites in which pop-ups cover a page’s main content immediately after the page loads. So be sure to program your pop-ups to appear, for instance, on a delay, on the second page viewed, or when a users demonstrates exit-intent.

   In addition, Google notes that fullscreen pop-ups that block a desired page’s content and/or that require the viewer to dismiss prior to accessing the page’s content can also damage your site’s SEO. The solution for this is the same as before: program your pop-ups to only show on, for instance, the second page viewed or upon exit-intent.

   From a search-engine POV, Google’s only looking at the page that’d be listed in the search results—not other pages on the same website to which visitors may navigate next. Those, for all intents and purposes, are fair game for pop-ups.

3. Social Media Link-in-Bio: The use of a "LINK-IN-BIO" tool, such as Liinks.co, Linktree, or LinkFolio, is popular (and useful) on social sites like Instagram. Insert important CTAs to drive visitors to your various links—for instance, a podcast, a blog, or, you guessed it—your email subscriber form!

4. Facebook Advertising: In your FB Ads Manager, run either link-click (redirects to a URL) or lead-form campaigns to capture emails and grow your list. Target your market area, retarget your website traffic, and/or retarget your Facebook-Page and Instagram followers.

Bottom line: the Internet, in many ways, is changing. As privacy ramps up, make email marketing in 2022 a top business priority!

#NeverStopMarketing: Marketing today begets business tomorrow!

Success doesn’t happen overnight — and neither do slumps. Fact is, marketing today begets business tomorrow. If you stop marketing, for instance—give it a good 60 to 90 days—and your pipeline/production will assuredly wither.

“Before the reward there must be labor. You plant before you harvest. You sow in tears before you reap joy.” (Ralph Ransom)

Every act of marketing — e.g. content across social, blogs, ads, mailers, events, etc. — propels your business onwards and upwards.

It’s nearly 2022 and now’s the time to invest in a stellar start to the year! Keep going strong 💪 and #NeverStopMarketing

Video Marketing Mindset for 2022 (for Realtors and Entrepreneurs)

In Seth Godin’s new book, The Practice, (which was just released) he talks about refining/learning your skills by showing up consistently to do the work. When it comes to video marketing, for instance, (or any other craft)—practice makes progress (not perfection).

I don’t think need to convince you of the benefits of video marketing with a list of compelling stats or anything. You already know them! That being said, there are far too many real estate pros and business owners who have yet to realize those benefits. The reasons are:

1. Avoidance. For one reason or another, they simply haven’t started.

2. They’re “dabblers.” They’ll make a video here-or-there but there’s no real plan/strategy.

3. They’re perfectionists—and it’s repressive. For instance, they’ll go film videos, dislike the results, and then trash the files.

With most disciplines, though, you can practice “the thing” all your life—however, until you actually do “the thing,” the practice will only ever get you so far. Video is like that; it’s an iterative process. You can watch-back your own tapes, for instance, but until you actually post them and elicit real feedback, you’re potential for growth and advancement will be severely limited.

For example, Glennda Baker just launched a new video series this week, dubbed, “Realtor Reacts.” (Sidebar:  it’s hilarious 😂) She shared with me, though, that her videographer told her—just before posting the video—that had she attempted the same video a year ago, she probably wouldn’t have been able to pull it off (at least not to the same degree). However, because she’s been in “the practice” of filming and publishing videos like a champ, her skills have matured (big-time!). Glennda said:  PRACTICE PRODUCES PROFICIENCY.

Bottom line—keep doing the work—over and again. If you’re displeased with your last video, don’t waste it—instead, post it and put that desire/energy to correct and refine into the next video. As you continue to, quote-unquote, “feed” the platforms (Insta, TikTok, YouTube, et al.) more and more content, their algorithms will learn who you are, and, by extension, who you’re for. It’s like Tom Ferry says:  “Your vibe attracts your tribe.”

And remember:  the RESULTS are in the REPETITION.

Brand like you've been in business for 20+ years!

Several years ago a couple of my cousins launched a successful roofing franchise in my hometown. At the outset, they were told to brand like they’d been there for 20 years. So they invested in signage, postcards, TV/radio, wrapped vehicles, and more. They absolutely went ALL-IN and it flippin’ worked—they took the market by storm!

Now, I’m not advising you should go and max out your credit cards for the sake of billboards or car-wrapping your Corolla 🚗 (Not that they did.) My point is:  GET THE WORD OUT!

“Oh, you’re that agent—I see you everywhere!” That’s the magic✨phrase! — it means you’re on the consideration set of buyers and sellers in your marketplace.

My Advice:

• Explore just about EVERY advertising product Google offers:  display network, search, local, YouTube, and more!

• Over-index on social:  Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. (And pay-to-promote 📣 your content locally.)

• Go VIDEO-FIRST! Short-form to long-form, low-grade to pro-grade—just make videos!

• Start list-building and redouble your email-marketing efforts.

• Commence operation “Love ❤️ on Your Database!” — i.e., past clients, sphere of influence, leads, et al. (And have a serious look at your “gifting” strategy!)

• Embrace physical marketing:  mailers, signage, and more.

• Re-invest in your event(s) action-plan:  client get-togethers, neighborhood block-parties, open houses, and more.

Whether you’re road-tested or a rookie, in a city or the burbs:  be a BIG FISH 🐋 no matter the size of the pond & brand like you own the place!

Remember:  the market belongs to those who market!