How to Grow Your Estate Sale Company: The Ultimate Guide to Estate Sale Marketing

If you’re an estate liquidator, you probably know how to get the word out about your business. You’ve done it countless times before and aren’t shy about sharing your knowledge with others.

But what if you could take your marketing to the next level? What if you could generate more leads and referrals than ever before? Our experts will show you how you can modify existing strategies in order to create a marketing approach that is tailor-made for digital mediums.

In our guide below, we’ll answer key questions, such as, “Where is the best place to post estate sales?” In addition, we’ll outline some of the benefits of going digital. We’ll even give you some tools to jumpstart your new approach to marketing!

Where to Advertise Estate Sales

An estate liquidation company can market their business using a combination of the following methods:

• Online advertising (e.g. Google Ads, Facebook Ads)
• Search engine optimization (SEO) for their website
• Social media presence (e.g. Facebook, Instagram)
• Referrals from satisfied customers
• Networking with local real estate agents, attorneys, and probate court personnel
• Direct mail or email marketing to local residents
• Listing services for estate sales and auctions.
• Online Estate Sale Marketplaces

Selecting which channels are best for your business depends on factors like time, budget and resources. To help you determine for yourself which you should choose, we’ll dive into each one with some examples to help get you started.

1. Online advertising 

There are a variety of ways to advertise online, but two of the most effective channels for estate liquidators are targeted advertising on Google or social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. For example, you can set up display ads with specific keywords that are likely to be used by people looking for estate liquidation services.

Facebook Advertising
Facebook is one of the most popular social media platforms in the world with over 2 billion users! That means you have a lot of people to reach out to when using Facebook advertising for estate sale marketing.

The good news is that Facebook ads can be very cost-effective since you can target specific groups of people based on their age, location, interests, and other factors. This allows you to focus on those who are most likely interested in buying from you rather than wasting money on people who won't buy anything anyway. If you don't know how to set up an ad on Facebook, check out this guide by AdEspresso. 

Becoming skilled at using Facebook advertising features takes practice, so it's wise to conduct some experiments to see what is most effective for your particular market. It is important to note that the most effective social media-based estate sale promotions encourage buyers to make purchases online. This means that you will need a digital marketplace to sell your goods, too, but more on that a bit later. 

Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
Another great way to advertise your business is paid search marketing. This involves paying for ad placement in search engine results based on specific keywords or phrases. By bidding on relevant keywords related to estate liquidation, such as "estate sale services" or "estate appraisals," estate liquidators can increase their visibility to potential customers who are actively searching for their services. This type of advertising can help estate liquidators reach a wider audience and generate leads that may turn into clients.

To effectively use paid search marketing, estate liquidators should focus on creating well-crafted ads that are both relevant and compelling. This includes using attention-grabbing headlines, clear descriptions of services offered, and strong calls to action that encourage potential clients to take action, such as scheduling a consultation or visiting the your website. By continuously monitoring and adjusting your paid search campaigns, you can optimize your advertising to attract the right customers and maximize their return on investment.

2. Search engine optimization (SEO)

Your estate sale or auction company can improve its visibility on search engines by optimizing its website for specific keywords related to estate liquidation and by regularly producing high-quality content (such as blog posts and case studies).

The goal of SEO is to get more traffic from organic searches by using keywords and phrases within your content in order to improve the chances that those visitors will click on one of those links and visit your site directly instead of clicking on an ad or landing page somewhere else online.

Choose keywords that you want people to find your site when you search for them. For example, if you want people to find your site when you search for "Albany estate liquidators," then include this and similar phrases in your website's meta tag titles and meta descriptions.

Often times, it makes sense to work with a professional to help you optimize your website, but if interested in implementing yourself, there are some great resources out there to help you get started:

• Google's SEO Starter Guide: Google provides a free SEO Starter Guide that covers the basics of optimizing your website for search engines. The guide covers topics such as keyword research, on-page optimization, and link building.
• Moz Beginner's Guide to SEO: Moz is a leading SEO software provider, and you offer a free Beginner's Guide to SEO that covers the fundamentals of search engine optimization. The guide includes tips on keyword research, on-page optimization, and link building.
• HubSpot SEO Crash Course: HubSpot is a marketing software provider that offers a free SEO Crash Course that covers the basics of SEO. The course includes topics such as keyword research, on-page optimization, and link building.
• SEMrush Academy: SEMrush is an SEO software provider that offers a free Academy with courses on SEO, PPC, content marketing, and more. Their SEO Fundamentals course covers the basics of SEO, including keyword research, on-page optimization, and link building.
• Yoast SEO Blog: Yoast is a popular SEO plugin for WordPress websites, and you offer a free SEO blog that covers a wide range of SEO topics. Their blog includes articles on keyword research, on-page optimization, and link building, as well as more advanced topics such as technical SEO and local SEO.
  
  

Overall, these resources can help you gain a solid understanding of the basics of SEO and how to optimize your website for search engines. However, it's important to note that SEO is a complex and ever-changing field, and it may be worth considering hiring an experienced SEO professional to help you achieve your goals.

This is also a major reason that many estate liquidators use online marketplaces to host their sales, as the difficult SEO work is done for you. 

3. Social media marketing

Many of the most successful estate liquidators use platforms like Facebook and Instagram to promote their services, share updates on current and upcoming sales, and connect with potential customers. These platforms are great ways of reaching out to consumers on a personal level. You can use them to share photos of items that have been sold at previous sales, which will give people an idea of what you might expect from your upcoming event. It also gives you an opportunity to ask customers what you're looking forward to buying at the sale or auction, and then tailor your offerings accordingly.

It's best to use more than one platform, so you can reach a wide range of potential customers and increase the likelihood that you'll show up at your sale. However, if you don’t think you have the time to dedicate to managing more than one platform and do it well, it’s best to start small.

Not sure where to get started? There are plenty of great resources available, like this social media toolkit, which is designed specifically for estate sale liquidators and auctioneers. It can guide you through the best practices for creating and maintaining a high-performing social media page that is sure to draw more attention to your next estate sale.

4. Referrals

Word-of-mouth is a powerful marketing tool for estate liquidation companies. Encouraging satisfied customers to refer friends and family members can help to generate new business.

The best way to generate word of mouth referrals is to have happy customers. It's not easy, but if you do a great job and treat your clients with respect and integrity, you will tell others about their experience with you.

While some may seem like common sense, here are some key necessities for generating referrals:

• Be friendly, polite, and professional
• Do what you say you'll do (or better)
• Be available when people need you (even after the sale)
• Send thank you notes after each sale
• Ask for feedback from prospective clients

5. Networking 

Estate liquidators have a unique opportunity to create relationships with local real estate agents, attorneys and probate court personnel. You can do this by providing free services or a discount in exchange for referrals. Networking can take on many forms.

Be active in your local community 
You should attend local charity events, Rotary meetings, Chamber of Commerce gatherings and other events where you can meet other people in your field. Make sure that you take business cards with you so that when someone asks what you do, you can easily find out more information about your company.

Contact probate court personnel
Another great way to increase inbound referrals is by contacting probate court personnel in your area. you usually receive information about the estates you oversee, including names of potential heirs and executors. If you already have contact information for the executors, it’s easier for them to refer their clients to you than it would be if you had to search for another company on their own.

There are many ways to take advantage of these relationships. Here are three ideas:

• Offer a free consultation with your company to the family members of the deceased prior to an estate sale. This will help you get the word out about your business and build trust among clients.
• Provide an e-book or white paper on how best to handle an estate sale for attorneys and realtors who need guidance on how to sell their client's home fast and at maximum value. You may also consider offering free consultations with those who purchase your book or white paper through email marketing campaigns or social media platforms like Facebook Ads or LinkedIn Ads

6. Direct mail and email marketing

Another popular marketing tactic is to send direct mail pieces or emails to potential customers in their local area. This can be an effective way to reach seniors, executors of estates, or individuals who have recently inherited property.

Email Marketing
As part of your efforts to grow your following, make sure to collect as many email addresses as possible. The simplest way to do this is to ask for emails as people purchase your items in person and online. Over time, you should generate an email list that numbers in the thousands. Use this list wisely, though. If you blast potential customers with too many emails, then you will likely hit the unsubscribe button.

We recommend limiting your messages to information about upcoming estate sales. You may also want to send the occasional message about a unique item that is up for sale or was previously sold at one of your events.

Direct Mail & Leaflets
Despite the massive shift towards digital media, some hands-on advertising strategies still have their place in the world of estate sales. Printing out a few hundred leaflets or fliers is a cost-effective way to draw attention to your next auction.

You can distribute these fliers by dropping some off at your local diner or coffee shop. You can place some of them in the mailboxes of residents in surrounding neighborhoods. Make sure to cross-advertise. Mention your social media pages and online purchasing opportunities on the fliers you hand out, too. Offline advertising for online sales can be a great way to build your customer base outside of your existing network.

As with any of these tactics, managing these channels takes time and energy, so depending on the time you have to dedicate to this, it may be more worthwhile to use a marketplace solution that includes automated email communication and messaging with the platform fee.

7. Listing services

Estate liquidation companies often list their sales and auctions on popular listing services like EstateSales.net or EstateSales.org or free traditional estate sale listings on AuctionNinja. This can help to reach a wider audience of potential buyers.

8. Make the switch to online estate sales 

For the few years, the majority of estate sales were hosted in an online format. In fact, the National Auctioneers Association has predicted that most auctioneers will continue to focus on online estate sales through 2023 and beyond.

Benefits of an Online Estate Sale
Online estate sales are becoming increasingly popular, and for good reason. They allow you to reach a larger audience than traditional estate sales, since anyone with an internet connection can participate. By listing your estate sales on an online marketplace, you can connect with buyers and sellers from all over the world, not just your local area. Not interested in shipping items? That's OK too -- you can customize your sale guidelines to stipulate that.

But how can online estate sales help with marketing and lead generation for your estate liquidation business? Here are some ways:

• Increased Visibility: By listing your estate sales on an online marketplace, you're exposing your business to a wider audience. This means more people are likely to learn about your business, which can lead to new leads and clients
• Reputation Building: By participating in online estate sales and building a positive reputation for your business, you're demonstrating your expertise and reliability as an estate liquidator. This can lead to more word-of-mouth referrals and repeat business.
• Cost-Effective: Online estate sales can be a more cost-effective way to market your business than traditional advertising methods. By listing your sales on an online marketplace, you can reach a larger audience without having to spend as much on marketing and advertising.
  
  

Overall, online estate sales can be a valuable tool for estate liquidators looking to grow their business and generate more leads. By taking advantage of online marketplaces, you can increase your visibility, build your reputation, access valuable data, and do it all in a cost-effective way.

If you want to reap the benefits of online estate sales and grow your business, AuctionNinja is here to help! We offer a user-friendly online marketplace, and intuitive software that will allow you to control your sales from anywhere. Sign up to get started.

Ready to locate an estate sale company or explore online estate auctions? Visit AuctionNinja.com. If you're new to online estate auctions, try it risk-free by sigining up here.