INTRODUCTION
In a world where people are inundated with advertisements and news, it can seem challenging as a realtor to create content that not only captures and holds the attention of your audience but also is valuable and positions you as an industry expert.
According to the National Association of Realtors, nine of 10 homebuyers today rely on the internet as one of their primary research sources, and 52 percent turn to the web as their first step. Therefore, producing fresh, relevant content online can help you attract leads.
Here are four tips realtors can follow to get started on content marketing.
- Have a strategy and know for whom you’re writing. Determine your need for content marketing. Is it to attract new prospects? Stay in touch with past clients? Boost your SEO? Use your objective(s) to guide the theme of your content. In addition, it’s important to remember that clients come to realtors for advice on neighborhood growth trends, general market information and even dilemmas like whether to build a home or choose a fixer-upper. Thus, make sure your content provides value and is geared toward your niche. For example, if you’re a vacation property real estate agent, write a blog post about the ins and outs of living near water.
- Diversify your content. Content stems beyond just blog articles, as videos, infographics, listicles and photos can spice up your posts. For example, Facebook Live, a free live-streaming video tool, could be used to show DIY demonstrations for homeowners or a first look at a new development. To use Facebook Live, go to your News Feed and tap the “Live” option with the camcorder icon. Give Facebook access to your camera and microphone when prompted, write a compelling description (e.g. The newest lakefront property on Lake Wisconsin has come on the market so be the first to get a virtual tour), and begin your video. To keep your audience’s attention, keep it 2-3 min. long. Lastly, from time-to-time, post non-industry related material, such as photos of your team, family, community events and testimonials, to show off your personality.
- Be consistent with publishing content. The time and resources you have to dedicate to content marketing depend on the size of your company. If you’re a solo real estate agent, try making time after dinner to create a piece of content; remember, you’re the expert so these shouldn’t take much time (30-45 min. max). To ease in, try creating a piece of content at least once every two weeks. Force yourself to follow a consistent schedule, e.g. publish by noon on Tuesdays, which in turn will help condition your audience to expect your content at certain times.
- Expand your blog’s reach. If you are able to edit your website, create a “Blog” or “News” page where your materials will be housed (new content on a regular basis will help with your SEO). Copy the links to your content and paste them onto your social media accounts (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Snapchat) and/or include the articles in your e-newsletter (e.g. MailChimp). Once the blog article has been posted to social media, include relevant hashtags to increase the chances of people finding it. Popular hashtags include #HomeForSale, #[CITY]RealEstate and #NewListing.