So it’s that time of year again, and if you haven’t already planned some specific holiday marketing strategies, you need to get your baster out, my friend!
Thanksgiving presents the perfect opportunity for some “better than grandma’s pumpkin pie” marketing that will have your prospects lining up for seconds…or in this case, picking up the phone to schedule a meeting with you.
Read on to discover:
5 Thanksgiving Marketing Tips: How Gratitude Gets More Listings
Thanksgiving is all about showing our gratitude for the many things we’ve been blessed with, from family and friends to jobs, homes, pets, or whatever else may add joy to our lives.
Wouldn’t it be great if, by demonstrating the things you are grateful for, you could also generate more clients and listings?
Well, you can get more listings by utilizing a few tactics that will highlight your personality, kindness, and commitment to your community.
People connect with those they feel have similar values, preferences and/or personalities.
When you’re trying to establish a connection with prospects, sharing your personal experiences is a great way to get the ball rolling.
What’s more personal than holiday traditions and experiences?
As Thanksgiving approaches, there are several creative ways you can make an impression on your clients.
Aimed at developing an all-important connection, these tactics will help ensure you are the first person that comes to mind when your leads decide they’re ready to buy or sell real estate.
1. You probably have an email list…
Consider sending out a Thanksgiving mailer.
This isn’t the time to solicit business or try to sell anything. Just create a friendly, warm and genuine message that will communicate your gratefulness to have so many wonderful people in your life. If you want to make an even better impression, have postcards made and send them in the mail.
Another way to add value to your card...include a “family recipe” for a favorite Thanksgiving dessert or dish.
While Christmas cards are expected, Thanksgiving greetings are much less common and therefore more likely to generate leads.
2. The Turkey says “Bloggle”
Ok, so he actually says “gobble,” but if you’re not using a blog or website to post about a Thanksgiving contest or to present useful holiday information, you’re missing a golden opportunity.
You can “host” lots of different Thanksgiving themed “events” utilizing your online platforms.
One way to generate interaction is by holding a trivia contest.
Do some online research to find interesting Thanksgiving facts to turn into trivia questions.
Create a quiz using a free website like FlexiQuiz, post it on your social media pages, and draw a winner from all the people who score 100%. You may want to consider timing the quiz so people won’t cheat and look up the answers online!
This is a terrific way to build your email list, since you should have a capture form that needs to be completed before a prospect can gain access to the questions/submit a form.
Gift cards to Dunkin or Starbucks, coupons for local events, or even free listing photos are great ideas to offer for prizes.
3. Pie Bake-Off
Sticking with the contest theme, you can arrange a pie-baking contest as a way to establish community involvement. You can also set up a food collection at the event, and donate pies to local food banks, as well.
Reach out to the local library, school, fire station or YMCA to find out if they’d be willing to host the contest, or scale down and have the contest at your office, with fellow agents acting as judges.
Ask the fire chief or chief of police to be taste-judges. A favorite school principal and/or local sports star are terrific options too.
Do some leg work to get local sponsors to help with prizes, or manage on your own.
Just be certain that your office or business is featured on the promotions.
Consider presenting local workers a plaque or card with a thank-you message expressing your appreciation for their dedicated service to the community.
4. Volunteer at a local soup kitchen or food-delivery service
Another way to get involved is to volunteer your time to help feed those in need.
You could arrange a food drop off at your office or serve at a soup kitchen.
You might want to announce that for every house you sell in the month of November, you’ll be donating a turkey to the food bank.
When tastefully advertised, any or all of the above can really validate your care for the community and can help you make connections with future prospects.
5. Seriously? More Food!?
Yes, the last two suggestions involved food, but where Thanksgiving is concerned, there isn’t really a better mode of communication. After all, it’s called “Turkey Day” for a reason!
You can take advantage of people’s “food focus” to make a pop-in visit seem welcome, rather than obtrusive.
Either patronize a local bakery — you’ll earn more of those “community-points” — or make your own delicious treats to deliver to prospects and/or past clients.
A quick, “leave the car running” pop-in to deliver your baked goods is a fabulous way to make connections and develop a real rapport.
Keep it genuine
The most important thing to remember about marketing ahead of Thanksgiving is to approach any strategies from a genuine place. Potential clients will recognize if you’re just out to land a listing.
The point of any holiday marketing is to lay a groundwork of trust and respect so that you’ll be considered down the road for any real estate needs.
Remember to take time to appreciate the people in your community, office, and personal life. Sowing seeds of gratitude not only feels great — it can result in a cornucopia of success.
Joe Nickelson is a real estate professional dedicated to helping home buyers and sellers achieve their real estate dreams, and helping real estate agents stop using the sometimes-vicious tactics that weigh on their consciences. He believes that the Smart Agents books will, quite literally, change people’s lives for the better. Check out his full bio here!
