When A Deal Closing Is Not Good Marketing

My clients, coaching students, and connections sometimes question me when I talk about the need to constantly monitor every inch of your marketing, branding, and advertising. I have been working with real estate agents, brokers, investors, and developers on various aspects of marketing for more than 30 years. Over the years, I have seen a percentage of them take the approach of, "Oh, here is ad copy...." and act like it is no big deal.

 

Nothing can be further than the truth, especially when it actually can do more harm than good. Last weekend, I drove by a rotating digital billboard in a Chicago suburb and saw an instance of that very thing and went back to get a (below) photo. There is so much wrong with this advertisement that, frankly, I see it as a waste of valuable advertising dollars.

 

This rotating digital billboard sits by an intersection which has a Speed Limit of 45 on one road and 40 on the other, with the consequence being that many of those that see it only get a quick glance. Those stopped at the stoplight get around 5 seconds each time. Upon my glance as I drove past, my reaction was "A Baird & Warner office closed??". The first things the reader sees are "Closed" and the company name "Baird & Warner", which is a well-known Chicago area company. Those readers that have the time to see the address and look at the photo are likely to realize that the ad is about this property. 

 

However, if it "closed", that means it is no longer available. People have no reason to drive by the property, which is actually more than 20 minutes away from the billboard location and in a different municipality. My hunch is that the new owner (if there is one, since some people have different interpretations of a 'closed' listing) does not want their new property shown to thousands of people each day. 

 

If this home was actually "sold" instead of "closed", the ad would have been easier to interpret. However, people don't know how long the property was on the market, whether the price was at, below, or above asking price, or any of the amenities. While I appreciate trying to pick up on a success story, this ad does not indicate a call to action or reason to follow up.

 

One more thing, which is the old saying that "People buy from people, not companies". While the agent's photo is prominent, her name and phone number are buried at the bottom of an advertisement that people only see for a maximum of five seconds, and while driving or being a passenger in a car. If the status of a property changes, change the ad as soon as possible.

 

This advertisement does not tell us anything about why this property was attractive, the school district, or specific location it was in, or anything about a specialty of the agent or her office. Sorry, but you can't just "put up an ad" and expect it to work in your favor. I wouldn't be surprised if those behind this ad go on to complain about how "advertising doesn't work". You have to know how to use it!