This week, I chatted with my dear friend Cynthia Castillo, Marketing Strategist and owner of Mango Business Consulting. We met on Social Media, of course, and jumped on a call to discuss “The Power of Branding: Becoming Iconic & Staying Top of Mind.”
-If you need help creating a captivating Newsletter, Create and Systematize your Social Media and converting followers into “fans” that will talk about you to their friends, reply directly to this email! I have a System for YOU!-
Personal branding is crucial for connecting with potential clients and fostering relationships
“Becoming Iconic” is the ability to be memorable and transcend the topic or industry you are currently in: How to Sell Yourself in a way that can translate beyond the product you are currently selling. As a realtor, selling home features or market stats is encapsulating me in a very specific box that will not allow me to translate my brand to other products, business ventures or opportunities, capping the longevity of my personal brand and making it impossible to sell anything else beyond houses.
The more Personal you can be in the brand you’re building, the more Universal you can be in what you’re selling.
“Filipa: Do I actually know who I am and do I feel confident and comfortable sharing that with the world? Otherwise you’re just a parrot, right? You are repeating what everyone else is already saying or can easily find out.
Cynthia: No doubt. People no longer want to see ads that look like everything else, they want your personal opinion. What do these trends mean, what is your personal view of them.”
People want to feel like they know you.
Storytelling and sharing authentic experiences resonates more than just posting facts/stats
Marketing & Branding is NOT the service you’re providing. Is an insight to who you are and what they can expect when they pick up the phone. As controversial as it may seem, they do not want the picture perfect realtor.
They want someone they can identify with. Vulnerability is the biggest key for me. So many of the people I talk to feel intimidated by realtors. Unable to connect to people who carry financial shame. I like to show that I am not standing on a high horse of knowledge but this is a journey we are taking together towards “Success”. I am learning to care less about how I am perceived and more with sharing that I also struggle with having opposing thoughts, I have issues with the housing market, the state of the Industry. I also dislike being seen as a paycheck or a transaction. I have worked hard to show that I too am walking the bridge.
“Filipa: Real Estate Agents do have to be artists. Information is easily accessible. Everyone is drowning in information. The art part is how do I weave this into a Story that is relevant and appealing to the costumer?
Cynthia: That’s true. Story telling is so important and sharing your personal stories. As an agent you have useful stories, horror stories and crazy stories. It’s so important to share them.”
I mean, storytelling and parables worked for Jesus, right?
Consistently showing up on preferred platforms builds trust and memorability
Personal branding seems ethereal and out there but what does it actually look like on a day to day? What does that look like on my calendar? How do I actually bring branding concepts and story telling into a social media post, or a newsletter? How do I systematize it and bring it across platforms?
Having a system is the only way to bring your voice or brand into platforms that ultimate leverage your message.
If you need help creating a captivating Newsletter, Create and Systematize your Social Media and converting followers into “fans” that will talk about you to their friends, reply directly to this email! I have a System for YOU!
According to Cynthia, our Marketing Strategist, it starts with “having a commitment to yourself: I will post on Social Media x amount of times a week or send out a monthly newsletter, even if that doesn’t sound like fun. Most people get stuck because they don’t know what to say or what to post. I think the easiest way to start is making a list of questions you have or have been asked and share what you have learned.
Filipa: I agree. Make a choice and then systematize it. As boring as it sounds, there is no way around that.
Cynthia: Yes, just start with one. Don’t overwhelm yourself.
Filipa: What platforms are you choosing? If I like this platform than the people that are like me will most likely be here too. I don’t need to post on platforms that I don’t actively use. Do you read emails? Start there. Start where you are.”
A lot of this is trial and error, experimentation. Try it, get feedback, implement. Course correct. And shape your business WITH the consumer.
I love posting on Stories, personally. I am natural born story teller. Stories are the easiest to shoot, no editing necessary. More intimate, and you can easily point people on your feed towards them. BONUS: Stories are less visible but they force people to take action. The CTA of a Story view increases the likelihood of a relationship. The more work you ask your audience to do, the more invested they will be. What comes easy, leaves easy. These are all art/ performance principles. Cynthia reiterates that making a habit of it will also create a habit for your audience, creating a dynamic pattern between the brand and the audience.
Capturing leads' contact info (email, phone) allows you to own your business data
Ultimately, the goal is to capture data. Posting on Social Media is a 3D billboard but your goal should always be to capture people’s information and own their data. The data acquired on Socials (vs personal relationships) takes longer to convert and needs to be nurtured with more care and persistence.
“Cynthia: You absolutely want to own that data. If you decide to sell your business, email lists have monetary value on their own.
Filipa: And start where you are. If you don’t have a landing page, send people a DM. Ask them for their phone or email. Your business is NOT Social Media. Is the people that you can actually contact and talk directly to.”
Email Marketing ROI is over 3000%. Plug them in a drip campaign and a personal newsletter. If it’s a copy paste newsletter, don’t bother and stick to drip emails. The idea is they can get to know another version of you. Ask yourself, why would anyone read this. Standing out in a sea of boring emails is a task in itself.
Boredom Kills. It is a better practice to piss people off than to bore them.
Attention is the highest commodity being traded in Business. DO NOT BE AFRAID OF SOME HEAT. They may dislike you, but they won’t forget you. BONUS TIP: people that disagree/ dislike you, will spread your message faster than your “fans”.
Don’t get caught up in the illusion that you need a lot of views, followers, likes or emails. Starting small gives you privacy to make mistakes. Send the mistakes, post the cringe. Marketing and branding is not celebrity and fame. You are inconsequential, a blip, a grain of sand. The more mistakes you can make, the faster you can learn.
If you need help creating a captivating Newsletter, Create and Systematize your Social Media and converting followers into “fans” that will talk about you to their friends, reply directly to this email! I have a System for YOU!
WHAT WE LEARNED TODAY:
Importance of Personal Branding:
Knowing who you are and how to present yourself is key
You're selling yourself, you are the product
Sharing opinions/perspectives adds value beyond publicly available info
Power of Storytelling
Stories make content more compelling and relatable
Share experiences, wins, challenges to showcase value
Helps educate clients beyond just numbers/stats
Showing Up Consistently
Pick 1-2 preferred platforms to start and focus efforts
Consistent presence builds trust and memorability
Use stories/reels to drive traffic to your main platform
Capturing Leads
Own your data by getting emails, phone numbers and addresses
Protects you from being too reliant on any single platform
Allows you to nurture relationships directly
Starting Small and Iterating
Don't get paralyzed, just start with what you have
Get something out there and iterate based on feedback
Unpolished/imperfect content can feel more authentic
Next Steps:
Identify 1-2 platforms to consistently show up on
Start collecting emails/contacts through lead magnets
Develop a cadence for sharing stories and insights (e.g. newsletter)
Test different content and track what resonates
Email me anytime for tips using this link or respond directly to this email
If you need help creating a captivating Newsletter, Create and Systematize your Social Media and converting followers into “fans” that will talk about you to their friends, reply directly to this email! I have a System for YOU!
Connect with Cynthia right here: https://www.mangobizc.com/
*This is an Affiliate Link which means I may receive a small percentage of the commission, at no additional cost to you, if you decide to make a purchase through my recommended partner. I only recommend and partner with products or services that I trust and believe will be beneficial to my readers. This helps support my efforts in bringing you valuable content. Thank you for your support!
Wanna chat with Mee? click here.
Need daily inspiration to reach your goals, follow us on Instagram!
For a peak at how my mind works, follow on X (also known as twitter).
Share this Newsletter with the world if you find it useful!
You are receiving this email because our paths crossed somewhere along the way.
I am Real Estate agent licensed in the State of NY with Keller Williams of Greater Rochester.
