No Real Estate Blogs are in Bloglines' Top 1000 Blogs
One of the first of the many internet theories that bloggers learn is that of the Long Tail. Proposed and made popular by Wired's Chris Anderson, The Long Tail asserts, broadly speaking, that the internet as a commerce platform can service any product need no matter how small, arcane or trivial. The simple reason is a buyer and seller of the product can easily "meet" each other online. Further, the theory purports that there's a lot of money to be made by servicing the whims of the smaller Long Tail markets. The controversy surrounding the theory lies in its applications... there are many exceptions to the rule.
The Long Tail is best exemplified by Amazon.com, which sells not only the top 100 best selling books, but also makes significant revenue on the next 100,000 or so titles.
Read Write Web points out that the Long Tail doesn't apply to blogger revenue and posits that the Long Tail of bloggers make no money. What this means is most bloggers who write on a Long Tail topic are doomed to revenue failure. The article indirectly brings up another fact about blog traffic - it obeys a pyramid structure - blogs with traffic attract more traffic, and the chances of the masses stumbling upon a Long Tail topic blog are small by comparison. Therefore, blogs die constantly due to the sheer frustration of attracting and retaining readers.
Real estate is a Long Tail topic; it's not popular like politics or celebrity media. I've posited that the number of readers of real estate blogs is somewhat capped due to the fact that beyond the real estate professionals, most consumers follow real estate only when they are in the market. In fact, perusal of Bloglines list of "Top 1000 Blogs" (based on Bloglines feeds) yields NO real estate blogs (although I did notice an astronomy and a knitting blog). That's a pretty revealing statistic.
Real estate blogs are unique because none are started for traffic based revenue, they are for the most part, purely online marketing vehicles. The Long Tail has little application here because the traffic to real estate blogs is distributed differently. Excluding the bubble blogs, traffic seems to be distributed evenly across an ever increasing number of real estate blogs. This pattern demonstrates how thousands of relatively poorly trafficked real estate blogs can exist, even thrive, solely by developing local readership for lead generation purposes.
RE blogs will never attract HUGE audiences unless they talk about something besides real estate.
The best blog a real estate agent could have is filled with content from them and others from a city/neighborhood/highrise/etc.... focusing on everything that people want to read about in there area and then have just a bit of real estate content.
or take another route. Sponsor a popular city/community blog with your IDX. Find a blog that has descent traffic and is covering an area you want to focus and then approach the blogger with an advertising opportunity where you give the blog owner $x per month for your own subpage that is your IDX feed.
ex: http://www.cityblogname.com/homes
or somthing like that
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Great point Loren and that is exactly why we created modules on our dsSearchAgent Mapping IDX enabling agents to put the IDX on their blog sites.
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I have a niche real estate blog focusing on downtown Seattle new construction condos and make a modest amount of money off of advertising and sponsorship. I imagine similarly focused blogs that attract a loyal readership could make the same work for them.
I think the biggest problem with real estate blogs is that the majority are by agents for agents instead of blogs that are by agents/someone else and for consumers.
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Matt,
That is an interesting idea. One of my favorite blogs is written by Tommy at www.therealestatebloggers.com
He reports and analyzes information that is valuable for agents, consumers, and bloggers.
If that is the type of content you were intending then I like the idea.
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The 'audience' hopefully is one that is rotating through every 6 months. I want someone to find my blog/website (they are a combination), learn more about real estate, myself, the process etc, and then I want them to act.
I do not want, need nor care about attracting hundreds of thousands of readers. If only 10 new readers find it each month and if only 2 of them buy or sell with me....I would be thrilled. And that is my goal. Though of course I need a few hundred/thousand regular to get a few to actully become clients I imagine.
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You have to find your PURPLE COW. A blog is not a selling tool to assign a ratio of business closed but in fact it's a resume for someone to find. A resume for someone to decide you ARE and EXPERT. At least this is the way I feel about RE Blogs.
Thanks Again Pat. Great toppic.
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Isn't a resume essentially a selling tool? You build a resume and then hope it will help open doors to create business. Same with a 'business minded' blog.
And if it was not something to use this way...why do companies spend tons of money tracking web hits, traffic, etc.?!?!?!
I love writing and I love interacting with people and watching out for them regarding real estate.
And I think that is what is conveyed by my website and blog.
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Web sites seem to be more user-friendly for consumers than blogs. Sometimes I wonder why bloggers spend so much time blogging professional to professional instead of adding content to their web sites that will result in landing pages so that they can interact professional to consumer.
If I were to start a blog, it would be directed at consumers. Until I can find a compelling reason to start a blog, I'm going to stick to adding content to my website.
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This post is great, and true too. No one is intersted enough in a real estate blog to read it fer ever, they come and go. We do make money, not from ads but from getting more business.
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Wade...you are exactly right in several points. The blog should be part of an overall strategic online plan. I come from a 'content aggregation/distribution' background in the internet...and other things that led me to what I have done at http://www.sfcondomap.com. It is a total integration of the blog platform to create dynamic and static content in two sections that serve as a website and blog. But the goal is to induce people, buyers, to email me. Or even call. But email is more likely. And you do that by giving value. It is essentially making value a commodity. Which is what the internet lets you do so well.
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A blog can be an important tool for a real estate agent. Through a blog you not only get to present ideas and opinions. It also is a great resource of learning, besides being a place to list your trump cards. You see I am agent listed with resortscape.com ( http://www.resortscape.com/default.aspx?ct=r&q=&utm_medium=linktous&utm_source=PT ) and so my blog is an important tool where I can interact with them. So through the content of my blog I only wish to gain more client traffic. Well, I think everyone who is interested in real estate should have blog promoting ideas and concepts for everybody's growth.
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Thus your case for a national roll-up of quality, local, real estate blogs...
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I am using a blog and a website.
Both bring me some business.
My website is over 6 months old and my blog just about 3.
My blog has generated much more traffic than my site has and from here i direct to my website.
I believe you should write about your area and things to do and places to go, also the latest news and happenings.
Why is it a great place to live in.
I have found that actually offering a subscription to someone when you meet works best.
this way you will receive more readers and you are seen as a friend that is an expert in real estate.
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It is funny to me how the use of a blog gets pigeonholed. For me it is merely a cms that when used in a certain manner can deliver a lot of targeted traffic. Of course "a lot" is relative to the industry and subject matter.
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Upside,
You are selling the tool of blogging short. It is most valuable as a living resume and sales tool for your business.
The delicate balance is the fact that you can't blatantly sell yourself in the blogosphere and be successful generating traffic or leads.
By giving what is considered value by your target market, giving it on an ongoing basis, and giving it WITHOUT asking for anything in return, you become a valuable source of information.
This translates into leads, credibility, perception as a consultative expert in your field.
If all you are getting out of your blog is cms then it is under performing for the potential your blog represents.
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real estate and blogging are perfect match - wordpress is a very powerful tool for marketing real estate projects. you have a very good articles here and a lot of interaction from readers..
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I think the problem is most blog social networks have terrible search features. We need a search engine that will reach the long tail.
Blog catalog for example lists about 1500 real estate blogs. They are listed in rough order of popularity. There is no further breakdown like; local real estate, real estate for agents, real estate investing etc.
Ned Carey
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