So, you’re a real estate agent in today’s market.
You have a website that’s supposed to help you get more clients. But no one’s visiting. Looking for a new way to get more people to your site and convert them into leads? Then you’re in the right place.
How are you currently getting traffic to your website?
Getting traffic to your site is no walk in the park. Your name can easily get lost in the madness of the internet. Content marketing makes it easier to be found.
People conduct research before making a purchasing a decision. Before they decide to buy, why wouldn’t they throw a real estate agent’s name in on a Google search? When they search for you, what will they find?
You can write content that boasts about all the properties you have or show them that you’re something more than an agent. Make them understand that after the buying process, you’re not going in a dark hole. Show you actually care about the new environment they are going to adjust to.
Provide value to users of the internet and your client base by blogging and posting content. You do this through content marketing.
Here’s how you can use content marketing to grow your book of business.
Choose the proper content to write
Content is more than trying to sell houses. Write about a variety of different topics.
Consider writing the following types of posts:
- How to
- Best ways
- Tips and tricks
- Mistakes to avoid
- Top list
These types of posts create value to the community as a whole. Creating an informational blog with valuable content grows your client base in a very cost efficient, organic fashion.
Other types of content
Not only can you write content, but you can also create infographics, videos and photographs. Make sure that if you’re considering other content, that it’s educational and rarely promotional.
Do your research about the topic you’re writing about and ensure that you have much knowledge and experience in the area covered.
Sell content, experience and knowledge — not houses
People love the concept of purchasing a new house, but what do they get excited about?
They get excited about the deeper meaning.
What rooms will they laugh the most in or have meaningful family dinners and birthday parties in? A house is more than just walls that hold the roof together: it’s about the memories and shared experiences that hold the house together. It’s about the family experience.
You can write about topics that sell your house, but they’re not relatable. It goes over people’s heads.
Think bigger.
Write content about things in the area like:
- 10 places you won’t forget in San Diego
- 5 best places to eat in Tempe, Arizona
- 7 memorable landmarks to visit in Orange County
The topics tell stories and don’t sell people on a property. Provide a link to your property at the bottom of the page without mentioning it. People want information, value and a story to sell them on something.
Even consider linking to customer testimonials.
Write content outside of real estate
Although your primary goal is to sell a property, you also want to consider getting your name out there. A more professional term is spreading brand awareness.
What content do you write outside of real estate?
Talk about challenges buyers and their families face when moving to a new home. Focus on the future of their children and how they can adapt to a new environment. Discuss places outside of their home they can visit. For example:
- 5 websites to meet new people in Arizona
- 5 best school districts in Nevada
- 5 finances you must plan for when moving to California
Writing content outside of real estate spreads brand awareness and opens channels of communication between you and your clients. Spreading your brand increases traffic to your site, and from there it’s a numbers game.
Promote your content appropriately
A problem many people face — even outside of real estate — is promotion and timing. If you’re looking to grow your client base, then master timing and content promotion.
What are the appropriate times to post? According to Social Media Today:
- Facebook: Between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday
- Twitter: Between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday
- LinkedIn: Focus on posting before and after business hours — 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday
- Google-Plus: 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on workdays
- Pinterest: This is the one social network you should focus on posting during weekday evenings and on the weekends, specifically 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. on weekdays, and the best time to pin items on Pinterest is on Saturday morning
Don’t think you need to clear your schedule to promote your content on social media, and don’t stay up till 1 a.m. to post on Pinterest at the perfect second.
Consider software like Hootsuite to schedule your content out months in advance.
How do I promote content? Either conduct research on what your client base is utilizing, or try a few out and adjust accordingly. But do your research.
Try to keep your content on a set schedule. If you’re putting content on Facebook around 10 p.m., then keep it like that.
Content marketing establishes trust within the buyer and seller relationship. It shows you’re there for the long run, maybe when they’re trying to sell their property.
As tough as competition is in the real estate market, content marketing can set you apart from other agents.
Parker Davis is the CEO and managing partner of Annison Captial Partners in Phoenix, Arizona. Connect with him on Twitter or Facebook.