It is 2009. Print advertising is on the way out. Online real estate has passed the tipping point. It is time to move on. There are numerous opportunities to spend money online. Many of those methods require complex calculations and another bowl of alphabet soup to digest - CPI, PPC, CPM. Trulia is an excellent place to start an online advertising campaign. First, there is abundant consumer traffic at Trulia and it makes sense. Second, the advertising model is EASY. Third, It is inexpensive.

There are three components of a Trulia Pro advertising campaign - Spotlight Ads, Featured Listings, and Enhanced Statistics reporting for seller clients. The trick to success in online advertising is the same as the trick to success anywhere - Differentiate Yourself!

Discover what most agents are doing, then do something different!

In real estate spotlight advertising, most agents are constructing ads featuring their profile picture and a link to their web sites. With few exceptions, there are more click throughs on ads without agent photos than on ads with agent photos.

The following topics will attract click throughs on your Trulia Pro spotlight ad:

1. Advertise a Listing- Use a photo of a listed property, and write a descriptive title in less than 35 characters that evokes an emotion, NOT the property address. Use words in the description that entice and engage. Link the ad to a page that is devoted solely to this property, the Trulia listing page or another page containing your contact information. Do NOT link to your profile page or the home page of your real estate web site.
    
2. Foreclosures - Buyers are looking for bargains, and foreclosures generate lots of click throughs. If you list bank properties, consider featuring one in your spotlight ad. See example at right, a Trulia Pro spotlight ad created by Arizona REALTOR Yvonne Coelet. If you do not have a current bank owned listing, consider designing a landing page that features HUD homes or other information relative to the purchase of bank owned homes.
    
3. Auctions - Construct an ad for a property available at auction or for a group of properties. Include the date of the auction in the descriptive text to create a sense of urgency attached to the ad. Remember to replace the ad following the auction date.
    
4. Losing Your Home? - Consider running an ad that is a Public Service Announcement with a link to resources that will help distressed homeowners avoid foreclosure. Alternate that ad with others in the course of a month. Distinguish yourself for community service and outreach.
    
5. Buyer Agent - A spotlight ad is a terrific vehicle for a buyer's agent. Consider writing an ad that explains the importance of sole representation in the home buying process. Establish yourself as a sole agency evangelist.
    
6. Historic Properties - Vintage homes are the stuff of wonderful eye candy. Couple a photo with a great title and text and link to a page rich with photos and delicious property details.
    
7. Home and Neighborhood Tours - Explore homes and neighborhoods and let your creative muses soar. Design virtual tours or videos as target links from a super ad.
    
8. Open House - Run a spotlight ad to feature an Open House, and include the date in the text. Don't forget to replace the ad when the Open House is over.
    
9. Horse Properties - Let your imagination run wild with imagery and write text to appear the inner cowboy and cowgirl hiding in buyers everywhere.
    
10. Vacant Land - Spotlight ads a great way to promote vacant lots and land. Where are the buyers? Experiment with out-of-area locales to market your listings.
     
11. Investment Properties - Do you have a listing with a good cap rate? Use it in the headline or text!
     
12. Real Estate Staging - Do you have staging credentials? Create an ad about an service highly important to sellers, and link it directly to a page that spells out the value proposition of a well staged home.
     
13. Mortgages and Lending - Was there ever more concern and confusion about mortgage lending? First-time home buyer programs, FHA financing, jumbo loans - there is no limit the appetite buyers and homeowners have for information in these troubled times.
     
14. Special Reports- Do you have special reports for buyers? Some premier template web sites like Point2 Agent have built-in report content. Use a screen shot of the cover of a report to illustrate the ad. Link to a sign-up page to collect contact information prior to delivering the report.
     
15. Home Buyer Seminar- Do you offer seminars? A spotlight ad is a perfect tool to draw attendees to  your event - in person, on a teleconference, or to a Webinar. (Stay tuned for a future blog post about conducting teleconferences and Webinars for real estate buyers and sellers. Send me an e-mail and I will send information when I schedule the next FREE online event.)

(Sign up for Trulia Pro and use this coupon for TWO FREE MONTHS: F44NN)