“I always feel like…somebody’s watching me…and I have no privacy…”  Have you ever felt followed on the Internet?  You might look at a pair of shoes at Target or visit someone’s website, and all of sudden, no matter where you go on the web, there are those shoes, there’s that person.  Ever wonder how and why that happens?  Have you even considered how you might be able to use that in your own real estate business?

 

Your being “followed” is usually due to something called “remarketing” or “retargeting marketing.”

What is “remarketing” or “retargeting marketing”?

For the purposes of this post, I’m going to talk about retargeting marketing as “retargeting.”  (Google calls it “remarketing”, by the way.)  Retargeting is basically serving ads to people once they’ve left your site.

First, you have to buy an ad through a retargeting company.  A potential client visits your site.  Something called a “cookie” is left by the retargeting company in potential client’s browser.*  The cookie registers that this person visited your website.  When that potential client visits another site, this cookie “tells” your retargeting company they’re on that site.   In fractions of a second – the time it takes for the new site to load – the retargeting company looks for available ad space, bids on it, and, if successful, your ad pops up on that site for potential client to see.

Spooky, huh?

Not only will the number of times a potential client see you increase the chance that they will return to your site (either by clicking on the ad or manually returning), you’re also working on their subconscious - showing up in the periphery wherever they go.

*Note: Supposedly no other data besides where the potential client is visiting online gets recorded by the cookie.

How can you use retargeting in real estate?

You can work with a company that does retargeting advertising to ensure that your preferred online ads are seen by anyone that visits your real estate website first.

Some companies that work with retargeting marketing, including those who specialize in real estate, include: Google, Facebook, AdWerx and FUEL451.

Google Remarketing

Google offers a number of ways to remarket through their Google Adwords account (which you’ll need to create).  Some of the options Google offers include standard remarketing, dynamic remarketing and remarketing for mobile apps.  You can learn more about Google’s remarketing here and how to get started here.

Facebook Retargeting

If you’re not sure whom to focus on first, why not take a look at the group of people Facebook has collected?  Facebook is a rich resource for marketers – while their privacy policies have left some concerned, they have created a data-rich environment for real estate agents to take advantage of.  Facebook offers their retargeting marketing in the form of their “Custom Audiences” features.  You will be creating ads that target audiences that first visit other places – like your website – and follow them onto Facebook.  (Have you ever visited a department store online to look at a certain item and then seen that same item on Facebook seconds later?)  You can create Custom Audiences with Facebook’s data, your own uploaded data, information from  your website, or audiences from MailChimp (an email marketing provider).  You can learn more about Facebook’s Custom Audiences starting here.

AdWerx

AdWerx is a company that has developed retargeting marketing specifically for real estate agents.  You can “lock out” your competition by claiming specific zip codes in an area, and use customized ads (built on AdWerx’ site) to reach people wherever they go.  Built-in analytics will show how effective your advertising is – if the phone calls or website visits don’t already!  You can learn more about AdWerx here.

FUEL 451

FUEL451 specializes in video retargeting marketing.  Their site states that 64% of customers who watch a video are more likely to make a purchase.  FUEL451 analyzes your unique customers to build a “response map.”  They use that “response map” to match to digital consumers, delivering your optimized video messages to them.  You can take a look at what FUEL451 does, sign up for a demo ad and talk to a FUEL451 rep on their website here.  (If nothing else, click on FUEL451′s link just so you can watch a puppy running in slow-motion.)

That’s a brief overview of remarketing and retargeting marketing.  Do you think you’ll use it in your real estate business?

 

Enjoy some Rockwell: