Want 2013 Phone Calls? Identify Your Blogging Niche!
WE just have to have our phones to ring in order to have the business. I do all that I can to make this happen. Most of my business comes from referrals ...referrals that have received my phone number from another client..
Want 2013 Phone Calls? Identify Your Blogging Niche!
We've said it before and we'll say it again, IF YOU WANT YOUR BLOGGING TO MAKE YOUR PHONE RING, NOTHING BEATS A NICHE!
Let's face it, we can write all the home buyer and home seller advice posts we want, and even though it's in our own voice and tailored to our market, it doesn't offer information that they can't find somewhere else like MSN, Yahoo or another portal.
So what's the key to getting your phone to ring? SPECIFIC, REAL ESTATE RELATED INFORMATION THE CONSUMER CAN'T GET ELSEWHERE. Provide that well and you'll get the phone to ring. For us, that niche is a dedicated Active Rain Outside Blog specific to Warren County and Cincinnati Area Patio Homes. With fewer than 40 posts to date, we get more real estate related phone calls than our other 1300 post combined. It's not fancy or pretty, but it contains the information our area consumers want.
What makes those 40 posts work so well? Several factors:
- There's a gap in our MLS identification system. There's no specific patio home category for buyers to search via IDX or MLS. They may be lumped in with single family homes or condos. The lack of no easy search capability means the interested consumers need an agent that KNOWS that niche.
- We gathered the knowledge needed to understand the niche. It wasn't easy. Scouring the MLS for key phrases, reading builder websites, Google Searches, driving neighborhoods, aerial map reviews, etc. But we identified where the patio homes are in our immediate market area.
- There's consumer demand for the niche. Not necessarily a 55+ buyer, but the majority of patio home buyers are experienced home buyers and sellers. They know what they want and have the financial means to make it happen. Isn't that what you hope for in a buyer when you're prospecting?
So at the intersection of Need & Demand, we placed Knowledge. Google likes the unique information and we do well for our key search terms, so the consumers find us.
Now there's no guarantee that these calls turn into actual patio home buyers. But the blog did it's job, the phone rang, and lead conversion is OUR job.
Because it's a limited niche market, what the potential patio home buyer wants may not exist. Either location, price point, or desired features may not align. But our job is to make sure they know we know more about the topic than any other agent they can find. After that, we just need to keep in touch. And chances are if someone calls about buying a patio home, they've got a home to sell. So this niche is really both a buyer lead generator AND a listing generator.
A key to blogging success with the consumers is identifying YOUR personal area niche. You don't want to be 1 of 1000 agents targeting the same exact market. Find what's being overlooked and has enough activity to supplement what you're already doing that works for you. Maybe it's working a planned community harder than anyone else, maybe it's working the multi-car garage niche for the car nuts. But whatever it is, combine it with your other activities for that business level bump up!
Keep on Blogging,
Liz and Bill aka BLiz
P.S. Happy 2013 everyone! Hope it's a phenomenal year for you!The Liz Spear Team
Elizabeth & William Spear
RE/MAX Elite: Ask for us by name if you visit the office!
Two locations: Lebanon & Mason, OH
Liz direct: 513-265-3004
Bill direct: 513-520-5305 Fax: 866-302-8418MailTo: Liz@LizSpear.com Our Website: Warren County Ohio Homes
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