The Do’s and Don’ts of Marketing That Resonates
Most marketing doesn’t fail because it’s wrong. It fails because it sounds like everyone else. “Great service.” “A family culture.” “We put you first.” It may all be true, but your competitors say it too, and your audience scrolls right past it.
Marketing that resonates starts with knowing exactly who you’re talking to, then saying what only you can say. Here are the do’s and don’ts I use every time I write, design and plan marketing for a client.
The Do’s
Do pick one audience for each piece. A first-time buyer, a couple dreaming about a winter home and an agent weighing a brokerage move need different messages. When one post tries to speak to all of them, it speaks to none of them.
Do lead with their moment, not your company. People act when something in their life is changing: a new job, an empty nest, a dog that needs a yard. Start there. Your logo can come at the end.
Do say what only you can say. Your results, your people, the way you work and the reason clients choose you. If a competitor could put their name on your post without changing a word, rewrite it.
Do keep the words short and the look consistent. One strong headline, one supporting line and one clear next step. Use the same colors, fonts and tone across social, email, your website and print, so people recognize you before they read your name.
Do give every piece one next step. Call, book, reply, scan or visit. Pick one. Then make sure it works, with your CRM ready to follow up when someone raises their hand.
The Don’ts
Don’t post just to post. Another “Happy Monday” graphic doesn’t build a relationship. If a piece doesn’t help, teach or move someone closer to a decision, skip it.
Don’t bury the message in features. Square footage and bedroom counts matter, but the feeling sells first. “Cross the street. You’re on the sand.” does more work than a paragraph of specs.
Don’t borrow a big brand’s voice. Sound like you. That’s your advantage.
Don’t let AI write the whole thing. I use AI to research and draft faster, but every piece still gets edited for your voice and checked for accuracy before it goes out. Your audience can tell the difference.
Don’t launch and walk away. Look at what earned clicks, replies and calls. Do more of what worked and retire what didn’t.
Put It to Work
Pull up your last five posts or emails and ask four questions about each one. Who was it for? What moment was it speaking to? Could a competitor have posted it? What was the one next step? If you can’t answer all four, you’ve found your next edit.
Want to see these ideas in action? Take a look at marketing I’ve created for clients. If you’d like a partner to write, design and plan it with you, book a free Q&A call.
Here’s to marketing that sounds like you!
– Dana
