No matter the line of business you are in, all of them require a personal touch. This becomes all the more important when you’re in an industry that deals with houses or other different types of property. Taking such a business online ostensibly takes that personal touch away, so why would a real estate business require a strong online presence? The answer lies in content marketing. How and why does it work? Let’s find out below!
Why Your Real Estate Business Must Have A Strong Online Presence
Before the Internet became the all-encompassing Goliath it is today, it was the norm to find a realtor through referrals from friends or family, newspaper ads, etc. You had to call the realtors, meet them, and gauge if they could offer what you wanted. The scope of the search was quite limited, so people preferred to stick to their circles.
Fast forward to today, people have taken to finding realtors online. Yes, the good old method of finding an agent via referrals still remains popular. However, the convenience, the plethora of online services, and the sheer number of choices have resulted in this shift. For instance, over 41% of home buyers in the US first looked up properties for sale online in 2022, according to a report by the National Association of Realtors. In India, online house hunting has seen a sharp uptick ever since the COVID-19 pandemic. With features such as digital tours and transactions fast becoming the norm, online property search has been gaining popularity at a rapid rate.
Given that a constantly increasing number of people are now trusting real estate websites online, it’s critical that your business be visible to your target audience and that they recognize you as a key player in this industry. This is where content marketing for your real estate business comes in.
Content Marketing Strategies For Your Real Estate Business
There’s no one-size-fits-all solution for content marketing. That said, you can use the below strategies to transform your content from merely passable to actually good and informative:
The Why
This is the first thing you must think when creating a content marketing strategy for your real estate business. Have a clear idea of what you want your target audience to take away from your content. Do you want to give them quality information on the properties in your area? Or do you want to establish yourself as a knowledgeable and trusted real estate expert? Understanding the purpose or the ‘why’ behind your content marketing strategy is crucial because it will shape the type of content you create and how you communicate with your target audience.
The Who
No, we’re not referring to the 60s rock band here, but your target audience! By clearly defining it, you can tailor your content to their needs, preferences, and interests. Consider the following factors when identifying your audience:
Demographics: Analyze the age, gender, location, income level, and other demographic characteristics of your ideal customers. This information helps you create content that resonates with them.
Psychographics: Dive deeper into your audience’s mindset, values, interests, and lifestyle choices. Understand their motivations, fears, and aspirations to create content that speaks directly to their needs.
Buying or Selling Stage: Determine whether your audience consists of potential buyers, sellers, or a combination of both. Consider their level of real estate knowledge, pain points, and the information they seek during their decision-making process.
Online Behavior: Identify where your target audience spends time online, what platforms they use, and how they engage with content. This knowledge helps you choose the most effective channels for distributing your content.
The How
Now you know why you’re creating content and towards whom you’re directing it. With this knowledge, you can create relevant, engaging, and valuable content that attracts their attention, builds trust, and converts them into loyal customers. Let’s look into the different ways in which you can do that!
Start Off With An Engaging Website
A sizable section of property buyers today are millennials, so you know that they’re tech-savvy. This is why you need an engaging website that draws them in and makes them stay. The website should have the below features:
- Optimal Website Speed: A load time of under 3 seconds ensures a reduced bounce rate and better SEO ranking.
- High-quality Images And Videos: You want to make an excellent first impression for prospective buyers. To that end, ensure that your properties and listings on your website have high-resolution photographs and videos. You can even leverage newer technologies like Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality to give virtual tours.
- Better UI/UX: A visually stimulating UI can make a considerable difference for your website. In addition to being accessible, interactive elements, clear CTAs, customer testimonials, etc will engage users and also help gain their trust. Incorporating real estate tools like mortgage calculators, maps, neighborhood information widgets, easy-to-fill forms, etc serves to enhance the UX.
Regular Blogging
While it’s true that blogs comprise just one part of the website, their significance is such that we had to create a separate section for it! Don’t just take our word for it; the math speaks for itself. A report by HubSpot showed that companies that included regular blogging in their content marketing strategy had 55% more visitors, 97% more inbound links, and 434% more indexed pages!
For your real estate website, blogs can be an invaluable tool to drive traffic, engage with your audience, and establish yourself as an authority in the real estate industry. Here are some ideas and tips for creating compelling blog content for your real estate website:
- Informative Content: Write blog posts that provide valuable information and insights about the real estate market, buying and selling properties, investment strategies, financing options, home improvement tips, and local market trends. This type of content positions you as an expert and helps potential clients make informed decisions.
- Neighborhood Spotlights: Create blog posts that highlight different neighborhoods in your area. Discuss the amenities, schools, transportation options, nearby attractions, and the overall lifestyle in each neighborhood. This type of content can attract local residents, people relocating, and those interested in investing in the area.
- Property Listings: Showcase your listings through blog posts. Provide detailed descriptions, high-quality images, and any unique features or selling points of the properties. This helps potential buyers get a better understanding of the available properties and can generate leads.
- Real Estate Market Updates: Keep your audience informed about the current state of the real estate market in your area. Share data, statistics, and analysis of trends, such as home prices, inventory levels, and market predictions.
- Home Buying and Selling Tips: Write blog posts that offer practical advice for homebuyers and sellers. Topics can include tips for staging a home, preparing for a home inspection, negotiating offers, understanding the closing process, and navigating the paperwork involved.
- Client Success Stories: Share success stories and testimonials from satisfied clients. Highlight their positive experiences working with you, the results you achieved, and the unique aspects of their transactions. This builds trust and credibility with potential clients.
- Industry News And Trends: Stay up-to-date with the latest news, trends, and innovations in the real estate industry. Write blog posts discussing new technologies, changes in regulations, emerging markets, and other relevant topics. This positions you as a knowledgeable resource and helps you stay ahead of the competition.
Remember to optimize your blog posts for search engines by using relevant keywords, adding meta tags, and including internal and external links. You can choose to either create your own blogs or curate from other sources – the latter isn’t stealing, but involves you having to comb through the Internet to create blogs that serve to give only the most relevant information to your audience.
Promote your blog content through social media, email newsletters, and collaborations with other industry influencers. Also, consistency is key when it comes to blogging. Aim to publish new posts regularly, whether it’s weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly, to maintain engagement and attract a steady stream of visitors to your website.
Leverage The Power Of Social Media
Your content marketing strategy must include a social media plan of action. As a real estate business, you can start off by monitoring conversations pertaining to your industry on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and the likes (this was an unintended Facebook pun!). This way, you’ll understand what the people want and you can give your expert opinion too. On the other hand, for image-centric platforms like Pinterest and Instagram, make use of infographics and other visual elements.
Creating content that can be repurposed is a smart strategy to maximize the reach and impact of your social media efforts. Here are a few ideas to help you leverage the power of social media through repurposing:
- Blog Posts Into Social Media Snippets: Take key points or interesting statistics from your blog posts and transform them into bite-sized social media posts. Use compelling visuals and concise captions to catch the attention of your audience. Link back to the original blog post to drive traffic to your website.
- Videos Into Short Clips: If you create longer videos, such as property tours, interviews, or educational content, extract shorter clips or highlights to share on platforms like Instagram, Twitter, or LinkedIn. These snippets can tease the full video and entice viewers to watch the complete version.
- User-generated Content: Encourage your audience to create and share content related to their experiences with your real estate business. Repurpose user-generated content (UGC) by featuring it on your social media channels. UGC adds authenticity and builds trust among your followers.
- Webinars Or Livestreams Into Video Clips: If you host webinars or livestreams, record them and edit the footage into shorter video clips. These clips can be shared on social media to promote the full recording or highlight the key takeaways. You can also transcribe the content and repurpose it into blog posts or social media captions.
- Podcasts Into Audio Snippets: If you have a real estate podcast, repurpose insightful moments or key quotes into audio snippets. Share these snippets on platforms like Twitter or LinkedIn, along with a brief description or thought-provoking question to spark conversations.
Each social media platform has different formats, resolutions, acceptable video lengths, and many more such parameters. So, you must optimize the content for each of them. By repurposing content, you can extend its lifespan, reach a wider audience, and reinforce your brand’s messaging across various social media channels.
Summing Up
If your real estate business is short on resources, diving into all those content marketing campaigns can be overwhelming. However, with the support of a marketing agency, standing out in the crowded real estate market with content marketing becomes a possibility.
FAQs
Why Is Content Marketing Important For Your Business?
Content marketing is important for your business because it helps build brand awareness, engages your target audience, establishes your expertise, and drives customer loyalty. It allows you to provide valuable information, solve customer problems, and differentiate your brand in a crowded market.
How To Do Content Marketing For Real Estate?
For effective content marketing in the real estate industry, create informative blog posts covering buying/selling tips, market trends, and local area guides. You can share visually appealing property photos/videos on social media. Optimizing your content with SEO techniques will help it rank better on Google. Also, you can collaborate with industry influencers and leverage email newsletters to nurture leads and promote listings.
What Is The Importance Of Digital Marketing In The Real Estate Market?
Digital marketing is crucial in the real estate market as it enables targeted reach, enhances online visibility, and facilitates lead generation. It allows real estate businesses to connect with a wider audience, showcase properties effectively, and engage with potential buyers in a cost-effective and measurable manner.
Is Content Marketing In Demand?
Yes, content marketing is in high demand as businesses recognize its effectiveness in reaching and engaging their target audience, driving conversions, and building long-term customer relationships. The need for quality content continues to grow in the digital age.
