How to use Experiential Marketing to Inspire your Keep in Touch Plan

Keep your clients up to date on what's going on, or create an event of your own.

Coming up with ideas to keep in touch with clients this fall and winter can be tough. There's the old go to's such as newsletters and social media posts, but everyone else is doing that. Looking to experiential marketing for inspiration might be helpful -- even if you're not so willing to get out there to lead an event, you can still create some buzz about your neighborhood to get others out there!

What is Experiential Marketing

Experiential marketing is just one of many new buzz words for special events. No matter what you call it, it creates a way to meet your clients and provide them with an activity or event that helps them get to know your brand. It might seem odd to do something like this as a real estate agent, but what better way to let clients see how well you know your neighborhood? After all, showing off the many reasons your neighborhood is a great place to live is your area of expertise!

Some Ideas to get Started

That face to face time does wonders to keep you top of mind, but if you can't lead an event, you can always use experiential marketing ideas to inspire your keep in touch plan.

Here are just a few ideas to get you started:

Create a Customized Tour of Your Neighborhood

If you don't have the time to actually attend and guide a tour, customize a tour of your neighborhood with a little map and key sites to visit so people can do a self-guided tour instead. This is a great way to show off the neighborhood and can include some of the prettiest streets, lovely parks, fun recreational spots and even suggestions for lunch mid-tour. Post it to your social media pages, and if you do have some form of email drip campaigns or a newsletter include the map and tour sites. Brokers can also do a tour based on houses they have listed to show off curb appeal and raise interest.

Create a Self-Guided Historical Sites Tour

Not every area has enough historical sites to create an entire tour, however you might be surprised how many there are in your neighborhood or surrounding area. Understanding the history of an area can create interest, and if you can find some of the oldest homes to post on your map, all the better. It is also a great way to show off the architecture of a town. You can throw in some little known historical facts about the buildings or original businesses in the area as well.

Share the Best Decorated Homes for Halloween (or the Holidays)

If you really know your area, you will know the homes that traditionally put on the best displays for Halloween. Better yet, look for homes that decorate their homes as part of a food drive as this helps raise your profile in the community. You can even speak to homeowners you have sold to in the past and see if you can get people to participate in a contest and tour. You can have a small prize for the participants and have people who take the tour email you their votes. It's a perfect way to help complete the circle of contact.

Suggest the Best Spot for a Nature Walk or Bike Ride

Showing off the best natural features in close proximity to an area is another great way to raise awareness and interest. Map out the best spots for a nature walk or bike ride to help encourage people to keep active once the weather cools down. Recommend the perfect spot to end the tour such as a coffee shop, local restaurant or bakery so people can discover some of the local businesses as they wind down from their day of exercise.

Five Things to do This Weekend

You can also feature the five best things to do this weekend in your area. You can scope them out and then post them to your social media or newsletter. It might not always be five things, but most areas will have something to enjoy from fairs, to church bazaars and sporting events to charity events. Share personal experiences with attending events in the past, with a message such as "would hate for you to miss the farmers' market this weekend" or let them know about events your family attends annually, monthly or weekly as the events approach.

One last thought: Whether you love wine, music, sports or art, you can come up with ways to share those interests by tying them into the community. Although being there is better when it comes to optics, creating interest in your community is still a good way to remain on their radar!