In talking with a Lancaster County builder today I realized again the real need for builders to differentiate themselves through branding. The days of relying on word of mouth and referrals are over - social media, the domain of the under 40 age demographic, will become increasingly important. Are you presenting your company and products on the web in an intelligent, user-friendly way that encourages feedback from potential customers? Blogging is the 
single best way to quickly get started. Beyond blogging with RSS syndication (to spread your articles far and wide) you'll need to become proficient with such online markets as Craigslist, Backpage, Trulia, Zillow and more. Markets such as these are taking up more and more space in the cybersphere, where over 85% of your buyers start their search.
How's your logo? You do have a good one, right? Where are you putting it - is it on everything you publish? Is it displayed prominently at each of your building sites? How is the consuming public getting to know you? These are critical questions to ask yourself if you are a builder who'd like to grow the business in this century. Developing a compelling, enduring logo is a bedrock marketing goal.
Does each of your building projects have it's own webpage, with a dynamic
presentation of the neighborhood and surrounding area? With all the choices available to consumers, you have to set tools in motion to brand each neighborhood, spec home and always your core image & mission.
Now, ask yourself: what do my listing agents do to help me achieve these goals. Are they just sitting in my houses, hoping they sell? Is all you get a sign in the yard and a MLS listing? Could I replace this agent/firm tomorrow and they've not advanced MY brand one bit? I sure hope not.
If you are a Lancaster-area builder, big or (especially) small, you need to be asking the hard marketing questions right now. Wherever you're business is headed, I'd like to offer you all of the services mentioned here and more. Give me a call at 717-581-2467 to talk about my 21st century new home marketing strategies. It's not too late to get back on track...
