Different ads for different homebuyers

December 2008 | Posted by Carolyn Pikoulas
If every homebuyer was the same, marketing would be a breeze. Unfortunately, homebuyers are each unique and are affected by advertising in different ways. Some search solely on the internet, some are persuaded by an impressive TV commercial, others may enjoy glancing through all of their mail when they get home from work. But with so many outlets to advertise a new home community, how do we know which is most effective?

For one thing, there is no single, supreme advertising outlet that any company can count on. Although your website is your best source of new leads (current research shows that over 80% of home buyers use the internet in their search), that doesn't mean you should disregard traditional forms of media like print. With monthly home-listing magazines, for example, your ad is virtually guaranteed to be placed in front of a homebuyer. But keep in mind that not all print outlets are equal. With newspapers, there are many readers who are not homebuyers and can easily flip past your ad.

From the time a person wakes up in the morning to the time they go to bed, he is exposed to a variety of media -- TV, radio, internet, e-mail, billboards, signs, direct mail and newspapers. Each of these routes is a possible method to reach buyers at certain times of the day. And, since not all buyers shop or react to advertising in the same way, each of these should be considered as part of a builder's overall marketing mix.

One mistake often made by builders is to try to combine several different communities together in one ad to save money. Unless the target market is exactly the same for each of these communities, this approach doesn't work well. You'll have better results by running separate ads for communities that target a specific market (i.e. first-time buyers, retirees, blue-collar families, etc.). Also, don't just rely on your reputation as a builder. Buyers want to know immediately how your product can benefit their lifestyle. While reputation is important, it's rarely the prime factor in the buying decision.

Once you have an ad budget, how should you distribute it between the various media? It ultimately depends on your target audience, the current market, what your competitors are doing, etc. Each community is different, but here's a sample rule of thumb: 35% to internet (website & SEO), 15% to print, 15% to broadcast, 15% to signage and outdoor, and the rest toward collateral, email and direct mail promotions. Of course, the percentages will need adjusted once you know more about your target buyer.

The important thing to remember is that marketing is all about people, not numbers. If your only focus is on sales and not on your customer as a person, your marketing message will be lost. With every campaign, define who your customers are by asking what they need, what they desire, and what they fear. This is the first step toward successful marketing.

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