The Purpose of Real Estate Blog Posts
From increasing web traffic to setting an agent apart from the crowd, real estate blog posts have become a precious resource.
One can say that blog posts were the first form of social media, as they were traditionally a means for people (mostly academics) to share their knowledge base within a small community (of mostly other academics). Now, blogging is a way for virtually anyone to reach out to others and share their expertise with the world.
Today’s blogs, particularly real estate blogs, are used to share information about the market, educational content for homebuyers and sellers, and even opinion pieces. Real estate blog posts also provide a platform for real estate agents and agencies to market their brand, generate hype around their product, and establish a level of trust and acquaintanceship with clientele.
The Benefits of Blogging
A myriad of benefits have solidified blogs as digital gold, not only for the reader but for the real estate agent and the website itself. In addition to satisfying a search engine’s appetite with important and helpful information, the benefits of blogs reach beyond to the reader and the real estate agent.
How Blogs Benefit the Reader
Blogs benefit the reader simply because they provide answers to the questions readers ask. They are a way to obtain specific knowledge quickly – an easier and more affordable way to learn than by taking a class or reading a book.
They are also a way for a reader to see the other side of the coin. Since blogs are written by different people, they offer different perspectives one might not find anywhere else.
Blogs also provide entertainment. Let’s face it – it is fun to learn about new things. Buyers, sellers, and other agents alike often enjoy reading stories and advice based on personal experience. Factual information such as financial tips, insider guides, and market trends also provide pleasant reading.
How Blogs Benefit a Website
Blog posts are incredibly valuable to an agent or agency’s website. When original, high-quality, and helpful blogs are posted regularly, they can positively impact the website’s SEO value. Fresh content is like candy to Google – the search engine’s crawlers love to discover and index new content. The more content is indexed, the more chances a website has at obtaining first-page results in the SERPs (search engine result pages).
New content also does a great job of keeping readers engaged, informed, and up to date. Users who enjoy your blog posts will undoubtedly return to read more and become loyal followers. Who knows, maybe loyal followers will one day transition into loyal clients.
How Blogs Benefit Real Estate Agents
Readers and crawlers are not the only ones who benefit from blog posts. Blogging also helps out real estate agents or agencies themselves. How? Fresh content on specialized and commonly searched topics highlights an agent’s deep knowledge base and sets them apart from a sea of other agents. Readers who enjoy an agent’s content will also favor that agent over a “stranger,” rewarding the blogging agent by increased clientele and boosted sales.
How to Generate Ideas for a Real Estate Blog
Ideas for blog posts are everywhere. The trick is knowing where to look (and having something to take notes with when inspiration strikes).
Some common places to find ideas to blog about include:
- Blog posts on competitor’s websites
- Advice you would give based on personal experiences
- Personal stories you would like to share
- Topics you feel passionately about
- Industry news
- Questions clients are asking
- Social media trends
- Quora
- Comments on existing blog posts
Best Practices for Blogging
When it comes to creating real estate blog posts, it is important to follow a few general guidelines. These guidelines include best practices, such as tone, spelling and grammar, target audience, originality, and overall content.
Know Your Target Audience
Knowing your target audience is the first step in creating a successful blog post. It is impossible to write a helpful and engaging piece if you do not know to whom you are writing.
Use the Correct Tone
Once it is understood who the target audience is, the tone comes into play. Think about whether your ideal reader expects content that is dry and professional, formal and precise, or friendly and casual. Does your reader expect witty humor sprinkled throughout the post? Or do they expect content that is fact-based and elegant?
Craft Meaningful Content
Generating helpful content is the next stepping stone in our list of best practices. Once you have the target audience and tone in mind, creating the content comes easy. Write about topics and include information that is important to the reader.
Formal audiences typically enjoy educational and informational material, including how-to posts, articles covering current trends, and other fact-based pieces.
Informal audiences typically enjoy similar material with a lighter twist. Posts that offer tips and tricks and share personal stories are also a great choice for more laidback readers.
Use Proper Spelling and Grammar
No matter the audience, generating blog posts that are free from spelling and grammar errors is essential. When a real estate agent’s website features content that is misspelled, unorganized, confusing to read, and otherwise poorly written, the consequences can be detrimental. The agent may lose followers, clientele, and eventually, business.
If hiring an editor is not an option, there are a few things an agent can do to ensure top-notch writing.
One simple method is by recruiting a fresh set of eyes. Ask a friend or family member to look over the content in their spare time and provide honest feedback.
Another cost-effective approach is through the use of free editing tools, such as the Hemingway App. Simply run the content through the app and follow the generated guidance.
Choose Interesting Imagery
A blog post is not a blog post without a photo, graphic, or infographic. Relevant and high-quality images break up the monotony of text, add a level of professionalism, and bring an added sense of viewing pleasure to the blog-reading experience.
There are many sources to obtain free images and create unique graphics. A few of these services include Canva, Pixabay, and Unsplash. For an added level of sophistication, hire a photographer or graphic designer to create custom content.
Schedule Content for Maximum Views
After a blog post has been written, it is time to get the content off of the computer and out into the world.
To get the most out of your blog, it is crucial to post often and consistently. Create a weekly or bi-weekly reminder to post new content. Whether you prefer sticky notes, your phone calendar, or a planner, it does not matter the method so long as it works. Sometimes, your website’s platform will have a built-in content scheduler. These allow you to upload multiple blog posts at once, and the scheduler will post them as often as directed.
Following these guidelines will enable you to write quality real estate blog posts that your followers will love. In addition, these posts will improve your brand’s visibility in the SERPs, draw a larger following, set you apart from the rest, and even aid in increasing sales.
