Debbie T. Williamson 
Your online presence is crucial for the success of your agency. Most agents already know this. However, very few agencies are taking full advantage of their digital footprint as they should. Take the corporate blog, for example. Most agencies prioritize their blogging efforts somewhere between picking up dry cleaning and doing taxes. This is unfortunate because a successful blogging effort is usually part of a successful content distribution strategy. With that in mind, here are some tips for running a top notch real estate blog.
Writing for the digital world
Your real estate blog is not a health care manual or an epic novel. Blog texts should be organized into easy-to-read and understand blocks of text. From headline to conclusion, a blog post written for the web should capture the reader’s attention and understand the topic of these texts. On the web, time is limited to grab a reader’s attention, and formatting is crucial.
The best real estate blog posts are properly broken down into specific ideas separated by titles. They are also written very concisely, broken down into short, understandable paragraphs. Images should also be used to separate ideas and convey meaning, but without overbalancing the overall tone of the information. Think about how you read text and images on your smart device. Which blog posts are you sticking to until the end?
Provide a solution
What do you look for when you search the web? Chances are there is a problem that needs to be addressed every time you turn to Google or another search engine. And when it comes to real estate, the question a home buyer or seller has is the answer to your bottom line. Questions like “How much is my house worth?” lead directly to that sale you need to make to boost your bottom line. Solving real issues for buyers and sellers is the fuel of a successful real estate blog. Make your content super useful, and don’t stray.
Images and graphics
Whoever said “A picture is worth a thousand words” thought he was sharing ideas on a smartphone or tablet. Awesome images and graphics are one of the most important facets of any successful blogging effort. You want to be understandable, cool, and memorable while conveying deeper meaning at the same time.
Try NOT to use stock images if you can, as they convey a sense of detached business. Real moments, your team, the houses in your ads, these are the images you want to convey the value of your agency. And don’t just rely on pictures. Graphics, maps, interactive infographics are also key elements for a successful real estate blog effort.
The focus “you”
You’ve heard the old adage “put your best foot forward”. Well, your real estate blog should focus on what you do best. You want to reach a large audience, of course, but what sets your business apart is always what you are good at. Let’s say your fundraising team has the best connections and the most experience in your market. This means that your blog content should offer plenty of advice on loan specifics, interest rates and localities, etc. Whatever your agency’s advantage, your blog titles should reflect that expertise.
Your audience
You might think that successful real estate blogs only target buyers and sellers. Nothing could be further from the truth. Writing for your peers in the industry will not only make you sound like an expert, but it will also attract more clients. By answering the burning questions of other real estate experts, you are positioning yourself as the authority. Plus, there is a huge audience that will help your site traffic, SEO, social media efforts, etc. From a brand perspective, your authoritative voice goes a long way in positioning you above your competition.
