Blogging Part I: Why Blog?

Agents who blog frequently know the importance of blogging  – how it helps their bottom line (more leads, more clients, more referrals, more money!)

So what exactly is a blog? A blog, also referred to as a web log, is a live active journal kept online – for all the web world to see. Blogs are used for personal and business purposes and are updated frequently. They are also interactive, meaning visitors are able to post their own comments

There are a few purposes to having a blog, including:

1. Blogging allows you to share valuable information with others (positioning yourself as the real estate expert)
2. Blogging, if you do it right, will drive traffic to your website
3. Blogging also can boost your search engine ranking (which means people searching online for, say, “Phoenix real estate agent” are more likely to find you

How blogging works

With blogging there really aren’t many rules or regulations – it’s pretty easy (and fairly straightforward).

Step 1: Pick a topic and start writing.

Step 2: Copy and paste your content into your blogging platform (WordPress, TypePad, and Blogger are some good free ones). 

Step 3: Cross-publish your blog content (or a link back to your blog post) to the social media sites you belong to (for our clients we cross-publish on  Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Digg, Squidoo, EZineArticles, Tumblr, Brightkite, Posterous, Delicious, StumbleUpon, Bebo,  ActiveRain, Trulia, and RealTown).

Step 4: And repeat!  You should post new content to your blog at least twice each week (the more the better) to keep the cycle of visitors flowing into your website.

Why should you blog?

Agents that blog consistently have a good traffic pull into their website. That’s because your blog – which, along with MLS search, should really be the heart of your website – draws visitors who want to read what you have to say.  The more you cross-publish your content (and, most importantly, link back to your blog), the more traffic you will pull in.

As your website draws more traffic, your rankings in the search engines will rise (Google uses a complex algorithm to calculate search engine rankings, but one of the factors is how much traffic your site gets – the more traffic, the higher your ranking).

Plus, your blog allows you to brand yourself as a real estate agent.  Are you an expert in a particular neighborhood?  Show prospects you are by blogging about it.  Are you an expert in bank-owned properties, or short sales?  Show us through your blog.

Blogging on the go

We understand that the life of a successful real estate agent is a life on the road.  Fortunately, you can blog on the go!  You already know that a Smartphone is a must – it works just like a mini-computer, complete with blogging apps (yep, “There’s an app for that!”). The must-have blogging apps include:

• WordPress
• Tumblr
• Xanga
• Blogger
• Live Journal

Want to know more about how to set up a blog, what to write, and how to cross-publish your content to drive traffic your website?  Check out Chapter 10 in our newest eBook, How to Win: Marketing Strategies for Successful – and Aspiring – Real Estate Agents.