Why You Need a Marketing Strategy for the New Year

It’s that time of year again. The time of year we all make resolutions and set goals we inevitably ditch and say, “I’ll do better next year.”

But what if you actually followed through with your goals in 2022 instead of letting them fall to the wayside?

The key to achieving any goal is a good plan and when it comes to your business goals, the best approach is through a marketing strategy.

Contrary to popular belief, marketing strategies aren’t just for big businesses. Small businesses can benefit from having a plan to follow just as much as big corporations!

And since a new year is a great time for a fresh start, why not make this the time you implement your first marketing strategy?

What is a Marketing Strategy?

A marketing strategy is a plan that encompasses all of your business’ goals for reaching your ideal customer and all of the ways you intend to achieve those goals.

This could be as simple as making more sales through daily social media posting that focuses on your product craftmanship or as detailed as cross-channel promotions combined with blog post opt-in sign-ups for email drip campaigns that target multiple facets of your ideal customer.

No two businesses’ marketing strategies look the same. The key is making it work for you and your business.

Why Create a Marketing Strategy?

Branding

Branding is a huge component of the success of any business and encompasses everything from colors and fonts to language and photography.

A good brand identity means that your audience can spot your logo, product, or image on any platform, and instantly identify it as yours based solely on its branding

With a marketing strategy, it is much easier to ensure that your business conveys a consistent brand identity because you will be planning your content out ahead of time.

Plus, a marketing strategy makes sure that your brand stays relevant by helping you plan for changes throughout the year such as seasons, holidays, and even trends.

Budgeting

One of the biggest reasons to create a marketing strategy in the new year is all the money you could be saving yourself!

With a marketing strategy in place, you will always have your plan to refer to. You won’t just be guessing what your next step should be.

That means no more shooting in the dark and wasting money on marketing expenses that ultimately make you no money in the long run.

Even better, a marketing strategy also means you’ll more than likely see an increase in sales because your marketing will be more concise and strategic instead of all over the place.

Clarity

With a marketing strategy, you won’t have to second guess if the right people are hearing your messages.

By the time you have your marketing strategy in place, you should know who your ideal customer is and where they are located so you can communicate directly to them.

A marketing strategy also helps you tailor your messages to your customers so you can tell them exactly what you know they want to hear. After all, who knows your customers better than you?

No more marketing to the wrong people!

Competition

In case you haven’t noticed, there’s a lot of other businesses on social media and, chances are, your competition is already out there. They probably also have a marketing strategy of their own!

Not only will implementing a marketing strategy in the new year help you stay competitive, but it will also help you keep an eye on the competition! And what’s not to love about that?

How to Create a Marketing Strategy

Creating a marketing strategy is rather simple once you get down to the basics of it.

There may be a lot of talk out there about fancy things like ROI, baselines, and metrics, and while those things may be important, you don’t need to get bogged down with such complicated lingo your first time around.

However, an experienced marketing team like ours here at Ingage can always help you make heads or tails of such information if you don’t know where to get started!

What really matters is simply setting attainable goals that are also measurable in some form, finding where your ideal customer resides online and having fun telling the story of your business!

Determine Your Goals

The first step to creating a marketing strategy should be the simplest: determine your goals. In fact, you will probably already have a few of these in mind when you get started.

Simply ask yourself, “What do I want to achieve in the new year?”

Do you want to launch a new jewelry collection? Or top your record of last year’s home sales? Maybe your goal is to expand your business to a new city or start shipping internationally! This is your chance to think big!

Next, once your list of goals is complete, start weeding out the goals that may be a tad too big for one year from the ones that are definitely doable now.

If you’re unsure about how to determine if a goal is a good goal for your marketing strategy, use the SMART goal-setting strategy. SMART goes are: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely.

And just because you decide that a goal isn’t something you want to tackle at this point in time doesn’t mean that you won’t ever get to it! So don’t give up on it. Save it, set it on the back burner, and maybe take a look at it this time next year.

Find Your Ideal Customer

Before you start brainstorming the content of your marketing strategy, you need to find your ideal customer and where they reside online. After all, how do you know what kind of content they want to see if you don’t know who they are?

The best way to find your ideal customer is to do the research!

You can do this in a variety of ways: read market reports, conduct polls and surveys, and even check out what your competition is doing.

Whatever research you choose to do, just make sure you learn your ideal customer’s demographics (gender, age, interests) and how they like to receive information (social media platforms, emails, snail mail).

Brainstorm Content

This is where the fun really comes in! Brainstorming content is probably the easiest part of creating your marketing strategy.

Since you are the biggest expert on your brand, you already have a good idea of the kind of content you want to put out there.

Do you want to post daily photos of your products? Or do you want to post weekly blog posts that show off your industry knowledge? What about starting a podcast where people could subscribe to more detailed content?

If you need inspiration, look to your competitors again. After all, if it’s working for them, then why not make it work for you? Just look at it as a formula to unlock, not a copy and paste method.

And feel free to get creative!

Determine Frequency of Content

Part of your marketing strategy should be how much time you will be dedicating to marketing in the new year and how frequently you will be making this content.

Only you can determine what you have the capacity to do on top of all your other important tasks.

However, always remember that quality is key. Don’t start posting blurry photos every day or poorly edited blog posts every week just for the sake of getting content out.

It’s always better it knock it out of the park with one single social media profile than have several mediocre profiles that you don’t have enough time for.

Monitor Your Progress

As you start implementing your marketing strategy in the new year, you will want to monitor your progress from month to month so you can see what is working for you and what isn’t.

(This is where your SMART goals come in.)

The key here is to simply have something measurable. Whether it’s your social profile reach, website views, newsletter opens, discovery calls made, or even sales, keep track of your chosen numbers so you can compare them to your marketing strategy.

At the end of the year, you’ll have both your marketing strategy and a year’s worth of data to determine exactly what you should and shouldn’t replicate for the following year!

 

In conclusion, creating a marketing strategy for the new year is well worth your time. Not only will it guide your marketing efforts all year long, but it will also keep you from wasting both your time and money on things that don’t work.

If you need help creating a marketing strategy or need a professional team to help you implement it effectively all year long, contact Ingage today!

Staging Services for Real Estate

In today’s competitive real estate market, staging your home for sale is one of the best things you can do to get the best price for your property. Staged homes have been proven to sell faster than unstaged homes—often above asking price.

Staging makes your home appeal to the most buyers possible. It gives prospective buyers a chance to envision the house as their own!

Ingage offers traditional, soft and virtual staging options. Contact us to learn more about how to best stage your property for sale!

Call (252) 751-1717 for more information.

Custom Logo Design Services


Every logo Ingage produces is handcrafted, starting with several concepts developed with input from the customer, market research and our art department. From these sketches, we will develop a digital mock up of the concepts from which the final selection will be made. After final revisions, our newly created logo is provided in multiple formats, colors and layouts for use in all manner of applications!

 

Designing a logo with or without outside support is an iterative and multi-step process that will involve research, brainstorming, sketches, and several design concepts. That is why custom logo packages can widely range not only in price—from relatively free to millions of dollars—but the amount of time and effort needed to get the job done.


Get your newly designed logo out there and start building your brand with a custom designed stationery kit, including: letterhead, envelope, business card and notecard.

 

Our in-house logo design experts at Ingage Marketing Agency a premium logo design agency in Greenville North Carolina will hand-craft your logo from scratch.


Every new logo is provided with guidance document for proper logo usage, color formulas and file types.

 

Below you will find our logo design package pricing:

BRONZE Logo Package Details  |  $1,200

  • Consultation
  • Client brainstorm
  • Three initial logo designs
  • Preparing multiple colors
  • Two rounds of revisions
  • Finalization of logo
  • Files provided: JPEG, PNG, Vector

SILVER Logo Package Details  |  $2,500

  • Consultation
  • Client brainstorm
  • Research the competition
  • Five initial logo designs
  • Preparing multiple colors
  • Composition variations
  • Two rounds of revisions
  • Finalization of logo
  • Files provided: JPEG, PNG, Vector

GOLD Logo & Style Guide Package Details  | $5,000

  • Consultation
  • Client brainstorm
  • Research the competition
  • Ten initial logo designs
  • Preparing multiple colors
  • Composition variations
  • Three rounds of revisions
  • Vertical & Horizontal Logo Lockup
  • Style Guide (Outlining fonts, Colors, etc.)
  • Files provided: JPEG, PNG, Vector

PUT IT TO WORK!  CORPORATE ID STATIONARY 

Our talented graphic design experts at Ingage Marketing Agency will hand-craft your graphic designs from scratch.

Business Card + More Package 

  • Business Card (final design choice customized for up to 10 individuals)
  • Letterhead (WORD template for PDF or print)
  • Letter Envelope
  • Two rounds of revisions

$500

Call (252) 751-1717 and schedule a free consultation.

When to include detail shots with your real estate listing

Let’s talk about detail photos as a part of your real estate listing’s online presentation.  Homes for sale with high quality finishes are perfect candidates for detail shots.  These unique, popular, high value upgrades and amenities are often overlooked in typical listing photos. Detail shots can bring into focus the unique beauty and charm of the property being sold.

A listings appeal can be greatly enhanced by including close-ups of these  details worthy of special presentation. For example, a gourmet kitchen sink and faucet is an attractive feature to a buyer who loves to cook at home.  Buyers seeking these features will appreciate these close up shots.

Including a demonstrative shot of an otherwise overlooked detail, such this high-end audio and video system (included with the property) is stored within a custom cabinet. This valuable feature might otherwise be overlooked in a typical wide angle real estate photo.

You’ve heard the expression: the design is in the details. Detail shots complete the picture. These photos are a useful way to give potential buyers the full picture of a property, create excitement and buzz, and will ultimately lead to multiple great offers for the seller, often above asking price!

How to book

Please contact us and include the following info:

  • Street Address including city
  • Square footage
  • Ask for the detail shot upgrade
  • Preferred Date /time options for shoot
  • Will the agent meet photographer at property, or will key/code be provided?

Twilight Photography for Real Estate

When marketing real estate properties online, the quality of the photography you select has significant impact upon the sale price and the time on market.

Grab the attention of potential buyers while showcasing your property’s unique features with a twilight photography upgrade.

Exterior images of your property are taken just after the sunset, allowing the interior lighting of the home to shine through the windows, beautifully balanced against the soft glow of the evening’s sunset.

This balance of light, set against a dynamic sunset sky, creates an ideal image that is sure to make an impact on potential buyers.

How to book

Please contact us and include the following info:

  • Street Address including city
  • Square footage
  • Ask for the Twilight upgrade
  • Preferred Date /time options for shoot
  • Will the agent meet photographer at property, or will key/code be provided?

NOW HIRING: Digital Marketing Internship

JOB DESCRIPTION:

Ingage Marketing Agency (a.k.a. Ingage Advertising Agency) is a full-service marketing agency based in Greenville, North Carolina, providing creative brand development, effective marketing strategy, and stunning visual imagery to businesses and organizations in eastern North Carolina and beyond. Ingage is looking for motivated individuals to fill valuable positions on its team. Internship positions are available for Fall, Spring and Summer terms.

The internship offers valuable experience and mentoring through direct participation in the activities of the agency. As a member of the digital marketing team, you will enjoy working in a stimulating and creative environment. In addition to carrying out the duties listed below, members participate in regular creative brainstorming sessions, and may be asked to take on a special project. Members are encouraged to investigate current trends and develop new ideas. Many of these ideas have the potential to be incorporated into various projects. Team members are provided with their own workspaces. These are work-for-hire contracted internships (not payroll), and interns are hired as independent contractors for the duration of the internship. Inters are also asked to provide their own laptop computers and software. If an intern does not have a suitable laptop or software, company owned computers are available for use. Travel is not required for this position.

DUTIES INCLUDE (BUT NOT LIMITED TO):

  • Copywriting for various marketing materials, including print, web, email and social media
  • Assist with updates and creation of new content for various websites and other digital marketing communications
  • Develop scripts and co-produce (w/ editing staff) video blogs and other multimedia productions
  • Participate in creative brainstorming sessions with the creative team
  • Assist with proofreading and other quality control practices for various projects
  • Occasional administrative tasks Optional Duties (Opportunities exist for candidates to involve themselves in these related activities. These are not requirements for this position, but may be considered):
  • Photography and multimedia creation (Photography, Video, and Audio)
  • Assist with the graphic design, layout and pre-press of various print publications (brochures, posters, hand-outs, mailers, promotional items, etc.)
  • Various market research and planning

PREFERRED SKILLS:

Interest in marketing and communications; gregarious personality; ability to work independently; course work in marketing, public relations, journalism, or communications; background research, writing, and editing skills; familiarity with the Associated Press Stylebook; familiarity with the Chicago Manual of Style; understanding of major social media platforms (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, etc.); Basic graphic design abilities; Microsoft Word; familiarity with the Adobe Creative Suite Optional Skills (These skills are added benefits, but not required for this position): Photography and Multimedia production: Understanding and experience with DSLR photography or videography, Adobe Creative Suite.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE:

Please email info@ingageadagency.com to schedule an interview. Please include a cover letter, resume, list of references with contact info, unofficial college transcript, and 2-3 writing samples. Hours Per Week: 6-9 hours per week; 15 weeks per semester. Paid and for-credit-only internship positions available.

 

Occupied property MLS photo and video services to resume May 1

Ingage Advertising Agency will be opening up service under specific guidelines to occupied properties starting May 1st. These guidelines are intended to mitigate the risk of possible spread of COVID 19 infection. Services include ground based and aerial photography and videography; as well as creation of 2D or 3D floorpans and virtual tours. Virtual and practical staging is also available for these properties.

Our team members will be hand washing and sanitizing all equipment before and after the session. Members will be wearing personal protective equipment such as shoe coverings, gloves and face masks for the duration of these shoots.

In addition to any decluttering and staging, guidelines require that the home be cleaned and sanitized prior to our team member’s scheduled arrival. It is particularly important to disinfect door knobs, light switches, lamp switches, table tops and counter surfaces. It is also advised that the home be aired out for one hour prior to our arrival.

Occupants of the property must be symptom free and off property for the duration of the time it takes for our staff to complete their work. If occupants are unable to leave the property or the home has not been sanitized to the satisfaction of our staff, the shoot will be rescheduled for a time when these conditions can be met. Session times vary according to the size of the home and the complexity of the project. Session times generally range from 1 -4 hours. A key or lockbox code are required prior to the session, or the agent may be present to unlock the property upon our arrival.

Below is a complete and up-to-date set of Photography Preparation Guidelines. These should be completed 10 minutes prior to the scheduled shoot by either the seller or agent prior to the photographer’s arrival.

PRIOR TO SESSION

  • All lights ON (inside and outside); Replace broken/missing bulbs
  • All ceiling fans OFF
  • All blinds/shutters/curtains open or pulled up
  • Toilet seats closed
  • Personal care items not visible
  • Trash/recycle bins not visible
  • No cars in driveway or parked directly in front of house on the street
  • Children, pets, and pet items put away
  • Photos of people put out of view
  • Sanitize and disinfect door knobs, light switches, lamp switches and interior surfaces (we may need to turn on/off lights and ceiling fans between photography and videography)
  • Please have all interior doors open to all rooms ready to photographed
  • Occupants are asked to be off premises before our arrival. We ask that a key or lockbox code be provided prior to our arrival, or the agent may be required to unlock the property upon our arrival. Please allow our team up to 2-3 hours for photography and videography to be completed.
  • It is highly advised that the home be aired out for one hour prior to our arrival.

Related Posts:

COVID-19 and Greenville’s Stop the Spread Order

According to Greenville’s “stop the spreadorder, and clarified by Mayor P.J. Connelly, professional photographers are deemed essential services as it relates to real estate. Through April 29, we will only be shooting interiors of vacant (completely unoccupied) homes, but are still offering drone shoots, exteriors, and twilight shoots. Please schedule as normal if it is a vacant home, or contact us if you would like an exterior-only service. We hope that this will only last through April 29, but we will be following city, county and state guidelines.

This is a very risky time for everyone and we want to be sure that the decisions we make are helping the local real estate industry and keeping everyone involved healthy. Although it is not a substitute for professional photography, we are also open to offering photo editing for your cell phone or DSLR photos – please contact us for details on this.

How to book

Please contact us and include the following info:

  • Street Address including city
  • Square footage
  • List the package you wish to purchase
  • Preferred Date /time options for shoot
  • Will the agent meet photographer at property, or will key/code be provided?

Remember, we have made modifications to our home prep guide. See these changes here

Related Posts:

Show more and save money with these special pro-rated packages!
We are making some changes to our MLS photo/video sessions
Leverage media tour webpages to drive sales
Get noticed, show more, sell faster!

We are making some changes to our MLS photo/video sessions

Due to the increasing health risks posed by COVID-19 exposure, we are making some changes to how we are conducting our real estate photo and video shoots for the foreseeable future.

First of all, we appreciate the delicate balance between taking precautions to reduce possible exposure to the virus and keeping business moving forward. We appreciate the difficult position that this crisis has put us all in. We love serving our clients and being a part of their success. Nothing makes us happier! However,  we have all felt the impacts of this current disruption. Public health must come first. Therefore, after very careful thought and consideration we have put together the following changes to how we will be working with you until the health threat has passed.

1) We are taking steps to keep from inadvertently bringing contagion into our client’s properties. Before and after every photo/video session we carefully wash our hands with soap and water, as well as sanitizing our equipment before and after every shoot. We are wearing new protective gloves and replacing these after every session. We began this practice March 16th.

2) Beginning immediately we will only accept new appointments for photo/video sessions for unoccupied properties. That means if anyone is currently living in the property, we will NOT be shooting in that property. We will no longer be booking any a new appointments within occupied properties until further notice. For those photo and video sessions that have already been booked, we will gladly honor those bookings and ask that the occupants not be present for the duration of the photoshoot. We understand that this may be an inconvenience, but we must insist on this precaution. If occupants are present at time of booking and are unwilling/unable to leave, we will be forced to either cancel the booking or reschedule for a time that they will be able to be absent for the duration of the session.

3) We request that the property be prepared before we arrive for the shoot (lights on, fans off, blinds/shutters/curtains open, etc.) We will be shooting the property as is, and will not be handling light switches, blinds, or door knobs. In addition to the prep list items provided below, please have all interior doors open to all rooms ready to photographed. If a door is closed, we will take it to mean that that space behind the door is not intended to the photographed. The goal is to minimize exposure to the virus that may be present. There will be no reshoots due to properties not being properly prepared.

4) We also ask that homeowners wipe down / disinfect exterior door knobs prior to our arrival. The less we have to handle, the smaller the chance contagion might be transferred.

5) Occupants are asked to be off premises before our arrival. We ask that a key or lockbox code be provided, or the agent may be present to unlock the property upon our arrival.

We love working with you and your sellers. These are difficult policies, but the threat is real and the number of infections is expected to exponentially increase in the days and weeks to come. We hope that by doing our part, we can contribute to the fight against this virus, while doing what we can to continue serving our clients.

Modified Real Estate Photography Prep Checklist 

PRIOR TO SESSION

  • All lights ON (inside and outside); Replace broken/missing bulbs
  • All ceiling fans OFF
  • All blinds/shutters/curtains open or pulled up
  • Toilet seats closed
  • Personal care items not visible
  • Trash/recycle bins not visible
  • No cars in driveway
  • Children, pets, and pet items put away
  • Photos of people put out of view
  • Wipe down / disinfect exterior door knobs
  • Please have all interior doors open to all rooms ready to photographed
  • Occupants are asked to be off premises before our arrival. We ask that a key or lockbox code be provided prior to our arrival, or the agent may be required to unlock the property upon our arrival.

Leverage media tour webpages to drive sales

Ingage’s media tour webpages can magnify your listing’s impact through storytelling! Ingage utilizes the Adobe Spark platform to create stunning visual presentation webpages of your listings, which include: photos, videos, graphics, videos and web links. These custom designed webpages can be embedded inside your existing website (or blog) and shared with your interested buyers via social media, email or text.

Check out this media tour we created for the Stancill Realty Group of Keller Williams Points East.

Whispering Winds Farm

If this kind of presentation tool interests you, contact us today to discuss your project. Ingage is offering these media tour webpages (for a limited time) as a $15 add-on to any of our photography packages.

Call (252) 751-1717 to schedule a shoot, or schedule a free consultation.

Read more about our real estate marketing services: Get noticed, show more, sell faster!