Content Marketing is one of the most important marketing tools anyone can utilize and make the most of. It encompasses written content, infographics, videos and everything that would provide users with pertinent information with regards to the product or service on offer.
But why would a property agent bother with content marketing to promote their business? What use is content marketing to them? How can it be adopted into the frame of property dealings?
To put it simply, content marketing helps bridge the gap between the producers and users by sharing information. In so doing, trust is built between the two parties; it also portrays the business as an expert in the industry with top notch knowledge and recent developments within the industry. When a business uses content marketing as a tool in their marketing scheme, they constantly have something to share and stay relevant continuously – it also helps traffic be diverted to their site.
Read on to learn how content marketing can be tailored to suit a real estate agent particularly.
Creating Compelling Content Consistently
High quality content makes for a compelling marketing tool, which enlightens and impresses the client. The key to creating compelling content is consistency, as this helps build trust and shows the knowledge pool the realtor has. If the content is inconsistent in quality, the client would not trust the realtor and probably be put off from him/her. The realtor would automatically lose his/her audience and potential clients.
This is why the content needs to be consistent in quality and should be compelling enough to lure the client in and make it possible for the realtor to close the client with ease.
Apart from consistency, the content needs also be clear and concise, so that it is not difficult for the client to understand what’s being portrayed. By a simple scan the reader should understand the gist of the article or whatever information that is being put forward.
Marketing tools always need to be compelling, that is whatever content that is being shared, has to be interesting and informative, without being too long. That is why realtors can make use of videos and infographics, to reduce the size. This is because the realtor would not want his audience to lose interest in what s/he has to impart.
Therefore, creating compelling content consistently, makes for the most important aspect of content marketing and should be imparted wisely and strategically.
Importance of creating content that is different
Due to the high rate of accessibility, clients now have a much larger choice than before. Good content is available everywhere to stand out, however, content needs to be great. This helps create a buzz and generates more interest and translates into more traffic. More traffic in turn translates into higher closing rates for these realtors.
No longer do potential clients have a dearth of information and/or choice when looking around for able real estate agents. Everything is now a click away and making yourself known is what the need of the hour is. Which is why great content makes a huge difference in helping out realtors from making themselves known among the huge pool. You have to make yourself interesting so that potential clients choose you over all the rest.
Sharing Content across Social Media Platforms
Social media platforms have now helped marketers with an easy, accessible and inexpensive means of marketing a product or service. It has low barriers to entry and even small sized businesses can make full use of these platforms, and give tough competition to their bigger competitors. Social media helps level the playing ground for all players in the business arena. It does not discriminate, making for a very handy tool for each and every business, no matter the size or nature of the business.
Create Awareness
New people are exposed to your business and this helps generate market penetration. Awareness is important because this would help boost your business ranking in the real estate arena. Creating awareness is the first step in building a relationship with your potential clients. After that closing the deal becomes easier.
Engage with audience to build trust
Many years ago, when internet was not as accessible as today, realtors would only be chosen on the basis of word of mouth within immediate family and friends’ circles. There was no chance of breaking away from the conventional method of getting connected with one. There was a whole host of other realtors out there in the world who did not have access to their audience and the customers had no access to any other realtor, apart from the one they were connected to.
With the advent of the internet, each and every industry was revolutionized in the most profound way. In the real estate world realtors now had a chance to gain attention of a larger chunk of the market and increase their market penetration and share.
The audience was able to gauge industry knowledge of these realtors by a simple click on their website/social media links. This way, the audience learnt about what the realtors offered and how much they knew about what was available and for how much.
By engaging the clients, realtors were able to show off their knowledge and skills thereby building trust holistically. On the other hand, clients had more choice and could “shop” around without having to visit each and every single realtor to learn more.
Social media and content marketing has boosted accessibility many fold and has helped bridge the gap between real estate agents and clients by providing a platform to share information.
Types of Content
Writing
The most available content is writing. Be it articles, web content or any other written content, writing is available all over.
Know what to write and for whom to write. Without having a clear vision the content can meander all over the place. This would prove to be disastrous as that would be an instant interest diffuser and you would lose your client right there and then.
Infographics
Infographics is more interesting and makes for concise content. A lot of writing can be condensed into a single infographic, containing all information in a single drawing.
Beautiful photos of interiors and properties would grab the interest of potential clients. Showing what you have on offer is an attention grabber which would help clients routed to your storefront rather than your competitor. Make sure your pictures show the full potential of each of the property on offer and highlight the best features.
Videos
Short videos make for a very compelling marketing tool. This is because it is easier for people to watch a short video than read an article which can be quite long and time consuming to read through. A single video can provide more information in a shorter period of time, than the same being read in an article or website.
Tours of properties, interview of sellers or even realtors, with pertinent information sharing, can prove to be something quite worthwhile and translate to higher closings.
Whatever content you choose to share, be it one or a mix of all three, it should always be relevant and show the best side of your business as well as the properties on offer.
Marketing a descript or rundown property would be a waste of resources, however, staging the property properly coupled with strong content marketing, can make the least impressive properties look so much better.
Learn what your readers want
It is best to take into consideration what your readers want to read. Allow them to comment and give feedback so that you may have a guideline to follow. If you take into account what your readers want they would be more willing to click on your content compared to your competitors.
You can also check how many clicks you have on your content. This would help you check how successful your content marketing was. The more the clicks, the higher the success rate.
Navigating the Content Marketing arena
There are several dos and don’ts of content marketing plans. Going on without a proper plan, your content marketing can end up being a hodge podge of articles and videos clustered together without a proper guideline.
Something to keep in mind
- Make sure to have all previous articles and videos on archive so that it is not lost in the pool of other content that keeps coming on
- Categorize your work under different tags so that users can be routed to specific groups and not be lost under numerous headings. By categorizing one group would have similar features and be stuck together.
- Entice users to come back by allowing them to subscribe to your newsletters or blogposts etc. This way they would be able to always be abreast with whatever you share.
- Use your content as a platform to highlight promotions you are offering your clients.
- It is also important to note, that you should not advertise for other businesses beyond a certain point. Some advertise sharing is helpful, as those businesses in turn can market your business. However, overdoing it is not advisable.
Schedule your content marketing strategy properly
Scheduling is most important to make your content relevant and consistent. Without a proper schedule your content would seem lost and without a proper direction.
Create professional content with enough research to make your content viable. It should be done so with seriousness and diligence and not as a mere hobby.
Post new content at least two times a month. This way, there is fresh content to look forward to, without overdoing it. Over information is also not a good marketing strategy. There should be enough to whet the client’s appetite without them losing interest in what you want to tell them.
Make sure you do not deviate from your schedule and are consistent in posting on time. Without a proper timeline you would confuse your readers and lose them soon enough. Once you lose your reader, it is hard to lure them back in.
There are certain timings when people access the net. Determining that time and posting content right then, would be hitting the iron when it is hot. Posting when the time is right, would be extremely helpful and prove to be profitable eventually. Timing should be right.
Make sure you track your postings properly. Repetition or inconsistency would not be fruitful. Make use of tools that help you collate relevant content and thus, you would be able to post with ease. If you have a stash of ideas or content ready at your disposal, then you would have a choice to strategically post continuously. It would also be easy to see where the market is going and you would know when to post what.
Get Started
It is simple to get started with your own content marketing plan. There is no reason to be reluctant to start immediately. Making use of this tool helps with boosting and promoting your business, without a lot of cost attached to it. With a lower barrier to entry, your business can be advertised more comprehensively.
In Conclusion
Consistency, strategy, scheduling are all key aspects in making an effective content marketing plan. More clicks would eventually be more conversions and more conversions mean more business and more money.
Marketing tactics are supposed to be extremely reliable and effective to make for a strategic marketing plan and content writing makes for one of the most compelling aspects of any marketing plan.
With so many clear benefits to using content marketing as a foremost tool to promote business, there is really no reason for you not to adopt it right away. These tips would help you start your content marketing with ease.
So get started today!
