In Real Estate, taking the time to start blogging might seem like an impossibility. There are so many things that demand your time and attention, and it can be frustrating to add another to the pile. However, adding a blog to your website will go a long way to growing your business.
Here's why you should consider adding a blog:
A blog drives traffic to your website.
Each day, Google, Bing, Yahoo, and other search engines send their feelers out to crawl through the internet and determine what's important to each subject. Think of how many pages there are on your website right now. Your pages probably look similar to this list: Home, About, Buying, Selling, Resources, Contact. And other than an automated feed from MLS for your listings, you probably don't ever need to update anything.
Search engines look for keywords, updates, and new information as they populate their search results. Think of each page on your website as acting like a sign post for a search engine. If you have 5 to 6 pages and the last time you changed anything on your site was last year, you have a few old and battered sign posts telling people where to go. Each time you add a blog, you're updating and adding valuable information. If you blog once a week, your site will grow from 5 to 57 pages in a calendar year. Those 57 pages, are now 57 well-updated sign posts, helping to point your potential customers in the right direction.
Tie your new posts into social media and you start doubling your exposure! Remember, it takes most search engines 60-90 days to pick up on your new information, so you may not see your time investment pay off immediately - but it
is worth it!
NOTE: It's important to make sure your SEO is in order...more on this in our next blog!
Blogging turns a reader into a lead.
Think of this: you found a great article on RealSimple.com on updating your home with paint. You share it on Facebook, your potential client clicks on the link to read the article, then sees the other content Real Simple is offering. Suddenly, they're in surfing mode (as many of us have been), clicking on links about healthy school lunches, cleaning tips, and family activities. You had them on your social media page, and you lost them.
Instead, take that same information, adapt it to your expertise, credit the article and maybe find another source or two to draw from, and post it as a blog. (Be
very careful to avoid plagiarizing. Use your own words and attribute quotes from others when necessary.) This time, you're posting the same useful content, but the link brings potential customers to your own page. Now, if they get distracted and start to surf, they're surfing through your page, your blog posts, your listings. You had them, and you KEPT them.
Blogging declares your expertise.
You know your strengths and weaknesses. You know what sets you apart from your competition. Blogging allows you to establish yourself as an authority in the industry without screaming it out loud. Are you an expert in staging? Blog about it. Are you skilled at explaining the complicated process of buying a home to a first-time buyer? Perfect for a blog! Use those traits that make you the best at what you do to help others and build your expert reputation.
Blogs don't always have to offer advice and information. You can post about the daily life of a real estate agent, a new listing, a home that just sold, or an award you received. All of these things help to create an image in your prospective clients' mind.
