4 reasons to keep on blogging
It's about being found
By Gahlord Dewald, Wednesday, September 9, 2009.
It doesn't seem like so long ago that blogging was some crazy new technology that was really going to disrupt the status quo of content distribution. Now, in an age of Twitter gurus and Facebook experts, blogging seems almost as old and outdated as licking stamps. But I'd like to offer some advice on why you shouldn't neglect your blog.
This is not a "blogging vs. social media" column (though maybe I should've written one like that as comment bait). It's a simple reminder of the things that make blogging a useful piece of your marketing and business efforts.
Being in the right place at the right time
While it's true that people often trust information from their friends and acquaintances more than any other source, a huge number of people start their quest for more information at a generic search engine.
You can view a compete.com breakdown of traffic to Google, Facebook and Twitter at this link: http://siteanalytics.compete.com/facebook.com+google.com+twitter.com/.
An important thing to note, when looking at raw traffic numbers like this, is visitor intent. When someone is going to Google.com, chances are very good that they are in the mood to find information. If they're going to Facebook.com or Twitter.com, the amount of "searchyness" in their intent may not be the same.
Your blog is something that can be available to those people in the mood for search.
Longevity
When you write a blog post, it stays available until you decide to make it unavailable. This allows you to treat each blog post as an intellectual property asset that continues to work for you while you're asleep. For example, say you write a blog post defining the main neighborhoods in your market area. Anyone looking for information on those neighborhoods has a reasonable chance of finding you via that neighborhood article. Forever. Or at least until you take the post down.
A real-world example: My wife and I were buying groceries the other day and the person working the checkout, who we've never seen before, recognized my wife. The checkout employee remembered reading my wife's blog from three years ago. That blog had a grand total of 10 posts written in one month.
You can look at your Web analytics to find posts that continue to be popular on your site long after they've been written. The results may surprise you. I've found posts that were written years ago but are consistently pulling in new traffic. Tip: Use this information to come up with new blog posts. ...CONTINUED
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Submitted by Joe Loomer on September 9, 2009 - 1:58am.
Spot on, Gahlord.
I never realized the true power of a good blog post until I wrote one about our state abolishing the homestead exemption. I still get traffic to that post two-plus months later.
Augusta GA Homes
Joe Loomer, USN Ret.
Associate Leadership Council, Growth Chair
Keller Williams Realty Augusta Partners
Submitted by Jay Thompson on September 9, 2009 - 4:40am.
Many have said that "social media" will doom "blogging".
Blogging is social media, so that's never really made sense to me.
I've got a standing challenge out there. If someone can bring me a postcard they mailed four years ago that makes the phone ring today, I'll give them $10,000.
I could add a Tweet or Facebook comment to that challenge and be safe I'll never part with my money.
I've got blog posts written four years ago that get visited almost daily.
And they still make the phone ring.
Jay Thompson
Broker / Owner
Thompson's Realty
Blog: www.PhoenixRealEstateGuy.com
.
Submitted by Johnny Uvestor on September 9, 2009 - 9:26am.
A blog is a great tool and can be a lot of fun, too. Twitter is great for timely bursts of info, and Facebook is great for maintaining connections.
A blog, though, is a destination page for people who want information about a particular subject of interest. People who frequently check blogs enjoy the depth of information the format allows and also (hopefully) the personality of the person writing. The focus, though, should always be on the subject matter.
A good blog's marketing impact sort of takes care of itself.
Johnny Uvestor
Writer with Uvestor
Blog: www.uvestor.com/news
Submitted by Louis Caverly on September 9, 2009 - 11:04am.
content is king!
Submitted by Carra Riley on September 9, 2009 - 1:02pm.
This is the perfect article for absolutely any person in business! Especially, Realtors. Blogging is the key to the consumer finding you today and SEO placement. The bottom line is you don't really have to understand it all.. just get a blog and start writing.. about neighborhoods, the community, sites in your state, how escrow or closing works, tips for buying a house.. all those ideas people are searching for on the internet when they want to move. So write it and have a wonderful site where they can contact you after reading and be in the 21st century! Great post!
Carra Riley CRB, CRS, GRI
Author Cosmic Cow Pie...Connecting the Dots
http://www.CosmicCowPie.com
Submitted by Teresa Boardman on September 11, 2009 - 5:24am.
I have been at it for four years and the content that I have already written keeps bringing me business.
Submitted by David Curry on September 13, 2009 - 5:38am.
I actually sort of disagree with this post and the comments. Blogging only works if you're good at it. I see plenty of blogs that aren't worth the domain name fee, and I would argue that having a "bad" blog is worse than having no blog at all. If people find you on the internet and after reading some of your blog deem you a "moron", that blog SEO didn't help your business one bit. There's this strange sense of entitlement that everyone with a wordpress account can blog. They may have permission to blog, but that doesn't mean they can write to save their lives.
Most Realtors should stick to facebook and twitter, as poor quality blogging serves as a hindrance to image building.
David Curry
Geneva Lakefront Realty
49 West Geneva Street
Williams Bay, WI 53191
262-245-9000
www.genevalakefrontrealty.com
Submitted by Doug Buenz on September 13, 2009 - 8:44am.
Great article Gahlord. I have blog posts I wrote 3 or 4 years ago that still get read today. Social media is more social, but blogging is all about expanding your reach and content.
Doug Buenz
Alain Pinel Realtors
Pleasanton, CA
www.680Homes.com
Submitted by Eliese Pivarnik on September 13, 2009 - 10:33am.
I agree with David. There are some good realtors who shouldn't be blogging because they lack writing skills.
I blog for two main reasons: 1. It is the cornerstone of my business and 2. the knowledge I gain while researching posts is invaluable.
Steamboat Springs Real Estate Blog
Submitted by Guy Johnson on September 13, 2009 - 1:53pm.
Gahlord,
Great points made. Your last section sums up the blogging question precisely.
A very long time ago (three years) I used to conduct classes on blogging, teaching RE agents how to blog and explaining why they should be blogging. I soon realized this was the wrong message to send. Blogging is definitely not for everyone...and likely only for a small percentage of agents.
- Guy
Submitted by Jay Thompson on September 16, 2009 - 5:05am.
David -
I agree completely. There is NO WAY that every agent should blog. It takes a lot of work, and it helps *tremendously* if you enjoy it. It also helps tremendously if you can string coherent sentences together.
Blogging isn't for everyone just like any prospecting method isn't for everyone. I stink at traditional prospecting methods like door knocking, hard copy mailing, going after FSBOs & expireds etc.
So I turn to blogging as my primary prospecting method. DOesn't make me better, just different.
And we're all different.
Jay Thompson
Broker / Owner
Thompson's Realty
Blog: www.PhoenixRealEstateGuy.com
.