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Geo-Farming: A Ticket to More Qualified Leads

Running newspaper ads, putting As expected, having half as many homes

up billboards and posting fliers to showcase drew a slightly smaller crowd. But
the targeted promotion of the event attracted a
is so 20th century significantly larger pool of qualified leads.

“All of the participating remodelers told me
While promoting an event or a product in 2018 still afterwards that attendees were far more qualified,
isn’t an exact science, marketing tactics have come more serious and better able to actually move
a long way thanks to advanced technology. forward with a remodel than in previous tours,”
Case in point: the Remodeled Tour of Homes Lafranca said. “Evidence of that showed in the
hosted by the MBA of Pierce County (Washington). notable increase of callbacks our guys got this time.”
For more than two decades, the MBA has The MBA is ramping up for its next Tour of
successfully put on this annual Remodeled Homes this fall, and
tour, typically drawing several organizers intend to use a similar
hundred attendees touring 10-12 promotional strategy. But this time,
remodeled homes. Geo-farming — they’ll go a step further with geo-
But in 2017, the number of a marketing tactic farming by zeroing in on specific
homes signed up for the tour that collects mobile consumers based on their hobbies,
dropped to just five. So organizers IDs of people interests and lifestyle preferences.
knew they’d need to expand For anyone who’s interested in
their promotional efforts beyond who fit particular shaking up their marketing efforts
the traditional methods if they demographics and to generate better leads, Lafranca
wanted strong attendance. who have visited would encourage them to reach
The new strategy: Geo- certain businesses, out to a few local marketing groups.
farming — a marketing tactic events or websites, “It’s definitely worth a quick call
that collects mobile IDs of people or sitdown to at least familiarize
who fit particular demographics and targets them yourself with what they can offer
and who have visited certain with banner ads. and determine what might work
businesses, events or websites, best in your market,” he said. “For us,
and targets them with banner ads. we got great results that came at a
“We were able to target very reasonable cost.”
people who live in the Pierce County area, have More tips and information about home-show
an annual income above $200,000, and who had planning and logistics, including best practices used
either purchased or done an online search for things by other HBAs, can be found at nahb.org in the
related to remodeling,” said Jeremiah Lafranca, the Parade of Homes Toolkit.
MBA’s executive officer. NAHB JULY 2018

AUGUST 2018 | GREATER SAN ANTONIO BUILDERS ASSOCIATION 23