Ed Winslow

The Value of SEO, Brand Marketing and Publicity in Commercial Real Estate

The Value of SEO, Brand Marketing and Publicity in Commercial Real Estate

The Value of SEO, Brand Marketing and Publicity in Commercial Real Estate

Why do some businesses grow while others remain stagnant? Why do some startup founders repeatedly succeed at launching and selling business endeavors while others fail?

One example of long-term success is a New Jersey-based regional diagnostic imaging center with twelve locations across the state, using the Niche Quest Branding and Publicity SEO Formula.

Recently, the business was purchased for $450 million. One of the significant indicators of its high market value was its online brand dominance in the market. In addition to delivering excellent service and making smart growth decisions, the company invested in its Digital Brand Equity.

Online dominance primarily on Google spanning approximately fifty towns made them a household name in their market, outperforming reputable local hospitals. Due to their local online dominance, their market became their 24/7 sales force.

That’s the power of Brand Equity. Commercial real estate owners have the same opportunity.

Prime brick and mortar locations are not the only avenues anymore. Digital exposure on Google and top news sites are the new Main Street. This incredible sale validates the fact.

Note the image below. You can promote your property on sites such as Yahoo and Yahoo Finance, one the most influential news sites on the internet. As noted by the headline below, hyper-local marketing is a key part of the Niche Quest Formula.

How to Build Brand Equity Online

I found this famous quote from advertising legend Maurice Saatchi, the co-founder of the global Saatchi & Saatchi agency, “I argue that the future of advertising, whatever the technology, will be to associate each brand with one word. This is one word, equity. It’s the modern equivalent of having the best site on the high street, except the location is in the mind.”

Most business leaders understand the basics of brand marketing and the importance of building brand equity, no matter what product or service you offer. The idea that an investment in brand marketing also provides positive returns in the commercial and residential real estate markets is newer but one with accelerating momentum.

Many factors impact brand equity within the real estate market. Think about value-added factors to commercial real estate  – location, design, business services, signage opportunities, the reputation of the management firm, and the unique features that make a property stand out.

While all those elements remain essential to buying and selling commercial real estate – property owners, developers, brokers, and even mortgage companies are starting to re-evaluate the value of ‘digital main street,’ as well.

What is Digital Main Street?

Note the Cogent Realty Advisors Display ad on the NY Post below. The ad was Hyper-Locally targeted producing over 40,000 targeted views per month on a modest budget. The result was closed deals with tenants who saw his 10x Display ads over and over. This is proof that repeat marketing is highly profitable in the real estate markets.

Today, the majority of a company’s customers are online. Real estate agents used to sell business storefronts based on the value of walk-by traffic who would then see and visit your new company.

Today, most of that traffic is digital – prospective customers find your product, service, and business online.

There are 3 main parts of the Niche Quest Branding and Publicity SEO Formula

News Marketing – News articles promoted on top sites will rank for specific keywords on Google. Articles picked up by sites such as Yahoo Finance will also appear on Google News. Google News sends articles to thousands of real estate professionals, companies, journalists and industry publications. This is a targeted strategy that exponentially expands your exposure building Brand Equity for your property.
Display Advertising – We implement a 10x Display Ad Strategy. 10 different ads are created in 15 different sizes for a total of 150 ads. They rotate and stay fresh to keep the value high. Ads are hyper-locally targeted to high intent consumers.
Google Business Profile – GBP and Maps have massive potential. Your GBP listing has potential to reach thousands of local consumers searching online.

If you aren’t engaging new corporate real estate customers online, you are missing a huge about of digital main street traffic. Whether you are a property owner or buyer, an agent or broker, or a mortgage loan provider – the time is now to build your digital brand with SEO and investment in brand marketing and public relations.

Building Your Brand Reputation in the News with Commercial Real Estate SEO & Publicity

We have found from years of Press Release marketing, continual promotion in the news creates a snowball effect.

Consistent visibility in the news to your target audience amplifies the relationship of your property in the market. Visibility once has little impact. After 10 times, consumers start to remember your property. After 50 -100 times your property becomes a memorable brand. That’s when word of mouth and social sharing kicks in. Word of mouth marketing ultimately is the highest converting, lowest cost marketing. That’s one of the ultimate benefits of the Niche Quest Branding and Publicity Formula.

Weekly and monthly featured news reach a target audience with broad exposure. When you promote your property on Google News, it reaches journalists, website producers, and consumers who sign up for specific alerts.

Constant repetition on Google News will get marketers writing and promoting your content on their websites with links to yours. The results also will get your brand featured on Google like this one below from Cogent Real Advisors in NYC.

Notice the date the Yahoo article went live Feb 26, 2020. If you search Google for Office Space Cost Near Grand Central, you can see the article. Yahoo is one of the highest-rated news sites on the internet.

 

Combining Offline Strategies with Digital Marketing and Commercial Real Estate SEO Success

Another thing our Diagnostic Imaging client did very well was to identify their target market – set by the local area and patients they serve – and stick to that, staying prevalent in that market over time.

Whether you’re investing time and budget in public relations or marketing for online or offline strategies, one blip on the scale isn’t going to make a substantial long-term impact. That’s why combining strategies is so effective.

When you gain media attention or hold an event where you capture great photos, share that content online – through paid ads, on your website, and via social media. Your combined off and online marketing and publicity SEO strategies must be long-term, targeting the right markets to build brand equity and sustain it over time.

It’s a proven strategy. Stay in front of your target market and increase the value of Brand Equity for your real estate.

Google Business Profile and Maps for Commercial Real Estate Owners

Sample Stats for Google Business Profile and Maps with 24,900 monthly visits & 1,720 inbound phone calls.

Additional digital marketing tools are also vital to a sustained brand strategy for the commercial real estate market. This includes Google Maps engagement in combination with Google Search and SEO optimization.

While digital display advertising will get, your brand featured on popular websites and social media channels, engaging people in your niche market with geo-target advertising tied to Google Maps is valuable.

Every commercial building owner should have a refined Google Maps profile and Google My Business. You can engage directly with buyers and sellers and customers with the information you provide on Google Maps, including reaching out to them after they’ve visited.

 

Real Estate Companies that Benefit from the Niche Quest Branding and Publicity SEO Formula

These are examples of significant property types in the real estate market that can benefit from the Niche Quest Branding and Publicity SEO.

Shopping Centers – Mall and shopping center property owners and management firms have specialized needs, serving multiple diverse tenants under one roof. They’re also competing against the digital storefront, trying to get boots on the ground in their commercial spaces. Successful real estate and property management brands are getting creative – using digital marketing strategies to connect with shoppers off and online.

Digital marketing allows these real estate companies to promote tenants using economies of scale – making a small investment concerning each business they serve – while reaching a broad but targeted (and geo-targeted) audience. From influencer engagement on Instagram to digital coupons, in-person events, and online contests, mall properties can use digital marketing and publicity strategies to build their local and national brands.

As Maurice Saatchi put it, “it’s the modern equivalent of having the best site on the high street.”

Office and Apartment Buildings – For companies that own numerous buildings in the rental or corporate office market, similar brand marketing strategies to what worked for our healthcare provider example and the mall property owners above also work here.

Apartment companies invest in brand marketing and SEO strategies that promote their ethos: living in a fun and quirky building, finding a rental partner that responds to all your living needs, or identifying pet or family-friend properties. Building your brand offline and online is key to success in the active rental property market.

For corporate office providers, similar customer needs can be identified – companies want to move somewhere known for their high-quality service, technology-driven values, and niche design elements. The Niche Quest Branding and Publicity SEO strategy have immense potential to open new revenue streams for these commercial real estate providers.

Self-Storage Companies – The top self-storage companies in the country identify their prime brick and mortar locations with highly visible signage and memorable brand color schemes. Prime locations with memorable signage help build brand equity. But for all the foot and driving traffic that views these signs, businesses are missing thousands of online views if they’re not combining online and offline marketing strategies. With targeted online advertising, SEO, and geo-targeted/mobile-friendly digital outreach, these essential businesses can continue to build their brands now and in the future.

Assisted Living and Memory Care Facilities – Trust is the most valuable benefit of Branding and Publicity SEO. Families in the market for a senior care facility want to know their family is in trusted hands. The combination of Hyper-Local News promotion, Display Ads on News Sites, and Google Business Profile and Maps yields positive Brand Equity.

Caribbean Resorts – Caribbean resorts are some of the most beautiful and sought-after vacation destinations globally, but getting noticed by potential guests can be challenging.

Every Caribbean resort is vying for attention on social media and search engines. Standing out from the crowd can feel impossible.
Niche Quest Branding and Publicity SEO is a unique branding and publicity service that helps resorts stand out from the competition and get more traffic from potential guests. We specialize in helping small to medium-sized resorts to create a strong brand identity that resonates with their target audience.

Ski Resorts – Ski resorts have a unique opportunity to promote numerous sports, spas, restaurants, and hotels four seasons per year. The Niche Quest Formula targets specific profiles, promoting sports and vacations for all seasons.

About Niche Quest

Niche Quest is a Branding and Publicity SEO Marketing Agency for Real Estate Companies. The company was formed by Ed Winslow, a former broker with CBRE and Sotheby’s International Realty. Ed has also owned and developed real estate investments.