SUSTAINABLE PROPERTY MARKETING
Is "sustainability, sustainability, sustainability" replacing "location, location, location"?
Conscientious housebuilders and property developers already understand the importance of adhering to and exceeding environmental building regs, but does the green message melt any ice with potential buyers? We'll get to that later.
But first, here are our top tips for making your marketing campaigns as environmentally sound as your latest development...
1. Do more online
Not only is it greener (cutting down on printed material means cutting down fewer trees), digital is also more measurable. Email marketing and web ads enable you to track visitors to your website. Which pages did they visit? How long did they stay? What were your most popular (and unpopular) links? You won't get that level of customer insight from a leaflet or brochure, however good they look.
2. Get green on-site
There are lots of ways that you can be more environmentally friendly with your on-site marketing. How about using recycled furniture in your show home? Or sourcing all of your signage from a local supplier, so it doesn't have to travel as far - make sure you check out their green credentials first though. Could
innovative touch screen solutions do more for the sales effort than traditional printed materials? You might even think about encouraging your customers to travel to your development sustainably? Is there a train station or bus stop nearby? Simple things that can make a big difference.
3. Print on recycled paper
It seems obvious, but printing on recycled paper can do wonders for how customers perceive your company. It shows you care. And if you care about the planet, you probably care about the quality of their new home too. It's generally a little bit more expensive and you might not be able to find a recycled stock that suits your requirements, but there's a huge range of
FSC certified paper sourced from sustainable forests, which is the next best option.
And don't forget to tell your customers why you've gone green - display your accreditations and awards, wear your green credentials with pride - let them share in the feel-good factor!
But let's not get too carried away... The green message will be of little interest to some of your potential customers, i.e. those more interested in preserving their bank balance than conserving the planet. That's where the old marketing adage about selling the benefits rather than the features comes into play. So your new homes come fitted with super energy efficient triple-glazed windows? Nice. But what's the annual cost saving on the utilities bill?
If you're unsure of how best to go about translating your eco features into tangible customer benefits, give us a shout - our expert team can help turn the tips above into an engaging campaign with spectacular results!