Why are you still "following up?"

I have gotten a lot of questions lately about follow up. Which drip campaigns work the best? How should I set up my auto plans? When should I be following up with leads? And my response might be a bit surprising, why are you following up?

I don't like to follow up with leads or my database. Those auto plans and drip campaigns? The recipient knows it's not you writing them and they see them as nothing more than spam. Are they better than nothing? Sure, but they don't get a lot of engagement. That's why I don't follow up.

Now I am not suggesting you ignore your leads or your database, which would be terrible advice. What I am recommending is that you provide value when you communicate with people and don't just "follow up." Every interaction is an opportunity to show your expertise and how you can help someone, don't waste any of them on generic drip campaign messages.

Some of the ways I have found that are very effective are:

- A monthly newsletter that shares community updates, news, market information, and local business features

- Market updates that include market stats and an explanation of what is happening in the market

- Case studies or stories of how you are helping your clients win in this market

- Spotlight local businesses and interview the owners to share their story

- Share and describe local community events

- Utilize your vendor network to share information about the process of buying or selling a home to educate clients on what to expect

If you are comfortable on video, then you could make some great videos that could be shared on social media, YouTube, and on your website. If you prefer to write, then these could be great blogs. Either way, you can produce them and share them on all of your digital platforms while also sharing them with your leads and database.

Regardless of where people are in the process, interactions like these ensure that people will remain engaged with you and view you as the expert and community leader in your market. The more people get to know and like you, the easier it will be to get them to trust you. Your content will be what shows them they can trust you. Ultimately, isn't that the whole point of "following up" in the first place?

I would love to hear your favorite ways to stay in touch with your leads and database. What gets the best response for you?