By Upendra Mishra

WALTHAM, MA--If you're challenged by finding a cost-effective marketing strategy for your real estate services or projects, you're not alone. Marketing has changed dramatically over the last five years, and more changes are on its way as social media (such as Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter) make inroads into the Business-to-Business (B2B) marketing arena.

Newspapers, magazines, television, radio and advertising are not the only message delivery channels any more. You can create your own message delivery and branding systems through your dynamic website, e-newsletters and e-cards. And most of these tools are almost free.

In short, technology has not only reduced marketing costs, but has also made marketing more effective and fun. Now, you can track your target and their response, and change the marketing course in an instance if it's not working.

But what is the key is to finding out what marketing tool or strategy would give you optimum results: print or online advertising, search engine optimization (SEO) or Google Adsense, targeted ads on Facebook or Linkedin, e-newsletters or e-cards, public or media relations, newspaper or magazine articles, banner or button ads, hosting your own networking event or sponsoring an event or a direct print mail?

Once you select one tool or a combination of several, the next challenge is the message or content. Content is the king. Everything getting out of your office should be consistent and have a succinct, concise and to-the-point message. And lastly, what is your target? This is where database becomes the most critical element of marketing. If your database is properly organized and tagged, marketing is going to be fun and enjoyable.

In my future columns, which will be published every first and third Wednesdays in BostonSF, I will try to deal with the latest technologies and trends in marketing. If you have a marketing question, please email me at: UMishra@MishraGroup.com.

(Upendra Mishra is the managing partner of the Mishra Group, a Waltham, MA-based integrated marketing firm that specializes in integrating traditional, online and social media marketing for Business-to-Business clients.)