Blog Series, Part 5: Get Blogging!

What will make you stand out and distinguish yourself as an active player in the online world of real estate? The website is nice yes, but enriching it with more content that is interesting and relevant to your clients will set yourself apart. Consider starting a blog on your website which will establish a strong tie to your clients in a personal way, but also give them some extra info and spare them some research.  It also establishes yourself as an expert in your job if you are able to dole out some much appreciated advice. A blog is obviously not essential, but if you have the time it’s a nice addition to enriching your public image.Should you be the busiest bee in the industry and truly have no time to scroll down a few notes once in a while and post them online, look into getting syndicated content from other blogs and arrange a “blog-collage.” A mish-mash of your favourite article and blog posts from other writers shows that even though you’re not necessarily writing, you are definitely reading and keeping up with the latest. It also takes care of the issue of providing your clients with some advice or information, even though it didn’t necessarily come from your mouth (or fingertips?). Now don’t take what we said here and go copy/paste some content from the web onto your website and call it a day. If you’re really that busy you don’t need a copyright infringement lawsuit on your hands.  Skipping out on the whole ‘giving them credit’ thing and passing it off as your own can get you into a sticky situation with the writer. That being said, if you know the proper protocol on how to use syndicated content, then it is a great option that doesn’t suck up a lot of time, but still has a great affect.Here’s a good idea how to get started with this: Call your blog something that makes it obvious that you are not coming up with your own content: Something like “What I’m Reading Right Now,” “Useful Real Estate Blogs,” or “Blogs I Love.” Write a little teaser for a post you found useful and make comments on how you love the funny writing style, how the information has applied to your career or life in one way or another or even quote your favourite line. Share the author’s name, the name of the blog/website you saw it on, then link to the post. It’s quite simple and you might be surprised at the people who read your blog. Readers or clients who share your interests will likely come back to find a collection of writing that they are interested in reading. For more information on content writing and marketing click here. photo courtesy of http://photography.mojado.com/archives/2005/02/07/80s_typewriter.php