Blogging primers
Some of the work we do with brokerages involves getting their agents to understand how powerful blogging is as a marketing medium. Over the weekend and today, I noticed a rash of articles that puts a unique spin on "Why blog?"
From Common Craft: Blogs in Plain English - (great application of instructional video)
Blogging is dead? According to whom?
Blogging is fundamental, an archetype of Web 2.0 and the most basic self expressive media there is. Social networks aren't eclipsing blogging, they are complementing blogging. (h/t to Greg )
Why blog?
Daniel Rothamel answers the loaded question all bloggers hear: "How many leads are you getting from your blog?" He produces a hand held video (his hand is pretty steady like a track cam, how does he keep his mug centered?) that reveals his personality - peripatetic and forthright (and we're both bball fans).
The real reason your agent should be blogging
Kris Berg doesn't treat her readers as potential leads, she honors them as her future employers. (h/t to Kevin )
And for blogging veterans...
Long time no see, the reality of realty blogging
Teri Lussier hits the hyperlocal blogger wall... what more can I write about Huber Heights? Here's an idea: organize bloggers around Dayton and vicinity, even Ohio, into a blog network. Form occasional, even weekly web conferencing sessions to meet up and discuss how to build the blog network.
If you're in the Bay Area or SoCal, Kevin and I are developing a blog workshop series starting this month with discussion on blog networks. Contact us for more details...
Great ideas and thoughts here.
The blog should be the extension of the agent and be completely integrated into the lifecycle of the client. From first visit as a maybe buyer to a client that bought 5 years ago or more.
I try to write as if I was a reporter covering the real estate business from the inside. It should always have a point of adding some value to the reader. Not some screed about how big oil is keeping solar power down or something.
Great reading your writing.
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The question I have is what is the benefit of blogging versus adding regular content to a website? Yes, blogs are updated more frequently, but websites are updated nonetheless. Websites seem to be more user-friendly and searchable for consumers. Why should a real estate professional focus on blogging when they could spend that time updating their website with more landing pages?
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Your website www.reddoorhomeloans.com looks effective and the only difference between your website and a blog is nothing more than the lack of article content that characterizes a blog. You can easily add a blog to one of the tabs on your website, but it seems the question you're asking is "why blog?" If your website generates leads and traffic, blogging may not necessarily be for you... a very small percentage of agents adopt blogging, so you're not alone.
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Peripatetic is a very accurate description of my personality. I did a presentation for the VA Assoc. of REALTORS yesterday, and I had to sit on a couch. It was killing me.
Luckily, arms-length seems to do a good job of keeping my face in the frame. Using the cell-phone camera does limit the length of my videos to the endurance of my arm muscles.
Thanks for the link! I hope to do a lot more coverage of this issue in the future.
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Pat-
While I would have preferred you pick another post of mine to spotlight, I'll work with what I've got.
Dayton has a very small network of bloggers, mostly political bloggers, so the the getting together and agreeing on something part is sticky at this point in time. However, we are working on that.
My hitting the wall is due to a few separate things converging at the same time. All fixable with renewed focus and better planning on my part.
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Oops Teri... I think it's quite natural for all bloggers to hit some sort of content barrier, especially those who are focusing on their local communities. You'll notice I write on a variety of topics - the economy, technology, social media, blogging, lead generation, basketball - and couldn't imagine focusing on just one theme. You're doing a great job with Brick House, I'm just offering suggestions that may open up some new ideas for developing your blog...
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I really wish my agents would blog on our main site, it would benefit them and our company.
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Hi Austin,
Do you know we're doing a blogging workshop in Dallas this week? (if not, serendipity is at work) Contact me for more details...
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I wish I could have made it. How did everything go?
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OK, this is very interesting article, thankx
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