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Making the connection: The objective of real estate weblogging is visceral and viral, not rape and run
July 28, 2007
This will have to be brief, because I’m crushed for time, but we’re promoting Real Estate Weblogging 101 at the StarPower Conference this morning, so it’s a topical topic.
The premise: The commercial value of real estate weblogging comes from making a visceral connection with future clients, ideally leading to viral results, not spam-trolling for short-term leads. In other words, where keyword-packed tapioca content may score well for now on search engines, and may bring in filled-out web forms, it will not create the kinds of enduring connections that result in repeat and referral business for generations. Certainly none of the people brought in by search engines will become loyal readers or subscribers to the weblog: There’s no there there. Even worse, spamvertising in weblogs surely repels at least as many people as it seems to attract, and the people repelled are very probably the ones most likely to yield significant viral results over the years. You’re not only not building bridges, you’re blasting the bridgeheads.
There’s more: What happens when Google changes the rules? When a vendor crows, “Ha, Ha! We tricked Google!” the demise of that particular trick is foreseeable. When Google discovers that favoritism towards weblogs is bringing spam to the top of its results, it will change the way it weights weblogs. Locally-focused webloggers like Jay Thompson, who have made the effort to build a following, will chug on unabated. Keyword-packing spamvertising weblogs will dry up and blow away.
This morning’s post from Jay is good example of how to do this job: The keywords are there, but they’re there because the post wouldn’t makes sense without them. Jay is providing real value to his readership, practical, relevant advice. Even so, the post should search very well. But here’s the interesting part: Even though Jay is writing about the news of the day, if someone should happen upon this post by search a year or two from now, it will still be serving the visceral, viral function: Jay Thompson cares about his clients, and he is working to provide meaningful benefit to them with his weblog. That’s a very powerful long-term sales message — because it’s not a sales message at all.
Here is a hierarchy of objectives you can pursue with a true weblog, as opposed to a hand-crafted keyword-packed splog:
- Readers who like what you have to say
- Enough to return to read future posts
- Enough to subscribe by email or RSS feed
- Enough to promote your weblog to their friends or associates
- Enough to use you for a real estate transaction
- Enough to commit to you for their future transactions
- Enough to refer you to family and friends
- Enough to refer you to strangers
- Enough to actively campaign for you with anyone who has a real estate need
The last is a true sneezer, the holy grail of viral marketing. You may never get that far up the hierarchy, but you will never get anywhere if you are deliberately saying nothing that anyone could like enough to return to your weblog.
The funny part is, the search results will come either way, for now at least, as will the often-flightly leads attracted by search results. But if you build a weblog that makes a visceral connection with you readers, leading in time to viral marketing results, you will put yourself beyond competition. Bad advice abounds, and the worst advice seems to cost thousands of dollars, but this is the true purpose of a commercial weblog. If you make the effort to connect with your readers, rather than trying to fool them, you will engender and sustain a warm network of people who will use you and only you for all of their real estate needs, now and forever.
And if some of those people should become true sneezers, here’s what you should say: “God bless you!”
Technorati Tags: blogging, real estate, real estate marketing
Topics: Weblogging 101 |
September 14th, 2007 at 12:06 pm
Absolutely perfect. I’d like to add that originality, good or bad also counts a whole lot. Simply repasting material copied from elsewhere may also help you in the short run by building up your site, but eventually readers will begin to recognize those posts and stop coming back. Why get second hand news when you can read it from the source?
September 15th, 2007 at 8:33 am
I am with you on the spaming, but I don’t think that a personal blog HAS to be about just real estate. I think that if you are having fun on the blog and you happen to be making a little extra cash, you will be consistent posting new stuff, and people get a better feel on weather they want to work with you to find a home. I don’t know, maybe I’m missing your point. BTW I read Jay’s blog all the time, he does a good job.
September 15th, 2007 at 8:40 am
I have a question. Would it be better to have a blog site as your home page so that the first thing that people see is your blog with a link to your listings or is it better to have them see your listings first with a link to your blog. I am deciding on how to build a better site and I just wonder if it would be good for people to get to know you before they start looking at what you are selling.
September 27th, 2007 at 9:38 pm
Yes readers are always looking for an unique voice.
October 14th, 2007 at 12:38 pm
This is a must read for newbies. This part in particular:
“…value of real estate weblogging comes from making a visceral connection with future clients, ideally leading to viral results…”
October 31st, 2007 at 6:20 pm
I particularly found the hierarchy of objectives the must helpful. Great article.
November 13th, 2007 at 12:19 pm
I am becoming of the opinion that the importance of blogging in real estate is indeed to drive traffic to my site to acquire prospective clientelle, but with whom I will individually maintain relationships through care and personal contact, rather than the distance of blogging.
January 30th, 2008 at 8:31 am
Well Said, There are way to many bloggers who seem to be posting things just to get a few links here and there.
February 11th, 2008 at 6:29 pm
One of the items that you did not mention in the hierarchy is timely of the information being posted. Is there a reason why this was left off the list?
February 12th, 2008 at 7:37 pm
Really?
The majority of the visitors to my blog come via search engines looking for specific info. Not only are they reading, but commenting, then emailing or picking up the phone. Picked up 2 seller clients this week from the blog posts and one buyer.
I just finished showing a dozen homes in the $1.5 to $2 mil range for one client, and just emailed an offer for another. Both came via search engines.
April 28th, 2008 at 4:34 pm
Hey Greg, Are you still updating this blog. I have not seen any new posts for a long time now.
Jim
May 27th, 2008 at 3:00 pm
This is a great post…this blog does seem a little dead now.
May 30th, 2008 at 1:05 pm
You definitely speak the truth although it is nice to find that happy medium of keyword rich content and meaningful posts that will connect with the readers.
June 1st, 2008 at 6:54 pm
Blogging is real hit and miss when it comes to stuff worth reading. This is one of the hits, very informative with intelligent bloggers commenting.
July 12th, 2008 at 5:14 pm
I think this blog is fundamental and makes many great points Thank you!
July 16th, 2008 at 7:14 am
We started blogging a few months ago on our websites. The information is for consumers that relates to the real estate where we live, work and play.
July 16th, 2008 at 9:23 am
I see blogging being very beneficial to marketing my business. I also see alot of bloggers going one step further with Twitter.
July 21st, 2008 at 10:40 pm
It’s all about helping others, building value, and the viral marketing that comes from it.
July 24th, 2008 at 5:47 am
Those are some really good points - you are right, you might be able to trick google today, but it won’t bring long term customers. Networking helps in the online world just as much
July 31st, 2008 at 5:49 am
Everyone always complains about not having something to write about and then they go out and have 5 good real estate conversations that would make great blog posts… Potential customers won’t be lured by stats or look at this listing type of posts. They want valuable information that will help them figure out what and where to buy.
August 5th, 2008 at 2:46 pm
This is a great post…this blog does seem a little dead now.
August 5th, 2008 at 7:05 pm
You are right - a blog is about good content and reaching the right people. Thanks for the good example of a real estate blog.
August 20th, 2008 at 1:44 pm
Nice testaments! I totally agree that original and good content really matters. It will let your readers coming back again and again.
August 25th, 2008 at 11:23 am
Great article, and Jay is definitely a true example of a dominant real estate blogger. He’s totally gotten the concept down cold, and is an inspiration for the rest of the up-and-comers.
August 25th, 2008 at 4:22 pm
High production values are important. If you post interesting and valid content your visitors will be impressed. If you post rubbish…well what do you expect?
August 26th, 2008 at 1:32 pm
I do get disappointed in sites that are obviously using tricks and irrelevant links and ranking ahead of us. Hopefully, Google will catch on to them eventually. Please tell me they will.
August 29th, 2008 at 1:24 pm
Great post. I’ve been following it for a while, but it’s been quiet lately.
Website Bucks County Real Estate
August 31st, 2008 at 11:51 am
I don’t agree entirely.
Getting contact forms filled out is critical. You get repeat and referral business if you provide those people with good service. Client referrals come from past clients; they don’t come from blog readers who refer people to your url.
September 9th, 2008 at 1:24 am
I agree with you on most of the points you have posted especially the objectives list.
Ismail
September 10th, 2008 at 11:49 am
Austin is a tech city and agents here seem to be very intune with the blogs and other SEO techniques. I wonder how Real Estate agents that are not tech savy could ever make it here. It seems like blogs are the new hotness in the market these days.
September 16th, 2008 at 4:22 am
[...] on my case for that simple statement, let me point out that I also believe in social networking, communication, thought leadership, and all of the other reasons for establishing an online [...]
September 17th, 2008 at 10:35 am
It seems to me that you blog (on your site) about things that brought people to your site to begin with…if they come looking for Real Estate they want to read blogs about real estate..my company is pushing for us to blog about subdivisions and to stay away from other matters. (except golf of course..golf is always important no matter the site)…
September 17th, 2008 at 5:20 pm
Well said. I think many people use a blog merely for SEO purposes, and write just for the robots — while others use it to make a hard sell and push their business. Both are big mistakes. Readers will not come back or pursue a business relationship with you if they get the feeling that you just want their money. You need to provide them tips, resources, news, and valuable information that will help them learn to trust you as a reliable source of industry information. That is the key to building readership and gradually gain business leads.
September 23rd, 2008 at 12:39 pm
It is a balancing act. We write articles on our real estate blog to be found in the search engines by a targeted group of people who may be looking for the information we have to provide.
Once they have found us, we try to make sure our content is a good representation of the type of service and expertise that our clients can expect if they do business with us.
Either way, our main objective is to move that relationship off line.
October 3rd, 2008 at 11:37 am
I agree will everything you said. When I started off it was all about SEO. But I have realized that it’s better to write something very good and get the return customers.
October 3rd, 2008 at 2:25 pm
Good post… wish you were still posting. If you take this blog back up it would be nice to figure out how to get your good content noticed? Each month I publish new content on my site but getting it noticed has been so hard. The ocassional visitor comes but I just find it difficult. Do you really need to make it to the top before someone really takes an interest?
October 19th, 2008 at 7:47 am
Ya, if you try to use any black hat way, your site will get blocked by google very soon.
So is better do a white hat guy.
http://mideastproperty.blogspot.com
October 21st, 2008 at 1:53 am
This post is only too true! Most people have short-term marketing strategies and just attempt to get listed under a competitive keyword, but do nothing to build up their clientele base. I couldn’t agree more with you.
October 23rd, 2008 at 9:51 pm
Only due to such reasons, it is said - Content is the king. If you can’t post original content then its better to stop blogging.
well done!
I really appreciate your efforts to make this point clear
October 28th, 2008 at 8:30 pm
I find that it helps to really pretend that it doesn’t matter if anyone is reading my blog or not-I write about things that have helped me in my real estate business in South Florida and just pass on the info I feel will help others while letting me grow as a realtor. It did seem that when I stopped worrying about keywords and such, and just wrote about what I thought would be important to buyers, sellers and other real esate agents, readers found me.
November 7th, 2008 at 6:52 am
It has been said that you should build your website for “humans” and not for search engines. Real estate blogs are no different. This means keeping your human visitors in mind and giving them something of value from your blog and they will keep returning, and what’s more, they may spread the news about how great your site is.
November 12th, 2008 at 4:18 pm
I would have to agree wholeheartedly with your post-while getting keywords out there is a great tool for an immediate boost in search engines, the ultimate test of time is to build loyalty with your readers by simply being you and sharing your knowledge for the betterment of all-you’ll gain respect and the appeal of your readers by simply “being real”
November 14th, 2008 at 2:57 pm
Blogging is a really important part of my networking. Since most of my business comes from the internet, I get a good many leads from my blogging. It is almost like I am walking door to door instead I am just typing.
November 30th, 2008 at 6:34 pm
Loyalty is very important when it comes to real estate. People need to trust you enough to allow you to help them make the toughest decision they have probably ever made. Being able to build this trust starts online many times and works itself into a face to face relationship.
December 15th, 2008 at 9:20 pm
As I’ve heard before: ‘content is king’. Keep cranking out worthwhile content and the readers will (eventually) come.
December 16th, 2008 at 5:51 pm
I agree with JCl. This is a great blog.
December 27th, 2008 at 5:58 pm
I am happy to see this type of blog be put up. I am glad to here it reinforced that I should try to write excellent long enduring content. As it is often difficult to hold to your guns when you see yourself out ranked by splogs.