In today's fast-paced world, homebuyers are looking to one-stop shopping now more than ever before. Paging through the Sunday paper's real estate section is a thing of the past. Targeted media publications like Harmon Homes magazines and HarmonHomes.com offer everything a homebuyer needs in one convenient stop, proving that searching through the newspaper's meager section of real estate properties is a waste of homebuyers' valuable time.
Targeted print publications such as Harmon Homes Magazines offer a cost-effective way to advertise by targeting your marketing dollars. Consider the audience for each publication: newspapers are a form of mass media directed at everyone, which is what makes them so costly; targeted print publications are designed specifically for those in the real estate market. Since people only go through the home buying process approximately once every seven years, only about 3-5% of people are actually looking at the real estate section at any given time. So why pay to advertise in the newspaperthe most expensive place to advertisewhen only four out of every hundred people will view your listings?
When advertising in targeted print publications, you're only paying to advertise to those who are picking the magazine up, which are those people in the home buying market. Harmon Homes conducts market research studies to determine where the best locations are and how many consumers are picking up magazines, so you only pay for what is actually used!
Another advantage targeted print has over newspaper is its shelf life. Newspapers generally last about three days before being thrown away, and are only on the streets for one day. A targeted print magazine lasts an average of thirty days and has a street life of the same amount of time. These books are held onto for longer periods of time, becoming a homebuyer's "wish book." They will read through the magazine, circle ads they're interested in, and then share their findings with their spouse, friends, and family. And since Harmon Homes magazines are printed with top quality in mind, ads are available with color photos so buyers can see the homes they're reading about. To advertise with color in the newspaper is very costly, whereas in Harmon Homes magazines, it is quite inexpensive. The decision to read or discard an ad is made in the blink of an eye, so it only makes sense to advertise with color rather than black and white. Home buyers will have photos right in front of them to show when they share the ads with others.
Demographics groups are another major factor to consider. "Look into any newspaper's circulation statistics and you will find the readership shrinking by large numbers every year. The primary reason is that the younger half of Baby Boomers and all of Generation X and Y do not get the newspaper as a whole, meaning that the vast majority of the people intended to see the listings are being missed," explained Dave Mangold, Vice President of Business Development for Harmon Homes. "They have come to rely very heavily on the targeted distribution magazine as well as the Internet, which Harmon Homes brilliantly incorporates with the real estate agent's site, eHarmonHomes.com and HarmonHomes.com. By focusing on newspaper distribution, you have decided to market yourself to the 50+ crowd almost exclusively, completely leaving the 21 to 49 age group without your message."
Harmon Homes magazines have the competitive advantage of a print and Internet marketing combination. All the ads in the print publications are listed online at HarmonHomes.com and eHarmonHomes.com. Buyers can search HarmonHomes.com to find real estate in any market across the country. eHarmonHomes.com offers exact digital replicas of the print magazines, making it convenient for buyers to call a friend across the country and point to the specific page they're looking at. The sites have interactive links allowing viewers to check out real estate agents Web sites, e-mail real estate agents, or get more information about other companies participating in the magazine. The magazines are often a buyer's first look into the market, and are picked up long before they ever contact a real estate agent.
Harmon Homes' targeted print magazines are segmented in different markets across the country. "Our publications are focused on specific areas. Buyers can pick up a book that has listings exclusive to the market in which they are looking to buy. In today's busy world, this makes it a convenient and focused one-stop-shop to buy and sell real estate," says Mangold.
Harmon Homes, a division of Dominion Enterprises, provides innovative marketing solutions for real estate professionals across the country. With a nationwide network of more than 250 targeted print publications and a dynamic range of Internet offerings including HarmonHomes.com, Homes.com and eBooks at eHarmonHomes.com, Harmon Homes provides homebuyers with the tools they need to find a new home and serves as a convenient and effective advertising forum for real estate professionals. Dominion Enterprises divisions include Homes.com, ADVANCED ACCESS, RPiS, Katabat, and Best Image Marketing. Other brands also include Harmon Homes, Distinctive Homes, Home Solutions, and New Homes & Living. For more information about Harmon Homes, visit HarmonHomes.com, call 1-877-9-HARMON, or email results@HarmonHomes.com.
