Marketing – Digital Agent Show

With the growth of technology and digital media, real estate agents need to innovate how they reach leads online. While you might think to immediately launch a paid social media campaign, creating a real estate blog and publishing search engine-friendly content is one of the best ways to establish credibility as a realtor. Blogging about real estate is an effective content marketing strategy to dominate online results. Not only does consistent blogging increase your reach and exposure on internet search engines, but you also establish a reputation as a credible source of real estate information. Building your online reputation will not happen overnight. However, consistently sticking to a long-term content marketing strategy to push out informational articles will become a vital component to your lead generation, brand awareness, and search engine ranking efforts. Read on for more real estate article ideas to write about as a realtor - you will never run out of content for your real estate blog ever again. Why Should You Blog? According to the National Association of REALTORS®, about 93% of people used online websites to search for homes and about 11% looked online for information about the process of buying a home. This is a big chunk of people who are turning to the internet for information and shows how important it is for a real estate agent to use search engine optimization (SEO) and content marketing for their real estate business. As a realtor, writing and publishing on your real estate blog will eventually help you dominate the internet search engines. The higher your blog ranks on the search engines like Google, Bing, or Yahoo, the more likely you will be reaching qualified leads as your business will become more visible online. The benefit of starting a real estate blog is that it allows you to build brand awareness while providing your blog visitors with helpful content. Here are some reasons why you should blog: To build trust with your website visitors and get them to returnTo attract prospects and turn them into clientsTo provide solutions and valuable informationTo build partnerships strategically to further your businessTo establish and grow your reputationTo rank on search engines People are tired of advertisements and sleazy sales strategies. They do not respond well to blatant product placements and more than 91% of people say ads are more intrusive today than three years ago. These days, people are attracted to transparency and authenticity. By using your blog pieces as a conversion tool, you need to ensure your content builds trust in your skills and real estate business. About 78% of consumers state that they prefer getting to know a company by reading articles rather than advertisements. Meanwhile, about 70% of consumers state that they believe that businesses providing customized content want to build good relationships with them. Over time, blogging helps build this trust as people start to pay attention and listen to what you have to say about the real estate industry. With these pieces of content available, your blog readers will start to develop opinions about you, your brand, and your real estate business. If they find that the content you write is educational and valuable, they will think the same about your skills and business, establishing credibility. Studies show that content marketing gets about three times more leads per dollar spent than against paid search marketing. This cost factor is incredibly helpful for realtors starting out in the business, as content marketing has lower up-front costs and more long term benefits than paid marketing campaign alternatives. Paid campaigns in social media or pay-per-click search campaigns require more cash to get results, but posting on your blog builds momentum as time goes on. It is noted that small businesses that blog get approximately 126% more growth in leads than other small businesses that do not take the time to post content in a blog. Regular blogging works and is a powerful marketing tool. Blog with the goal to provide value to your web visitors and to be helpful rather than blatantly promotional. Your audience will trust your advice and recommendations when you give valuable information freely. Develop Content for Your Blog To start your blog, create an editorial calendar with content pieces you have planned out in advance. This ensures that you have a consistent pipeline of material to push out to your audience. If you post three articles in one week but do not write anything for two months, your audience will not come back for more information. You need to compel your website visitors to come back for more information and reinforce a positive impression so your business will be at the forefront of their mind when they are ready to take part in the real estate process and retain a realtor. A lot of agents tend to run out of steam and stop after a few months, especially if they spend hours writing articles but do not see any conversions or leads. Set benchmarks to track realistic expectations, as you may be able to see results within approximately six months of starting your writing and content marketing efforts. It takes some time for your blog content to start ranking on the internet search engines, which means that it can take some time for prospects to start finding and reading your articles. Since it might be tough to come up with content to write about in the real estate industry, below is a list of 77 blog topic ideas to get you started. You will be able to write an article or two every week for an entire year! But try to create content about topics you know readily about, rather than trying to cover all the different subjects in the real estate world. While it is helpful to give financial or legal advice, you should try to interview a professional CPA or lawyer instead (unless you specialize in such subjects). Supplement your insights with advice that is available by other industry experts or bloggers to provide alternate perspectives. You should also read and interact with other interesting real estate blogs or bloggers that are well known in the industry. You will be able to get inspiration for your own blog or can expand further on a subject that another real estate agent touched upon briefly. Most of all, you can always add a personable spin. Nobody likes reading dry textbooks! Add some humor to your content to make you feel more relatable. Ultimately, make sure that the content and tone of voice you use to write fits your audience. Become an Expert Offering information about the local community, buyer/seller process, and providing general real estate advice will establish you as an expert online. But it takes more than simply posting up new articles on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. You need to take the initiative to optimize and promote your content to dominate the online search rankings. With consistent publications, you will be able to expand your reach online and grow your sphere of influence. Investing and committing to posting on your blog will ultimately help you expand your real estate business. Make sure that every piece of content builds trust in your brand and promotes you as an authority figure in the real estate industry. Your blog posts will demonstrate your credibility and get your leads to trust in your skills as a realtor. Search Engine Optimization Tips Almost everyone in the real estate industry is fighting over ranking on common keyword phrases on the internet, such as “property for sale” or “homes for sale.” But rather than eyeing those keywords and competing with popular industry powerhouse websites, optimize for niche keywords instead. This is especially crucial to dominating the search engine in your local community or geographic farm area. For example, consider using keyword phrases such as “cheap homes for sale in Philadelphia” or “buy budget homes in Seattle.” These specific phrases have less competition and will attract qualified leads to your website looking for homes in a particular area. Targeting these niche phrases will make it easier for your blog posts to rank higher in search engines, eventually creating a better conversion rate from qualified prospects over time. Websites with blog content have about 434% more search engine indexed web pages than the websites of businesses that do not regularly publish content. The more content you create around real estate topics relevant to your desired audience, the better your chances are of directing traffic from search engines and getting qualified leads. The more blog posts you have on your website, the more web pages that can be indexed in search engines, be ranked for more keywords, and be shown to potential leads. The more content you have on your website, the more visitors will stay on your blog longer as they read more of your previous posts. Higher on-site times is an indicator that your website has valuable content, which provides a positive impact on search engine optimization. In fact, firms publishing more than sixteen times a month get more than triple the web traffic than companies publishing a minimum of four articles a month. Promote Your Blog on Social Media It is crucial for a realtor to consistently distribute their real estate blog content. Market research suggests that approximately 77% of all readers on the internet spend their time reading blogs. Also, according to this study, approximately 57% of all respondents have reported that they managed to acquire a client through their company blog. Beyond posting on your blog, social media plays an important factor in content marketing success. Ensure to promote new content you publish on your website to your social media accounts. This can be by posting links to articles on Twitter or LinkedIn. Social media is a great tool for you to utilize as you can expand your reach exponentially using relevant hashtags and geotagging when necessary. Rather than simply blasting out links to your blog, make sure to engage with any comments. The whole point of social media is to be social, so the more engagement you get on social media will help you rank higher over time. Blog Topics for Your Neighborhood Attend a town hall or public meeting and write about itWrite about the religious denominations in your area, where they are located, and what time their services are heldWrite about a public policy that is important to the locals in the communityInterview your neighbor and ask what they like about the neighborhoodMake a comparison with your neighborhood and another neighborhood nearby, taking into account the cost of living and the average price of homesInterview a teacher from the local school area and ask what they like about the communityHave a guide to dining at local restaurants in the areaTake pictures of historic buildings or landmarks with interesting backgrounds and significanceTake pictures at a local park and share any amenities available for public use (basketball courts, tennis courts, etc.)List places for people to eat, shop, and relaxNote any upcoming local events such as concerts or showsExplain how to show appreciation for good neighborsExplain how to host a block party or community yard event in the neighborhoodTake pictures of the community and capture a day in the life of a real estate agentWrite about trips a person could easily take in a day or a weekendExplain how the area assesses property taxesInterview the local police or firemen about the community Note local crime ratesShare tips on relocating to a new place Resources for Buyers and Sellers Explain how long a closing can take and what clients can expect during the processHave a list of books to help buyers and sellers learn more about the real estate processWrite about key points you took away when reading a real estate related book or blog postNote any real estate scams that people should be aware ofCreate a checklist to help buyers and sellersWrite about buying or selling a property or propertiesExplain about homeowners associations and how they can impact expensesDiscuss any landlord issuesDiscuss any tenant issuesCreate a list of popular real estate definitions and industry termsWrite a guide on how to identify overpriced homesInterview a local lawyer on their expertise about real estate lawsInterview a local accountant on their expertise about property taxesDiscuss the pros and cons of a property or home timeshareWrite about the different types of mortgagesWrite what the client should know about home inspectionsExplain the reasons why someone should purchase a home warrantyShare a moving guide for children and petsExplain the goal of holding an open houseDiscuss financing vs. cashExplain how to find or evict a tenantExplain the foreclosure processDiscuss the benefits of renting a home vs. buying a homeDiscuss things to look for during an open house walkthroughExplain about a tenant's rightsShare how to refuse an offerExplain how to buy a property in another country abroadDiscuss how inheriting property worksWrite about buying a house as a military veteranWrite about buying a house as a senior citizenWrite about buying a house as a person with student loan debtNote the best season to buy or sell a houseExplain about auctions in real estate Learning More About Loans and Mortgages Explain the advantages and disadvantages of using a mortgage broker instead of a bankDiscuss the importance of credit scoresNote interest rates and fluctuationsShare the latest news about mortgagesExplain the loan pre-approval processWrite about paying off property loans Discussing Home Maintenance, Renovations, and Remodeling Explain the architecture or housing design styles in your local communityDiscuss any building or architecture trendsDiscuss the basics of interior design from paint to furnitureNote any interior designing trends or stylesExplain how to childproof a home to ensure safety in all areasGive tips on saving energy or conserving energyGive tips regarding overall safety (fire, gas, swimming pools, etc.)Provide landscaping tips from a local landscaping companyProvide home maintenance tipsDiscuss best pest control tips from a local exterminatorDiscuss the best way to prep and paint a homeNote how to avoid overpriced building contractorsShare how to shop for appliances that save energyExplain the concept of feng shui and how to apply it to interior decoratingNote how improvements in a home and how different renovations can affect rates of returnExplain how to rehabilitate a homeExplain how home value is determinedLink or share DIY-specific home renovation tipsDiscuss the advantages and disadvantages of a fixer-upper Conclusion The Internet is crowded with tons of information, as each piece of content is constantly fighting for attention. Your goal is to get your name and business out there, the local expert - as a professional who is knowledgeable about the real estate process. As your reputation grows over time, more people will want to read and share what you have written.