Blogging 101

Building a lasting personal brand is crucial to establishing and maintaining client rapport. Making connections and staying ahead of the game with the latest trends, business tools, and resources provide the insight and business value you need to succeed.

Starting a blog can serve as an avenue for increased exposure and engagement while building a personal connection with your readers and prospective clients. It may also convert to better outcomes for your business through increased website traffic, brand visibility, and client trust. According to a recent HubSpot study, business blogging leads to 55% more website visitors.

Creating a platform to relay your message is no easy task, consider these tips and tricks to create a successful blog and elevate your business.

Build an Online Presence

Creating a successful blog with industry knowledge, new ideas, and client tips has no value to consumers if your content isn’t visible. Not only does your online presence help clients find your business but creating and sharing engaging content will showcase your credibility, professionalism, plus keep readers coming back for your expert industry insight.

In your blog, communicate your Realtor® expertise, but don’t be afraid to share your story or your “why.” Clients want to know you can help them secure a home, but they also want to learn about your character and passion for the industry.

Pro tip: Before diving into business content, make your first official blog post an introduction about you and your business.

Your blog is a place to share industry news, answer frequently asked questions, alleviate buyer and seller stressors, and feature your listings. You can even take a call-to-action approach like social media sharing and encouraging discussion through comments. Whatever route you choose, be sure your blog feels conversational and approachable as if you were having a casual conversation with new clients.

Pinpoint Your Target Audience

The ultimate goal is to reach new clients, but how do you ensure the right people are seeing your content?

Your social media pages could be an indicator of your target audience. It’s a place to learn more about people’s likes, dislikes, needs, and opinions. Utilize the audience you’ve already established on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter, and consider asking followers what kind of content they’re most interested in reading and see which content performs best. This information can be useful for crafting interesting blog content by learning more about who you want to reach and what they want to know.

The valuable content you’re likely already sharing on your website or social media can also be repurposed to fit your blog. For example, if you’ve just shared a post about changes in the housing market, use the statistics to craft longerform blog content about considerations buyers and sellers should make for the current market.

Learn more about common client concerns and use your platform to educate readers. If you’d like to reach

more first-time buyers, post content relevant to them, such as mortgage finance options, how to avoid missing out on assistance programs, and preparing for surprise costs.

Not only can you target specific groups such as first-time buyers, sellers, or active adults ready to downsize, but you can reach clients looking to buy or sell in the neighborhoods you specialize in and sell. Producing content specific to your target neighborhoods shows you are active in the community and are the go-to resource for all things local.

Keep Things Fresh

With an ever-changing housing market, and evolving technology and best practices, staying in the know is part of being a Realtor ®. The best blogs provide up-to-date information on topics clients care about most. Keeping your content fresh will keep your blog clean and easy to navigate. Additionally, a refreshed blog is great for search engine optimization as it indicates to search engines there is new information available and drives traffic to your page.

As your blog grows, it has the potential to become cluttered with too much information or repetitive content. While some of your material may be evergreen, it’s important to update and republish outdated posts. Keep track of frequently asked questions and update posts regularly. Remember to check in on your posts that generate the most readers—it’s a great determinant of which type of content your audience is most interested in and what you may want to continue writing.

Engage the Reader

There is no shortage of real estate industry information but determining your goals and how to relay them in your blog can be overwhelming. Readers want original content from a local expert, but the goal is not to bog them down with excessive information rather than compelling, quality content.

HubSpot recommends the ideal blog post consist of about 2,100 to 2,400 words for SEO purposes, but that doesn’t mean each of your posts has to be so copy-heavy. Long passages tend to encourage readers to skim over information. For straightforward, informative posts, break up a more extensive, copy-heavy piece into a list-style blog post with bullet points.

If you’re writing an ultimate guide to home renovations that offer the best return on investment, you may want to avoid a list format and instead, incorporate attractive images, catchy headlines, and in-depth descriptions. While a comprehensive guide for relocation buyers may require 2,000 words, you may only need 500 words for a list of affordable curb appeal ideas for the current market.

Read through your posts, and if possible, have someone proofread them. Does the information make sense to someone who is not an expert in your field? As an industry professional, you may be tempted to exhibit your expertise by giving readers as much information as possible; however, your blog can attract a wide range of readers with varying levels of real estate industry knowledge. Avoid industry jargon and acknowledge the many emotions your potential clients may have as new buyers or sellers.

Don’t Forget The Blogging Rules

Plan and keep to a blogging schedule. No matter if you can commit to two or five posts a week, try to be as consistent as possible. A consistent posting schedule ensures your readers can trust that you’re active and available. Your blog is a gateway to your business—if your blog isn’t updated or reputable, chances are readers may hesitate to work with you as clients.

One of the most important things to remember when publishing a blog is knowing how to do so, both authentically and ethically. Since your blog is a representation of you as a Realtor®, follow best practices on your blog as you would in your business. While original content is always best, finding fresh content ideas can be challenging as your blog grows. Collaboration helps mix up your own content and opens opportunities to learn about a different target market from a fellow agent. Collaboration can include anything from a Q&A with a Realtor® in a different field of expertise, to an interview with a small business owner in your neighborhood. Whether you’re sharing tips from another Realtor® or sharing photos from a local business, be sure to cite sources for any material not created by you.

In a recent article from the National Association of Realtors®, Chloe Hecht, senior counsel with NAR offers several tips to minimize the risks of copyright infringement accusations. “The owner may not be immediately apparent, so budget time to conduct any necessary research and to communicate with the owner about permission,” said Hecht. “If you cannot determine who the owner is, don’t use the work.”

TOP 5 BLOGGING SEO TIPS

1. Carefully Research and Choose terms and Phrases Associated with Your Market

Keywords help effectively communicate to the search engine what your content is about.

2. Write a Short, Catchy Title

Attract your target audience with their needs, and motivations in mind. Aim for titles with no more than 60 characters.

3. Clarify Your Title

HubSpot reports that headlines with bracketed clarifications (e.g., [photos], [interview], [video], [slideshow], etc.) performed 38% better than headlines without clarifications, suggesting readers prefer a clear picture of what’s ahead.

4. Use Internal Links

Optimize your website by linking readers to other relevant content on your website.

5. Proofread, Edit, and Proofread Again

Proofreading your blog posts before publishing is critical. Check for spelling and grammatical errors or inconsistencies so you can put your best work out there.

Have Fun

You don’t need to be a professional writer or website designer to craft valuable blog content. As an expert in your field, you already possess the tools you need to create a successful blog. Consider the know-how and value you have to share and start writing!