Are you taking advantage of all the ways you can market your business online? If not, you’re missing out on a major opportunity to establish yourself in the appraisal industry and even acquire new clientele while you sleep! Continue reading this post to learn simple strategies that anyone, regardless of their technical experience, can implement in their own business. 

Social Media

Social media is every marketer’s best friend. Why? Globally, most people have access to at least one social media platform, whether it’s Twitter, Youtube, Facebook or LinkedIn, making this an avenue for growth that you need to explore if you want to stand out in today’s competitive market. 

Having a company profile on different social media platforms is a simple yet effective way to grow and establish your business online. By sharing appraisal insights and valuable information in a LinkedIn or Twitter post, people will start to associate you with being a great resource for all things appraisal related. Having an online profile also helps you connect with new people whether it be other appraisers in your community, or new clients looking to make orders. 

Using Facebook and LinkedIn to house your business pages makes you much more accessible to potential new clients. If someone in your area searches for a real estate appraiser, does your business pop up in the results? This is an easy win to increase your clientele and establish yourself as a source for services in your region. Even if you’re on vacation or busy on another inspection, people can find your business online and contact you, giving you the opportunity to achieve business growth 24/7 with these avenues.

**Click here to build your own Facebook business Page in just a few minutes.

**Click here for instructions from LinkedIn on how to create your own company profile. 

Check out this educational webinar from Anow’s President, Marty Haldane, where you can learn tips and tricks to get your business established on Facebook: https://youtu.be/kYzGo8dl6VY 

Company Website

Not having a website where people can get additional information onr your company can be detrimental. This can make or break your online reputation as a business owner. Credibility, brand strength, generating leads, and time savings are all things you can gain from creating a simple website. Your business needs one centralized website where existing clients can connect with you and place orders, and new leads can research your experience and services offered. Some of the most well-known website building services include GoDaddy, Squarespace, and WordPress. 

Image Source: https://www.webdevelopist.com/en/6-reasons-website-important-business/ 

To make ordering appraisals even easier for your customers, the Anow Connect toolkit comes with a custom ordering link for your business that you can embed on your company website. This allows new orders placed on the website to sync directly with your Anow account for easy management and communication with the client. The payment process is also streamlined with Connect, which lets you send your unique payment form to every billing contact and centralizes the collection of funds all in one place. 

Collect Reviews

Most people nowadays rely on reviews and customer testimonials in order to make an educated decision when looking to purchase a product or service, from TVs to mortgage brokers and everything in-between. According to an article from Hubspot, “only 3% of consumers consider salespeople and marketers to be trustworthy,” so having real reviews is essential to winning over customers who can  quickly determine that you’re a reliable source for appraisals. “In fact, buyers read seven reviews on average before deciding to trust a business.”

Reviews are relatively easy to collect too! For instance, if you get an email from a client about your service and their experience, you can ask them if you have permission to save and use their quote for marketing purposes. Here are some strategies you can use to collect reviews and repurpose testimonial content: 

• Collect video testimonials and share them on Youtube. Visual proof creates credibility and trust! 
• Set up your website so it  can collect reviews, Trustpilot for example, from new and existing customers at any time.
• Share customer quotes on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. 
• Build a section on your website where users can see feedback from past clients. 
• Create a business account on Google so that when people search for appraisers or businesses in your area, you will appear and be able to garner views. 
  • How to get reviews on Google support.

More Ideas and Resources

Image Source: https://pixabay.com/illustrations/question-mark-answer-solution-sign-4105529/ 

Oftentimes people avoid marketing activities simply because they lack (or think they lack) the imagination or creativity to get started. The reality is that anyone can look for ideas and inspiration online, you just have to find strategies that align with your business goals and show your brand’s personality.

Here are some excellent resources to help you get the ball rolling:

• Appraisal Today has compiled a list of “59 Ways to Market Your Appraisal Services” that real estate appraisers can use to get more business. 
• Appraisal Buzz shows six ways that you can market your business, other than through word of mouth.
• Hubspot has a fantastic article full of great suggestions for small businesses who want to start marketing themselves, from solidifying your brand identity to offering free webinars.

Take a few minutes to watch this video if you’re interested in hearing more about marketing techniques for appraisers: https://youtu.be/eRi2Tr3tDyY