When I left my job to start my rent roll, I went from being in a BIG office on the main street of town, with a fancy reception desk, a touch screen window display and being part of an established franchise group….

…And I ended up working from home, running a totally unknown independent brand, doing ONLY property management (which was very unusual in my area at the time) and trying to grow my rent roll when nobody knew who I was!

Let me tell you, that was a rude awakening.

When nobody knows about you, nobody rings you.

And when nobody rings you, it’s TOUGH to grow your rent roll.

Tough, but not impossible.

So, there’s a couple of things I had to do to get more brand exposure, when I was completely unknown.

And over time, I’ve discovered SO many more things you can do to get more brand exposure…

If you want to know exactly what 3 things you should do to get more brand exposure, especially if you’re in the first couple of years in your rent roll, here they are:

1.  Networking

I’m a massive introvert, so group networking has always been a challenge for me. I’m not a natural at this.  But I “feel the fear and do it anyway”.  And you should too.

Pick just one or two group networking events that you can find on MeetUp, BNI or a local chamber of commerce group, and get to them each month.

You’ll find that these group networking events are an excellent investment of your time, and you’ll instantly create stronger brand awareness within your local business community.  And your local business community is a place filled with people who talk to people!  I know that sounds silly and obvious, but if you can be connecting and networking with business people, they’ll talk about you to their family, friends and clients.

It’s old fashioned, but traditional “word of mouth” marketing is powerful when it comes to growing your brand awareness.

If you need a step by step guide on how to grow your network and referral marketing strategy, download my referral marketing blueprint right here.

2.  Genuine Social Interaction

Social media is awesome. And it’s a brilliant way to connect with more people than you could possibly connect with in person, but you need to focus on genuine, authentic connections here, otherwise it will feel fake.

Here are 2 ways I love connecting on social media and growing relationships…

1) Birthday Messages on Facebook – I used to post on other people’s Facebook wall when it was their birthday.  Until someone else sent me a personal, private message a couple of days before my birthday, and it made my day!

So now, each week or so, I send personalised birthday messages to my Facebook friends, usually a couple of days before it’s actually their birthday.

Let me tell you, in terms of genuine connections, this has made me more friends and connections than when I used to post on their Facebook wall only.  Plus, it’s really fun to make someone else feel so special!

2) Voice Messages on Instagram – About once a week I jump on Instagram, see what new followers I’ve acquired during the week and send a personal voice message to them to say hi and thanks for the follow!

This is a really fun thing to do, and I’ve made so many friends, created new referral partnerships and acquired new clients through this practice!

3.  Paid Social Media Ads

The first time I was ever asked to speak at an event was because someone from a major franchise group called me and said “you’re all over social media” and she wanted me to come and speak to her franchise group.

The only reason I was “all over social media” is because of my paid Facebook and Instagram advertising strategy.  It’s the tool I use to generate leads anytime I want more leads.

So, it’s important for you to learn how to use paid social media ads to generate leads and include this as part of your brand exposure strategy.  And if you want an outline of my 7 step process for getting leads from Facebook, click here to download the 7 Steps For Getting Landlord Leads from Facebook

Here’s the thing…

As you’re growing your rent roll, and even if your brand is completely unknown, there are some very effective, low cost (even free) ways to grow your brand exposure so you can overtake the other (more established) brands in your area!

If you haven’t seen my last blog titled How to take a holiday when you own your rent roll be sure to check that out next!