Today I read an article on the Real Estate Tomato titled Your Broker/Manager Hates Your Blog and being a blogging manager I could directly connect with this article but from the other side of the fence. The article describes what an agent be faced with by their broker/manager for blogging for business; ostracized, nonsupport and encouragement to get "back to basics".
I am experience the same thing from the agents within our office and the broker as well but I am not hear to whine about how no one believes me or thinks my thinking is totally off track but to share how I am working through this problem.
The first step I took to try and get everyone on board is to start with the basic of information and it lead me to write Web Marketing: View it as an Asset First and send it out to our office. The response was typical, there wasn't a response but being the first part of a series it had me thinking what would be the next logical step to convert them. It lead me to write a basic terminology letter than details the main phrases that agents will encounter when attempting their first blog or website. That letter was met with the same type of reaction as the Web Marketing letter, their was no reaction.
The next step is to introduce to some success statistics from my blog, website and Google rankings to show that blogging and SEO does translate into business and exposure. How will this letter be written? Hmmmm, what is the most critical information that should be included to help convey the message I want to deliver?
- The different types of web marketing
- How it can be used effectively
- Who is using blogs and website as a effective marketing tools
- The success of blogs and marketing strategies (visuals, screen shots from key search terms w/ descriptions, screen shot of statistics w/ description)
It is easy to over complex with these letters and I have to continue to remember to write it as I am writing to people who have never heard of this before. This is a challenge for since I have been doing for so long and tend to miss steps when I am explaining this stuff.
There is another dynamic to this whole scenario though and that is when people fail to believe and listen then complain about getting no business from outside sources. Agents are continuously frustrated about the return they get from traditional mailers, flyers, handouts, postcards, door knocking and open houses but still think that these traditional methods are going to bring business in the new millennium.
Changing perceptions is the biggest challenge facing companies and people that have been working inside the industry for years. Change is difficult and if it people can't see past there own obsolete ideas then they will continue to make the same mistakes over and over again.
I would love to hear from others within the industry and what they are faced with in regards motivating their people to change. I have been told so many times that their is no way agents can be motivated and will never listen to a manager regarding how they should market themselves because agents are independent contractors. I disagree whole heartily on that notion because from I know you just have to find what motivates people and use that knowledge to encourage them to succeed.
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