You need to start a real estate blog. But before I tell you why, let me answer a question you are probably asking yourself: "Will a real estate blog work for my business?" The short answer is YES. A real estate blog WILL work for your business - Guaranteed. But maybe not in the way you think. Let me explain... There are at least two ways to define success when it comes to real estate blogs. The first is monetary success. Does your real estate blog increase the amount of money you make in your business? That result is easy to measure and, although it takes time, is exactly what happens to most real estate professionals that consistently invest in their blog. The other way you succeed with a real estate blog has more to do with YOU than anything else. There is no greater skill for anyone in sales and marketing to master than that of being able to communicate your ideas in ways that affect people - and encourage them to act. And that is the skill that a real estate blog will help you develop and improve. So why don't more real estate professionals start a real estate blog? The number one objection I hear when I recommend to my clients that they start blogging is this, "I don't have the time." Now I am a big believer in reality based thinking... In seeing things as they really are NOT how I wish them to be. So I just don't buy into the lack of time argument when I hear it. Here's why: One person does not have more time than another. Each day, we all get 86,400 seconds to use in any way we wish. You make time for what you want to do. After all, you got dressed today right? You made time for an activity you simply had to get done. So instead of saying, "I don't have the time.", A more accurate statement might be, "I am not sure if this will work for me. I am not sure if I want to give it my time." But the key here is not to look at blogging as just another task to be completed. I am sure you've got enough on your list already. Instead, think of your real estate blog as a regular investment you make in future business. Of course, whether or not you make the time to start and write a real estate blog is up to you. But if you do decide to take the plunge, however, here are some basic tips to consider to help get the most return out of your investment. ================================================
5 Simple Steps to a Profitable Real Estate Blog
================================================ 1. Let Your Own Voice Be Heard Many people will tell you that "they can't write." They can't create the polished prose that they read in this or that publication. For a blog, that's PERFECT! Your own voice (the way you talk, your view on things) is one of the most unique assets you have to separate you from the 999,999 other Realtors(r) in the market place. Don't hide it. Use it to attract people to you. Just be yourself and let "YOU" come through in your writing. 2. Be Consistent Consistency works. Rome was not built in a day and neither is any successful real estate blog. Just start small and keep it going. Start with posting just one helpful article a week for your readers. You can always write more often, but you need to give yourself a manageable goal to start with. 3. Don't Try To Appeal To Everyone "Everyone" is not your target market. By just being yourself, you will naturally attract certain types of people and repel others. That's good. Using a blog is a great "high leverage" way to filter out the prospects that you should not be working with. So don't even think about censoring your own opinions and views for fear you might offend someone. If you are being yourself, you WILL offend someone sooner or later. Don't worry about it. They probably weren't going to work with you anyway. 4. Keep A List of Blogging Ideas The time to come up with material for your blog is NOT when you sit down at your computer to write your post. That's just too much pressure. Instead, keep a notebook with you as you work with your clients and always be looking for experiences, stories etc. that would be useful to your readers. Jot the idea down right when you think of it. Your daily real estate experiences alone will provide a source for unlimited blogging material, just keep your antennas up. 5. Make Your Real Estate Blog Do Double Duty For You Blogs are webpages, nothing more. To take full advantage of blog postings, be sure to have basic search engine optimization principles under your belt or get help from someone who does. Your blog posts will do two jobs at once: communicate with your readers and help your search engine rankings for your chosen keyword phrases. So if you are ready to take the leap and get started, take a look at these free blogging services. You can have your real estate blog setup and ready to go in minutes. http://www.typepad.com http://wordpress.com http://www.blogger.com |
