Should Realtors be Content Strategist? | Dotloop

Should Realtors be Content Strategists in the Digital Age?

dotloop

dotloop

September 25, 2017 | comments

As a real estate professional, you already play dozens of roles to manage your business. But one of the most important roles you might be missing is “content strategist.”

The future of real estate belongs to creative thinkers with the technical know-how to harness basic digital marketing fundamentals. And though this might make success sound difficult, you can gain a huge advantage by developing simple resources that will be helpful for your clients and positioning yourself as a necessary and valuable resource during the home buying or selling process.

 

What is content strategy?

 
Although “content marketing” and “content strategy” are often used interchangeably, there is a marked difference between the two. According to the Content Marketing Institute, content marketing is used “to build an audience and to achieve at least one of these profitable results: increased revenue, lower costs, or better customers.” Content strategy, however, goes beyond that to help businesses manage all of their content.

In other words, content strategy is the “how” and “why” behind your content: the thinking behind who the content is for, what content gets created, and how it’s managed. In contrast, content marketing is the “what”: the tactical execution of writing and editing for marketing purposes.

Content is so much more powerful than just filling space on your website. Real estate agents can use strategic content to build trust and rapport with clients, attract new prospects, and build their reputation.

 

Develop your online presence

 
It’s no surprise that after spending several months getting advice on and exploring potential future homes, clients often develop close relationships with their agent. Good personality matches play a key role in creating some of the most successful relationships between agents and clients.

When a prospective client is searching for an expert to help them find their next home, they’ll want to get a feel for who you are, what value you can provide, and how you operate as an agent. By developing your online presence, you can differentiate yourself and showcase personal traits through social media platforms and video. Hearing your voice and seeing your demeanor will set you apart in an online search.

However, creating great content isn’t helpful unless you make it easily available. One way to increase traffic to your content is through referral sources like Google. Consider the keywords that might be used to search for an agent, then incorporate those keywords into your content. It’s not as intimidating as it sounds, and there are many guides available online to help improve your SEO strategies. We recommend following these seven strategies.

 

Utilize different channels

 
When developing content, it’s most important to identify the best mediums to reach your desired target audience. Blog posts, lists, and testimonials are fairly simple and powerful ways to share your unique real estate insight and expand your reach as an agent. If done strategically, these varied mediums will showcase the extent of your expertise.

For example, if a prospective client comes to your website for more information on your offerings, they might be interested in reading a blog post such as “My Top 5 Pieces of Advice For First-Time Home Buyers” or “3 Successful Best Practices for Real Estate Investment.” In 500 words, your expertise could win over a client.

Likewise, testimonials offer prospective clients an inside view of your strengths, an understanding of what you bring to the table and why you’re the perfect agent for them. Testimonials humanize you and help build credibility.

And that’s just the beginning!

 

Measuring a successful strategy

 
In the end, content is another component of your overall ‘brand’ and can complement the foundation of your marketing efforts. As you’re crafting content and releasing it into the world, make sure to measure and track your progress to determine whether your current strategy is successful.

One way to test the effectiveness of your content strategy is to ask for client feedback directly. Whether you incorporate feedback into a client survey after a deal is closed, or ask in person during your initial meeting, be sure to find out what resources they might have explored that helped them choose you. If they are willing to offer specifics, even better. You’ll quickly learn what they want in a real estate agent and what expertise is most valuable to them.