You've probably heard it said in plenty of marketing workshops and classes. Blogging is a fantastic way to get traffic to your site, declare yourself an expert in your field, clarify your brand, and add value to both prospective and former clients.  However, despite it's multitude of benefits, it's a tool very few real estate agents use. If you're ready to take the next step and gain a competitive edge, here's where you need to start.

Pick Your Platform

While there are many options available to you, you'll want something that isn't a chore to access, especially if you're new to blogging. If you already spend a lot of time on LinkedIn and connect with friends and prospective clients there, using their blogging feature is a natural choice. If you log on to your broker-provided website back end frequently, using a connect blog is a better idea. You might want to look into Facebook notes or even set up something new that you can brand well by choosing a page name on a site like WordPress or Blogspot.

Get Visual!

Think about the way you spend your own time online. When scrolling through social media, pictures and videos catch your eye. Be sure to take advantage of this when planning your own content. Great info can be helpful, but good images or videos can grab and keep your audience's attention. Be sure you own the rights to the images you're using - taking an image without permission or payment could result in copyright infringement and easily cost you over $1000.

Tell Your Story

We all know people tend to do business with people they know well. Let your audience feel like they know you by being available to them through your blog. By letting people in to your "real" life, you're giving people an opportunity to relate to you on an emotional level. You don't have to get deeply personal to tell a story. Tell your followers about a listing from your own perspective, write about how you got into real estate to begin with, or share info on a restaurant or business in the neighborhood you love. People will appreciate the chance to get to know you better.

Offer Value

Be sure that your content is both useful and original. In the examples above, the content is useful because it allows your audience to know who you are. You can continue offering value by giving helpful tips, interviewing local business owners, feature trendy areas, and more. Don't blog for the sake of blogging - blog to be a resource to your followers.

Don't Get Upset If Your Phone Doesn't Ring Off The Hook

Sales are great - but we can all spot an insincere salesperson from a mile away. You won't win any business by pushing the hard sell in blogging. In fact, it's a quick way to lose your audience. Make your goal to get engagements. These can be in the form of comments, shares, or likes on social media. This kind of engagement encourages visibility on your social media platforms, putting you in front of new potential clients with a chance to build relationships and credibility. Engagement leads to sales. It may take a little bit of time, but the connections you'll make are more than worth it.