This week on The Home Builder Digital Marketing Podcast, Janell Norton of DC DesignBar joins Greg and Kevin to discuss why successful home builder marketing starts with a story.
As the homebuilding market transitions back to a marketing-driven environment, home builders need to concentrate on their existing customer base. Janell explains,
“…focus on the customers that you already have. Focus on the leads that you already have. Work those leads, and then let’s start working into finding those new leads for you. When you start looking at finding those new leads and finding those new home buyers, look at what’s working. Look at where your leads are coming from right now and start building your strategy and your campaign around those channels.”
Creating a positive marketing strategy begins with highlighting outstanding aspects of the home builder and telling a story about those features. Janell says,
“So, you know when you’re planning any campaign and any strategy, especially in the home building arena because it is a longer process, you should have a story that you’re telling. You should be telling a story in a way that it connects with your potential home buyer or target audiences.”
Experience matters most to customers and that must be part of the marketing story. Janelle says,
“People buy an incredible experience. The price of a home or the price of a product or even the service being offered has become secondary to people. So, when you are in that mass market that a lot of people are in and consume, the story needs to be the exceptional experience you are going to have with that builder.”
Listen this week to learn more about the value of storytelling in marketing.
About the Guest:
Janell is the founder of DC DesignBar, which is an exclusive Marketing Strategy Agency providing leading digital and traditional marketing services to Developers, New Home Builders, and Architects.
Janell has established herself as an industry leader having overseen projects like Union Market DC, Mosaic District Fairfax, Arbor Row Tyson’s, Peninsula 88 at Buzzard Point, Jasper, and Timber Sky.
By managing specific aspects of business development, Janell works exclusively on her client’s behalf to bring new, engaging, interactive marketing collateral to their existing portfolios. Janell’s “creative” nature, combined with her knowledge of advertising and love of technology, led her in the direction of starting a company that helps people enjoy engagement campaigns.
Janell’s career also includes a position as MIS Director, at Sentinel Technologies, managing the national business development and marketing efforts of a renowned IT design firm.
Janell holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Denver Business College. Her expertise and opinions have been featured across many media platforms, including; Discovery Channel, AZ Channel 3, FM Talk Radio, and FrontDoor. She is a frequent speaker on topics such as “Engage” a 2006 webinar series on converting print publications to interactive digital publications that engage the reader and “Reach” 2007 opening niche digital revenue stream to grow distribution as well as subscriber base.
She enjoys golfing, culinary delights, music, writing, and exploring new cities to find their hidden treasures.