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3 Good Reasons You Should Never Kick Your Blog to the Curb!

By
Services for Real Estate Pros with RealSupport Inc.

 

In our social media society, it seems we’re constantly being faced with updated features, new tricks and even new social media sites.  And, while it’s good to stay on the cutting edge of social media marketing, it doesn’t negate having a solid and consistent real estate blog.  In short: Facebook should never replace your blog.

Now, you may be wondering, “What’s the big deal?  I’m not a writer and posting on Facebook only a takes a few minutes.”  As a blogger, I love what I do, but understand that not everyone feels the same way about sitting down and writing a post!  So, I thought I’d give you a few good reasons why blogging is still a great necessity for your real estate business.
 

1. Blog Customization and Branding:  Let’s face it, you can only do so much with the look of your Facebook page.  It’s not a bad thing; Facebook has its reasons for wanting to keep everything pretty basic.  However, your blog is your chance to create a look and feel that ties in with your website and branding.  It gives visitors a strong sense of your style, your committment to professional branding and serves as an extension of the information they’ll find on your website.  Believe it or not, this type of consistency builds trust in who you are and the services you offer.
 

2.  In Depth Analytical Reports: Want to know where your visitors are coming from, how many times a day your blog is viewed, and what posts are most popular?  Most blogs have these analytical reports built in and grant you easy access to the stats you want to know!  Find out what key words are being searched, how long visitors spend on your blog and more with your blog statistical reports or by adding in a 3rd party analytical tool.  You’ll find these detailed reports to be helpful as you hone in on the needs of your target audience.
 

3. Search Engine Optimization:  Yep, good ol’ SEO is one of the main reasons to hang on to your blog.  There’s no replacement for providing rich content with key words that act as a feast for search engines.  Sites like Google and Bing survive on pertinent information and the more quality content you provide, the more they like you and boost you to the top.  We all know that no one will continue to page 10 in a search when the information they need is on page one.  We’re happy to say that many of our clients sit on page one because of their blog... simple proof that it works!
 

So, you may be thinking that this is a “blogs are better than Facebook” post... it’s not.  In fact, your blog and your Facebook page (and all of your other social media sites) should be interacting and supporting each other!  It’s not a matter of having to choose between them; they are built to work together for the good of your business.  And that’s an encouraging thought.
 

Here are a few examples:

Your blog should feature your Facebook and other social sites.

Your blog posts should contain a signature with all of your links.

Your Facebook should feature your blog.

  

Your Website should highlight all Social Media sites and your blog.

  

The list can go on and on!  As you can see, the idea is to have all of your sites “talking” to each other and to create easy access for visitors to explore everything you have to offer.  If you still aren’t convinced about keeping your blog; let us know!  We’d love to answer any further questions you have or can even handle your real estate blogging for you along with your social media!  
 

Let us know how we can help!
 

Allie Coyle
Blogging & Copywriting Specialist 

Jon Kolsky
Kolsky Realty & Management - Long Beach, CA
Licensed California Real Estate Broker

Great job you guys! I agree 100%, today is a new day with many new things to try.

Jul 21, 2011 12:02 PM
Maggie Dokic /Indialantic | 321-252-8696
Magdalena Dokic - Indialantic, FL
Selling the beach in Florida's space coast

So true.  With your own blog, you're in control of many things which you can't control on social media sites.  FaceBook is here to stay.  Using it should definitely be on every agent's marketing plan.  But that should be in addition to their blog, not in place of it.

Nice post.

Jul 21, 2011 12:15 PM
Hrisco & Associates
Hrisco & Associates - Roanoke, TX
Roanoke Homes for Sale - Roanoke Neighborhoods

Gee, think you guys might know what your talking about....eh?  bookmarked, will be back.

Jul 21, 2011 07:57 PM
Alan Gross
PrimeLending, A PlainsCapital Company, Equal Housing Lender - Bethesda, MD
Loan Consultant

Facebook has no SEO value and your limited to friends and all your posts are seen by everyone. Blogs are up for ever and can be searched for a found. Great advice.

Jul 22, 2011 02:24 AM
Sherri Berry
Reliant Realty, Murfreesboro - Murfreesboro, TN
Murfreesboro TN Homes & Real Estate

I liked your post!  Facebook and Blogs are two completely different animal;s.  They are both here to stay and we need to be implementing both in our marketing plans to stay on top!

Jul 23, 2011 04:23 AM
RealSupport, Inc.
RealSupport Inc. - Schaumburg, IL
- Virtual Real Estate Marketing

Hi Jon- Thanks for your comment and taking the time to read our post! Glad you liked it!

Hi Maggie and Sherrie- You're both right that Facebook and blogging is here to stay!  We're encourged by agents like you who are ready to embrace the latest trends in real estate marketing, but also realize that there are those staple marketing tactics that are also a necessity!  Thanks for stopping by!

Hi John- We're glad you found our post helpful!  Please feel free to contact us anytime with any questions you have or help you need with your real estate marketing!

Hi Alan- Thanks so much for your comment on our post! While at one point Facebook wasn't as valuable for SEO, it's been updated to include an SEO purpose!  Which is great news! Having a Facebook page, Twitter account, LinkedIn account, and now, a Google+ account can only strengthen your presence in the search engines. The bigger online presence you have, the more likely people are to find you on Google. 

Search engines are also starting to go social. Many search engines, such as Bing, are now starting to integrate with Facebook. What's happening is that when someone goes to search for a product or service, the links that will show up closer to the top of the search engine results page are those that their Facebook friends have recommended, whether by being interested in the brand or being a fan of a business on Facebook. This is incredibly powerful for business, because many people trust the recommendations of friends that they know and will be more likely to use a service that they see their Facebook friends used.
 
Since search engines are starting to go more social, your Facebook presence will boost your SEO even more than it already does!  So, in short; both Facebook and Blogs and other social media sites all work together for your SEO!  Thanks again for stopping by!
 
Jul 27, 2011 06:07 AM