Ep 133: Digital Marketing Moves with Carly Sickles

Carly Sickles

Carly Sickles, Digital Marketing Manager for M/I Homes, joins us to discuss her approach to creating and managing digital content across 15 new home divisions for the 13th largest home builder in the U.S. She describes unique content that works well, why she’s not afraid to experiment, and what she’s looking forward to most in 2021. Plus, Kevin, Andrew and Jackie L. discuss the potential shift away from mass marketing emails and toward personal, 1-to-1 community updates.

Story Time (3:08)

• Resort vs home shower heads: Andrew relives his recent vacation and ponders the concept of being relatively better than the competition.


• Kevin reminds us that we’re marketing in the time of “anything works.” Have an idea? Try it. Also, stop working on efficiency and focus on THE FUTURE.


• Jackie L. has a Q&A with Kevin after only two weeks on the job.


• The team discusses a potential shift away from mass communication/marketing emails and toward personal updates for every person on the VIP or waitlist. Given the challenges of the new home buying process today, the goal is to prevent prospective buyers from becoming frustrated, confused or lost in the process.

In the News (24:44)

• Facebook and Instagram’s AI-generated image captions now offer far more details (TechCrunch.com)


• DuckDuckGo’s focus on privacy-minded users pushes it past 100 million searches in a single day (searchengineland.com)


• Austin Expected to be Nation’s Hottest Housing Market in 2021, Leading a Sunbelt Surge (zillow.com)

360 Topic of the Week: Digital Marketing Moves with Carly Sickles (36:50)

Carly Sickles manages digital marketing for 15 new home divisions under the leadership of Will Duderstadt at M/I Homes. While this episode may be her industry-speaking debut, we’re sure you’ll hear much more from Carly in the future. Listen in as she and Kevin discuss:

• Her journey from multi-family rental marketing to new homes


• What surprised her most about the new home industry


• How the M/I marketing department is structured


• The story behind THE live streamed event of 2020


• Home builders’ biggest struggle when it comes to content – and where the opportunities are


• A discussion about representational imagery


• The viability of “buying” homes online


• The story behind the M/I quizzes and how they’re used today (and could be used tomorrow)


• The need for a consumer research reset in home building


• Her big goal for 2021

Question of the Week (1:25:39)

Has your builder implemented a waitlist of some sort in any of your open communities? Submit answers here and be entered to win an Amazon Gift Card!

Questions? Comments? Email [email protected] or call 404-369-2595 and we’ll address them on the next episode.

More insights, discussions and opportunities in the Market Proof Marketing Facebook group.

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A weekly new home marketing podcast for home builders and developers. Each week Kevin Oakley, Andrew Peek, and others from Do You Convert will break down the headlines, share best-practices and stories from the front line, and perform a deep dive on a relevant marketing topic. We’re here to help you – not to sell you!

The post Ep 133: Digital Marketing Moves with Carly Sickles appeared first on Online Sales and Marketing for Home Builders - DYC.