Aug
12
One potentially very powerful way to get links and traffic to your real estate website is to publish online press releases. There are two ways to go about this:
- 1) The free press release websites are ideal if you are on a low budget or just want to try things out at first. Sites like www.pr.com, www.free-press-release.com, and www.pressreleasepoint.com are a good place to start. Some of these sites, like Press Release Point also have a paid service that offers additional benefits, such as wider exposure, that you might want to consider.
- 2) The other option is to hire an online PR distribution company to send out your press release to their list of websites, bloggers and journalists. As you can imagine, the quality of these services is very variable, so you might want to shop around and ask for references before you commit yourself. Also ask if they have experience in the real estate PR field, and make sure that the audience they are able to target is indeed a potential source of clients for your estate agency.
10 tips for writing an effective online press release
Of course, if your press release exercise is to be successful, you need an interesting press release to send out in the first place. Here are 10 hot tips from our real estate copywriters that will set you on the right track.
1) Find something newsworthy
Make sure that you pick an interesting bit of news that will grab the public’s attention. If nothing truly special is happening, invent something - maybe a special offer for clients, a competition with an attractive prize, or a special incentive for people who refer new clients to you. Your imagination is the limit.
2) Write a captivating headline
An effective headline is absolutely crucial because your headline has to catch people’s attention and compel them to read the piece. There are many forms of effective headlines you can use, such as breaking some hitherto insider news or promising a solution to a problem, but more on headline writing in a future post. (There is so much to say on this topic!) EDIT: here they are: 9 pro headline tricks that will make people read your blog
3) Start your press release with a bang
Build your reader’s enthusiasm from the very beginning. You should get to the point in your opening paragraph and make sure you get your main message across right away, so that people who do not read the whole piece at least have the gist of what you want to say. At the same time, whet your reader´s appetite for more, and be clear about the benefits of reading on.
4) Do not beat about the bush
Keep your press release as short as possible so that you do not put off your readers with a huge mass of text. The Internet is a fast-paced place, and people will click away if they feel they are wasting their time.
5) Use direct speech
You can make your press release more interesting, more personal and even more credible, by including appropriate quotes from your real estate agency staff or clients (make sure you have the necessary permission first).
6) Link to your website in the first paragraph and link repeatedly
Get a link to your site in early on, so that people see it right away even if the press release is presented as a teaser with a ‘read more’ link. You should also include a few more links in the body of the press release and an actual invitation for people to contact you and visit your site in the closing paragraph.
7) Fit in some SEO keywords
Make sure that you keep in mind and use keywords that your potential clients search for, as you write your press release. Having said that, it’s not really worth the time and effort of engaging in all out SEO, since you will not be able to tweak the press release when it is published on third-party websites. On the other hand, you could include a copy of the press release on your own website and get that optimised for the search engines.
8 ) Include your full contact details
Don’t make potential real estate clients have to search through your website if they want to contact you. List your e-mail and contact phone numbers prominently in your press release.
9) Add a brief note about your estate agency
Write a standard paragraph or two about your real estate agency and add it to the bottom of your press releases. Outline what makes you special in your particular real estate market.
10) Publish your press release at the right time
Timing is crucial. If people are away for summer or Christmas holidays, even the most enticing press release will fall flat. Day of the week also affects the outcome, with Tuesday to Thursday usually considered the best days for business press releases, as people are busy with new work on Monday, and busy finishing off on Fridays.
Now you’ve got another tool in your real estate marketing arsenal, you should test it out and see how it works for you. And of course you can always contact us at Sorted Sites if you need any further assistance or should you like our professional writers to write your press release for you at very attractive rates.
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