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As the trend for video marketing of property on social media is maturing and becoming more of the norm, we had the opportunity to talk to some clients recently, and an interesting topic about doing wackier videos to market property came up.
Of course, as a professional video production company, we'll be happy to oblige and take on more interesting out-of-the-box projects such as these (as more time and effort translate to higher fees). However, as part of our preliminary process, we had to probe a bit deeper and ask them the main objective for doing so. The reason they exclaimed was that because other agents are doing such videos, they felt immense pressure to follow suit, and we found this response rather unconvincing! Shouldn't the correct motive be to market houses better for their clients? Live up to your potential instead of imitating someone else's."
Opportunity Cost
If more time and effort are required on their part to be featured in the video, isn't it at the expense of the client's time before houses can actually be put on the market? Don't forget that while you're busily involved in filming, the house could have already been sold and your opportunity cost could also be the next exclusive listing that you may have secured if your valuable time had been better spent following up with potential new leads! Fear Of Losing Out Without a doubt, one of the greatest fear of any property agent (or any salesman, self-employed or business owner) is losing out, and as real estate is by nature a very competitive industry, everyone tries to do whatever it takes (video marketing included) to outshine the competition! But the real question is, do these videos build your brand and help you serve your clients better in the longer term? It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it.
Short-Term Results or Long-Term Branding?
Sure, funny and wacky videos do attract short term attention and are good for a quick laugh or two for those who appreciate humor, but beyond this very niche audience, your client would probably prefer to have their home marketed using a more professional approach to reach the majority of target buyers. Would you prefer to bask in short term adoration, or rather be building a more sustainable long term professional branding for your services? Don't Sacrifice Your Credibility Although we're a video production company, our greatest joy is when we receive feedback and see that the videos we've helped clients created have helped them grow their brand and credibility among their current and potential new clientele. Professionally done videos are part of your branding portfolio and although comical videos may gather short-term attention, you probably do not want it as the branding for your business if you want future clients to take you seriously. Determine who you are and what your brand is, and what you're not.
What Are You About?
The key takeaway is, don't forget the business you're really involved in, selling and buying real estate for your clients! In the midst of one-upmanship doing property video marketing, a timely reminder for you is not to lose track of this real objective to help your clients with their property matters, and not forcing yourself into a "fake" online persona to become the next instant "comic" celebrity! With video marketing here to stay, take heed that video fads come and go! Your genuine sincerity and credibility is what matters for your long term video branding!
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