When it comes to building an internet marketing presence, real estate agents should have a multi-prong strategy that includes a brokerage website, an agent website, a blog, listing feeds to search portal sites, participation in forums, and social networking sites. Despite the growing popularity of blogging as a marketing tool by businesses generally, real estate agents still appear to be reluctant to embrace blogging as a marketing strategy to build their internet presence. In the 2009 NAR Technology Survey, 8% of Realtors viewed "blogging" as "important" for generating leads whereas 20% of Realtors viewed "blogging" as "unimportant".
WHY BLOGGING DOESN'T GENERATE LEADS (FOR SOME)?
So, why are Realtors so reluctant to embrace blogging as an internet marketing strategy? In speaking at sales meetings at brokerages in the St. Louis area, I often receive two common responses to this question:
Category 1: I often get comments that seem to indicate that real estate agents are intimidated by blogging. The comments range from "I don't write well..." to "I don't have any great insights to offer" to "I don't have time to write articles" to "I don't know where to start" to "My broker doesn't provide us with a blogging platform."
Category 2: I often get comments that bluntly claim that "blogging" simply doesn't work. Often, these comments start with "I tried it for a month..." and end with "it didn't generate any leads or income."
There is often a common thread to these discussions. In both cases, the failure to start blogging and the failure to continue blogging often is directly related to the failure to develop a blogging strategy, the failure to identify your target audience, and the failure to write dynamic posts. Add into the mix the use of an inferior blog platform, the failure to understand keywords and the basics of search engine optimization, the failure to integrate your blog into your other marketing plans, lack of commitment, and poor execution - and you have a pretty good recipe for a disastrous, time wasting experience with blogging.
WHAT BLOG POSTS GENERATE LEADS?
Now, after my first 12 months of blogging, I decided to look back upon my 400 blog posts in an attempt to determine what topics seemed to generate views and comments, what topics seemed to elicit a comment or inquiry, and what topics seemed to generate traffic to my website, active leads and even commission income. In conducting this unscientific review, there seemed to be certain categories that generated more interest. However, interest in the form of comments and business generated from the post often were not mutually exclusive or even related. Some of my posts that received few or even no comments often were the posts that generated substantial or meaningful traffic to my website, active leads and even commission.
So, after reviewing my posts, I found that almost all of my posts could be placed in one or more of the following categories:
#1 - HyperLocal Neighborhood Posts: These posts focus on a single city, neighborhood or even street and ranged from market reports and available properties to neighborhood news and events. Often, these posts received the fewest number of comments. However, these posts generated the most inquiries, leads and income.
#2 - Market Reports - These posts focus on market statistics ranging from single year reports to ten year summaries on existing home sales, housing starts, and more. These posts generated the least number of comments but delivered the most traffic to our website.
#3 - Legislative/Regulatory Update Posts: These posts focus on regulatory and legislative issues on national, state and local levels and ranged from annual legislative updates to commentary on pending legislative proposals to summaries of current regulatory changes - particularly related to FannieMae and FHA lending guidelines. Often, these posts had the largest number of comments which developed into a healthy debate on the issues at hand. Although these posts didn't seem to interest consumers in general, the posts did generate interest from other real estate professionals - particularly on LinkedIn Groups.
#4 - Business Profile Posts: These posts focus on restaurant reviews, profiles of neighborhood businesses and an occasional interview with a neighborhood leader. These posts provided some of greatest exposure for our brokerage. More importantly, these posts developed relationships resulting in some joint marketing and referral business and enhanced our reputation as neighborhood specialists. Also, these posts served as good content for customers who were relocating to the neighborhoods that we serve.
#5 - "How to" Instructional Posts: These posts focus on sales training, technology, and social networking sites. Often, these were multi-part series. These posts were the most highly read by my own agents, assisted in the recruitment of new agents, and resulted in a number of speaking engagements with professional associations, civic groups, and other real estate brokerages, title companies, and other real estate professionals. These posts served as great introductions to other real estate professionals in the area.
#6 - Research Posts: These posts were based on real estate related research studies conducted on a range of issues. Often, these posts were related to current events or trends and included commentary that often generated widely divergent opinions on the validity of the studies, missing data, etc. These posts generated interviews and inquiries from journalists.
#7 - Either/Or Posts: These posts were generally designed to compare and contrast particular services, loan programs, etc. These posts didn't seem generate too many inquires but were well received by existing customers and clients.
#8 - Reblog or Link Posts: These posts were often used because of time constraints, involved a specialized field, or were just so well-written that they needed to be disseminated to my readers in their original form.
#9 - Lists/Best Of Posts: These posts focus on top or best of lists prepared by national news magazines, foundations, etc. It is difficult to determine the impact of these posts had - except that they promoted the areas that we serve.
#10 - Best Practice Posts: These posts generally started as "rants" and were often toned down after further reflection. Occasionally, these were direct or indirect responses to other posts read on a specific issue. Although these posts weren't intended to generate direct business, these posts were extremely effective in explaining our business philosophy and practices.
#11 - Motivational Posts: These posts were often focused on staying motivated in a down market. Again, they didn't seem to generate much business. However, often they were the most enjoyable to write and were often used in connection with sales meetings.
#12 - Satire Posts: These posts were intended to highlight specific positions and to tell a story using a combination of humor and sarcasm.
#13 - Informational Posts: These posts generated a good deal of non-real estate related business and often suffered from being too technical or too long. However, these posts used hypothetical situations to describe how such situations and issues could or should be addressed. The posts often explained our approach and problem solving skills.
#14 - Video/Photo Posts: These posts generated occasional requests for re-use of the photos. If we were grading these posts, we would probably give it an incomplete. Too few posts to truly get a good read on the impact that they could have.
#15 - Listings Posts: These posts were difficult to track when using Html from other sources. When the posts were based on direct content as opposed to html code, the posts improved our placement for select keywords on Google search results.
#16 - Public Service Announcements: These posts were intended solely to show support for a particular issue. Often, they were only tangentially related to real estate. However, they were intended and received as "we care about you" statements.
So, before you say blogging doesn't work, first answer this question: Did you post original content for a clearly defined audience with a good value proposition and a concise call to action that offered a personal insight, a tangible benefit for the reader, or an interesting, unusual or controversial slant on a current event or issue? If you can't answer "yes", then the blogging experiment may have failed because of poor execution or planning and not because blogging is "unimportant" as a marketing tool.
If you are a real estate professional and are new to blogging, the time is now to sign-up for an ActiveRain blog. There is no better real estate community or more supportive blog platform to learn the basics of blogging and discover some great tips on how to make blogging work for you and your business.
Need a speaker to discuss the blogging and lead generation for real estate professionals? Contact Ryan Shaughnessy at PREA Signature Realty at 314-971-4381 or send an e-mail to Ryan@PREASignatureRealty.com.
PREA Signature Realty is a full service brokerage located at 1709 Park Avenue in the Lafayette Square neighborhood of the City of St. Louis. PREA Signature proudly serves the following city neighborhoods: Lafayette Square, Soulard, Benton Park, Benton Park West, Downtown Loft District, Forest Park Southwest, Central West End, Tower Grove East, Tower Grove South, Compton Heights, Shaw, The Hill, Dogtown, Carondelet, Holly Hills, St. Louis Hills, Dutchtown, and the Other Historic Neighborhoods of the City of Saint Louis, Missouri.
The opinions expressed herein represent the opinions of the author only and do not reflect the opinions of PREA Signature Realty. All photos and written content were produced by PREA Signature Realty. All Rights Reserved - PREA Signature Realty (2009). This content may not be reproduced or reprinted, except for Active Rain re-blogging, without express written permission of PREA Signature Realty.
133 Comments on Building a Strong Internet Presence by Blogging - Real Topics that Drive Traffic and Generate Leads
OCT
12
2009
Ryan - excellent post! I am on my way with my blog and haven't seen much success yet, but I'm evolving...and I'm not giving up. Your list will be bookmarked and used for future reference. I appreciate the tips!
Lina - The initial stages of blogging can be trying. It takes time to build a subscriber or readership base. It took several months and 50 or so posts before I started to see tangible results. Blogging has built some great referral relationships and has generated inquiries, leads and income. However, it takes a sustained commitment to really work. As you can see from the list, blogging has direct and indirect benefits. Often, people focus only on the direct benefits such as leads generated and not the intangible benefits. The other thing that I would mention is that more people read than comment so don't judge the success of your blog solely by the number of comments received.
Good job Ryan! To quote you "bluntly claim that 'blogging' simply doesn't work" means either the people making that statement have never tried it or have tried it and done it wrong. I recently turned down a job offer because I was told I would have to stop blogging. Funny because they were attracted to me because of my success online - I suppose they thought the 3300 loans my team and I have closed over the last few years simply manifested! I blog, it works. Well done.
Hi Ryan ~ When I started blogging I thought I had to keep it under wraps or everybody would start blogging. I've come to realize that's not going to happen - very few people want to devote the time that it requires. Fine with me!
Ryan - This is a great review of what posts generated business for you. I just passed the 300 mark and beginning to see the fruits of my labor. It does take a long term commitment and I'm in for the long haul when it comes to blogging. You've provided a great list of topics to work off of for future posts.
Liz - I often speak on tech issues. Once, an agent asked me "Why would you come to our brokerage to share tech tips?" Well, my answer included something about contributing to the profession, networking and introducing our services and properties as a small independent brokerage to other agents. However, what I didn't say was this... 1/3 don't have a clue what I am talking about anyway, 1/3 will talk alot about doing it and leave the business before they get around to actually doing it, and 1/3 are stuck in 1970 and won't ever change their ways. There are about 2-3% out there that really get it, have embraced technology and are continuing to evolve as new technology is rolled out. I seem to bond with other techies and develop a good relationship. Sometimes there are referrals and sometimes they are just a resource to bounce or test ideas.
Donna - I often see listing and market report only blogs. Even the market reports are just a series of numbers with no graphic or no explanation of what it all means. I often wonder whether this approach works as I can't imagine how it would. I also see blogs that are too general and too broad. I have a small or narrow approach and it works for me. I know there are other approaches but regurgitating common news stories, posting listing after listing, and following up with endless market reports telling me number of homes listed, sold and days on market doesn't motivate me. I like posts that get me thinking or guide me in the right direction.
Ryan, I've had mixed feelings about sharing my newfound treasure (just took another listing today from a lady who thought she found me on Facebook but then quoted my AR profile), but you are right. A very aggressive agent with whom I shared the fact that I was blogging last Fall hasn't done anything to begin blogging. The agent is very shrewd and I thought, "Oh I've done it now! I'm just a newbie and he will take off and leave me in the dust!" I was one who didn't know anything about SEO, but this past year has been a huge learning experience. I'm flagging this for a Feature - everyone should read it, especially people in their first year of blogging.
Sharon - I have to admit that giving away our "secrets" is actually a part of our marketing strategy. We want agents to show our new construction homes, take our phone calls, and call us with their city referrals. It doesn't always work... but I have found that an offer of a little help now pays us back tenfold in the future. Plus, being a part of a profession means contributing to its well being. Given that I hate meetings (and Realtors seem to have more meetings than any other profession), I like to give back by just talking about my tech experiences - good, bad and ugly. If it helps a new agent or elevates the game of a seasoned agent, then I am glad to help. We are located in a large metro area and most of the agents that have heard my tech talks don't sell in my area. More importantly, blogging is all about personal expression which is difficult to copy.
Ryan, agents in my office have joined AR, but have not written one post...they state the same reasons as noted in this post..."nothing to write about, I cant write, not time to blog, etc, etc... I even did a training class to get them started. Some people just WILL NOT BLOG.....oh well, their loss.
Jim - I am always happy to shed some light on the subject.
Rebecca - Your experience is pretty telling. I don't pretend that blogging is the be all and end all for lead generation. However, it is an important tool.
Gary - Read my first posts and you can see it is a learned skill. You start with the writing. Then add SEO and keywords into the mix. Then integrate into your marketing. Then build a subscriber base. Even those that start usually don't get to the other items and declare the blogging experiment a failure without even knowing why.
Ryan, it's more than just putting words on the screen, but that's the perception of those who don't blog or are just beginning. It is a learned skill, one that I have been working on for over a year now and it's just now beginning to gell - the words, the keywords, the SEO, the backlinks, the overall marketing plan. There are lots of whiz kids here in AR, but you get out into the real world of real estate and most agents have no idea. The learning curve is so steep that they become discouraged. It's like writing a thesis - and many don't have the persistence for it, is my observation.
Sharon: I am at the one year point and I honestly can't say that I understand all of the SEO, keywords, backlinks, etc. However, I do see some basic mistakes made by new bloggers including platform selection, lack of keywords, block paragraphs with no graphics or photos, no call to action, no tracking of statistics, no linking of post to other sites, etc. because I made these same mistakes at least initially. If you start geographically specific, you can dominant your keywords and Goggle page 1 in a matter of days or weeks. For me, I kept blogging and periodically would tweak the blog based on the posts that seemed to generate comments, inquiries or business. I would say persistence is a key to blogging success - however that is pretty much true for any marketing activity.
A formidable post against anything else I will read today. EXCELLENT! I work in a small, rural area where not many people read my blog or know about it. I let it go for some time but I have recently come back to it with a vengeance! I am telling everyone about it, showing it off to other REALTORS in my area, and emailing everyone I know with the link. I am finally starting to get a response and it has been a great response. More and more people are calling me which I assume means they consider me a resource. No income yet but I am confident that it will come.
Thomas - You have a tremendous opportunity to be a resource for your community. We include the website and blog address on all of our marketing collateral.
I just wrote about how blogging (and a combination of different types of posts) can give someone an edge for offering a unique, compelling value proposition. Thus far, blogging has been the number 1 success for me.
Loreena - I enjoy reading your posts - good mix of personal, inspirational and real estate posts. I can definitely see why it generates business for you.
Ryan, always impressive, always giving - and the return is obviousl. It is like the root word for "affluence," - affluere - to flow - you work a great program.
Ryan, I joined AR about 1 1/2 yrs ago but I used it mostly for reading. I didn't have the confidence to post on my own until a couple of months ago. I still have so much to learn but I have set a goal to learn something new everyday and post at least a couple times a week. I am bookmarking this post to guide me.
RYAN - Great post and great info. I have only 60 + posts, but I have utilized the bulk of the categories you show. This list, however, will make a great motivator for me to keep posting at an acceptable level.
Wow! I'm sorry I'm getting here so late as I would have flagged this one for a feature. You have really captured the blogging basics plus much more. Thanks for sharing the reasons why people are hesitant to blog. I find it all very exciting. I never know who is going to contact me. I had two contacts this weekend from my website.
Jenny - I blog for the same reasons - it produces leads and has little cost outlay except time and effort. Trying to mix in more market statistics into my posts - but not just the typical market reports.
Ryan, I came to this post via Pat Kennedy's Week in Review. Great list of what works on blogging topics. And you've gotten me thinking of a few new things to blog about in my part of the world. Thanks!
Sarah - I hope it helps. I was just reviewing my posts to see what I have done and what seemed to work the best. They ended up falling into categories so I thought I would share my experience.
Susan - The great thing about AR is reading something and then applying it to our practices. I have learned much and every once in awhile I get a chance to contribute back.
To those non bloggers writing is not easy, but with time and structure you get better at it. Some great ideas here for subjects and I focus on local posts as much as I can, I have the most fun doing them and taking local photos.
Lyn - We all get writer's block now and then. I hope the list helps.
Corinne - It really does get better with time. It takes time to define your style, develop your voice, and make consistent posts. Local posts, agent training and statistics posts have all been popular.
This is a great list of different types of posts to write and a reminder that it takes time and patience to succeed, but the same is true for marketing in general.
Ryan- Excellent breakdown. I am working on the longtail words to be community/neighborhood specific. Do you find that we should do a blog post regularly, say monthly on a specific neighborhood over and over with new content? Looking for a big glass of Google Juice!
I have been blogging for a while and the writing is very difficult for me. I still do my best and I'm improving. I post mostly market condition data at the present time. I do need to work on being more balanced.
I am amazed at how few agents in my area are really taking advantage of the web, blogging and social networking. I am not the highest volume producer in my office but on Google I am on page 1 for multiple terms in my area, I get several emails or calls a week from the public finding me via the web. This is not a "fast" fix but it is well worth the time and effort!
Ryan, Thanks for sharing a well written, informative blog. Obviously, it seems to have generated a lot of interest, right? Life without blogging is like being stuck in the 90's.
Good post. I have blogged on AR but I have not done it enough to see any real response. I can see where blogging on localism can really boost your visability in your own "real estate nitch". I read somewhere recently there was a significant amount of stimulus money going to improve the infrastructure to allow more people access to high speed internet. If that doesn't send a message nothing will. I like your multi-pronged approach to marketing. Makes sense!
Ryan, I really appreciate this post. I have been getting started blogging, but need to improve. I have subscribed to the outside blog, but have not figured it out as of yet. I am not giving up! I know this works!! Thank you for your helpful information!
My former broker told me 2 years ago that I'm wasting my time online (I was just getting started on Active Rain) and that blogging doesn't work. Most of our closings are results of online activity and my former broker is now a regular agent at my current office with less than half the closings we've had.
Well said and an excellent outline: all that it takes is keeping up with the progress... Hyperlocal here we go! Just in case I get 'writer's block, I've gone ahead and bookmarked this for future reference.
Ryan: I stopped blogging a few months ago. I have some written blogs ready to publish, so this guide is awesome. I need to put some more mix on what I am doing. Thanks for an excellent post. Tere
Nice job with your article Ryan! Just like having a website, agents do not take the time to learn the SEO game. It is such a huge mistake in this day and age.
Like so many of the previous comments, I too have hesitated at blogging. I never seem to be able to come up with a topic. Thanks for all the suggestions.
Ryan, Thank You for sharing this absolutely invaluable information...this is what Activve Rain is all about...if you're ever in San Diego look me up for a free lunch! I Owe you one!
You're absolutely right about low readership vs high lead generation blogging. I've written just under 50 posts and have had only 4 features albeit 10% isn't a bad number; Especially when you're jus a newbie to this whole blogging and social networking thing. Having said that I'm proud to say that our Internet presence for our particular market niche which is manufactured housingengineered foundation certifications,inspections and installations couldn't be better. We are getting hits from all over the US every day and our website pops on the top of the page sometimes 10 pages deep. Add to that our pay per click has gone from over $1000 per month to under $400 and our leads have increased 4 fold. You're right. I'ts all about optimization. Thanks for the post.
Just yesterday in our Education Committee Meeting we made some pretty radical changes for next year. As a small board of less than 300 agents we have been struggling with our weekly MLS Caravan meetings - even making them every other week.
We have also struggled with participation at our educational events. Hence, the decision to combine them. Now our hour long MLS meeting will include 30 minutes for educational topics and the format will be every other meeting an affiliate sponsored speaker and then the alternate weeks will be one of the REALTORS from our board, as nominated by their broker...giving each broker equal opportunity for the annual agenda.
The good news is I was volunteered to go first on the topic of Blogging. So, I have already started to put together my ideas for this important class. Then this morning, woooola, you published my outline.
So, I want to thank you - you have some very powerful information here that matches much of what I wanted to present. I am planning on a PowerPoint presentation highlighting each point, of course using my own material as well - but this is an incredible lesson, all by itself.
Ryan, One of the biggest benefits of Activerain that I've found is reading a post like this one. You've put all the pertinent information in and included the results you've seen in each category over a long period of blogging. Thank you so much for sharing your experience with the rest of us.
Ryan, One of the biggest benefits of Activerain that I've found is reading a post like this one. You've put all the pertinent information in and included the results you've seen in each category over a long period of blogging. Thank you so much for sharing your experience with the rest of us.
Ryan, One of the biggest benefits of Activerain that I've found is reading a post like this one. You've put all the pertinent information in and included the results you've seen in each category over a long period of blogging. Thank you so much for sharing your experience with the rest of us.
I saw some of the tips you forwarded to Anna Banana in that PowerPoint - you sure do know your stuff! I agree, patience is a virtue ... more people would do well to understand that success isn't instant. The stronger, more useful content you post - with consistency - the better feedback you will receive. Period.
Hit the nail on the head there, Ryan. And you are right, it takes time, consistency, and persistence in order to see the payoff. I'll need to pop over to your blog to see your market reports...I think I have a solid handle on them, but maybe tweaking an explanation or two can work wonders for me.
I just started blogging a few months ago. I stopped my first blog because of the long url and I didnt know what I was doing. I started a new blog and have seen visitors. MY blog posts on activerain have been at the 2nd page of google very fast for my area. How many posts per week would you say is a good number to shoot for? thanks for sharing your information.
This is GREAT and quite scientific. The fact that you can determine which blog presented the greatest and least amount of revenue is a much more important tool than I believe you have given credit to. I can only speak for what our company has done, but when we did a similar inquiry we found it to be a far better business focusing tool than we thought it would be. You have a gold mine here and I look forward to see what you blog about next. Thank you for sharing this amazing data with us and for helping guide me as I begin to blog!
I have five deals in escrow right now, two of them were Active Rain leads and two of them from my company's blog. Because I don't have unlimited time, I decided to put a lot of focus blogging about two communities I knew well, describing where the values were (short sale, foreclosure, developer), and updating it regularly. I didn't get a response off the first post, but now when renting in one of those condos and decides they want to buy, they google the place and come up with my posts. "I'm interested in looking at ....and you seem to know what you are doing." is what the person says when I answer their call.
Now i know the formula and am starting to build it for additional locations. Don't think you have to be an expert on everything is my point. Just blog what you know about!
Ryan, thanks for the post. The blogging plan has motivated me. Being able to see what the effect of each topic is, really helps me focus and target my blogs.
Yea!!! Ryan I have been waiting for you blog post. Very comprehensive analysis. I printed your post out. It will be my mantra to incorporate all 16 types!
Thanks for the great post, Ryan! I am new at blogging and the information you gave will be really helpful. I will keep working at it and I think it will eventually pay off in business.
Hi Ryan, I'm one of those who are surrounded by doubters. My experience is still a work in progress and your review really helped me focus. Well done !
Obviously a lot of interest in your recent blog, way to go. All this information is so helpful to us new people as well as the A.R. originals, not a bad thing. Thanks for all the helpful information I am very open to new ideas and really appreciate the great ideas.
Wow Ryan, 400 posts is an amazing number! I will defintely bookmark it so I can refer back to it for ideas in the broad sense. I love the active rain posts and can't bring myself to delete my daily email of them until I have had a chance to read them. Needless to say, my inbox is filled with them!
Ryan, you are a wealth of knowledge, as always - bookmarking this as well. I just started blogging last May. I wrote an article about a tree sculpture in the park behind my house. Within 24 hours, I had two e-mails from people wanting contact information for the sculpturor. Now, that's not money in my pocket right now, but people are reading what I write and will consider me to be an expert in my COMMUNITY.
Looking forward to the day when I am referred to as "that Realtor who blogs all the time."
Ryan - thanks for the post. As a manager trying to motivate agents to Blog, your advice will make it easier for them to "write". It is what the consumer wants that matters.
I've been penning a blog (www.nelsonians.com) as a real estate agent (we don't call them Realtors down-under) in my area. Next week it will be a year old. I've penned, according to the stats, 386 posts in that time. Yes it has taken up some time, but in my opinion better than sitting in front of a soap for 30-40minutes a day. I am starting to see increased enquiry, on Real Estate and other related items. Considering we have suffered a large drop off in viewer / browsers to Real Estate portals in NZ in general its not surprising the leads are still to stream on.
You post has given me some fresh ideas, thanks for that. And your mentioning of the short term as in "been doing it for a month and don't see results....." is just so true. In fact thats the part it seems most don't get.
You make mention of the word "presence" and I suggest some of those doubters out there can't get their mind around this concept. In the future the transparency offered by a history of your writings on the local scene will amount to what I feel is a higher credibility factor than just those last 50 JUST SOLD flyers you dropped in the neighbourhood.
Ryan, I can't believe you just did this breakdown for us all. It will help be in developing my bolgging plan. I did a few a month or 2 ago and I have been waiting for the time to develop a plan and get going. Thanks,
Ryan - this is definitely getting bookmarked! Thank you for sharing what you've found to be your most successful categories/types of blogs. We need to ramp up the number that we're writing and appreciate your sharing the results of your review of your business leads from blogging.
Ryan, I just bookmarked this post. The information is helpful as I move from random blogging to having a plan of execution for regular and consistent blogs. I have only been blogging a short time, but have already seen results. My active participation in online discussion forums is also bringing business in the door.
Great Post! I have been one of those who is intimidated by the idea of blogging, but I plan to put this post to good use and start out in the right direction today!
Christine: It is all about persistence and consistent posts - both in timing of posts and in message or themes of posts.
Dixie: I do a post on Lafayette Square (ie. single neighborhood posts) weekly or more in some fashion ranging from photos to market reports to business. I do other city neighborhoods to cover upcoming events or event I attended, to add a market report, or to show my new listings. As to Google juice, I am not a SEO expert. However, my approach which seems to work for me is to focus on city neighborhoods. I would rather be on Google page 1 for several city neighborhoods as opposed to page 5 for the metro area as a whole. I try to post 1 article per day (including reblogs) per month.
Matt: It take time to develop your writing style and to define your message. I don't get much response from the typical market report. In contrast, I get great responses from market reports that cover more extensive time periods, use graphs and explain trends.
Vanessa - From the statistics, it would seem to be 5% to 25% of agents who have blogs. From speaking at other brokerages, I can tell you that the agents that post 2-3x per week are about 1% or less. There is usually 1 or 2 in each brokerage who are active bloggers. Simliar to your story, we aren't the top producers but appear high on google for our keywords. We are steadily gaining market share - both in dollars and # of transactions. As a brokerage, we are #1 in the Near Southside neighborhood and #2 in Lafayette Square for single family and condo sales. We are #2 for city wide rentals. As individual agents, we are #6 for city condo sales and #4 and #9 for city wide rentals. Given our office has 4 agents, I am extremely proud of our work and market share.
SI Real Estate - This was a stealth post... It received a modest number of comments from regular readers and wasn't featured. It then hit Patricia Kennedy's weekly review and the AR newletter and the comments exploded.
Joseph: I hope it helps. It took me 400 posts just to figure out what worked. I am constantly tweaking my topics to see what is producing leads, giving me good Google placement, and generating comments. Often, these three goals require very different posts.
Jerry: I didn't see much return - except Google placement - for the first 50 posts or roughly 3 months. My plan for blogging is definitely hyperlocal and does generate leads now. As to stimulus money, Missouri has retained consultants to go after some big grants to increase internet access in rural areas.
Shelby - My best suggestion is to subscribe to the AR staff member blogs. They provide a ton of tutorials. Add to the mix Anne Marie Malfi, Katerina Gossett and a few of the top 100 bloggers and you have a pretty good base to learn the ropes.
Andrea - I have heard the same comments from other brokers and agents. AR is just agents talking to agents. Tell that to the 300 subscribers to my outside blog. I am a firm believer that blogging like any other marketing activity can work if you have a good plan.
James - Thanks for reading. I do think hyperlocal is a key to making AR and blogging work for me. Glad the list helps.
Tere - There is an added advantage to blogging. It remains out there forever. I still get inquiries from posts that I did over a year ago.
Sharon - Thanks. As I mentioned above, it was a stealth post. Patricia Kennedy put it in her week in review and I got some comments. It then hit the AR newsletter and the comments exploded.
Peggy - What I love about the comments is that most are from people that I didn't know before I posted this article. Now, I have a ton of blogs to check out in the future.
Bill - I love your SEO posts as they have been very instructive. I agree 100% with your comment that if you aren't blogging and paying attention to SEO you are wasting time.
Chantel - Congratulations on your blogging success. It only take a little to get some big results in terms of Google placement.
Lois - It takes time to get rolling. I use a variation of this list to come up with ideas. I also read a fair number of other blogs and often get an idea from the comments in the post.
Bob - When I am in San Diego, I will do so. I recently went to Austin and had lunch with a few AR members. They were fun to meet in person.
John - It sounds like you definitely get blogging and how to do it right. Congratulations on developing your niche market.
Bob - I'm glad it helps. I tend to wander a bit on my topics so I plan to be a bit more regular in terms of the types or topics that I post.
John - If you need some powerpoints for your seminars, give me a call or drop me an e-mail. I have done a series of presentations on blogging, LinkedIn, social media, etc. and am always willing to share.
Kate - I feel the same way. It is one of the reasons that I read Anne Marie Malfi on AR. She isn't a real estate agent - but she lays out how to blog and other issues in such clear and concise terms. I have received more than I have contributed from AR. I have alot of people to thank on AR for their great informative posts.
Scott - Hope it helps.
Mark - The AR staff have done a good job of gently trying to get agents to focus on hyperlocal posts - neighborhoods, local businesses, education series, etc. From my perspective, their advice is right on the money.
Laura - I hope that the tips included in the Powerpoint sent to Anna were helpful. I can't take credit for all of the ideas. I first read about many of the ideas on AR and implemented them as a part of my blogging strategy. I agree with your comment - the more useful the post the more comments. However, comments and lead generation often are two very different types of posts from my perspective.
Katie - I love the repeat comments... I kind of figured that you had a slow internet and clicked a few times. We have all done that - or at least I have.
Gene - Absolutely. It took me awhile to figure out different posts for different purposes. It's good that I figured it out after 400 posts.
William - I do something different with my market reports. I started doing market trending type reports. Let me know what you think.
Roch-St.Georges - Thanks for reading. I hope you use it in the future.
RocklinSacramento - Congratulations on your blogging success. I try to do 1 per day or 30 per month. I include in this figure a few reblogs each month.
Irena - I hope it helps. It was just a review of what I did on the first 400 posts - good, bad or ugly.
Joe - I agree that blogging can be a gold mine if it is used right. Some posts are purely for me... for agents... for Google... for leads... When I started tracking the hits and where they were coming from, it caused me to realize what was and what wasn't working from a business perspective.
Beth - You have a great strategy. We are pretty similar - blog on what you know is great advice. Often, my blog posts start as something I was working on or a question that I was asked. We get inquiries similar to yours... They do really start out like you mentioned in your comment.
Eileen - Aren't there days or even weeks where we can't seem to focus on what to write? I know that there are these periods for me.
Eugene - I have been blogging for 1 year and 1 month. It definitely took me awhile to find my voice. Staying motivated and thinking before blogging are two things that I had to learn.
Dianne - I hope it helps. I had to include the seminar comments because I hear them in different variations from almost every agent who doesn't currently blog.
Brad - Thanks for reading. I hope it helps.
Steve - It opened my eyes about post when I realized that comments weren't the real measure of a good post. Different posts for different reasons.
Tony - I too was a fence sitter. Read for 1 month then read and comment for another month. I then started blogging and got some great tips from AR along the way.
Dan - We are both on the same page. I started the post as a recap of my 400 posts. When I started looking at what worked, I started ranking them. Like any activity, it is good to take a look back and develop a better plan for the next year. Glad it helped.
Ally - Welcome to blogging. No better place than AR to learn the ropes.
Barb - There is no one template - but the posts listed above seem to work for me.
Bill - We are all surrounded by doubters. Just laugh as the leads flow effortlessly in for you.
Deborah - I once read a 100 blog ideas post. It helped me greatly. I started the post by just reviewing what I did last year. It helped me focus on what was and wasn't working.
DeeDee - Time flies. When I started 400 posts seemed unreachable. I just kept plugging away. This is just a review of what worked for me.
Don - I wouldn't be blogging if people on AR didn't encourage me to get going and start blogging. I was a silent reader then a serial commenter. It took me a bit to get started blogging.
Geogina - I love lists and have more than a few bookmarked myself. It is always good to have a back up for ideas when the well runs dry.
Lori - That is funny because I get calls on things that I posted on and people want more information. They have ranged from a person who worked at the local hospital that is now condos to a person who wanted more info on a local festival to someone who found a bottle with an inscription that matched the writing from a post I did on a beverage company building that was converted to rental. It is good to be a community resource and it leads to some great into conversations.
Fred - You have a tough job. I know that I did - both with my staff and agents at brokerages where I have spoken. The only thing that seemed to have an impact was the time when I printed 10 good leads that came in on the day of one of our sales meetings and passed them out to everyone. I then played a clip from Glengerry GlenRoss. It is the coffee is for closers and golden leads part from the movie.
David - Great comment. It is one of the post worthy ones. I think we are on the same page. It takes time and effort... but it is time well spent and generates leads even when I'm doing other things. Agents tend to forget that even a small number of well written posts can generate a good many leads.
Tigard - We all have lapses and gaps. I try to do 30 posts per month. Some days, I will post no post and some days I post 3 or 4 posts. I try to stagger them but there are some days that I am motivated and the posts seem to flow.
Jirius - Good luck with developing the plan and moving it forward.
Sharon - I don't know about sharing wisdom... I can say it was fun sharing my blogging experiences over the past year.
Tonda - I have learned one thing - there is no right way to blog but plenty of wrong ways.
Mike - The first year was pretty random. Now, in my second year, I am going to take a more regimented approach. We will see how the results vary.
Tony - I am curious to hear what types of post generate the most comments, most new subscribers, most consumer inquiries, etc.
Stephanie - I think we were all hesitant, tentative and a bit intimidated when we started. I promise there will be a moment when you go "ahah" and realize it was all worth the effort.
Thanks for taking the time to put out such valuable information. I'm curiuos, how has blogging changed your business in terms of numbers? Estimated increase in %? Have you been successful with acquiring referals as a result of your agent targetted blogs?
Matt - Yes. Blogging has generated leads/inquiries and has resulted in sales. Although I can quantify the amount of commission earned, I can't quantify a percentage increase or decrease in sales. The year over year figures are impacted by more factors than simply blogging or not blogging. As to targeted blog posts, I would have to say the strategy has worked. We do get people searching for condos, new construction, or Lafayette Square who have visited our new construction displays and mention specific posts that caught their attention.
Matt - Yes. Blogging has generated leads/inquiries and has resulted in sales. Although I can quantify the amount of commission earned, I can't quantify a percentage increase or decrease in sales. The year over year figures are impacted by more factors than simply blogging or not blogging. As to targeted blog posts, I would have to say the strategy has worked. We do get people searching for condos, new construction, or Lafayette Square who have visited our new construction displays and mention specific posts that caught their attention.
Great suggestions! I tend to be a hyper-local blogger, and I keep a list of blog topics/suggestions/ideas for those days when I lack inspiration. I've added your 16 to the list.
This post was just what I needed!! Thanks so much. I am getting into the blogging stream finally and not only enjoy it but find it has already helped me network and increase my business.
Ryan.....Totally AWESOME post, and yet another great reminder to me of what and where I need to get my focus on my blog! I'll be printing this out and adding it to my blog notebook! Perhaps I'll hang it on the wall as well!
Thanks for some great ideas and a road map to get there!
Thanks for the great list of blog topics! I'm just getting (re)started in real estate sales and am devoting a fair amount of energy to incorporating technology in my business. I always think that the time investment upfront to organize tech solutions pays off. So, blogging is on my to-do list and to date I've been making lists of possible topics and writing some generic posts so that I can have something in the can in case I can't write a post in a timely manner.
This begs the question of how to effectively manage time. Your post was written more than 10 days ago and I just got time to see it today! There's got to be a way to find 36 hours in each day.
Dee Dee - Plan to take a look at your scavenger hunt post.
Sally - It takes regular effort to blog. In my opinion, it is worth it because it produces leads. I know the feeling - some days there just aren't enough hours in the day.
I found your post very informative. I also am amazed at the helpful insights so many in the AR community have given out to everybody. I have learned so much in the past year!
Blogging improves over time. I shudder at some of my earlier posts. I realized that writing, like any skill, improves with practice. I also enjoy the "journaling" aspect of Blogging. It is somewhat therapeutic to be able to share ones thoughts and ideas with a like-minded community.
Deborah - Blogging does develop and improve over time. Similar to you, I find it both interesting and therapeutic. Read my first few posts... you will see the change in style and content.
Thanks for the insight into what has been working for you. I've heard similar information from other agents that hyper-local and market statistic posts tend to generate the most business. I absolutely believe in the power of blogging to bring business i just have trouble finding the time to do it daily.
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Ryan - excellent post! I am on my way with my blog and haven't seen much success yet, but I'm evolving...and I'm not giving up. Your list will be bookmarked and used for future reference. I appreciate the tips!