Emily White 
Whether you are a residential real estate developer, architect, general contractor or commercial broker, milestone announcements are most likely a core component of your public relations strategy. However, showcasing groundbreakings, transactions, leasing updates and ribbon cuttings shouldn’t be the only facet of your organization’s communications strategy.
Consider the below to help build a more robust real estate PR plan:
Thought Leadership Positioning
The real estate landscape is constantly shifting, not to mention the COVID-19 pandemic has had an unprecedented impact on every sector of the industry. This creates the perfect opportunity to position company leadership and other subject matter experts (SMEs) as authorities on industry trends, issues and current market conditions.
Thought leadership positioning should target key audiences, such as potential partners, consumers or local officials, and help differentiate your company by showcasing the breadth and depth of your experience. For example, thought leadership positioning can include media relations (interviews, bylines, op-eds, etc.) or speaking opportunities at regional events and national conferences.
My blog “How to position a Subject Mater Expert” covers more strategies to position SMEs. You can also read Veronica’s article “Spokesperson Media Training: Reporter Interview Styles You Might Encounter.”
Defining Your Social Media Strategy
A well-thought out social media strategy is the next step in a comprehensive communications plan. Social media isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach, and content should be tailored to meet your specific audiences and goals. For example, project updates and personnel announcements are great for LinkedIn, while insight into company culture typically performs better on Instagram and Facebook.
Conducting a competitive analysis of industry peers and a comprehensive audit of your social channels, including follower demographic, engagement trends and top performing content, will help inform your strategy moving forward.
Make sure to read Alexa’s post “Social Media Training 101: Turning Employees into Brand Ambassadors.”
Content Marketing
Dynamic owned content is another critical component of an integrated communications strategy and goes hand-in-hand with thought leadership and social media.
For example, compelling video content, a company blog or newsletter can be created to highlight new and interesting projects, showcase organizational impact or position SMEs as thought leaders on key trends. Plus, owned content helps take away some of the guesswork when dealing with media allowing you to completely shape the message.
There are many components to a successful communications plan, but the above opportunities offer three steps to get started. For more information on developing a successful PR strategy, also check out “5 Tips For Creating A Strategic Communications Plan.”
Posted In Real Estate & Related Services