One of the best ways to generate leads while ensuring potential buyers and sellers stay informed about the real estate market in your local area is by blogging about it. You don’t necessarily need an English degree to run a real estate blog, but as a real estate professional, you most likely possess some knowledge about your local market and the real estate industry that’s worth sharing.
That being said, some agents aren’t sure as to what they should blog about, while others are afraid of running out of ideas. They may even feel like their posts aren’t visually appealing to buyers. Here are a few ideas of topics you can explore, and what you can do to ensure the longevity of your blog.
Topics of Interest
Start with what you know. This could be anything from the highlights of your community, new housing developments or annual events to your areas of expertise (e.g., flipping and rehabbing properties), the benefits of investing in income-producing properties, or explaining in layman’s terms how the home-buying process works. The possibilities are endless.
If you’re concerned about running out of topics, it doesn’t hurt to revisit previous topics you’ve written about and give them a refresher. This is especially beneficial if you previously wrote about mortgage rates, market trends and grand openings of any new businesses or storefronts. Keep in mind that your blog is an extension of your business and real estate brand, so try to avoid writing about topics that don’t pertain to real estate.
Style and Context
Blogging allows you to let your creative side come out, which means that it’s okay if your language is a little less than formal. Of course, it’s always best to use common sense and avoid using foul language. The goal is to be informative and to position yourself as an expert in your field.
Categorize
Many of us have a lot of ideas when it comes to blogging, and while it’s encouraged to blog about a variety of topics, it’s a good idea to categorize your posts so that your readers can find a topic of interest quickly and easily. Consider sorting your posts into the following categories: Buyers, Sellers, Investors, Flip and Sale, Our Community, and so on.
Subscribe and Share
Creating a blog post is one thing, but it would be all for naught if your readers aren’t aware of it. Promote your blog and any new posts across your social media platforms, and encourage your readers to subscribe to your blog via an RSS feed. Put the power of sharing your posts in the hands of your readers by including social sharing icons in a visible area of your blog, either at the top or bottom of the post.
Your blog posts don’t have to be 1,000-word essays either. While there’s no set length for a post, you’ll want to keep your readers’ interest by making sure your posts are always informative and interesting. And don’t forget to make your posts visually appealing by adding some nice photos or royalty-free images.
It’s also a good idea to keep a running content calendar so that you know what to write about and post ahead of time. Scheduling posts isn’t a bad idea, especially if you know that you’ll be particularly busy and unable to dedicate as much time to write and post to your blog. A lot of bloggers tend to take advantage of this feature during the holidays.
Blogging and utilizing social media are important marketing techniques every real estate professional should take advantage of, and ones that Realty ONE Group helps their professionals understand. To learn more about how Realty ONE Group can help you market yourself, visit www.RealtyONEGroup.com.
For the latest real estate news and trends, bookmark RISMedia.com.
