Doesn't it always come down to time?

When we talk to real estate professionals about what's holding them back, we hear over and over: Time. When the marketing engine isn't quite humming – time. When past clients aren't becoming future clients – time.

This is a business built on personal contact, and the better you are at consistently showing knowledge and authenticity, the stronger your business results. But how we maintain contact is changing, and so is marketing in our industry. The challenge for many of us today is focusing on the right fundamental skills we need to drive real business.

Here are the five must-have marketing skills that you need to keep top of mind to build a high producing sales machine.

1. Good Content

To generate new listings and new sales, you need to attract new clients. That means content. This could be posts on your website, videos, even tweets – whatever forum you choose, effective lead generation happens when you give something of value. In today's industry, you need to be a publisher and author. What to write? You've got lots of choice: market commentary, selling strategies, information about staging a home, neighborhood events. Great content builds trust, draws people to your site and also makes it easier for you to stay top of mind with past clients.

2. Focus on What Gets You to Closings

Despite everything you've got on your plate, you've got to live and breathe your sales pipeline. That means understanding how much of your business comes from referrals, how much from new business, how long it might take for a lead to turn into a contact or client, and how you can grow each of those categories. Do you know, at this moment, how many of your leads turned into listings or sales last year? What about the source of each of your closings? The only way you can impact leads, opportunities and closings is if you are constantly reviewing the source of business.

3. Social Media

Are you tired of hearing about Facebook? I don't blame you. Few of us will become social media gurus, but that's not really the goal. Facebook and other social media are a key part of establishing your personal brand. By doing so, you make it easier for new clients to understand your knowledge and background. Treat social media as a powerful venue for defining your value and sharing your insights; you may not generate new clients directly or immediately, but you'll establish trust and make it easier for new and past clients to reach you.

4. Measurement

If you aren't measuring, you're not marketing. Everything we do in the marketing arena can, and must, be measured. Not all metrics are about sales: you can track visits, mentions, ad spend. The key is to develop a reporting habit and to create a set of measurements that make sense for you.

5. Technology

Technology isn't going away, but it is getting friendlier. It's time to embrace solutions that can actually make your life easier, and maybe even inject a little fun. Look for solutions that are tailored to our industry, quick to set up, and allow you to gain more of that important asset: time.

To view the original article, visit RISMedia.