"If nothing else, it is certain that we can all agree that 2020 has changed the way we take in information."
People are starting up blogs to keep their clients updated on the latest trends and information.
With blogging becoming more and more popular, it makes sense to jump aboard the blog train for your real estate business.
Many realtors are uncertain about starting a blog. They don’t think they have enough content, or the time to create it. This means there is an untapped resource of future clients waiting for someone to reach out to them!
It can be scary to create a blog and knowing where to begin with it all is the toughest step. It is important to understand blogging best practices to stop your blog from sinking.
Check out the following tips to guide you on your way.
1. Create content specific for your audience
Remember, this is a blog for your business. Keep your blog relevant to your customers’ needs. Think about the neighborhoods you work with. What community activities do they have? When you add subjects like these to your blogs you will gain the reputation as the local realty expert in the community.
2. Know how to market yourself
What draws you apart from your competitors? Is it your personality that draws them in? The way you work alongside clients? When you know your brand, you can tailor your posts to emphasize the personality of the business.
3. Factor in Evergreen Topics
Make sure you mix community-specific content with topics that will have a further reach. Evergreen topics are ones that will always be popular. It is content which is best for gaining organic traffic to your site regularly. Evergreen topics include things like tips for first time buyers/ sellers.
4. Keep a note of frequently asked questions
One of the simplest blog topics is ‘FAQs’. A blog post offering answers to the questions most often asked will be both useful and bring traffic to your website. It is also a great way to link to other blog posts you have created that could answer the question.
5. Keep up to date with décor trends
If you work with local interior businesses, it is time to network!
Your blog doesn’t have to always be about house purchases and FAQs. Knowing the popular interior design styles will keep previous clients coming back to your site looking for useful tips on how to update their own homes.
6. Know your Google/ Search Engines
Knowing how to get your blog to appear on search pages is key for visibility for a wider audience. SEO and Keywords are the main step to go up in search engine page rankings. Check out our SEO How To blog for more.
7. Get blogging!
Blogging is all about organization. A blog needs to be regular and consistent. If you are using it to market your business, planning is vital. If you know what to write and when, you can schedule it into your working week. Use a Content Calendar to keep you on track with regular blog posting.
What is a Content Calendar, and how do you use it?
A content calendar is exactly as it is described: a planned schedule for publishing upcoming blog content.
They are the blog version of your regular weekly appointment planner.
It will give you a better overview for your planned writing topics and you can align your blog posts with your other marketing, social media, and email content.
A content calendar helps you maintain consistent updates to your website, gives you a chance to group relative blog topics together (e.g. seasonal subjects throughout one month), and prevent subject duplication.
There are various steps to take when using a content calendar:
1. Audit your current social media
When was the last time you did an overview of your followers? As with writing content for your audience, knowing who your audience is will make this easier.
Remove ‘ghost’ or ‘imposter’ accounts (ones that don’t interact online at all).
Check the demographics of your active followers.
View the insights of your least and most successful posts – what worked, what didn’t and what’s missing. By monitoring and analyzing your audience’s engagement and feedback, you’ll gain valuable insights into their preferences which you can later apply to your content and adjust it accordingly.
2. Avoid deviating from your Marketing Strategy
You should have a set market strategy in place to guarantee your business is visible to the right clientele.
Your content calendar will keep your content focused with that. The content you schedule should ensure content topics are not only in line with your plans, but that they speak to your target audience.
Look out for our Market Strategy blog for more information on this topic.
3. Create a content library
Whether it is a compilation of FAQs you have collected from clients, or images you have from successful property purchases, storing an archive of useful content you can draw upon for specific blog posts.
4. Plan how often you should blog
The more often you post a blog, the more often you need to write content. Real Estate businesses benefit from regular weekly blog posts alongside listings, and a readable, engaging blog for your clients sits around 750 – 1000 words.
This may sound like a lot of extra work on top of your real estate business, but this can be managed by content companies that provide writing services. Companies like ours.
Here at GrumpyText we have created a 52-week Content Calendar specifically for real estate blogging. It will give you suggested subjects to blog about throughout the year, and it is yours free of charge!
And if you want the stress of blog writing taken from your shoulders, our content writing service can also provide the content for each blog.
Check out the pricing options on our service offerings page and contact us for a free telephone consultation.