Other coaches or consultants who help you with your marketing campaigns are going to hate what we’re about to share with you.

Focusing on campaigns produces mediocre results. For instance, if you’re planning to reach out to clients just before the busiest real estate season of the year, they may not give you a second thought—or worse yet, not even remember you. Taking this approach may cause you to spend time and resources planning and executing tactics for small wins. And then you start all over again.

We’ve found that top producers go about marketing a little differently. They focus not on isolated campaigns, but on building a sustainable system to consistently grow their business. Here is how other successful real estate agents utilize a full-circle approach to stay in touch their clients:

They bring new clients in without breaking the bank

Acquiring new customers can be a pricey endeavor. But the most experienced agents find alternatives to costly campaigns.

One of the simplest ways to generate new business is to ask your current clients for referrals. One often cited statistic is 91% of customers say they’d give referrals, but only 11% of sales people ask for them. We believe that agents tend to shy away asking for referrals because it can be awkward. But if you’re consistently speaking with clients, reminding them that you are available to help new clients when and if they may know someone, it will just be part of the conversation.

Other clients find that using existing resources helps connect them with new prospects. For example, one realtor received three referrals representing $1.4 million worth of business by giving his barber a few copies of his personally branded magazine—a prime example of how your go-to professionals can wind up being your biggest advocates. But remember, it all starts with a relationship.

If you’re looking to build your mailing list, try being more strategic about social media to engage new prospects. The content in our magazines is a great way to engage current recipients by getting them to like, comment, and (ideally) share content from your pages. This can help you reach a whole new audience of unlimited proportions. Increase interactions by sharing some nonindustry information, like content from the American Lifestyle, Start Healthy, or Good to Be Home websites.

Tip: Many of our clients see success when they post a social media shareable with a message like, “I’d love to add you to my [magazine name] mailing list. Message me if you’re interested in a free copy!”

Or, if you don’t have the time or are new to social media, check out our Branded Posts product, one of the four tools in our Digital Marketing Platform. With a huge library of personally branded blogs, memes, and other content to select from, you can use our Facebook and Instagram schedulers to set-and-forget your social media marketing for weeks or months at a time.

They get to know clients when working with them

When a closing is in your sights, it’s natural to focus your attention on making that happen. Don’t waste the opportunity to lay the foundation for future business, though. You can learn so much about clients during this time frame, if you pay attention.

Take notes on conversations, and record information you can use to engage with them later. We recommend that our real estate clients keep track of things like the date they purchased their home and their decorating style. Just as important to note are the things that have nothing to do with business. Knowing clients’ birthdays, important anniversaries, favorite recipes, or even their hobbies can help provide opportunities to follow up and build rapport.

Some agents use CRM (client relationship management) tools to record this information, while others prefer keeping notes in client files. Whichever your method, it’s important to remember that reaching out with a, “Congratulations!” or “This made me think of you,” will only be well-received when you’ve been in regular communication.

They keep in contact in a way that is respectful of clients’ time and space

Your work is not done after the sale is complete. In fact, for most of our clients, it’s just the beginning. Following up with clients is essential to repeat business and referrals, especially for businesses with long stretches between transactions. Real estate is a prime example. After one year, 70% of home buyers forget their agent’s name. Keep in mind that how you go about following up is important. Dropping in on clients can be awkward, even if you call first, and you should always have a reason other than you want new business.

Sending your own personally branded magazine is a soft-sell reminder of their positive experience. Many recipients see it as an item of value, and actually call their sender after receiving the magazine. But the agents that see the most return know not to be passive and that relationships are a two-way street, just as in any relationship. If clients are happy with your services, they’ll be happy to refer you—helping you to bring in new clients without breaking the bank.

If you utilize the full-circle approach, much like a wheel, your marketing efforts will start to gather momentum as they roll along.