How Do You HOP? Pilgrim Title Finds Success
When Dena Davis joined Pilgrim Title in 2017, the Rhode Island-based title company didn’t have a social media presence. As marketing & business development director, Davis’ main role was to quickly ramp up efforts with the goal of creating a social media footprint and promoting the company’s brand. She turned to ALTA’s Homeowner Outreach Program (HOP) for the resources.
“We made a decision to make a big push in the area of brand awareness and marketing through education and by creating a strong social media presence,” Davis said. “In a competitive business environment reliant on referrals, we felt this was most important."
HOP provides more than 60 marketing and education resources that members can use to communicate with homeowners, Realtors, lenders and others. (ALTA recently added material that's helpful in seller-pay states). Davis said Pilgrim Title employed a 360-degree approach and started by branding and printing all the hard copy materials offered through HOP. This included presentations, rack cards and other advertisements. The materials were then shared during face-to-face meetings with Realtors and lenders so that they could then use the information to educate their clients. The company also provides the materials on its website.
“We also attended a number of trade shows such as the Rhode Island Home Show where we partnered with the Rhode Island Association of Realtors and offered materials to attendees,” Davis said. “We continue to use the materials in conferences and in welcome packs when we make new connections with associates."
Pilgrim Title also created branded slide shows and videos based on materials offered through HOP to provide continuing education classes offered through the Realtor association.
“The face-to-face marketing is most valuable, and people appreciate materials they can use,” Davis said.
The company also took advantage of the various digital resources and posted the educational videos on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram to reach the wider public, particularly first-time homebuyers. Additionally, Davis utilized the HOP blog topics for posts on LinkedIn to reach its real estate partners on a business platform. The company’s monthly newsletter often includes HOP informational/educational materials and they use the HOP welcome letter template to reach out to new clients.
Customer Feedback
At the center of Pilgrim Title’s efforts is TOD, the company mascot that stands for Title On Demand. TOD acts as a portal to the company’s website and services. Davis says response to TOD has been off the charts and well received from Realtors and lenders because they say the Title On Demand portal makes transactions smoother.
“People seem to appreciate the sense of humor he brings, while offering useful information, tools and community outreach,” Davis said. “We felt that creating a persona representing everything title, would make the information we share more digestible, and frankly, more fun."
People often interact with TOD online, and clients often want their picture taken with a cardboard cutout of TOD after a closing, Davis added. Pilgrim Title recently launched TOD Talks videos, where its attorneys address common title issues and solutions the company offers.
"Since TOD is part of a large campaign, it was important to us that he was memorable," Davis said. "We wanted a six-foot-tall TOD in our office so that we could take pictures of happy homeowners and their agents at the time of closing."
Results
So, what have been the results? Davis says the company now has a thriving social media presence, gaining followers and customers. During a recent month, views on Pilgrim Title’s Facebook page increased 127 percent, while engagement increased 81 percent. A recent video campaign bumped up company video views by 735 percent. Maintaining this growth does take a focused effort, according to Davis.
“While our market does not track market share for agents, we have seen our business base grow since we embarked on these efforts,” she added. “In addition, based on ALTA published premium data, we are confident our market position has strengthened considerably.”
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