There is a new term being thrown around business in the past few years...
It's called "CONTENT MARKETING"...
Let's break down each word and how this pertains to your real estate business and how without CONTENT MARKETING your social media marketing efforts are practically useless...
CONTENT (n): is information and experiences that may provide value for an end-user/audience in specific contexts.
Marketing (n): is the process by which companies determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development. It is an integrated process through which companies create value for customers and build strong customer relationships in order to capture value from customers in return.
The key word here is "VALUE."
Content Marketing is the strategy of providing "VALUE" to your prospects through your knowledge, wisdom, and experiences. The ability to communicate your knowledge, expertise, experiences, and wisdom is what is "VALUABLE" to your prospects.
With the majority of people plugged-into the internet the distribution of your valuable content is even easier than ever before!!! Blogs, forums, articles, social networks, facebook fan pages, and even twitter pages are all readily available vehicles for communicating value.
If you think that by simply having a blog or a twitter account you are "magically" going to generate business and listings??? NO WAY... You are so far lost!
Take the position of the prospect...
“what's so "good" or "valuable" about you that would provoke me to call or email you for help selling my home???”
"What do you offer that is so compelling and different from John or Jane Smith Realtor?? "
The next problem is that you probably will now just bullet point everything that makes "YOU" a good agent... not a good move.
The problem there is it is too much selling "YOU" than selling "YOUR EXPERTISE, KNOWLEDGE, WISDOM... "
When we create high valued content, we display our expertise and experience in the industry; consequentially, branding us different from the rest.
Having a professional in your corner who is the expert in the industry is HIGHLY VALUED! 
It’s like having Mickey Goldmill (ref: Rocky 1-2 the movie) in your corner if you were a boxer… He’s old, he’s frail… but he’s full of expertise and wisdom… how he trains Rocky by words, is how you should train your clients/prospects by email, articles, and blog posts.
How do you market yourself as an expert?? HIGH VALUED CONTENT!!!
Here are some starting points to consider when writing valuable content:
- Write case studies of previous transactions that were difficult or challenging. Highlight how you negotiated the pitfalls and successfully closed the transaction(s).
- Review and express your professional opinion and projections of the current market climate. Is it a good time to buy, look, or sell?
- Publicly answer good real client questions (ask for permission first)… good Q&A is golden!
- Write about the process of a transaction and advise what to prepare for and how to prepare.
- Discuss how finance companies determine loan qualifications… should I be leasing a car right now? If so, will that effect my loan amount approval?
Take an "advisory" role to your blogs, tweets, and articles and link them back to your posts.
Sometimes writing about the simplest questions is all you need to create high value.
Use less of an advertisement tone... frankly; don't talk about you at ALL!
Here are some of the benefits of sitting down and putting a little bit of effort into your online content marketing:
- Your prospects will automatically perceive you as an authority.
- Rare that someone in your area is doing the same thing... less competition on your part.
- Your article or post will live forever in online space... a prospect 10 years from now might read it and still have the same value effect.
- Other people will find your post useful or valuable and might possibly re-post or redistribute your article to their viewers thus spreading your presence. (This will happen to this post... watch)
- If your article gets referenced on a major media outlet, you'll be famous and can leverage that exposure as a marketing point to your clients. "As seen on CNN" or something to that effect.
Create killer content... because killer content is king!
Before you know it, you’ll have droves of people asking you to help sell their listings or buy their next home.
I hope this helps!
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