Ask An Ambassador: 7 Blogging Productivity Tips

By
Real Estate Agent with Transaction Alliance 513.520.5305 www.LizTour.com SAL.2002007747

Time keeps on tickingDo you have a lot of spare time?

No?

Then it's really important to make the most of the time we have available isn't it?

We know blogging CAN be a very cost effective way of growing our web presence, attracting potential clients and increasing our network with other agents.

So how do we turn CAN into DOES?  Being productive with our blogging efforts is key, so here are 7 tips to help boost your odds of your posts paying off:

1.  Have photos ready to go.  Yes, your post NEEDS eye candy.  Take them when you're out and about, use a royalty-free commercial use allowed site like pixabay.com, or buy them, but don't spend 30 minutes looking for a "perfect" picture for a post that took you 15 minutes to write. 

2.  Use blog building blocks.  If I'm writing about new construction, I have an "end block" I use that covers next steps, why having an agent DOES NOT cost more, etc.  It's small enough that I'm not going to get dinged by Google for duplicate content, but it's important enough that I want to beat the drum with that message with EVERY post on the topic.  Having that slug of text ready saves me time and brain cells.

3.  Define your target audience.  Know who you want as customers?  Give them what they want and CANNOT find in 47 other places.  It's fine to write general advice posts to fill the FAQ section of your website, but those posts are not likely to be your most productive.  Niches. Niches. Niches.  That's the prime blogging turf that provides unique content that gets you found.

4.  Multipurpose your posts.  Pinterest the photo.  Tweet it.  Facebook it.  Throw that line into the pond in as many places as makes sense for that post.  You don't have to be everywhere, but use what you've got.

5.   Understand basic SEO and use it.  Don't overuse your keywords (klunky reading means you just lost your reader), but if you don't make it clear geographically where you're promoting, how are you supposed to get found?

6.  Pay attention to market trends.  Up or down, people still have to buy and sell homes.  Know what's happening and blog to it before your competition does. 

7.  Have a back up copy of your post ready.   NEVER, EVER hit submit on your post without having at a minimum a right click copy ready.  Gremlins.  They're evil and they steal posts.  And it REALLY sucks to spend 30 minutes writing a post and have it go POOF just as you're ready to post.

There's always more, but we'll keep this one short.  Productivity and all that :)

Until next Tuesday, just Ask An Ambassador if you need help,

Bill & Liz aka BLiz

Posted by

Serving Warren County Ohio & Adjacent Areas

The Liz Spear Team of Transaction Alliance
Elizabeth Spear, ABR, Ohio License SAL.2002007747

William (Bill) Spear, Ohio License SAL.2004011109  Kentucky 77938
Ask for us by name if you visit the office!

EHO
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Liz Direct: 513-265-3004     
Fax: 866-302-8418

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Comments (51)

Nick Vandekar, 610-203-4543
Long & Foster Real Estate Inc 610-225-7400 - Devon, PA
Selling the Main Line & Chester County

Excellent reminders of what to do to get the phone to ring with the least amount of effort through blogging. Having a copy before hitting publish recently has been a god send.

Oct 16, 2019 09:31 AM
Liz and Bill Spear

I got burned with that one recently.  Hadn't even clicked anything, and POOF!!!!  Start over, and the 2nd version is never quite the same.

Oct 16, 2019 07:13 PM
Richie Alan Naggar
people first...then business Ran Right Realty - Riverside, CA
agent & author

You "speared" it....

Oct 16, 2019 03:58 PM
Liz and Bill Spear

I've got to make my "point"! :)

Oct 16, 2019 07:13 PM
Anna "Banana" Kruchten
HomeSmart Real Estate - Phoenix, AZ
602-380-4886

Another excellent post Bill! And I also reported those spammers for you. Geez.

Oct 16, 2019 04:20 PM
Liz and Bill Spear

Thanks!  The alphabet spammers have been hitting me since midnight.  I finally turned off outside comments.

Oct 16, 2019 07:14 PM
Anne Edwards Johnson
JPAR Real Estate - Austin, TX
Austin Realtor | HookemhomesATX (512)917-5260

Where do I learn more about "blogging building blocks"? Thank you for the excellent post.

Oct 16, 2019 04:57 PM
Liz and Bill Spear

Anne, You can often work from templates.  In comment 11 I've got a sample of one I use.

Each of my monthly market reports comes from a more of less standard template, I refresh with new charts and new data, and adjust the advice as needed.

I don't know that there's a specific place to learn about them, but I've found certain themes tend to get repeated in my posts (e.g. new construction), so I've got some time saving blocks like the one in #11 that I use over and over.

Oct 16, 2019 07:16 PM
Thom Abbott
MyMidtownMojo.com |770.713.1505 | Intown Atlanta GA Condo Living - Atlanta, GA
Midtown Atlanta GA Condos For Sale

All great tips Bill! What's funny....I do take a ton of photos...and then, I'll be scrolling through my phone, and go "Wow! Totally forgot I took those photos for a blog post or whatever. 

That 10,000 pictures on my phone drives me nuts!

Oct 16, 2019 05:16 PM
Liz and Bill Spear

Photo management is one of the toughest things to do when you take lots of pictures of homes.

Oct 16, 2019 07:17 PM
Marte Cliff
Marte Cliff Copywriting - Priest River, ID
Your real estate writer

All wonderful tips, especially about saving your work. I had to learn that the hard way.

I have a terrible time with graphics for posts. Since I write about ideas rather than places or things, it's a challenge to find something that fits. So - sometimes I DO spend more time hunting for a picture than I do writing.

Oct 16, 2019 09:48 PM
Liz and Bill Spear

I've got some "generic" type graphics I use for info type posts so I can cut down on my picture search.  Normally if I don't already have something, pixabay has something close enough to what I want.

Oct 17, 2019 04:50 AM
John Henry, Florida Architect
John Henry Masterworks Design International, Inc. - Orlando, FL
Residential Architect, Luxury Custom Home Design

Thanks for the blogging tips.  I have grimaced many times on No. 7 and have had to rewrite everything.  Another idea is to write everything in MSWord and save it first, then copy and paste.  I think that's the only way also to introduce other fonts to AR. 

Oct 17, 2019 03:55 AM
Liz and Bill Spear

7 used to be way worse than it is now, but even once is too often.

Oct 17, 2019 04:51 AM
Rose Mary Justice
Synergy Realty Pros - Dandridge, TN
Synergy Realty Pros

Great tips as usual.   It's good to know that we can learn by reading here in the rain.

Oct 17, 2019 04:58 AM
Liz and Bill Spear

I think that's one of the best perks about this community.  I've learned a lot over the years.

Oct 17, 2019 06:44 AM
Matthew Klinowski, PA
Downing Frye Realty - Naples, FL
Naples Golf Guy | Find Your Dream Lifestyle

Liz and Bill thanks for sharing the great tips on blogging. I have found blogging is the biggest driver of traffic to my website and your tips are key to ensuring you are working wisely. 

Oct 17, 2019 05:11 AM
Liz and Bill Spear

Blogging here has certainly driven traffic to our IDX pages.

Oct 17, 2019 06:44 AM
Ray Henson
eXp Realty of California, Inc. (lic. #01878277) - Elk Grove, CA
Realtor

All great points, but I particularly like the advice to have a backup copy of your blog.  There have been a few times that I am putting the finishing touches on a blog that has taken a long time when, all of a sudden, it is gone!  It is very frustrating.

Oct 17, 2019 05:33 AM
Liz and Bill Spear

No doubt, it's frustrating to lose the work.  Who's got time for that???

Oct 17, 2019 06:44 AM
Scott Godzyk
Godzyk Real Estate Services - Manchester, NH
One of the Manchester NH's area Leading Agents

Fantastic tips. I like to write a series of rough drafts when i have the time and inspiration. Then i can go back and edit and post when i am short on time. 

Oct 17, 2019 05:33 AM
Liz and Bill Spear

I rarely have drafts (unless I'm planning a vacation, hospital visit, etc.).  Mostly it's sitting down each day and blogging.  Lots of 10:30 evenings writing the daily posts.

Oct 17, 2019 06:45 AM
Janelle Ancillotti
Seneca Home Staging - Syracuse, NY
HSR Certified Home Stager, Syracuse, NY

Thanks for this post! I haven't blogged in a long while, and have been gearing up to start again.

Oct 17, 2019 06:42 AM
Liz and Bill Spear

Good luck with the restart!

Oct 17, 2019 06:46 AM
Dr. Paula McDonald
Beam & Branch Realty - Granbury, TX
Granbury, TX 936-203-0279

Always great information you guys. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us.

Oct 17, 2019 07:18 AM
Liz and Bill Spear

Happy to do so!

Oct 17, 2019 09:24 AM
M.C. Dwyer
Melody Russell Team at eXp Realty of California, Inc. - Felton, CA
MC Dwyer-Santa Cruz Mountains Property Specialist

Thank you - I always glean something valuable from you.     I keep building blocks for lead generation e-mails and my quarterly market trend blogs, so, why not for all blogs?!?

Oct 17, 2019 09:10 AM
Liz and Bill Spear

We have to find ways to save time without hurting our efforts.  Templates are one way to do so.

Oct 17, 2019 09:25 AM
L. Scott Ferguson
Ask4Ferguson - Your House-SOLD Name in Real Estate - West Palm Beach, FL
Sunny Florida Real Estate Professional

Wow! Boom! All 7 are phenomenal tips!  Especially #7, never thought of that!

 

Thanks and going to 'Re-Blog'

 

Blessings!

Oct 17, 2019 09:53 AM
Liz and Bill Spear

Thanks!

Oct 18, 2019 04:16 PM
Mimi Foster
Falcon Property Company - Colorado Springs, CO
Voted Colorado Springs Best Realtor

All of these are excellent points especially #7. I can't tell you the number of times I've hit PUBLISH to have a Gremlin jump in first and wipe it out. It's NEVER as good the second time around and I generally don't bother with trying to repeat.

Oct 17, 2019 07:15 PM
Liz and Bill Spear

I'll usually make a 2nd stab at the same topic, but it definitely is a challenge to get the flow going the same.

Oct 18, 2019 04:17 PM
Krystin Mitchell, CPA CFE
KLSM CPA Firm, PLLC - Houston, TX
Strategic Accounting & Tax Solutions

Thanks for all these great tips! I've lost a few blogs due to the gremlins!

Oct 18, 2019 11:07 AM
Liz and Bill Spear

ActiveRain has an issue with gremlins on occasion.  Definitely frustrating to lose a post at the last second.

Oct 18, 2019 04:17 PM
Debb Janes
Nature As Neighbors - Camas, WA
Put My Love of Nature At Work for You

Such sage advice. I no longer write my posts in AR, I do them in Pages and then copy into AR - no way I'm risking losing all that work. It has happened too many times. 

Oct 19, 2019 06:54 AM
Liz and Bill Spear

I still write in the AR editor, but I'm careful about what I do prior to hitting submit.

Oct 20, 2019 04:36 PM
Diana Dahlberg
1 Month Realty - Pleasant Prairie, WI
Real Estate in Kenosha, WI since 1994 262-308-3563

Great tips! My favorite is #1 Have Photos ready to go.  I think I have spent more time "After the fact" looking for the right picture.  I think I will start with a picture and work around it.  Kind of like decorating around a picture on the wall.

Oct 20, 2019 03:50 PM
Liz and Bill Spear

It's easy to go down the photo rabbithole.  I have some generic type photos I reuse depending on the topic.

Oct 20, 2019 04:37 PM
Jeff Dowler, CRS
eXp Realty of California, Inc. - Carlsbad, CA
The Southern California Relocation Dude

Bill:

Great tips for newbies and oldies alike. I always save my post first (as a Word Doc AND on AR) before I submit. I have learned the hard way far too many times. Photos are huge and it pays to have a good selection,and to take them wheneven you can. And be sure to keep them organized on your computer (and label them!).

Jeff

Oct 21, 2019 08:44 PM
Liz and Bill Spear

I've learned the hard way, always right click copy or submit as Draft before going publish.

Jan 10, 2020 05:07 PM