Real Estate Blogging - The Steps & Cycle For Success
Are you a REALTOR or BROKER Blogging? Why are you Blogging? Who is your audience? What are you Blogging about? What are your ultimate intentions? What are your goals and desired results? Do you have a plan in place for success? Of course you do, or you wouldn't be here.
Here's a simplified concept that may help give a better understanding about the steps and process of Blogging. There is nothing worse than doing something for your business and not understanding the full process, or missing certain key steps, elements, and components that would ensure your efforts are worth while and justified. This is just one concept of many, that could help take your blog to the next level and add to your "Cycle of Success!"
1. Writing Your Best Blog Posts:
Writing your Blog posts to be discovered by search engines and consumers (intended audience) is the first step.
How To Write a Blog post for Search Engines and Consumers.
2. Getting Found vs Getting Clicked:
SEO is great, and being on the first page of Google is key, but it's not the end all be all. Getting found on the search engines by consumers and having them actually click on and read your post is the goal. Using a simple strategy listed in the post referenced above will help.
3. You've got Their Attention and Interest:
When visitors find your posts, they like you, your content, your experience and your area. Or Do They? Only they can decide this. You should write and be transparent. Just be yourself. Let them decide. The wider variety of content you supply consistently, the greater of an audience you will potentially reach.
4. Connecting and Establishing a Reputation and Rapport:
Now they are on your Blog or profile and decide to search for homes in your area. At this point you have no connection or way of tracking or contacting them unless they comment, email, or call you. This is where the importance of understanding the Blogging process comes into play. If you can get traffic and visitors up to this point, then you're already half way there...The virtual "Handshake" takes place.
5. Where do you take them from here:
If Consumers do a search for homes on your Blog posts or Profile, where do they land? Have you setup your Hit Router to direct visitors to your MLS, IDX, or Listings in your area? Are you maximizing the potential for exposure on where consumers are searching for homes on ActiveRain? 100,000 homes were searched in a single month here. If your audience is the selling and buying consumer, this step is very important. There are many folk's who miss this key ingredient and component on their Blogs. Having the right tools in place helps if you want to capture valuable traffic and leads.
6. Does your IDX Have the Proper Tools in Place to be Effective:
As consumers land on your designated Hit Router pages and IDX, are they setup properly? Make sure your traffic and visitors land on a site with the information they are asking for. This would not be a Blog, or a website, or an "about you" page. Those pages will get closed immediately. If they search for homes in Houston Texas, the next landing page should be just that. All the homes for Sale in Houston Texas. Period. To be sure, Do the searches yourself and use the correct URLs for your Hit Router and IDX linking. Don't make them try to figure out how to use your site and do the searches by themselves.
7. How Many Clicks Does it Take to get to the Center of a Lead:
(The world may never know...)
So now you have a great lead capture system and IDX setup using Hit Router but now what? Is it one, two, three, five, or seven clicks before you solicit their contact information for follow-up? This is a question that only YOU can answer. There is no right or wrong answer. Whatever you believe will work for you and your prospects, that is the best way to go. The problem is, some haven't setup their IDX lead capture and have nothing in place. Some IDX sites out there don't even offer or have the capability of creating a lead capture form. More importantly, some IDX sites won't let you setup direct landing pages to listings that are being searched for in specified areas. Ouch!
8. Once you Have the Lead Captured, do you Have an Effective Follow-up Plan:
Making sure you have the proper tools in place and follow-up programs are important. Now that you have them in your store, are you effective in taking your leads to the next level? Do you have a program or tools that will assist you in the follow-up process over the necessary period of time it will take to convert them to closings? If not, then what is the point in all the rest of the efforts that you're making to try and capture them as a lead or client anyway? Everyone knows that the key to any successes in any business is always based on the follow-up.
9. Converting Leads to Closings:
Once you have completed the transaction and closing, what do you do next? Using the many social media platforms to connect to clients, friends of friends, and SOI's is what it's all about. Have you researched all the ways you can use many of these sites to tap into new friends and potential clients? This is Social Media Networking and Marketing at its finest. What better way to grow your sphere of influence than by doing it through your past and future clients? Followers on Twitter? Friends on FaceBook? Associates on LinkedIn etc. All great resources for growth and expansion. Remember, I know 100 people that you don't, and you know 100 people that I don't. Let's both know 200 people!?!?
10. Clients for Life and Building Referrals:
Most clients and friends are for life. Having a good CRM and using your "Blog Library" of content is the best way to keep the cycle going and successful. Asking for referrals from the point of contract and tapping into others SOI will keep the pipeline refilling and the success cycle going. There is no better way to get in front of 100's, 1000's, maybe millions, than with your Great Blog and Social Networking skills.
Each of these Steps and this Cycle for Success are dependent upon each item and how efficiently you apply them to your Blogging and Business. As you continue to Blog, you will learn and inevitably grow in each area. You don't have to be an expert with the technical side of things, but understanding the steps and this cycle for success will really help. This is just one "Blogging" concept that I hope will help you in determining what you need to enhance or incorporate into your "Steps and Cycles for Success!"
thanks again..great tips.
Reads like a step by step plan to do business on the Internet. Thanks for sharing.
Ed - isn't that one of the funnest parts of it all? :-))
Brad - Do we have anyone writing about the new Diverse Hit Router yet? I'd like to know more about it. I still havent had time to return Cara's call.
Hi Loreena - The new Diverse Solutions tool is so new that I haven't had the chance to write about and introduce it yet, but the link on everyone's "My Home" page has certainly generated plenty of email and calls so it's next on my list of "Things-To-Do" for sure. I'm hoping that for those who don't have an effective IDX site of solution, that Diverse Solutions will be the "missing link" and answer to their prayers.
I plan to announce and discuss this more at the MLSTechFair in New York this week, and the REBarCamp in Silicon Valley next week. :-)
Hi Brad,
As always, great information. I sure haven't taken the time to maximize my AR blog but there's no time like the present! Thanks for your commitment to us.
Brad, you always put things in proper perspective. Great question - just why are we blogging??? It's not just putting our thoughts in a post - it's to meet, connect, and service folks who as you say - like us. Your steps are very good advice for beginner and experienced bloggers alike. Nicely written.
Thanks Brad, great post and something I'm working hard at getting right. I always appreciate your tips.
Hey, Brad. That is certainly some of the best advice out there. Today, I did a search and found that Maria and I the 4th and 7th spot on Google for my search. Just goes to show that this works. Thanks, Jim
Brad-thanks for the post - I went back and rewrote the first line in the blog I just wrote!
Thanks again Brad for all the pointers..your advice is invaluable!
Brad-As always your tips are terrific. I feel as if I have a good (not great) plan that is working well for me. I've closed business from AR and it is keeping my pipeline full. Thanks again for all the work you and the AR team do to make this a terrific community.
Thanks for this Brad. Incorporating all your ideas into my AR blogging experience. Always great to read your posts.
Great information... with a hint of humor (love it). "7. How Many Clicks Does it Take to get to the Center of a Lead: (The world may never know...)"
I have to take a look at my IDX, since our MLS has changed how listings are displayed, I am not so sure that part is working out so good anymore. Sigh.
Thank you - bookmarked!
Good Information there Brad - after all these years on the web, I still have some basics I need to go back over - thanks fo rthe great post.
You are the man Brad!
Thank you, as always, for this great information.
Brad,
All good pointers. I think it is especially important to have a nice website for them to land on. That way should they go from the nice and organized layout of AR to your page they're not lost trying to find what they are looking for.
Brian - I agree that having a nice website for them to land on when looking for specific services and information is important, (you can use your AR profile for that too) but if they are looking for homes for sale from your Blog page and not your website, having a good IDX and your Hit Router setup properly will make all the difference in the world. :-)
I can see a few items I need to tweak this week - thanks and I'll be hollering soon for an assist!
Brad..Your blogs are always so Helpful..Thank you
Okay....there's always something to learn...thanks Brad
Brad, Thanks for sharing this comprehensive overview of focusing on accomplishing our objectives and follow up.
Thanks Brad, you always have great tips for us. Aloha & best wishes.
Thanks Brad, you always have great tips for us. Aloha & best wishes.
Howdy there Brad
This sure is good advise for anyone that is in business. Wanting folks to find and contact them.
Brad....looks like one of my post.....! Hey...just wrote a post and played it forward....for you. Might want o take a peak....don't know if you will ever have the time. Doing good things...you are!
One of the things I have noticed in helping members setup their IDX and Hit Router links was that this area was missing the mark in many occasions. In some cases, the Hit Router links and click campaigns were only going to a webpage or Blog where homes couldn't even be searched. I would hate to see our members missing an opportunity when someone searches for homes on their Blog post or profile. There are many great Blogs here which is why I believe so many homes are searched for on our network. I'm hoping this post will heighten the awareness of where those Hit Router links and Click Campaigns are actually landing. :-)
Hey Brad, thanks for the tips, keep them coming, they are always helpful.
Well, I'm using the freebie system, so I can't use everything you mentioned but you did bring up some food for thought. I need to put some consideration into exactly WHO is my audience. Hmmm. I also need to kick myself in the butt and get re-motivated to do the research for some statistical posts =/
Great information. Nice to have good teachers here at Active Rain.
Excellent, Excellent information. I am bookmarking this for reference. Thanks again.
Excellent advice, Brad. I get your technology blog by RSS so I knew this post was waiting here. Fantastic information for the newbies to just follow your steps one my one.
Brad...
You've summed up in one post what blogging is about and how to go about doing it! This one gets a Double Gold Star IMHO!
Your posts sure do give me reason to pause and consider. This reads like a textbook on blogging and marketing on the Internet.
Thanks for sharing Brad. Well organized and very helpful. What else can be said?
Brad,
Thank you. It is amazing how ever exanding the process is. As we create more content we create more traffic. when we recieve more traffic we need more places for them to land and on and on..... I am tired and going back to bed:-)
Brad, this is so useful, thank you. I, um, have a lot of work to do. :-)
I have to tell you that your work on Active Rain is absolutely invaluable to those of us who are relatively new to the whole blogging-Internet marketing game.You should feel very good about what you are accomplishing here.Thank you, Thank you,Thank you!!!!
Thanks for another post on how to become a better blogger to increase one's business. There is so much to learn. We must take it one day at a time. We will all get there. Where? We will find out when we get there.
Read, read and read agin, so decided to print this! Thanks.
Great advice thank you for sharing, I'm always thinking... "why am I blogging again?"
Hi Brad -- Great graphic, I find them very powerful and great motivators to reinforce disparate concepts and tie them together.
Bradster...the new look profile image always always makes the Dukes of Hazard theme song and General Lee car horn sound in my head start up...good blog. Now to get that theme song out of my head. "Just a good ole boy...never meaning no harm......" Are you drinking anything in a canning jar that is clear, powerful too? I think the Walton's called it "the recipe".
This is a great strategy for agents who are actively marketing online. I'll pass this post along. Thanks!
Brad, good information. Thanks for this boost in implementing the next step. There are many pieces to the puzzle in good social marketing and you provided some great pieces. Thanks.
Brad, Great post and great tips. Thanks
Brad...thank you so much for your insight. In reading your posting, I realized that my blog page had an unknown back door with a vacuum funnel attached to the other side. I can honestly say we are experts in our profession as real estate professionals, but this technology thing is a monster. Thank you again for your on going support and tips. We can only be so lucky to have your expertise on our team.
Brad:
You have done it again, given me more food for thought and action.
I need to step it up a notch or two.
Thanks again.
Brad - Great new profile pic!!! Oh, yes, and useful info (lol). I have opened all of your other posts and am going to go through them one by one now!
As always i enjoy the posts and great tips and advice you have for us .
Thanks,
Patricia
Brad, very doog information. Is the IDX for AR different than the one that I have set up for my MLS? I have a contract with my current MLS that runs through next January.
Brad,
Thanks for all your help. I've been a rainmaker for just over a month and am amazed at the tips I've learned to better present my listings to everyone. With placement being so important every tip makes a difference.
Brad-
This is great info. I'm new to active rain, and and trying to figure out how to "make it all come together". This post really helped. Thanks.
Thanks Brad! I have to print this and keep it handy.
This was helpful as always, Brad. I think the major challenge for me is actually making sure that my IDX landing pages do exactly what you say they should. How would we go about ensuring that (or did I miss those instructions)?
LOL Blog-N-Roll Brad...
I just typed up a word doc for my our Son. This explains it all way better than I ever could :)
I guess that's why you make the big bucks :)
P.S. Check your email. I'm your problem child. Again :)
TLW...ROAR!
Thanks for the info, Brad. You always have great pointers to share!
Brad,
Great post and a whole heck of a lot of information.
It's going to take me a while to digest it all.
Thanks for the option to download and print. Handy!
:)
Brad - This is a great post, but I gotta tell ya, I didn't recognize you in the new pic! Wow! Looks awesome! I just love it!
William - the best way to see that your Hit Router landing pages are going to the appropriate locations is to create the home search yourself on your IDX site, when you're on the desired page, copy the URL link into your Hit Router. You can then test the links right from your Hit Router or Campaign setup screen.
Click on the links to make sure they go to the the correct landing pages that show all the homes for sale in that (searched) area.
Brad, my ultimate intention in reading and writing on Active Rain for an hour a day is to keep me off the streets for a safer society LOL.
Gary - LOL~ Sorry I missed that one in this "Cycle for Success!" I forgot we have members here just for therapy! ROFLMAO... :-))
Great post Brad. Did you make the graphic and everything? This must be a full-time job!
The Cycle for Success - rinse, wash, repeat - great graphic and great tips. Thank you so much. I know it's easier said than done. Need to check out the hit router and some other nifty gadgets available on AR.
Great advice, something for me to bookmark and refer to from time to time. Thanks!
Thanks Brad! Loved this! This question just came up with a Realtor friend of mine and I was trying to give him some tips. Funny huh?! Me! Giving him tips about blogging! I'm so new at this myself! LOL! This just fell at the perfect time! Thanks Brad! Btw, love the new pic! ~Nyssa
I wondered what you meant with "cycle" . . . now after seeing the detail chart, I get it. Thought it had to do with seasonal cycles . . . d'oh
Everytime I read your posts I feel like I'm missing so many things. One step at a time I suppose. Another great informative post.
Brad,
Awesome info as always. I'm still working on the IDX thingy. Not sure what I'm supposed to do. On my website I had my company's MLS page (w/my name of course) framed for search....was spending about 25 bucks each month in HitRouter but not sure what happened w/it. Obviously I still do not know what the H*E*DoubleHockeySticks I am doing. Help!
Coleen - I can help you with that. Unfortunately, framed IDX sites won't allow you to pull up specific landing pages for detailed searches, but I may have some other options or solutions that will work. I am headed to New York for the MLSTechFair, but will try and call you from the road. No worries, we'll get you out of the "DoubleHockeySticks!" :-)
Brad - You've got some really valid points. You need to make it simple for people to find the information you are looking for. Right now, the IDX I have does not allow you to provide a direct landing page to a specific search. You said it, ouch is right!
Hell...
There I said it. I'll pick up the sticks when you drop them :)
Disclosure: This comment was typed for the points :)
TLW...ROAR!
Thanks for ALL the comments everyone, your "RainLove" is my IV today, thanks!! :-)
Michael - nice to hear from you. I made the graphic with Gliffy. It took longer than the post to create. lol~
Troy - yes. Ouch. You might want to look into AR's new Diverse Solutions and see if their IDX is available in your area.
TLW - please pick up my sticks, I have been so swamped today, no time for comments today, but I'm trying... :-(
I am trying to prepare and pack for New York first thing in the morning, then off to Silicon Valley, and then Seattle RainCamp. Heavy travel schedule these next 8 days, but really looking forward to each event in each city. Hopefully I'll get to see many of you in person this next week. I'll be checking in via the iPhone so you won't even notice I'm gone.
Brad - Excellent information! Thanks for the tips. Bookmarked it for future reference. BTW, I'm going to see you at the MLS Tech Fair. I'm registered for the day. I'll be there at all your 3 events. You are not wearing your new cowboy hat, are you? Hope not. This is New York.
Your blogs are always so useful! Thanks
Hi Brad,
This all sounds great but how do we set it up? I'm about as technical as a 4lb sledge hammer!
Rosalinda - looking forward to seeing you in the Big City!
Thanks Linda
France and Mark - there are links in the above post that will walk you through it, but if you need help, you can call me anytime and I'll assist you. It's not as hard as you may think. Remember, if you're a sledge hammer, then every challenge is just a nail! :-)
Brad, I have no idea where you find the time to write such concise but thourough post! All the tools you need are here on AR, just DO IT and be consistant... still having a hard time with that "consistant" part! lol :)
The Difference between Hit Router "My Markets" and Click Campaigns (I just got 2 emails asking about this)
One thing to understand is the difference between the two areas available using your Hit Router. The Local Markets or "My Markets" area is Free. The Campaigns are paid for based on clicks. Here's a simple scenario:
1. If a consumer searches a home while on your Blog, Post, or Profile, they will be linked to your local IDX page for whatever Local Market cities you have claimed and setup. This means every post you have written has the potential of driving you a lead and a potential customer.
2. If you have a Click Campaign setup, this means if they do a search on ANY of the 1.3 million pages on AR, you have the chance to convert a home searcher into a lead if they type in any of the cities you have set up. This works on any members Blog or post.
You can see why having the proper landing page for your IDX is important whether you are using the FREE local markets or the Click Campaigns. If you look at the link in this post that shows all the cities that were searched, do the math, it makes more sense to have a click campaign setup so that no matter what page they are looking at on AR, if they do a home search, they'll land on your IDX.
Ok.....I will try and figure this out this week. Thanks for more information overload!
Good Grief, Brad! I just can't keep up with you! Can you slow it down just a bit?! As always, thank you for the wonderful advice and it looks like I have a couple of things to add to my laundry list!
Have a wonderful Wednesday and enjoy Seattle's Bar Camp! (I'm still upset you couldn't come to Charlotte this year--maybe next?!)
This is great information, and I'm especially excited because I'm trying to explain a lot of this to my husband, and here it easily laid out for me to present to him. And, I love the ability to download it to pdf.
Christine - I hope this helps it all make cents sense to your husband. :-)
AWESOME ADVICE...SOCIAL NETWORKING IS SO BIG THESE DAYS....IT CAN GET CONFUSING
I can't believe I almost missed this Post. Excellent!
Hello Brad,
Excellent post! Thank you so much for all the great tips! I have so much to learn & your posts are making it easier for me. Thank you so much for you help! I need to get educated on Hit Router. Seems like a pay-per-click - is it? Again, thanks for you terrific post!
Rita
Hi Rita - Hit router has two segments. One is the FREE Local markets which allows you to setup unlimited areas and link to your IDX for specified searches. The other segment is a paid campaign that lets you bid for clicks on ANY property search done on ANY ActiveRain page. The FREE local market searches only apply to your page, profile, blog, or posts while the CPC campaigns work on ANY of the 1.3 million pages on AR. Here are a couple posts I put together explaining them both:
http://activerain.com/blogsview/759371/Listing-Router-How-To-Setup-Save-Your-Own-Traffic
http://activerain.com/blogsview/759375/Listing-Router-How-To-Set-Up-Your-Own-Click-Campaign
I hope this helps, let me know if you have any other questions, I'd be happy to help you out if you need. :-)
Hello Brad,
Thank you for your help and the additional links! This is great! Again, thank you.
Rita
Over the past seven months that I've been part of the Rain, I think I'd be clueless and would have given up without your amazing direction. You put your heart and soul into what you do/write, and it is greatly appreciated.
BTW, discontinued my hit router campaign until I got IDX of my own - was tired of paying to send people to my Broker's site. So, I'm almost there - added IDX to my personal site and almost have it completed!
THANK YOU!
Hi Lori - thanks for your comment. Just let me know if there's anything I can ever do to help. My passion is definitely into AR and my work here, but my heart is into the members most of all. Happy Holidays!! :-)
Brad, would you be my personal coach?! :o) Thanks for the direction and counsel. I'm starting to get my feet wet.
Joe - happy to be your personal coach. First step will be to get you some water tight shoes. :-o)
Wow Brad - I've been away from AR for way too long. I'm gonna go through and read every one of our excellent posts. I know we can get our blogging on track - we had sorta given up - however, after reading your post above and the excellent discussion, I can see that doesn't make sense. Keep em coming!
I'm not new to activerain...but I'm new to using the blog. Unfortunately, I'm finding it very difficult to find answer to things or find out how to contact ActiveRain for question, so I thought I'd try to post here and hope that I hear back.
I would like to upgrade to RainMaker status, but when I try to make the purchase; A) I thought it was only $29.00 for those who have had accounts for a while, and B) I'm Canadian and it won't allow me to type a Postal Code.
Can you help me with this? Thank you so much for your time. I think this is a great resource but am still trying to find my way around. I appreciate any help you can offer.
~ Amanda
It seems that blogging nowadays is The way to get clients to notice your property. I remember when all we had was a sign in the yard, word of mouth, and ads in the paper. Now, you can't just let your old methods die when this one gets taken up. Make sure that blogging is just added to what you already do. But this is very informative and great for those who have been in the business awhile to re-read over time and learn new small tricks they didn't catch the first time around.