Do you remember the early 80s song, “Video called the radio star?” Well, some people may think that video marketing has killed the blogging star these days, but that’s actually not true. In fact, posting a blog on your website and sharing it on social media and via email is still a valuable and essential marketing tool. Studies show that people not only trust blogs more, but look to blogs for information and recommendations before making a purchase (like a home or a home loan!). These blogs can be short (and optimized for reading on mobile devices), but, basically, if they're not getting this information from you, they're reading it on your competitor's blog or website! Since 2011, I estimate that I’ve written about 3,500+ blogs and articles for Realtors, mortgage lenders, and small business owners, along with countless social media posts sharing this content. Part of my job is also keeping track of analytics, so I measure how many people are clicking, reading, and reacting to these blogs. Based on that experience, I put together this list of the TOP PERFORMING BLOG TOPICS for any real estate agent. I’ve noticed what works best for Realtors and gets the most reaction from their audience, time and time again. I’ve even formulated a scoring system based on total number of page views, clicks, likes, comments, sharing, and other engagement metrics. You’ll see that I rated each blog with this engagement score, just for purposes of comparison. If you want likes, followers, inquiries, and a fast-growing database, go down the list and offer these blogs via your professional social media accounts, emails, newsletters, on your website, and other marketing. Written and crafted correctly, these blogs will yield the results you want: more leads, clients, and, ultimately, closed deals! And if you're not a Realtor but a mortgage lender, financial planner, CPA, or any other small business owner, contact me for the list of top-performing blog posts in your field! The top-10 performing blog topics for Realtors: 1. Neighborhood profiles Home buyers aren’t just interested in a brick and mortar structure, but the lifestyle that their new home affords them. Therefore, blogs and profiles on certain neighborhoods score remarkably well with real estate audiences, who are looking to compare locations as much as houses. In these neighborhood-centric blogs, you can cover a brief history, what it’s best known for, restaurants, parks and recreation, festivals and events, typical architecture, nearby amenities, commute times, and staple mom-and-pop businesses. Yes, you should also cover real estate market data and recent home prices. Tip: You can even document famous people from that area, local trivia, and other interesting facts, but there are a few things that you CAN’T mention in these blogs (see below). Blog engagement score 96% 2. Pointing out common mistakes (negative-slant themes) What are the 10 mistakes first-time homebuyers make? What 5 mistakes are costing sellers big bucks? Why should you definitely avoid these landlord mistakes with your new rental properties? Research shows that the human motivation to AVOID PAIN (in this case, usually wasting money but also time, energy, liability, etc.) is even stronger than our motivation to pursue GAIN. For that reason, blogs with a. negative spin, i.e. what NOT to do, or which mistakes NOT to make, perform surprisingly well with audiences. Tip: Don’t be afraid to hit ‘em with the truth, because this is your one chance to scare your audience a little bit - for their own good and to be helpful. Blog engagement score 92% 3. Local market update (including home values) Do you specialize in a certain neighborhood, or have a marketing campaign “farming” a specific area? You should exhibit to your audience that you’re the authority on the matter, offering up-to-date and accurate data on home values, buying and selling information, and other pertinent housing and economic data. Tip: I recommend drafting a Special Report every quarter with local housing data and emailing it out. The key is to make it as predictable and consistent as clockwork so your audience grows to look for it!. Blog engagement score 89% 4. How to make more money Did I catch your attention already? Home ownership is the most significant lifetime investment for most consumers, so a lot is riding on getting it right. In fact, just by knowing how to fix up your home before selling, whether to stage or not, or knowing if it’s the right time to sell could put tens of thousands of extra dollars in your sellers' pockets. And for buyers, their choices are just as critical, so any information that helps inform and guide them towards a great home that will appreciate exceedingly well is invaluable. Tip: Be specific. While “How to make more money when selling your home,” is fine, a blog with the title “How to increase your net profit by 1.5% in 3 easy steps when selling your home” will practically jump off the page at the reader (or jump off the computer screen.) Blog engagement score 87% 5. How-To’s Consumers are always looking for sound, fundamental information about home buying, selling, and just about everything else when it comes to real estate and home loans. First-timers, in particular, find this extremely valuable. So, keep writing those stupid-simple guides to buying a home, house hunting, investing, the escrow process, and getting a mortgage. Tip: Set these up as a easy-to-skim list based on FAQs, add a few graphics, and save it as a PDF so it's a information report that you can easily send out to clients and potential clients. ***
Look for part two of this blog coming soon, where I'll cover the next 5 top-performing blog topics for Realtors. And you can always contact me for help or just to chat about your marketing! Your friend, Norm :-)
1 Comment
5/21/2019 01:40:13 pm
Great topic and tips. High tech doesn't mean we lose "high touch". It's all about the old Tommy Hopkins real estate coach's mantra..."if they like and trust you" that's all that matters.
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