A blog is the gift that keeps on giving!
When I write a blog article, that's not the end of that story. Whenever possible, that blog becomes a marketing piece, a thank-you note, an "I was thinking of you" reminder to a prospective client, and another opportunity to remind clients and prospects of my service and expertise.
Here's one example: There was a buyer who came to Baltimore from the British Virgin Islands to find a place for her college student daughter. She found me through the Internet and was interested in one of the condos I had listed. She was a delight to work with, and bought one of the condos for her daughter. I did a follow-up post on that which helped to reinforce what was already a good relationship. I pointed to the story again in a post that reminded folks that many young people – singles and young families – are finding Baltimore condos to be an affordable choice with great convenience features. My listing inventory of condos is at an all time high, and I find that younger buyers are looking at my high-rise buildings and thinking of buying.
Something else I do is use a blog article as a reminder gift for a person or business. For example, when I write about a restaurant like Tio Pepe in Baltimore, or a dairy with great ice cream in Harford County, I print copies of the article in color and then laminate them. I take them to the owner the next time I visit - one always goes on the wall, and the other is for them to show off. It takes just few minutes and a few cents, but the impact is huge.
Blog articles also are a source for my print advertising. When I have great feedback from a client, like the cient from the British Virgin Islands, I use excerpts in my print ads to reinforce to both clients and prospects the level of service they can expect.
And of course the great benefit of having a large collection of blog articles is that you have taken the time to think and write about many aspects of the real estate business. After a few hundred thousand words, you have the core of a book that you can publish and use to promote yourself to prospects and clients. No magnet or mug can compare with the impact of a book with your name as author when it comes to proving that you are the expert in your market.
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Margaret - Terrific points here! I look forward to having my own book to point out to my clients and potential clients in 2010. :)