by Caroline Gabsewics
Staff Writer
Budgets are tight, no matter what type of business you’re in, and everyone is looking for ways to cut corners when it comes to marketing.
Maxine McBride, president of Clockwork Marketing, shared her expertise last month about public relations and marketing to several members of the builder community at the Sales & Marketing Council’s Sales Manager’s Roundtable at the NEFBA offices.
• Focus groups, McBride said, are the No. 1 thing her company is doing right now. In the past year many builders have come to see what homebuyers are looking for when buying a home. The builders sit on the other side of a one-sided mirror and they find out exactly what people are looking for.
“A trained moderator oversees the focus group,” she said. “It is a great fly-on-the-wall experience.
“The builders have the opportunity to find out what people want before they actually do it.”
The only downside is that the focus groups are expensive.
“We have been seeing builders come in together and split the cost,” said McBride.
• Special events can be costly but McBride said there are ways to bring that cost down.
“Special events are something all of you do and you may not be doing as much as before,” she said. “They seem like a lot of money, but it is worth it.”
McBride explained that she was at a Realtor event recently and the people were not there for the food.
“There was such a great turnout and people were actually staying and looking at the model, not eating,” she said.
It is important to keep control of registration, so the host can follow up with the guests after the event.
Another way to cut down on costs is to host smaller events.
“You feel special when you are invited to a smaller event,” she said.
McBride’s tips on what types of events to host:
• “Do it yourself” events have become very popular to host, she said. Bring in an expert on landscaping, cooking, interior decorating and host it at the model home. “People love this stuff right now,” she said.
• Host events at amenity centers. Host a tournament at the amenity center and the awards ceremony at the model home.
• Host a book fair. Barnes and Noble can come in and set up a mini book fair in a model home or amenity center.
• Contact a young professional group. Give them the space to host their events, socials and mixers. “Young professionals are looking for homes, too. This gives you an opportunity to get them out into your homes,” said McBride.
• Collaborate with a non-profit organization. It’s an opportunity to get involved with a new group. “Non-profits appreciate the effort, no matter how much money you can raise,” she said.
Public relations are being used more and more as another way to get a company’s name and information out to the public. It is as important as marketing, but it costs less, said McBride.
“It (public relations) is an effective way to spend your money right now,” she said. “Press releases should run in four publications if it is done right. It is also an easy way to pitch stories to publications.”
Even though public relations is becoming very important, she said don’t cut on advertising, because that still needs done.
“People look at ads and they read press releases,” she said.
McBride’s final tip: write your own thank-you notes.
“Don’t forget the old fashioned thank-you note,” she said. “It goes a long way.”