Are you a real estate blogger? Online marketing has taken off in the past few years, and many real estate agents are considering the benefits of blogging. The idea is appealing but some Agents are intimidated by the idea of starting a blog of their own.
I hear a lot of questions from real estate agents about the value of a blog, and how to successfully maintain one in a reasonable amount of time.
Here are the answers to your top 5 questions about real estate blogging:
“Will a real estate blog actually benefit my business or is it just another task for me to maintain?”
There are a few different ways that blogging will benefit your real estate business. First of all, blogging is an important part of content marketing, which is the act of creating content that your prospects want to see. The goal of content marketing is to meet a need and ultimately become a trusted source of real estate information. You establish your image or brand online, and eventually people come to you for your real estate services.
Secondly, regularly posting content online is a good way to increase your ranking in search engines. Blog updates show Google that you’re active online. The better you rank in search engines, the more real estate prospects will find you when they search online. Plus your blog is a good way to show prospects that you’re knowledgeable and tuned in to the real estate industry. Each of these positive points can drive more leads for your business.
“What if I’m not a writer? How can I have a successful real estate blog?”
Yes, you can! Luckily there are tools available to Agents who don’t necessarily want to spend time writing articles themselves.
The best option is to choose a real estate website provider that includes regular blog content written on your behalf. You’ll get the benefit of fresh, professionally written content on a regular basis without struggling through the writing process.
If you’d like to augment your pre-written blog content with additional articles, consider hiring a student to write some articles on your behalf. You can post a combination of articles to beef up your real estate blog.
“How often should I post new real estate blogs?”
Have you ever visited a blog and realized that the most recent post is 5 years old? That doesn’t do much for the blogger’s credibility! More important than how often you post on your real estate blog is how consistent you are with your posts.
If you choose to post biweekly or monthly, stick to that schedule. Make sure that when prospects are visiting your blog they are seeing recent content. This reassures the reader that you’re active in the real estate industry and up to date with trends.
“What topics should Agents be blogging about?”
Many Agents agonize about what topics to blog about. Consider yourself an expert on all things homeownership. What questions do you hear regularly from buyers or sellers? Use these as inspiration for your blog posts. Keep in mind that if you’re using a Agent Website that provides content you won’t even have to choose topics!
Here are some suggestions for real estate blog topics:
- Home Staging Tips
- How to Reduce Stress When Moving
- First Time Buyer FAQs
- Local neighborhood profiles
- Preparing for a Mortgage Loan Application
- Profile a local vendor from your Business Directory (a contractor, landscaper, decorator, etc.)
- Tips for moving with pets
- Benefits of buying or renting
- Home décor ideas
- Community events
- What to expect when closing on a home
- Energy saving tips
“How do I actually get people to visit and read my blog?”
Part of the reason starting a blog is daunting is many Agents are concerned they will put the effort into blogging and no one will read it. There are some tried and true methods for how to get more visitors to your blog.
First of all, you should promote each blog post on social media. Every time you blog, post about it on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, Pinterest, or whatever networks you like to use. Remember to ask your readers to share the article. You may be surprised by how many people will repost it on their own social pages.
Include a link to your blog in your email signature. This is a great opportunity because it only takes one click for a prospect to visit your blog!
As I mentioned above, one of the best reasons for having a blog is that it will help you to show up more regularly in search engines. By posting regularly, you show the search engines that your website is active and legitimate. Search engines like Google and Bing will smile upon fresh content. Your keywords will help increase your chances of appearing in the search engine results.
Takeaway
I hope you’re feeling inspired to start writing, or make use of an Agent Website that includes professionally written blog content.
IXACT Contact’s Agent Websites provide you with new blog content biweekly, in addition to a real estate CRM and email marketing platform. Try it now FREE for 5 weeks.