| This alphabet lists 26 key benefits and
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| | that anyone can do it, regardless of
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| best practices of using a real estate
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| | their web experience. In fact, a single
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| blog. Not all of these entries will apply
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| | individual could easily manage a large
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| to every individual blogging scenario,
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| | web presence if it were built on blogging
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| but they all apply to real estate blogs
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| | technology. This is ideal for real estate
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| in general. So you are bound to find
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| | agents who operate independently, without
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| something useful here that you've never
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| | the benefit of an I.T. department.
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| considered before.
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| | Non-invasive
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| Here you have them, real estate blog
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| | A well-written real estate blog will
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| benefits and best practices ... from A to
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| | "pull" readers into the message, as
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| Z.
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| | opposed to pushing the message on the
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| Authoritative
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| | reader (like magazine ads). People can
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| Everyone knows you have to understand a
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| | sign up for your blog in total privacy,
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| subject well in order to write about it
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| | either by using the blog's RSS feed or an
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| or explain it to others. When agents blog
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| | email subscription option (if you provide
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| about the real estate scene in their
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| | one). The readers come to the blog -- it
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| cities or towns, they position themselves
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| | is not thrust upon them. As long as blogs
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| as authorities on the subject. In this
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| | in general adhere to this non-invasive,
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| way, a real estate blog can be a useful
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| | respectful approach, they will be held in
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| tool for positioning, branding and
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| | higher esteem than other communication
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| differentiation.
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| | channels like email.
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| Believable
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| | Operational
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| If used properly, a real estate blog can
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| | A real estate blog is more than a simple
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| make the agent (or company) behind it
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| | communication tool. It can serve
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| more believable. And let's face it ... in
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| | operational roles as well. This could
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| the post-Enron, low-trust world of
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| | include internal collaboration (like an
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| corporate skepticism, a little
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| | intranet) or outward instruction (like a
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| believability can go a long way. Use your
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| | home buying seminar online).
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| real estate blog to communicate openly
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| | Purposeful
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| and honestly with your audience. Lose the
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| | Before you publish your first blog post,
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| fluff and the jargon. Be candid and
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| | you should determine the purpose of your
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| sincere. And speaking of being candid...
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| | real estate blog. Sure, you can always
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| Candid
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| | dive right in and figure out your purpose
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| It's a mistake to treat your real estate
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| | as you go. But your blog will be more
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| blog as "Website, Part 2." Blogs are easy
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| | effective (and easier to produce) if you
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| to publish, so you can publish to them
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| | have a purpose and plan ahead of time.
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| more frequently. In this way, a real
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| | Ask yourself, "What do I want to
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| estate blog can become an ongoing
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| | accomplish with my blog? Who is my ideal
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| dialogue between you and your audience
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| | audience? What information would they
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| (potential clients). To get the most out
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| | find useful?"
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| of this dialogue, and to achieve the
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| | Qualitative and Quantitative
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| believability mentioned above, a real
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| | When real estate blogging is done well,
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| estate blog should take on the candid,
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| | it has both a quantitative and
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| heartfelt voice of the author.
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| | qualitative affect. The quantity of
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| Direct
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| | content will increase your website's
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| Real estate blogs are direct-to-reader /
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| | usefulness and search engine visibility.
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| direct-to-consumer. You simply type your
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| | The quality of content helps you position
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| message, click the "Publish" button, and
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| | yourself as an expert and differentiate
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| your message becomes instantly viewable
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| | yourself from other agents in your area
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| online. Unlike other forms of business
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| | (see entry for "Knowledgeable" above).
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| communication, there are no journalists
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| | Recyclable
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| or editors to put their own spin on
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| | Blog content can be reused for many
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| things. Your message goes from you,
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| | purposes. For example, you could expand
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| directly onto your blog, and directly to
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| | your blog posts into article-length and
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| your audience.
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| | publish them online for additional
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| Enthusiastic
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| | exposure and web traffic.
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| In a perfect world, only the truly
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| | Straight-shooting
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| enthusiastic bloggers would publish real
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| | This point is somewhat repetitive of 'C'
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| estate blogs. But this is not the case,
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| | for candid. Guilty as charged. But it's
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| and as a result there's a lot of
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| | worth repeating, so I'm repeating it. The
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| "half-hearted" blogs online today.
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| | most popular real estate blogs got to
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| Half-hearted commentary stands out like a
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| | where they are partly by being
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| purple elephant in the blogosphere. This
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| | straightforward. In this context,
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| kind of blogging actually does more harm
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| | straightforward refers to both the design
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| than good. On the other hand, enthusiasm
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| | and the content of the blog. Real estate
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| comes across in blog posts -- but
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| | blogs that are "overly designed" tend to
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| enthusiasm is both positive and
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| | look more like websites than blogs. I
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| contagious.
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| | truly believe this reduces their
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| Flexible
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| | candidness and authenticity. The same
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| The number of ways you can use your real
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| | goes for the blog's content. Blog
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| estate blog is limited only by your
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| | postings that are straightforward and
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| imagination and energy. Maybe your blog
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| | candid will generate more interaction and
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| will be a source for local real estate
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| | "buzz" among readers.
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| news. You can do that. Or maybe your blog
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| | Thoughtful
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| will cater to a certain niche, such as
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| | The best real estate blogs are
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| condo buyers or home sellers. You can do
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| | thoughtful. I don't mean thoughtful in
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| that too. With the versatile publishing
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| | the sense of "kind" -- although kindness
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| capabilities of most blogging programs,
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| | does go a long way on the Web -- but
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| you can set up your blog to support any
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| | thoughtful as in "full of thought." Each
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| business, marketing or communication
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| | time you publish a blog post, put some
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| objective.
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| | thought into the content. Make sure it
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| Google-friendly
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| | (A) supports your overall blogging goals,
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| A real estate blog can help you increase
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| | (B) gives your readers useful
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| your online visibility in several ways.
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| | information, and (C) reflects well upon
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| For one thing, a blog can help you expand
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| | you as a real estate professional.
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| your website with new content, easily and
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| | Usable
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| efficiently. Blog daily for a year, and
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| | When you first set up your blog, it will
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| you'll have 365 new pages of content. And
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| | be straightforward and easy to use. The
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| search engines love topical content. A
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| | default settings of most blogging
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| real estate blog is also more "social"
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| | programs are designed this way for a
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| than a regular website, so with time and
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| | reason. But some people feel the need to
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| effort your blog can acquire links from
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| | clutter up their blogs with all kind of
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| other blogs. This "link popularity," as
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| | nonsense, reducing the blog's usability
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| it's known, can do wonders for search
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| | and readership in one swoop. Avoid this.
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| engine ranking.
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| | Keep you blog clean and easy to read. Web
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| Happening
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| | readers and researches are skilled at
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| Generally speaking, real estate blogs are
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| | hopping from site to site. They don't
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| much more "happening" than their website
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| | need much of a reason to bail out on you,
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| counterparts. Blogs are easier to update
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| | and they'll do just that if your blog is
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| than regular websites, which is important
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| | hard to navigate.
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| in the ever-changing world of real
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| | Voluntary
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| estate, interest rates, etc. When you
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| | You should blog because you want to, not
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| update your blog often with quality
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| | because you think you have to. If you
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| content, it becomes an active resource
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| | start a real estate blog just because
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| that people are more inclined to read,
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| | everyone else is doing it, it will lack
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| revisit and recommend.
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| | the heartfelt enthusiasm that's a
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| Informative
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| | trademark of popular blogs. (See "E' for
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| When you keep people in your area
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| | enthusiastic above.)
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| informed about the local real estate
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| | Wise
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| scene, you increase the usefulness of
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| | Your real estate blog is the ideal place
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| your real estate blog. You also increase
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| | to share your wisdom about the industry.
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| the likelihood of future business from
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| | This will help you position yourself as
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| those readers, not to mention the
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| | an authority in your field (letter 'A'
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| likelihood they will recommend your blog
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| | above) and foster the trust mentioned
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| to others. Blogging is a simple but
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| | under the letter 'T' above. A "tip of the
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| effective way to keep people informed.
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| | day" series is a prime example of this.
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| Before you publish a new post, get in the
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| | It's a great way to share your real
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| habit of asking yourself, "How will this
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| | estate wisdom, and it's the kind of thing
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| blog post help my readers?" If you can
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| | that will keep people coming back to your
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| answer that, publish a way. If you can't
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| | blog and recommending it to others.
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| answer it, rethink the topic.
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| | Xstensible
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| Jargon-free
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| | Yes, I cheated with this letter. But real
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| In general, blogs are not the place for
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| | estate blogs are truly extensible (and
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| corporate speak or "fluff" content. This
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| | you try to produce an adjective starting
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| applies to the real estate blog as well.
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| | with 'X'). Your blog can grow as your
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| Write your blog in your own voice. Don't
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| | audience grows, or as your company grows.
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| try to impress people with your
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| | You can add additional authors, perhaps a
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| vocabulary. The best blogs convey quality
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| | colleague in the mortgage industry. You
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| information in a conversational style.
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| | can add sections to cover additional
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| This will increase your readership, the
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| | topics. You can expand a blog however you
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| level of dialogue, and (ultimately) the
| |
| | need to support your objectives. And it
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| blog's profitability as a
| |
| | doesn't require an I.T. department to get
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| client-acquisition tool.
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| | it done. Blogging programs are designed
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| Knowledgeable
| |
| | to be extensible.
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| Dr. John Tuccillo, former Chief Economist
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| | Yours
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| for the NAR, recently said: "With the
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| | A real estate blog can have one author or
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| expansion of the number of Realtors, the
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| | several authors. I've seen popular blogs
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| level of competence has fallen to its
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| | published by individual agents, as well
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| lowest point ever." If this general
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| | as some published by teams of writers.
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| perception spreads to the public in
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| | But the blog has to belong to somebody.
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| general, it could cause real problems for
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| | It should be yours, or his and hers, or
|
| real estate professionals. This is
| |
| | all of yours. Somebody needs to own the
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| another area where a real estate blog can
| |
| | blog. Otherwise, nobody will trust what
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| benefit you. Use your blog to show
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| | it has to say.
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| readers how knowledgeable you are on your
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| | Zippy
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| subject. Just remember, some of your
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| | The dictionary defines zippy as "lively
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| readers will know as much about the
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| | and full of energy." These are great
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| subject as you do. So check your facts
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| | traits for a real estate blog. If you are
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| before posting!
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| | passionate in the way you publish your
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| Lead-producing
| |
| | blog, it will eventually connect with
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| You stand to gain a lot from the
| |
| | readers who are equally passionate about
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| interaction and trust mentioned
| |
| | the subject matter. These are the kind of
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| previously in this list. When you
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| | people who will promote your blog without
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| interact with your blog readers in a
| |
| | being asked to do so! It goes something
|
| positive way, you have a much greater
| |
| | like this: "Hey, Barbara, you have to
|
| chance of turning them into clients. You
| |
| | check out this real estate blog I've been
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| can also configure your blog to allow
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| | reading lately. Let me send you the
|
| reader comments, which is another way to
| |
| | link..."
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| generate leads and start a dialogue.
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| | * You may republish this article online
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| Manageable
| |
| | if you retain the author's byline and the
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| Blogging programs simplify the
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| | ACTIVE hyperlinks below. Copyright 2007,
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| web-publishing process to such a degree
| |
| | Brandon Cornett.
|
