6 Easy Ways To Generate Blog Content

Happy new year ActiveRainers!  One of my re-occurring resolutions is to quit procrastinating and actually complete the things I set out to do. But, when it comes to posting on my blog, I can always find something to take my focus away from the task at hand.

If you're one of the lucky ones who writing comes easily to, I envy you.  For the rest of you who are like me and find it hard to buckle down and add content to your blog, I've put together a Content Generation Cheat Sheet for real estate agents that will hopefully take some of the pressure off and get the blog ball rolling.

What Is The Primary Purpose of Your Blog Content?

The content you create should fulfill at least one (if not all) of the following three purposes for your real estate business.

1. Connect with your buyers and sellers and deepen the relationship with them

2. Attract local traffic and prospects to your business online

3. Entice and encourage your prospects to visit your website and request more information from you

Your First Six Posts

Here are some suggestions for the first six blog articles that you can post to your site, blog or (if you're feeling particularly tenacious) create a video for.

1. Who Are You?

It is important to introduce yourself and tell your buyers and sellers who you are.  Why have you decided to start a blog? Do you have a personal story that has led you to becoming a real estate agent? Do you have any passions other than helping people buy or sell their home? Let your audience see that you have a reason for what you do other than just to make money.  By sharing a bit of who you are and why you do what you do, you will boost the levels of loyalty and trust from your audience.


2. Identify Your Ideal Audience

When identifying your ideal audience it helps to have a picture of who your ideal client is, an avatar of sorts.  Would you like to work with more high end buyers or sellers?  Would you like to attract  more empty nesters who are ready to down size?  Once you have a clear picture of who you would like to target, write a quick post geared towards that group and why you want to work with that type of buyer or seller.


3. What Is The Most Commonly Asked Question?

What is the number one question you get asked regarding buying our selling real estate in your market? Answer it. This is a great way to generate quality content rich with keywords to get more of that Google juice while you begin to establish yourself as an authoritative figure and trusted adviser. Include pictures and external links to trusted resources. Ask your audience to share their knowledge or ask additional questions and let them know that you will answer them in future posts.

4. The #1 Mistake

People love to read stories. Do you have a mistake that you have made in the past that is worth sharing? If so, share this story with your audience and tell them how you fixed the problem. Sharing your mistakes makes you human and will make it easier for people to connect with you. If you are not comfortable sharing your own mistakes, use someone else as your subject or choose a topic like The #1 Mistake Most Buyers Make During A Short Sale.

5. Feature a Local Business

Your real estate blog does not always have to pertain to real estate. Whether you've had a great experience at a local restaurant or decided to try dirt bike riding for the first time at a local training center, use these experiences as an opportunity to create more content for your blog.  You can include pictures and external links to local websites and, if you are really on the ball, have that business link to your featured post from their website to bring you more local traffic.

6. Offer Free Information

If you are lucky enough to have a website that includes free real estate reports, use them on your blog.  For example, on your website you offer a sellers report titled "11 Home Inspection Traps to Avoid" which requires the visitor to sign up in order to receive instant access to the report.  Write a blog post about this report.  Include the first few "traps" and then link to the appropriate landing page on your website.  Use your blog to entice the prospect to essentially "raise their hand" and register for more information on your website.

Your blog can be many things, and generating quality content on a regular basis that is rich with relevant keywords and information is key.  But, if the goal is to generate more business you also need to think about how you are going to capture the visitor's information and get them to "raise their hand" for content that is not open to the public. This is where your Lead Capture website comes in.