Sphere of Influence Marketing for Realtors – Learn how to create and implement SOI Annual Database Contact Plan for real estate agents to stay in front of the people in their book of business throughout the year.
Sphere of influence marketing for Realtors all comes down to one important document. Enter, the Annual Contact Plan. Do you have one? If not, today’s topic is going to be life-changing. And if you already have a contact plan, we can help you take it to the next level and increase your yearly return.
VIDEO: Sphere of Influence Marketing for Realtors – Your Contact Plan
Annual Contact Plan: the key to your success or failure
When it comes to sphere of influence marketing for Realtors, there is one document that holds the key to your success or failure. This document is your contact plan.
If you’ve already created your sphere of influence database and made a plan to grow it, great. You’re well on your way. But you aren’t going to reap the benefits of a 7:1 return unless you create a solid contact plan.
A giant SOI database is great! But it is meaningless if you don’t execute enough yearly contacts to make it work for you. Many agents fail in this way. They do all the work to create and grow their SOI and then they only reach out to their SOI members a few times a year.
Top Producers get most of their business from their SOI
This is a well-known fact. Since we coach many of the top-producing agents and teams across North America, we see it first hand. With SOI at the center of their business, top-producing agents see the greatest return. Of course, most agents have several secondary pillars of business. But I can’t overstate how essential it is that your SOI be the central focus of your real estate business.
Take our SOI online course
Our flagship online course, SOI: Building a Real Estate Agent’s Sphere of Influence, will set you up for success. You will have access to our various Annual Contact Plan templates, as well as downloadable scripts, resources, and systems to grow and nurture your SOI.
100 contacts a year for successful sphere of influence marketing for Realtors
This is the key. In all of our Annual Contact Plans that we create for our clients here at ICC, we include 100 contacts per year. In the past, the number has been closer to 40 or 50. That said, with the advent of the internet and the ease of social media marketing, you can (and should) be making more touches each year.
Here are a number of the various contact methods you can use in your annual contact plan.
- emails
- mailers
- listing e-alerts
- social media posts
- social media stories
- phone calls
- texts
- direct messages
- face-to-face visits
- pop-bys
- client events
- handwritten notes
Frequency over quality
When it comes to your Annual Contact Plan, focus on frequency over quality. I know that seems counterintuitive but this is a numbers game. Yes, you will get some high-quality, meaningful interactions in there. But the majority of your contacts will be quick, simple, and as automated as possible.
The goal is to gain mindshare. You want to stay in front of your people. Your message must be consistent and frequent in order to stay first of mind. This is sphere of influence marketing for Realtors 101.
Variety is essential
Remember, different people prefer different methods of communication. That is why it is so important to vary your contacts.
Some people are on social media all day and will be perfect for your retargeted Facebook ads. Other people, especially the older demographic, will gravitate toward mailers and handwritten notes. This is why you can’t just pick one method of communication for all of your yearly contacts.
Use your CRM to implement your Annual Contact Plan
Stop thinking. Start doing. Get your Annual Contact Plan into your CRM and set up to-dos and reminders so that you don’t have to think. Automate as much as you can and it will revolutionize your productivity.
FREE DOWNLOAD: SOI Contact Cycle PDF
Click below for a FREE download of our SOI Contact Cycle PDF. This sheet can be used quarterly as you make your outgoing texts and phone calls to your SOI members. Not only does it help you plan who you are making contact with in a given week, but it also provides you with topic ideas (which honestly can be the hardest part!)
Fill out the form to get your free download.
Rules for your sphere of influence marketing for Realtors
When it comes to your Annual Contact Plan, there are a few important guidelines.
- No more than 20 of your 100 contacts should be via email. This includes newsletters, listing e-alerts, evites, etc. Emails are great for keeping you first of mind but too many is just plain spammy.
- Mailers are expensive and also highly-effective. The demographic that respond best to mailers are baby boomers. And, it just so happens, this is also the demographic with the most expensive houses.
- Phone calls and texts are still the most effective method of communication. It’s important to reach out to your SOI database members by phone at least twice a year and by text at least twice a year.
- Social media is becoming more and more essential, and more and more effective. At this point, you can’t afford to not be on social media. It isn’t only about outreach, it’s also about branding. Your social media homepages have become the new “website” for your business.
Tips to make contacts easier
Provide value! Phone calls, texts, emails, messages, etc. are all easier when you have value to provide. Here are a few valuable reasons for reaching out to your SOI members.
- Annual Property Analysis – reach out to schedule, set appointment, conduct appointment. Huge value add!
- Client Event – save the date, invitation, reminders, post-event thank-yous, etc. Everyone loves a party!
- Market Update – provide insight into the market and keep your SOI members in-the-know. You are their local expert.
Organize your sphere of influence for better marketing for Realtors
Organizing your SOI into subgroups can be a good idea, especially as your SOI database grows. By separating your SOI into categories and rating their value, you can be more effective at sphere of influence marketing for Realtors.
For example, if you are reaching out to conduct an Annual Property Analysis to your SOI, you would prioritize your VIP group and past clients.
Here are several groups you can create for a more targeted sphere of influence marketing plan for Realtors.
- vendors
- VIP group – they have referred you business
- past clients
- general SOI members
Want to learn more?
- Read The High-Performing Real Estate Team. You can buy Brian Icenhower’s best-selling book on Amazon.
- Subscribe to The Real Estate Trainer Podcast. You can find it on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Podbean, and anywhere you listen to your favorite podcasts.
- Join the Real Estate Agent Round Table. We are always posting fresh content, including market updates, free templates, and host dynamic discussions with the industry’s top producers.
- Subscribe to our newsletter. In the sidebar of this blog, you’ll see a form to fill out to subscribe. You’ll be the first to find out about our new resources, free downloads, premium online courses, as well as promotions.
- Reach out and talk to an ICC coach. Not sure which of our coaching programs is right for you? Let us help you.
