Apr
23
How to make an e-book out of your real estate blog posts
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Let’s face it: writing for your real estate blog takes time and effort, and month after month, this adds up to a significant amount of both. So why not plan ahead so that you can compile some of your posts into an e-book at a later date? This will give your old posts a new lease of life and let you get even more value from the work you have put into your property blog.
But would anyone be interested in an e-book made from material that is already in your real estate blog? The answer will surprise you!
The thing is that many of the e-books you see out there began their life as blog posts, and a good few of these are actually sold for cash, even going on to become bestsellers in some cases. The reason for this is that people want to have information at their fingertips, meaning that organising a group of your blog posts into one volume and presenting it to your clients on a silver plate will fill a very important niche.
However, in your case, as a real estate agent, you stand to gain more from using your e-book as a marketing tool by giving it away and encouraging people to share it, rather than if you try and sell it for a profit. In fact, once you have your real estate e-book ready, you should make sure it has all your contact details on, including website, e-mail and telephone number and market it aggressively so that it reaches as wide an audience as possible.
What kind of blog posts will make good e-book material?
Keep in mind that you want your e-book to be valid and relevant for a good time to come, so it is best to choose timeless topics related to the real estate market you are operating in. The idea here is to write some of your blog posts along a common theme, in such a way that each post can be reused as a chapter in your e-book (or part of one).
You can choose as wide a scope as you like for your e-book posts, either concentrating on strictly property-related topics and advice, such as the buying process, finding a good lawyer, taxes, inheritance and so on, or you could even expand and write about your area in a way that will interest property hunters and entice them to look at your market - things like attractions, nightlife, beaches, and so on.
Of course, once you get down to editing your e-book, you will probably have to update some parts, tweak others to make it all flow, and even write a short introduction and conclusion. But that should not be a major job if you plan it out beforehand and think about how all the individual chapters will fit together in the end. This also has an added bonus of providing you with a ready sequence of topics when it comes to writing your blog.
Don’t let your e-book take over your blog
Of course, you should not let your e-book enthusiasm get the better of your blog, and you should still write other posts about current events and topics related to the real estate markets you operate in.
After all, a key purpose of your blog is to keep your clients up to date with the latest property news, and at the same time show them that you are real estate expert with your finger on the pulse of your market.
Still, having an e-book to your name can be a very powerful marketing strategy that will get you both exposure and credibility, and planning to republish some of your posts in the future will mean that you get even more out of the effort you put into your blog.
Apr
15
One of the keys to successfully marketing your estate agency online is, of course, to make your primary audience the main target of your website. And as an estate agent, you will know better than anyone else that the people who have most disposable income to invest in property tend to be seniors, who are more likely to have substantial savings or a considerable equity in their home that they can make use of. In other words, unless you are only selling property that is exclusively directed at young people and families, the baby boomers and up is one age group that you absolutely cannot afford to cast aside as you design your estate agency’s website.
In a blog post called How to sell to seniors online, Todd Follansbe says that, while today’s older generation are ever more likely to be using the Internet, there are several things to keep in mind for your website to be successful at winning their business.
Clear web design for old eyes
Many of the issues involved in appealing to older people are design-related. Take into account that seniors are more likely to be unfamiliar with newer technologies and also begin to suffer from diminishing physical capabilities with age, including vision and, in some cases, cognitive abilities. This means that your website should use well-sized and clear fonts, and also be simple to use. Instructions should be clearly explained, particularly when it comes to using property searches and contact forms, or downloading brochures and other files.
Of course, a lot of these are things that you should be doing anyway for all your audience, but unless you specifically test your real estate website on a group of seniors, you will never know if you are unwittingly excluding this vital demographic group because of inadequate web design.
Avoiding technical jargon is always a good idea (unless your website happens to be aimed specifically at technical people) but this applies so much more in the case where your typical visitor is someone older. At the same time, remember that old people are no fools either and there is no need to be condescending or to talk down to your audience.
Targetting a different mindset
A very interesting point Todd raises in his post is that most of the older generation will remember severe market recessions and possibly even outright market crashes. He also adds that they tend to be more sceptical and put off by flashy promises and hype. These issues apply particularly to the word of real estate, where the tendency is to place emphasis on the investment potential of the property for sale. What it all means, in a nutshell, is that an audience of seniors will take a great deal more of convincing, so be prepared to back up your claims with credible, solid facts.
As you plan your real estate website, you will also have to take into account other ways in which seniors think differently, including the fact that they tend to be more cautious, and hence less likely to take risks. Also, as you will surely know, older property investors will have a totally different set of reasons for buying property, be it as a retirement home or as a sound legacy to leave to their children. Your real estate website will have to be designed to appeal to this different frame of mind too if it is to be successful.
Of course, all these principles also apply to your real estate blog and you ought to keep them in mind as you write new posts. Also remember to test well and regularly to make sure that all the different aspects of your web presence will work together to win you the confidence and custom of this large and influential group of property buyers.
Apr
7
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Apr
4
How to market your real estate website on Flickr and get away with it
Filed Under Online Marketing | 2 Comments
Flickr, the popular photo sharing website can be a very useful social networking tool for your real estate business. Not only is it a place to store your photos for publication on your blog, but it is also a great way for you to participate in a community of like-minded people and share photos not only of your properties for sale, but also of company events and functions as well as of the general area your estate agency operates in.
What’s more, we have found from experience that Google indexes new images posted to Flickr very quickly indeed and because these tend to get high rankings on the search engines, your Flickr account could very well be another great way for people to discover your estate agent website.
But can you market on Flickr?
Strictly speaking, Flickr’s Terms of Service Agreement says that you cannot use Flickr for any commercial purpose. And while many people go by the Devil’s Dictionary definition of Terms of Service, which is, a long contract in legalese specifically designed to make you scroll down and agree to it without reading a single word’, Flickr does enforce this rule to some extent, as we found out when one of our client accounts was deleted recently.
But in practise the use of Flickr for commercial purposes is a very big grey area - for example, Flickr seems ready to close an eye to the many professional photographers, artists and web designers who display their images and works on the website. So, the million dollar question about marketing your real estate website on Flickr…
How do you get away with it?
The distinction lies in the approach you take to marketing your properties for sale on Flickr. The trick as we see it is to embrace the Flickr community, become part of it, and contribute in a positive way, and there are many ways you can do this:
- For a start, make sure you are not only posting pictures of your properties and company activities. As you move around your area imagine you’re a tourist and take general photos of the places you visit: landscapes, famous landmarks, interesting details, random streets, even just people going about their daily lives - things that have nothing directly to do with your business- and upload them to your Flickr account. Giving back to the Flickr community in this way won’t cost you anything but will earn you kudos and add value to your account.
- Join one or more groups on Flickr, or start a group of your own, teaming up with other estate agents in your area. We have just started a group of Tenerife Estate Agents, so any of you reading this, you’re more than welcome to join.
- What’s more, encourage your clients to start their own personal Flickr accounts and join your group. This way they can share photos of themselves enjoying their new property and the surrounding area and also get to know other people who have bought near them.
- Comment on other people’s photos - not only real estate photos, but even general photos of your area that would be of interest to your target audience. The idea is to become a part of the general Flickr community and get your name out there by actively participating.
Going for a hard sell on Flickr is likely to get you the boot very quickly - if it is obvious that the pictures you put up are for the sole purpose of marketing your properties or your estate agency, or if you’re just spamming links all over the place, your account won’t last long. Besides, Flickr has recently stopped making search engines follow some of their outbound links so the value of linking on Flickr is somewhat diminished (although people can still click through to your website).
Still, there is still a lot your estate agency can gain from having its own Flickr account. Read this excellent article for more tips and ideas on the right way to market on Flickr.
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