Contrarian Marketing – The Key to Marketing Success

To be successful in marketing, you need to be a contrarian. If you look up the word contrarian in the dictionary, you will find: con·trar·i·an – One who takes a contrary view or action. The most successful companies embrace the idea of being different, and take different actions in their marketing competitors.

Here are 10 tips for being a contrarian marketer:

1. Brand Yourself
You need to make it easy for potential clients to remember you. Branding can help set you apart.

2. Brand Yourself With Personality
Make your branding reflect who you are and show your personality. Anyone that knows anything about me or my marketing campaign knows that my marketing revolves around zebras- this is very much like the advice I give: black or white, yes or no. This reflects my personality and my style of advice giving. Don’t be afraid to brand yourself and be different.

3. Create a Marketing Plan That is Proven
A marketing plan consists of a series of actions that, when taken, create a successful result – period. Most agents don’t follow a successful marketing plan because they don’t know what one is. The best marketing plans are consistent ones that are unique. Your materials should be unique, memorable and in front of your potential clients at least once per month.

4. Send Out Quality Materials
Look at what everyone else in the real estate industry sends to their database and do the opposite. Send out better quality materials that your competition. Be a contrarian.

5. Send Out Quality Content
How do you know what quality content is if you do not ask? One big hint is that if your marketing is not making the phone ring, then it does not qualify as quality content. If you are a real estate professional then you should be sending out quality real estate content.

6. Don’t Market Via E-Mail
E-mail is a wonderful communication tool but a terrible marketing tool. Agents are being lured into buying auto e-mail marketing programs that eventually do nothing more than empty their pocket books. Your potential clients are inundated with e-mails and many people spend more time deleting unwanted e-mails than responding to the ones they want. Bottom line – use e-mail as a communication tool and use regular mail as a marketing tool.

7. Don’t Give Up
Great marketing takes time, and the best marketing is consistent and ongoing.

8. Create A Marketing Campaign
A campaign is a series of marketing messages that create a story about what you have to offer.

9. Make It Easy for Your Clients to Find You
Make sure your marketing has all forms of your contact information: Web site address, phone, e-mail, text messaging, etc.

10. Give Advice
Never be afraid to give advice in your marketing. Potential clients are looking for your expertise – don’t be afraid to showcase it.

Be a contrarian marketer and watch your business grow.

Article has been reprinted from Realty Success Magazine ©2007. Article written by Denise Lones, C.S.P., M.I.R.M., is the president of the Lones Group, Inc.