Why should real estate professionals have a blog?
Here are five objectives of real estate blogging:
- Reduce publishing costs
Real estate professionals traditionally market themselves by mailing out newsletters, flyers, and postcards. That type of marketing is limited by the expense of printing and postage, while blogging is limited only by time and ideas. - Increase relevance of information
Do you talk about the latest news and events on your website? Probably not, because updating a website is often difficult and time consuming. Posting comments on a blog is easy, so you can quickly respond to breaking news or advise prospects and clients of upcoming events. - Increase frequency of communication with prospects and clients
Imagine how much business you could generate if you could afford to talk with your prospects and clients several times a week. With a blog, you can communicate with your prospects and clients as often as you like without increasing your marketing expenses. - Attract new prospects with meaningful content
The internet not only allows you to publish more often, it also allows you to publish to everyone. People who have never received your newsletters, flyers, or postcards can find your blog using internet search engines. The key to attracting clients and prospects from your target area is to focus on local content. The key to retaining people who find your blog is continuing to provide value on their terms, not yours. - Achieve retention through repeat visits
With print marketing, retention is a key objective. The odds of catching a prospect at the moment they are ready to buy or sell real estate are low, so the goal is to get prospects to retain your printed material (or your refrigerator magnet) so that when they are ready to buy or sell, you are more likely to get the call. With a blog, retention is also a key objective. The goal is to get readers to visit regularly so that when the time comes, you will be more likely to get the call.
A common theme running through these objectives is persistence. Blogging, like other forms of real estate marketing, rewards persistence.
There is no ideal frequency for posting to your blog, but you need to maintain the same frequency over time to generate audience loyalty and retention because clients and prospects aren't likely to keep visiting your blog if they don't find new information.
How often should you post to your blog?
How often would you like your clients and prospects to visit your blog? Remember, the more often they visit, the more often they think of you.
Thanks!
Frank Jewett
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