Blogging
If you're blogging, then kudos for you. But are you getting the most you can out of your blogging? There are benefits to where you blog. Blogging on your own site is great for SEO, but it won't necessarily get you the greatest number of qualified hits. The more you blog, the higher your rank and the more leads you can get. So if you're a blogger, I might consider moving your blog to a high-traffic real estate blog. And if you've been meaning to get a blog started, now is the time!
BlitzTime
Have you ever tried to join a BNI (Business Networking International) group only to be told that the Realtor spot was already taken? This is a common occurrence in the BNI world. In fact, most BNI chapters that I know of were formed at the start with a Realtor, a mortgage officer and a financial planner because that's the only way these three professions can usually get into a BNI group. Well, no more.
There's a new way to network (and make a little extra cash) and it's called BlitzTime. Using this tool, you get to contact people one-on-one and talk to them about your business. You can even identify who you'd prefer to talk to. Plus, you can run your own events specific to real estate that get potential clients to come in and chat with you. What's even better, is that BlitzTime is now offering an affiliate program which will allow you to make a commission on each person who signs up to BlitzTime as a result of your invitation. So you can create a group and run events to bring in potential customers and cross-referrers-and make a commission on them joining the site.
Meetup Groups
There are many ways in which you can glean business from the social networking site, Meetup.com. You can create your own Meetup group around the subject of real estate-investing, first-time buyers, etc. Or, you can be more subtle and look for the groups that relate to the life transitions that usually result in real estate transactions. You can attend new parent groups or retirement planning groups, or wealth creation groups, or job search groups, etc. It's all about being in front of the right person at the right time. Or, you could just go to groups that you like and meet people who may or may not be interested in buying and selling-at least you're getting out and meeting new people and that's the key to getting more business.
Craigslist
If you haven't been posting your listings and advertising for buyers on Craigslist, then you're missing the boat. Craigslist is like an online classified ad section of the newspaper. It's one of the top ranked sites in the country and gets millions of page views per month. If you write a compelling ad (something that offers the target something of value to them), you could get multiple leads per week for $25. That's a deal.
Commenting on Blogs
Craiglist is my personal favorite. I bring the most hits to my website.