What is a blog? It is a web log, an online chronicle. Think of it as a diary you post on the Internet. People who can e-mail have the technological ability to host a blog.
Chris Bubny, past Director of Community Development for Blogging Systems, a real estate blog marketing and technology provider and the founder of Web Effectual, shares his thoughts, “The real estate industry as a whole is making the plunge into the Web 2.0 phenomenon. New media marketing tools such as blogs are being used to share information, attract search engines, and demonstrate expertise. 77% of buyers now use the Internet to search for a home. Accordingly, it's imperative for real estate agents to build and maintain a strong Internet presence and blogs provide a uniquely effective way to do just that.”
Bubny continues, “Blogs provide a low-cost, high-results tool for networking, community building, competitive differentiation, marketing, sales, customer relations management, media contacts, and collaboration.”
Sara MacLennan, a Realtor with Coldwell Banker Johnston in Edmonton and a blogger, explains why blogging benefits Realtors, “Blogging works because search engines love blogs - there is no way to optimize a website for search engines as well as a blog. Also, blogs create an ability to connect with potential clients online; it creates community. The online generation is upon us and these consumers do not respond to newspaper ads or bus benches. They especially don't want to be bothered with cold calls or junk mail. This generation prefers to seek you out, to search for you online and learn as much as they can before contacting a real live person. The blog affords us the opportunity to connect with consumers and demonstrate our expertise when they are only thinking about buying or selling a home. It builds up a level of trust.”
MacLennan shares their blogging story, “When we first started we had a few hundred unique visitors to our blog a month. In September 2006 we had over 3,600 unique visitors and 6,000 page views to our blog which is darn good considering we are a four-person operation in a pretty small market. That's on top of more than 20,000 page views our website received in September. In terms of actual business, about 35% of our business comes from the web after one year of online marketing. Our blog is closely tied into our website so it is tough to say what percentage originates directly from the blog, but most of the clients we've worked with say they found us through our blog.”
Why Should You Blog?
There are many upsides to blogging:
- It is a great networking and communication tool.
- It gives you added credibility as an expert in your industry or niche.
- It gives you an advantage over the competition.
- It helps build your brand.
- It is the personal touch that allows you to connect with customers.
- It is a low-cost way to have an online presence.
- It is a creative outlet for yourself (doesn’t hurt the ego either.)
- It is a way to share your knowledge and opinions with interested people.
MacLennan offers another advantage, “A side benefit that I had never thought of is that it forces you to stay on top of your own market. We use an RSS reader to stay on top of what the media, financial institutions, real estate boards, franchises, and anyone else has to say on the topic - that keeps us in tune with what is going on."
Tim Harris, broker/owner of Tradewinds Realty Inc. in Nova Scotia and a blogger, says of his blog, “I wouldn’t say that I can attribute any increase in business to the blog. I try and make my blog informative and make it a magnet for people to want to come to our web site and read my blog and, by the way, we sell real estate. The blog is part of the bigger picture of what we are trying to do in showing real estate in the best possible light and providing information about our market.” As of print time, Tim Harris’ blog is the only real estate web log in Nova Scotia and Harris plans to keep the blog going indefinitely.
Harris feels, “Any Realtor who does not recognize the value of writing a blog is missing a valuable opportunity to connect with potential and existing clients. But it should be used as a tool of information, not just for self-promotion.”
Like all good things, blogging has its downsides. The most common complaint is the time it takes to post blogs. If you are struggling, consider hiring someone to help out.
Many people fill their blogs with their own words and opinions. Be careful you aren’t using someone else’s work on your blog as that is copyright infringement.
How to Have an Effective Blog
Make your blog successful by doing the following:
- Make your blog easy to read.
- Write in your own voice and with passion.
- Post on a regular basis - consistency is key.
- Ask your readers/visitors for feedback.
- Link your blog as much as possible.
How do you start a blog? Chris Bubny explains some options, “There are several providers that offer blogs at no cost or for a nominal fee such as Realtyblogging.com, Blogger.com, Typepad.com, WordPress.com, and LiveJournal.com. Signing up is quick and easy and generally there are a fair amount of customizable features.”
Consider giving blogging a try – you never know where it will take you!
Toby Welch - Toby is a full-time freelance writer who specializes in magazine articles, online writing, e-books, and manuscript editing.
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