Building Your Brand Locally: Strategies for Success

Establishing a strong local presence is essential for the success of any business, especially in real estate. At the recent Leading Real Estate Companies of the World and Aventure National Conference held in early May, I had the opportunity to speak about taking a strategic approach to building a brand locally. At the event I shared some key insights as to how to do this both through traditional marketing channels and of course, through digital strategies. Here are some of the key strategies shared to aid in building your local brand presence and connect more effectively with your community.

Traditional Marketing Channels

Community Events: Participating in community events is a powerful way to increase your brand visibility and show your commitment to the local area. Whether it's a local fair, market, or festival, having a presence at these events allows you to interact directly with your community. Participation at local schools events is a great way to engage with people in your community.

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Charity Events: Sponsoring or participating in charity events demonstrates your business’s dedication to giving back. These events provide excellent opportunities for positive publicity and networking while supporting a good cause. Several brands have associations with larger charitable organizations, but have a local contact who you can work with to provide support to your local community.

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Sponsorships: Sponsoring local sports teams, events, or organizations can significantly enhance your brand’s local profile. Your business name or even potentially your company logo on team uniforms, event banners, or programs can be seen by a wide audience. And, it is a great way to give back and support your community!

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Local Magazines & Publications: Advertising in local magazines and newspapers is still a highly effective way to reach your community. These publications often have dedicated readerships who trust their content. This does depend on your local area’s demographics and accessibility to such publications. 

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Bulletin Boards: Utilize bulletin boards in community centres, libraries, and local businesses. These are great places to post flyers and announcements about your business and upcoming events. If you are looking to recruit new agents to your brokerage, one way would be to host an informational night at the local coffee shop, benefiting both you and the local coffeehouse. 

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Signage: Your signage is one of the most valuable marketing assets in your arsenal of marketing tools. It is important to have consistent signage used throughout your company to help build a strong awareness of your business.

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Hosting Educational Workshops (workshops for Consumers and Agents): Hosting workshops and seminars can establish your business as an authority in your field. Whether you are educating consumers about any number of housing-related topics or helping to expand knowledge and support other real estate agents, these events can build trust and credibility in your local community.

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Referrals: Referrals are a powerful tool in building your local brand, especially in real estate. Encourage satisfied clients to spread the word and consider sharing your information with other prospective clients or writing you a positive review online.

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Optimizing Your Digital Presence

Local SEO: Tailoring your online presence to the specific needs and interests of your local target audience is the cornerstone of effective local branding. Start by optimizing your website with keywords that resonate with local users. For instance, if you operate in Burlington, integrate keywords like "Burlington real estate" naturally throughout your site. But remember, it is about balance. Do not attempt to “stuff” your pages with keywords. Good recognizes this behaviour and does not look favorably on keyword stuffing.

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Consistency in Information: Ensure your website has a dedicated locations page where your business’s name, address, and phone number (NAP) are consistently displayed. This not only helps with SEO but also ensures potential clients and/or agent recruits can easily find and contact you for more information about your brokerage and its services.

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Leverage Google My Business Pages: Google is currently the most powerful search engine, and leveraging its tools can significantly boost your visibility. By setting up and optimizing your Google My Business (GMB) page, your business can be easily found on Google Search and Google Maps. Verify the accuracy of your company details, upload high-quality images, and encourage satisfied clients or even agents to leave positive reviews on your page. And, remember to promptly respond to all reviews to show that you value client feedback - both positive and negative.

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Optimize Your Social Media Profile:  Ensure your social media profiles are optimized for your business by including your address. If your business has multiple locations, utilize features like a “locations” highlight on platforms such as Instagram.

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Highlight Local Businesses and Events: Creating content that highlights other local businesses, schools, events, and community happenings can endear your brand to the local audience. Sharing insights and details about your area demonstrates that you are a knowledgeable and engaged member of the community.

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Localize Paid Ads: Consider localizing your paid search and social media ads. Targeting your campaigns to specific geographic areas ensures that your advertising budget is spent more efficiently, reaching those who are most likely to become customers.

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Encourage & Engage with the Community

Collaborate with Other Local Businesses: Forming partnerships with local businesses can be mutually beneficial. Identify businesses that share your values and target market. You can find potential partners at networking events, online communities, or through word of mouth. Once you find a match, create a clear partnership agreement that outlines promotional terms and benefits.

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Promote Collaborations: Publicize your collaborative efforts through various channels such as social media, email marketing, and in-store signage. Encourage user-generated content (UGC) around your business to further expand your reach and engage with your audience authentically. Whether that is tagging agents or including local businesses, there is a great opportunity to expand your brokerage’s reach to a larger audience, while reciprocating the efforts for your collaborative partner.

Building a brand locally requires time and effort, and may take time to accomplish. It is important that you utilize all marketing channels - not just digital, to help grow your presence and build close relationships with your audience and community. Taking a strategic approach that focuses local SEO, leveraging Google tools, optimizing social media profiles, creating relevant content, and forming strong local partnerships. By creating a consistent, authentic voice will help you create strong ties to your local community and expand your company presence in your marketplace!

If you are looking for support with regards to you brand, whether it is to complete a brand audit or to amplify your company’s reach at a local level, we are here to support. Feel free to set up a complimentary discovery call to see if we are the right fit for you. Contact us at info@therealestatesource.ca or book a call with me, and we’ll go from there!