How to Use Content Marketing in Real Estate

You've built a great website and have an impressive email database, and you've even built a decent following for your brand by following tips you've read in real estate marketing guides. Now you want to know what content you need to keep you at the front of the pack. Related: Real estate branding—a comprehensive guide First, while it's true Google likes fresh content, mediocre fresh content will not help you. Prospective clients look for informative, valuable or entertaining content that prioritizes high-quality visual design. If you're searching for ways to do that, here are our tips on how to post great real estate content for your audience. Why content marketing in real estate? Content marketing is a valuable tool for building up brand awareness and driving leads. Blog posts optimized to show up in search engines can drive organic traffic to your website saving you from paying for ads and media buys month after month. Building up a presence on social media as a skilled real estate agent can help drive referrals and help potential clients to think of you the next time they are considering buying or selling a home. Generating real estate content marketing ideas In content marketing quality is better than quantity. Agents will see a much higher return on investment by focusing on generating content that potential business leads will be interested in. Before sitting down and coming up with a list of ideas, think about what your overall content strategy will be. How will potential business leads find your content? Some common channels include: Search engine optimization (SEO) Social media Communities such as Facebook groups Content co-creation By selecting one or two channels to focus on you will be better able to come up with content ideas that will perform well. If you are focusing on SEO, use keyword research tools such as SpyFu, Ahrefs or the Google Ads planner to identify topics people search for that are relevant to your industry. If you’re focusing on social media, communities or co-creation, get to know what members frequently discuss and brainstorm content you can create that will be relevant and useful to that audience. Hire a good writer We've all been drawn to some click-baity content at some point, often because we're drawn in by an enticing headline. By now, however, most of us realize that anything that claims to be jaw-dropping (like "You won't believe what happened to this third grader when he opened his lunch") isn't actually worth clicking. Your real estate clients want content with more substance—information that relates directly to the industry—and to get that, you need to find a good copywriter. You might already have a talented writer on staff who knows how to write good articles about rent rates, homeownership and mortgage financing. Otherwise, you can reach out to a PR firm or real estate marketing agency that specializes in content. What should you publish? Whether you're marketing an apartment unit in Chicago, Illinois, or a New York City micro-apartment, the place to start is with website copy, blogs and newsletters. If your website has been around for a few years, make sure it's up-to-date and that the copy is fresh. Publish a blog post at least once a week, and make it better than all the regurgitated content out there. Newsletters can help you spread the word, and there are still many real estate pros who send newsletters by snail mail. For a look at a few shining examples in the real estate industry, check out this list of the top real estate blogs. Once you’ve mastered the basics, remember content marketing is more than just blogging. Visual content such as infographics, photos and videos perform well on social media and can better communicate ideas that are difficult to describe. Repurposing a blog post into an infographic or video is also a great way to spruce up your email marketing and send engaging content to readers who don’t have time to read an entire blog post. Long-form content such as ebooks or webinars are also effective lead generation tools. Provide a guide to buying your first home or investing in a rental property and ask for a name and email to access it. Then place your new contacts in an email campaign and nurture those leads into your next client. What should you say? Your website should clearly and cleverly explain who you are and what you do. Blogs can cover a variety of subjects that your clients are interested in, like: Saving energy Lawn care tips Home winterization Interest rate trends Financing pitfalls Your newsletters should be more specific, covering: New listings Market trends Financing trends Economic projections Recent sales Each month, you can highlight a relevant, timely subject like: Summer pest control Preventative HVAC maintenance Cleaning out the gutters Lawnmower winterization Remember: You're the expert A client who's trusting a real estate agent to sell their home or purchase a new one will feel far more comfortable if you can show you know the neighborhood inside and out. That's why your content should cover local interests like reviews of new restaurants, lists of local daycare centers, and articles about any subject that make it clear you thoroughly understand the community. Expert guides are a great way to establish credibility. Try researching and writing about things like: How to finance your first home Cleaning up your credit score What to do after your offer has been accepted Avoiding the bad-faith offer How to market your first property Marketing tools you must use as a real estate agent Key takeaway: Content rules It's a digital world, and content is king. While there's still plenty of room for traditional marketing, most of your content will be published online. Make sure it's timely, well-written, and of course, original. Most of all, your content should be engaging and informative. If you can provide value to your readers, they'll remember you any time they need your services, because you've already established yourself as a professional who they can trust. Learn more about building a strong brand with this free guide to real estate branding.