If you are working to build a practice as a real estate professional, you are probably extremely busy. So it might sound like piling on the burden to add blog writing to the list of things that you do every week. I'd like to make the argument here that it will be worth your effort.
Your Readers Are Everywhere
The digital world is now a fact of life for all small business owners and entrepreneurs. There are few endeavours as entrepreneurial as committing to a career as a Realtor. Over the last couple of decades, websites and blogs have grown from static, browser-based pages into vibrant media resources.
Times have changed as mobile has transformed computing. Blogs reach more people on mobile devices than desktop computers because mobile has become the preferred computing platform for consumers.
Buyers reach for their smart phones and tablets first when they are casually browsing for homes to view or seeking specific information about neighbourhoods. Mobile means that your digital presence is more important than ever.
Blog Posts Add Value To Your Brand
A static website is easy enough to set up, and it gives your buyers a point of contact, but like any brochure, they read it one time and done. Once your prospects have found the information that they were seeking, they will move on unless you update your website regularly with interesting blogs.
A blog is ground level branding material for your digital professional practice; it should complement other efforts such as your social media brand. Writing blogs for your real estate professional practice gives you dynamic points of connection for inbound marketing.
A marketing strategy that combines blog content, email marketing and search engine optimization techniques will have the capacity to expand as your Realty practice grows.
The Pros And Cons Of Writing Blogs
Professional validation - By publishing your thoughts and market insights, you establish your standing as a real estate professional.
Independence - Posting your blogs to your website gives you full editorial control and branding, rather than an MLS network or some other platform that edits and publishes your work to suit some corporate agenda.
Information point - Your website is an ideal contact point, your blog is the perfect place for announcements and news items, as well as a soapbox for your thoughts.
Local authority - You can demonstrate your local knowledge and also comment about the local market. Posting once or twice a week, writing about your local property market and community will make you the market expert to your followers.
Global reach - Anyone in the world interested in, investing in, or moving to your patch will find you, which is the first step to winning them as clients.
Digital is no longer optional - New buyers and listings are more likely to choose a Realtor on their mobile devices rather than through printed directories now. Mobile responsive websites are standard now, and they put your blog right in the hands of potential sellers and buyers.
Blog writing is an anchor - Once you have a digital presence, you can add further content such as white papers and reports. Such content will be the lead magnet for a sophisticated inbound marketing strategy , tailored to your business.
The Cons Of Writing Blogs
Rusty writing skills - You may not be comfortable writing blogs initially. Take heart in knowing that the more you write, the better you get at it; it is a skill that improves with repeated practice.
It takes time to create content - Once you commit to blogging, you have to come up with the ideas and take the time to write the content. If you are pressed for time as you manage a growing real estate practice, consider hiring a freelance writer or virtual assistant to help.
Time to get established - It might take many months or even years to build your search engine page ranking and a following of readers. If you start now and post at a steady pace, you will begin to attract the first curious visitors to your website. Over time, your content will start to climb to the top of search engine rankings along with your professional reputation.
Commission Original Real Estate Content
Hiring a freelance writer will empower you to multiply your online presence. If you make an early investment in employing a professional service for original content, it will increase your website traffic and keep your readers coming back.
Poorly written posts from the cheapest sources is a false economy; low budget content mills that produce shoddy writing, which may have been plagiarised, will undermine your reputation. A professional writer who knows how to create original, high quality and engaging blogs will help you avoid the hazards, win new audiences, and search engines rankings.
Conclusion
Blogging is a serious commitment. It can also be a pleasurable way to express your ideas and promote your practice. A blog is essential to show your authority in the profession and knowledge about your community.
Like all of the other marketing activities that you employ in your real estate practice, the results of writing blogs you enjoy later will be proportional to the effort you put into it now.