Social Media 301…Blogging! Essentials to Creating your Real Estate Blog . Written and Instructed by Patrick Flynn
Social Media 301…Blogging! Essentials to Creating your
Real Estate Blog.
Written and Instructed byPatrick Flynn
BLOG…What's it mean?
Business Building
Lead Generation
Online Marketing
Get Into Relationships
What We Will Cover Today
• Section One
6 Ways Blogging Can Increase Your Real Estate Business.
What We Will Cover Today
• Section Two
10 Essentials to a Strong Blog Post.
What We Will Cover Today
• Section Three
Adding Video & 7 Other HelpfulWays to Get Blogging Everyday.
What We Will Cover Today
• Section Four
5 Places to Syndicate Your Blog &Create Your Own Traffic.
What We Will Cover Today
• Section Five
Finally, the Where, When & WhyTo Blog.
SECTION ONE: 6 Ways Blogging Can Increase Your Real
Estate Business
1. Top of Mind Marketing2. Word of Mouth Marketing3. Permission Marketing4. Return Marketing5. Visual Marketing6. Credibility Marketing
SECTION ONE: 6 Ways Blogging Can Increase Your Real
Estate Business1. Top of Mind Marketing• Allows You to Touch Your Database
Daily!• Allows You to “Pattern Interrupt”
Your Database with Helpful Information.
• Allows You to Create a Brand Awareness with your Database
SECTION ONE: 6 Ways Blogging Can Increase Your Real
Estate Business2. Word of Mouth Marketing• Allows You to Touch Others Outside
Your Database!• Lets Your Database Show and just
not Tell Others About You.• Allows You to Create and expand
your Referral Base through reposts & sharing.
SECTION ONE: 6 Ways Blogging Can Increase Your Real
Estate Business3. Permission Marketing• Allows You to Reach Your Database
at their pace so they don’t feel “bothered”
• Creates a more relaxed exchange with Your Database.
• Allows your Database to assimilate your info w/out asking for something.
SECTION ONE: 6 Ways Blogging Can Increase Your Real
Estate Business4. Return Marketing• Your posts are always out there…• Your posts find people not even
looking for you.• A single post can drive traffic to
your blog for years.
SECTION ONE: 6 Ways Blogging Can Increase Your Real
Estate Business5. Visual Marketing• Adding Video Creates a Familiarity
with Your Database.• Documents, PowerPoints & Ebooks
Add Value with Your Database.
SECTION ONE: 6 Ways Blogging Can Increase Your Real
Estate Business6. Credibility Marketing• Become an Expert through your
Posts. • Blog about & with Your Community. • Offer Informational Data & Useful
Tips and Ideas to help your Community.
SECTION TWO: 10 Essentials to a Strong
Blog Post.
1. Captivating Title2. Make Your Blog Readable3. Content4. Linking5. Photo’s
SECTION TWO: 10 Essentials to a Strong
Blog Post.
6. Categories7. Size8. Post Tags & Keywords9. Call To Action &
Engagement ???’s10.Share Buttons
SECTION TWO: 10 Essentials to a Strong
Blog Post.1. Captivating Title• Give a Reason to Read Your Post.• Add the Name of Your Blog in Every
Title. (Branding)• Twitter/LinkedIn-Title is all you get!• Reposts-Your blog name on other sites
means new readers!• World Wide Web/Search Engines-Drive
Traffic to your Blog.
1. Title
SECTION TWO: 10 Essentials to a Strong
Blog Post.2. Make Your Blog Readable• Use multiple Paragraphs & Spacing
often• Add Bold, Italic and Underline
Fonts & Colors when necessary• Use Bullet Points or Numbers when
possible
1. Title2. Blog
SECTION TWO: 10 Essentials to a Strong
Blog Post.3. Content• Converse with the intent to Convert • Convey a Thought or Idea• Communicate in the first person• Create a Reason for your
Community to want need to Comment on your post
• Engage with EVERY Comment• BE YOURSELF!!!
1. Title2. Blog3. Content
SECTION TWO: 10 Essentials to a Strong
Blog Post.4. Linking• Create More Traffic by Linking to
other blogs• Link to a Blog or Website that has
‘further’ information about your post subject
• Edify and Recognize other authors by adding a link to their blog or facebook business page
1. Title2. Blog3. Content4. Links
SECTION TWO: 10 Essentials to a Strong
Blog Post.5. Add Photo’s• Stay consistent with your photo’s
size and placement• Consider adding multiple photo’s • Keep a folder on your computers
desktop of nothing by photo’s for your blog posts
• Use your own photo’s as often as possible
1. Title2. Blog3. Content4. Links5. Photo’s
SECTION TWO: 10 Essentials to a Strong
Blog Post.6. Categories• Be specific and goal oriented • Filters and defines your posts• Use Categories for Neighborhoods,
Types of Real Estate Services you Provide.
1. Title2. Blog3. Content4. Links5. Photo’s6. Categories
SECTION TWO: 10 Essentials to a Strong
Blog Post.7. Size of Your Blog Post• 2-3 Paragraphs• 75-100 per Paragraph• No more than 300 words total• Of course, as you gain an audience,
your posts can become more in depth and wordy
1. Title2. Blog3. Content4. Links5. Photo’s6. Categories7. Size
SECTION TWO: 10 Essentials to a Strong
Blog Post.8. Post Tags & Keywords• Always Use the same for every post-• Your name• Your Brand• Your Area you Work• Type(s) of Service(s) You Provide
• 15-25 Post Tags pertaining to your post
• How you ‘Google’ for something is how you should think about which Post Tags and Keywords to use.
1. Title2. Blog3. Content4. Links5. Photo’s6. Categories7. Size8. Post Tags
SECTION TWO: 10 Essentials to a Strong
Blog Post.9. Call to Action &
Engagement ???’s• Start your post with a Call to
Action.• “What do you think about this?”• “How would you handle that?”• “Who do you know who…”
• End you post with an Engagement ???
• “I would love to know what you think” • “Let me hear from you”• “As always, I answer every comment
personally”
1. Title2. Blog3. Content4. Links5. Photo’s6. Categories7. Size8. Post Tags9. Call to Action
SECTION TWO: 10 Essentials to a Strong
Blog Post.2. Share Buttons• Make it easy for your readers to
send your post to Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter
• Invite or flat out ask your readers to “please share”
• Getting your post out there is how we can find new business.
1. Title2. Blog3. Content4. Links5. Photo’s6. Categories7. Size8. Post Tags9. Call to Action10. Share Button
Compliance Essentials While we are on the subject of essentials, to gain success with your blog there are also essentials you need to be aware of that keep you out of trouble with the Department of Licensing and other entities (like lawsuits!). The DOL requires that real estate agents inform the public who they are working for by having the Firm’s name easily recognizable on anything they publish - that includes all internet sites. You can use your Team or Group name as long as your Firm’s name is easily seen. The actual term used by the DOL is “clear and conspicuous” so using a size 4 font for your firm name isn’t going to meet the criteria! If you don’t want your Firm’s name on your blogs you need to have written permission from your Firm to get a separate license from the DOL in your Team or Group name. Also, check the contract you signed with your firm - most of the large regional and national franchises require their name on everything so leaving it off internet sites violates a contract you signed. Check WAC 308-124B-210 for more info on the DOL requirements.
Compliance Essentials And don’t forget federal copyright laws. If someone has a copyright on their information be wary of using it without their written permission. Our school has used quotes in a number of our courses but always with written permission of the author - a piece of paper that is carefully guarded. And please don’t plagiarize or use “content farms” - that is as bad as violating copyright laws. We frequently see posts on Facebook that are word for word identical with other posts coming up the same day…sometimes within minutes of each other!
There is a big difference between using information from another source to stimulate your own ideas and just doing a ‘copy and paste’ or subscribing to a blogging service that uses the same content for multiple users claiming it as your own.
It won’t take long for your readers to figure out what you
are doing.
SECTION THREE: Adding Video & 7 Other Ways to Help You Blog
Every Day.1. Sphere2. Newsfeeds & Subscriptions3. Sharing4. Community Awareness5. Groups6. Polls7. Yep…Your Own Stuff
SECTION THREE: Adding Video
Go to YouTube and
find a Video…Click
Share.
HUGE HINT:Sign up for a
YouTube Channel…
NOW!!!
Step 1. Click the Embed
tabStep 2.
Copy the Code
WAIT! Make
sure you only use
old embedded
code
SECTION THREE: Adding Video
Step 3. Paste the Code &
Publish That’s it!!!
HINT: Be Sure You Have Your
Tab set to HTML
SECTION THREE: Adding Video & 7 Other Ways to Help You Blog
Every Day.1. Sphere• Your Lender can add an Article
about the buying process• Your Inspector can post about home
maintenance & things to watch for • Title & Escrow can write about the
Why’s of title insurance & What’s a HUD-1
SECTION THREE: Adding Video & 7 Other Ways to Help You Blog
Every Day.2. Newsfeeds & Subscriptions• I have Multiple information sources
sent directly to my email every morning.
• DSNews.com• AgentGenius.com• InmanNews.com• Bankrate.com
SECTION THREE: Adding Video & 7 Other Ways to Help You Blog
Every Day.3. Sharing• Very simply copy/paste another post
or article on your site. • BE VERY CERTAIN YOU GIVE
ATTRIBUTES TO THE AUTHOR AND LINKBACKS TO BOTH THEIR ACTUAL POST AS WELL AS THEIR BLOG, FACEBOOK PAGE OR WEB SITE!
SECTION THREE: Adding Video & 7 Other Ways to Help You Blog
Every Day.4. Community Awareness• Write an article on a local shop
owner• Expand on an upcoming local
functions• Holiday Event • Block Party• Local Festival
• Post a Series on a new building or planned community being built.
SECTION THREE: Adding Video & 7 Other Ways to Help You Blog
Every Day.5. Groups• Join Groups on Facebook and post
an article around the discussions; Here’s some Groups to look at
• Social Media Marketing for Real Estate Professionals
• Tech Support Group for Real Estate Agents
SECTION THREE: Adding Video & 7 Other Ways to Help You Blog
Every Day.6. Polls• Adding a Poll is one of the better
ways to support engagement…Here’s how.
SECTION THREE: Adding Video & 7 Other Ways to Help You Blog
Every Day.7. Yep…You’re Going to Need to
Write your Own Blog Posts Every Once in a While…however, I think we can easily see how simple it is to BLOG Consistently!
SECTION FOUR: 5 Places to Syndicate
Your Blog & Create Your Own Traffic.
1. Facebook…Fan Page & Fun Page!
2. Twitter3. LinkedIn4. Other Blog & Website(s)5. The World Wide Web & Social
Media
SECTION FOUR: 5 Places to Syndicate
Your Blog & Create Your Own Traffic.
1. Facebook…Fan Page & Fun Page!
• Take your blog post and place a micro version right onto your Fan/Biz Page…here’s how
Add the Title of your Post…a Punctuation and Space…Then the Shortlink!
SECTION FOUR: 5 Places to Syndicate
Your Blog & Create Your Own Traffic.
1. Twitter• Once posted to your fan page, you
can automatically have your article syndicated to your Twitter page…here’s how
www.facebook.com/twitter
SECTION FOUR: 5 Places to Syndicate
Your Blog & Create Your Own Traffic.
1. LinkedIn• Now that you have your post
automatically syndicating to your Twitter page, let’s get it to automatically syndicate to you LinkedIn…here’s how
1. Edit Profile
2. Edit Twitter
3. Add Twitter Account
Uncheck this box to be sure all Tweets
come through!!!
SECTION FOUR: 5 Places to Syndicate
Your Blog & Create Your Own Traffic.
1. Other Blog & Websites• When your blog becomes more
widely read, you will begin to find other bloggers ‘sharing’ your articles and posts…truly one of the bigger complements one will enjoy.
SECTION FOUR: 5 Places to Syndicate
Your Blog & Create Your Own Traffic.
1. World Wide Web & Social Media
• One of the main goals for your blog is to get high ranking on the Search Engines.
• As you blog grows, so too will the likelihood someone will find you in a Search…On both the World Wide Web as well as Social Media Sites.
SECTION FIVE: Finally, the Where, When
& Why to Blog.1. Where• Wordpress.com• Posterous.com• Joomla.com• Blogger.com• TypePad.com• Tumblr.com• LiveJournal.com• Blogspot.com
AND HUNDREDS
MORE!
SECTION FIVE: Finally, the Where, When
& Why to Blog.2. When• 7am, 5pm & 11pm (EST)• Thursdays and Fridays have shown
to have an 18% higher engagement rate that other days
• Other than that, the timing of your post is as subjective as your content
SECTION FIVE: Finally, the Where, When
& Why to Blog.2. Why• Blogging is likely the single most
important ONLINE marketing tool you can use to increase and drive your OFFLINE real estate business.
• There are 2 types of people who already use blogging…
YOUR CLIENTS & YOUR COMPETITION