With so many established organizations already vying for buyers’ attention, you must work hard to drive your marketing machine with the fuel of interactive content. It will help you capture the fancy of users who look for, and essentially demand, more creative and personalized experience.
The right kind of online content marketing can transform you from a struggling real estate agent to a super successful one.
The potential in the industry is immense. Don’t believe me? A news release from National Association of Realtors reports that real estate-related searches on Google have grown 253 percent over the past four years.
Marketing expert Jeff Bullas said on his blog that the number of people online has more than doubled from 1.4 billion to over 3 billion (according to World Internet Stats), and at present, every minute, there are 4 million search queries input to Google.
Now, that’s a huge window of opportunity for you to become the darling of homebuyers in your area — provided you know how to create a buzz for your services.
So, without further ado, let’s check out four different types of content that deserve your time and energy and will generate quick publicity for your agency or brokerage firm.
1. The online quiz is still king
Quizzes work well in engaging audiences and collating data that otherwise has to be gained through more drawn-out processes. Over the years, quizzes have gained tremendous popularity.
BuzzSumo reports that the average a quiz gets shared 1,900 times.
However, to lure your consumers to take the quiz, it’s essential to mention its benefits clearly. Also, your quizzes will draw more traffic if they are created around a topic that people are passionate about.
Quizzes are often picked up by fans quickly and become some of the most popular content on a site.
2. User-generated content reigns supreme
User-generated content (UGC) is becoming more and more relevant for brands as consumers trust customer reviews more than they trust brand or retailer reviews.
Creating opportunities for conversation gives digitally savvy users the chance to engage with your real estate business from various corners of the globe.
Here are just a few stats that reveal why you must include UGC to drive your content marketing machine in today’s ever-so-competitive market.
- According to Reelseo.com, UGC fan videos get 10 times more views than branded videos on YouTube
- The Pew Research Center said 47 percent of adult Internet users take photos or videos that they have found online and repost them on sites designed for sharing images with many people
- UGC creates a 74-percent increase in product conversion, according to Invertedmarketing.com
- According to Content Marketing Institute’s 2015 Benchmark, Budgets and Trends, 70 percent of consumers place peer recommendations and reviews above professionally written content
3. Episodic content is the new hot ticket
The ever-increasing bounce rate has long been a challenge for most businesses. And to take care of this challenge, marketers came out with episodic content.
It was developed to boost engagement and retain consumers over an extended period. It isn’t surprising as stories that leverage anticipation are considered more memorable and entice consumers to come back to know more about the product.
But when you’re putting up episodic content, ensure that every episode contributes to a single running story or meaning.
One of the most crucial factors while creating this content type is timing. You have to work out when you are going to distribute your content in line with your social media and marketing plans.
You should give a gap long enough for people to actively seek the next installment. This could be in the form of short video sketches on YouTube or a blog series.
Kate Spade’s “Misadventures” is a classic case of episodic content that increased the user engagement rate and provided its corresponding brand with umpteen opportunities to put forth the business message effectively.
4. Guest blogging is the new Oprah
Many websites and organizations offer guest blogging services. However, your selection of a high-quality blog and topic makes all the difference. Your job is to provide information users are looking for and become the subject matter expert on all topics relevant to your industry.
Guest blogging has become more important than ever for marketers looking to engage new visitors, drive traffic and boost conversions. Listed below are reasons to include guest blogging in your content marketing plan in the year to come.
- Impactbnd.com said Internet users in the U.S. spend three times longer on blogs than they do on email
- According to Rightmixmarketing.com, 80 percent of all the daily traffic on a blog consists of new visitors
- Hubspot.com said companies that blog get 97 percent more inbound links
- 82 percent of marketers who blog daily acquire new customers
- According to Impactbnd.com, guest blogging drives traffic back to your website and piques readers’ interest in your blog
These are four major content types that can become your tool for capturing the attention and interest of potential homebuyers. If you can use these tools cleverly by providing updated information, you will be able to drive traffic, generate leads and boost conversions for your real estate business.
Online quizzes and guest blogging are the easiest way to build recognition and buzz. In today’s world, these targeted content types might bring positive changes for your real estate company in no time. Keeping up with upcoming trends can drive any business forward.
Campbell Jof is a creative head for designhill.com. Follow him on Facebook or Twitter.