10 Benefits of Blogging !
We have been so busy this fall with our deals that we have not had the opportunity to blog as much. Our blogging is one of the main reasons that we are as busy as we are - it is quite amazing ! When I think about it, there are so many benefits to blogging. Those thoughts were inspried from being asked to do a training course at our office on Blogging. From that presentation, I talked about 10 Benefits of Blogging !
They are as follows:
1. Grow Your Business - Consumers can find you from your blog content ! For example, when a consumer types in certain key words such as "Philadelphia Short Sales" or "Fishtown Real Estate" see what happens (click on the links). One of the huge benefits of Active Rain is the powerful Google juice that is available !
2. Build a Referral Network- We have received a number of referrals from Bloggers and Rainers all over the country. We just recently received a terrific referral from a California Rainer for a lovely couple looking for a second home in Philly in the $600,000 range (thank you Active Rain !). In addition, we have referred out a number of leads in the last 12 months here. And if we have new leads for people looking to move to certain places in the United States, I already know who I would refer them to ! This is a huge benefit to be a part of a blogging community or network to participate in these types of referrals.
3. Education / Resources - I have found that the Active Rain blogging community to be the best place for me to stay on top of all the changes in the Real Estate industry - from changes in mortgage guidelines to technology updates regarding every possible topic imaginable.
4. Free- Yes, it is free to start up ! There are many benefits that one can take advantage of without spending a dime. Of course, if one wants to take advantage of the Google juice (benefit 1), they need to have a Rainmaker account which is very inexpensive and WELL worth the cost. For all the money that folks have spent on print advertising in the past or recipes or anything along those lines, this is the best investment a Realtor can make if they are serious about incorporating blogging into their business model.
5. Build a Stronger Online Presence- As a result of our blog and website, our SEO placement for certain keywords is very strong. Building that brand name presence is critical in terms of growing your business in the years to come.
6. Incorporate into your Listing Presentations - If you follow our blog, you will notice that we are doing many more specific blog entries regarding a new listing. How can you not with that Google juice ? And of the course, the sellers love it ! For examples see:
- 1240 Brighton St - Castor Gardens Area - First Floor Living Awaits You !
- Fishtown Real Estate - 1115 Marlborugh - Victorian Home with Original Features !
7. Stand Out Among Your Peers - By having that online presence, you can begin to differentiate yourself against your competition. Yes, many Realtors are on Facebook, but the percentage that have a blog (longer than a month or two) is very low.
8. Become a Leading Authority- Some bloggers have established themselves as leaders in a certain topic. For example, Katerina Gasset and Broker Bryant are both short-sale superstars. Bill Gassett is a tech and blogging guru and Matt Stigliano is everywhere on the Internet with featured posts on many sites and in the top 50 to follow on Twitter !
9. Broadcast your Blog Posts - Another advantage of having great blog content is the beauty of the Internet to broadcast those posts out to your Facebook page or your Twitter account or the multitude of other places you can send them to !
10. Have Fun ! - I know that Stephanie and I have had a lot of fun blogging. Because of blogging, we have met a lot of great people. In addition, we will go to many events and places and bring our camera to blog about the experience. Often times, without the intent of blogging, perhaps we would not have gone in the first place. In a strange way, it helps me be more social ! Who would have thought I would be speaking about this sort of stuff ?
For those of you that are relatively new to this, welcome to blogging and social media ! For those veterans, please share your blogging success in a comment !
What other benefits have you experienced as a result of your blog ?
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