Write an Effective Real Estate Blog
Writing a blog post can be an ambiguous undertaking. What would you write about? How long or short does it have to be? More importantly, is anyone going to read it? If done correctly, blogging can be one of the most effective online marketing tools on your real estate website. In fact, companies with active blogs generate 55 percent more site visits than those without! Follow these effective blog writing guidelines to enhance your blog’s readability and boost traffic to your website.
Brainstorm
Time is fleeting for Realtors®. Spending hours in front of the computer with writer’s block doesn’t help matters. It’s important to set aside time for brainstorming blog ideas for the month in advance, and to organize them into an editorial calendar (Click here to download a free editorial calendar for agents). That way, you won’t have to worry about what to write for the next few weeks.
It’s important to use a variety of different blog posts instead of sticking to one format, as this creates content static that will likely cause reader traffic to drop over time. Here are some different types of blog posts to fill your calendar with:
- Evergreen, which is content that remains relevant long past its publication.
- How-To, i.e. “How to stage a small-sized home.”
- Listicles, i.e. “Top Six Restaurants in [your market area].”
- Curated, or information already available, presented in an expert manner.
- News-oriented posts should detail current issues and events going on in your community, such legislation that home owners should be aware of.
Introductions
You want to hook the reader right away. Think of the introduction as the teaser or the appetizer that leaves the reader craving more. This can be done by 1) beginning the blog post with a personal story related to the topic, 2) sharing a few relevant statistics that build author credibility, and/or 3) presenting your reader’s problem in a relatable way, and offering the information in your post as the solution. At the end of your introduction, include a transition of some kind to allow the reader to flow easily into the body of your blog post.
Call-To-Action
A Call-To-Action (CTA) is an image or line of text that prompts readers, leads, and clients to take action. For example, having a comments section at the end of your blog post can be a great way to generate leads. Why? Because these are the people who are engaging with you directly, giving suggestions, asking questions, or simply thanking you for the post. It’s also a good idea to use social sharing buttons, in order to promote your content.
Proofread and Edit
Not all Realtors® are great writers. You want to be sure to proofread and edit each post before publishing it. Things like misspelled words, incorrect usage, and misstated “facts” that have gone unchecked can take away your credibility. Grammarly is a great software that offers a variety of automated editing packages. (Note: while Grammarly is great for catching things like misplaced commas and misspelled words, you should still proofread the blog yourself first, checking especially for things like correct addresses or the proper spelling of names of people mentioned, etc.).
As a REALTOR® it is important to have a strong online marketing presence, specifically one that draws traffic. Most prospective clients are found on the web these days, and having an effective blog will get them to your website and get them engaged.
