Once upon a time, advertising agencies created the majority of ads, and these all competed with each other on TV, Radio and Print mediums. The best creative and placement would win and that was how the game was played.
Now we are in the age of the ‘attention economy.’ We are carrying around in our pockets one of the most powerful tools to access content and advertising.
With 1.2 billion users on Facebook every day, advertisers are seeing more and more cut through on social platforms than traditional media; but it’s not all roses.
Social media is a very different beast. Advertisers are not competing against each other anymore. To cut through a prospect’s social feed, you now need to compete against personal posts that are important to them; such as their friend’s visit to Cinque Terre, the death of a pet, their sister’s wedding, a high school reunion…the list goes on.
Knowing you are competing in the Attention Economy with your prospects friends and family, how can you grab their attention? A post of your latest listing with a picture of the property is not going to cut it.
Gary V nails it in this interview he did with Tom Panos for AREC earlier in the year. Gary V’s advice was ‘Every single real estate agent right now…is a media company and they should produce content.’
It’s all good and well for Gary V to say this, but who is actually doing it, and doing it well? An agency that first grabbed my attention with high-quality production combined with unique content was NGU Real Estate.
On their Facebook page, you’ll see a single listing view is 20,000 – 30,000 per video.
You’ll also see spectacular production and creative brilliance like fluffy baby ducks running through the house and around the pool.
Not surprisingly this agency is currently hiring a videographer working with “unusual briefs requiring ingenuity and advanced technical skill.”
So what do you do when your listing doesn’t present as well as a Mountain’s Grand Design? How do you trade in the Attention Economy when your portfolio is more budget conscious and those spectacular drone shots of the surrounds won’t add value?
You bring in Bruce the Spruce from Mr Realty. He’s your average Aussie bloke dropping the one-liners like ‘bonza bargain’, ‘cheap as chips’, ‘Bob’s your Uncle’, and ‘knocking back a few tinnies with ya mates’.
Advertising is dead, content is king and in the attention economy, your story will win if it is bold, funny and authentic.
