Traditional advertising methods can be a huge expense. Newspaper ads, magazines, mailers, radio, and billboards can take a massive chunk out of your budget. While they were the only way to “get the word out” ten years ago, times have changed drastically! I’ve outlined a few ways to advertise your commercial real estate business on the cheap.
1. Social Media. It’s free, it’s easy. But it’s time consuming. Honestly, social media was probably the first thing I outsourced because I hate it so much! Later.com has a free plan available, and the paid version starts at $15/mo. If you’re planning on hiring this out, Fiverr.com has some great options for around $60/month.
2. Guest Blogging. Write up a great industry related blog article and send it to industry websites, pitching it as a “guest blog”. They will usually post your photo, contact information, and short biography at the bottom of each guest blog you provide.
3. Email Blast Services. Services like Big Boys Blast and Property Campaign offer to email your message or listing to their database of 100K+ commercial real estate professionals across the United States and Canada. Starting at around $100 per email, it’s an inexpensive and easy way to get leads and turn around listings.
4. E-Newsletter. Getting people to return to your website is half the battle. A monthly e-newsletter can do the job easily. Fill it with blog articles, recent news, and even a few of your most popular social media posts. If you’re worried about coming up with new content, Newsletter Hero gives you 100+ prompts to keep your ideas fresh!
5. Press Releases. This sounds harder than it is. Go to your local NAIOP, CCIM, Better Business Bureau, and RedBook (if you have one in your area) and see if they accept press releases. You can send them your recent deals, listings, and more! Getting published is a gamble that doesn’t cost anything but an email, so give it a try! Listing Hero shows you how to promote yourself and your listings in major publications. It’s easier than you think.
6. Website. I’m not just saying this because I sell websites. In today’s world, a website is a requirement. It not only builds trust, it shows you’re serious about the industry and your business. Websites bring legitimacy. If you’re not ready for the fancy website package from me, Website Hero show you how to make your own lead generating website in Squarespace.
7. Search Engine Optimization. If you have a website, you need to optimize it so Google and other search engines can read it easily. The easier it is for a search engine to understand your website, the higher rankings you’ll have. On most platforms, you can download a free SEO plugin that will guide you through this process.
8. Google Ads. If your domain and website are brand new, all the SEO work in the world won’t get you top rankings for at least a year. (You need to establish longevity for page #1 results.) Until then, you can bypass the SEO system with Google Ads. The flexible system allows you to choose the most money you’re willing to pay per day, keeping your budget in check.
9. Facebook Ads. A great way to get in touch with local industry professionals is Facebook. You can target by job title and /or only advertise to people who have already checked out your website. You can set Facebook with a certain budget and let it run until you’re ready to add more money.
10. LinkedIn Ads. The best way to gather those business-to-business leads is LinkedIn. Set your own budget, and filter by industry, job title, interests and more.
Those are 10 cheap ways to advertise your business! I want to remind you to use your freebies in your advertisements. It’s a lot easier to get leads from an ad when there’s a free eBook (or other freebie).
If you’re wondering how you can get a freebie, consider our website design package. It comes with pre-written ebook of your choice to use as a lead magnet! No need to write anything yourself, it’s all done. We’ll design it in your branding, put your logo and contact information for you.
Offering freebie lead magnets with our website design is yet another way I’m taking the “broke” out of commercial real estate brokerage.
