Want a website that performs better than the other guys' real estate websites? Start by building a better blog than them.
The numbers prove that blogging drives success and performance. According to Hubspot:
- Marketers who have prioritized blogging are 13x more likely to enjoy positive ROI
- Companies who blog receive 97% more links to their website
- Blogs have been rated as the 5th most trusted source for accurate online information
The good news is there are countless Realtors® out there blogging on real estate websites, but only a small percentage of them are doing it correctly.
Here’s how to separate yourself from the pack.
Focus on the Headline
It very literally starts here. It’s the first thing people see on real estate websites, and what they use to determine if your blog is worth their time and their click. It’s the “bait” that gets people to stop scrolling through their newsfeed on Facebook and read your story.
Be creative, be engaging and be funny to earn people’s attention. “The City’s New Bylaws Explained” is boring and not really click-worthy. But a headline like “Will the New City Bylaws Cost You Thousands?” will spark people’s interest and create a sense of urgency.
A few other tips on headlines:
- Let your personality shine through
- Keep them short and sharable
- Try to work keywords into them, but don’t force them in
- Mistakes and myths play well. For example, “5 Myths About Home Inspections” or “3 Mistakes Nearly All First-time Buyers Make” would be great headlines!
Write and Publish on a Schedule
Schedules are good because they make your blog predictable, while keeping you on task. So get yourself in the routine of writing the blog Monday and publishing on Wednesday, or something like that.
What’s the best day to publish on real estate websites? Experts have a ton of data and metrics that can make an argument for Monday right through until the weekend. The bottom line is you want to publish your blog and share it socially when your would-be customers are online. That can be any number of times.
An attainable and repeatable routine is more important than locking yourself into a steadfast day of the week based on someone else’s numbers.
Mix Things Up
Being predictable doesn’t mean being boring. There are lots of different types of blogs you can publish:
- How to Guide or Q&A: Always popular and you get to showcase your expertise
- Newsjacking: A term that describes responding to something that’s trending or making headlines and providing your own spin
- Guest posts: Run a piece from a guest writer like a local mortgage broker or home inspector
You should also try a bit of gated content. This would be something like a whitepaper or a how-to-guide. It’s called a gated asset because your reader will have to provide you their name and email address to download it. This helps you capture more leads and build your mailing list.
Most Realtors® don’t do these things, and neither do bloggers from most any sector. Most will use the first headline that comes to mind, write and publish when they have time, and offer up the same stale meal every week. But now you know better, and can stand out from other real estate websites.
While you’re revisiting your digital advertising, how does your print marketing look? Is it time for new business cards or postcards? If you need new materials, you can easily create your own design online, and give your branding a quick refresh.
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