Marketing Tips for Real Estate Agents: Observe

Simple observation is key to writing fresh material for blog posts. Let's refine that by choosing what to look for. Observing helps if you're a real estate agent who is stuck for blog post ideas.

The following list provides blog topics just by looking at the outside of a house:

1. Roof
2. Chimney and ventilation
3. Windows - best brands, technology
4. Paint, stucco, or other exterior topics
5. Front doors - types, sizes, colors and what fits best for what style house
6. Porches
7. Landscaping

Those are 7 general topics to blog about and some of those can be broken down further. 

If you have the time to write one blog post per week, then week 1 could be choosing an exterior topic, week 2 an interior topic, week 3 a financial issue and week 4 a community related issue.

Showing real estate agents how to blog efficiently is the approach I take in my ebook, Blog Fun and Fast: The Must Use Guide for Real Estate Agents. It's now available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Click here for Amazon. Click here for Barnes and Noble.

Target Your Niche and Speak to Their Needs

Niche marketing is targeting a specific segment for your products or services. Don't ever think you can market to "everybody" especially on a limited budget and don't be afraid to target a niche market. These parcheesi pieces represent the diverse populations surrounding us.

Different people have different needs met because of your products and services. They won't respond for the same reasons.

Example

Let's take chiropractors. I recently wrote an ebook for a chiropractor who has a specialty of Upper Cervical chiropractics. While his service can benefit a range of ages, his different audiences have different needs. Office workers may be more prone to debilitating headaches than blue collar laborers.

People with digestive problems will respond for one reason and people with asthma will respond for a completely different reason.

Each one is a niche or specialty market even though there will be some overlap.

Identify your audiences who can benefit from your products or services.

Ask:

• What are their ages?
• What are their needs or problems?
• How do my solutions solve their needs or problems?
• Do they all respond to the same message?
• How might I tweak or make slight changes to the marketing message to attract them?

Blog posts, ebooks, social media posts, or elevator pitches are all vehicles for sharing your marketing message. Tailor them to your desired audience with a slightly different benefit.

For further help in creating posts and a marketing message visit Don Simkovich.com.

Evaluating Sprint's marketing message

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Check out this marketing message from Sprint. This showed up at a bus stop:

"America's Newest Network means fewer dropped calls." At the bottom of the sign the copy reads "Happy Connecting."

Does Sprint mean fewer dropped calls compared to the previous Sprint experience or fewer dropped calls compared to other cell phone companies?

I was at Flapper's Comedy Store in Burbank and heard a comedian make fun of Sprint. I wish I could remember what he said but it was funny. So the company is using this copy to change its reputation.

That's one goal of good marketing – change a reputation or adjust perception.

My son has Sprint and he says the coverage is fine and he doesn't have problems with dropped calls.

Click on Opensignal.com for coverage maps of Sprint, AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile. It looks like Sprint and AT&T are similar while Verizon has strong coverage up and down the east coast.

What do you think? Is Sprint's copy in this ad convincing or not?

To me, it seems effective but not compelling. The problem still exists even though most users understand the problem with dropped calls.

How about, "America's Newest Network means crystal clarity?"

Hey, if it shows up on a Sprint ad anytime soon, you'll know where it came from.

By the way, if you want strong and compelling copy for your blog posts or your company's content then contact me, Don Simkovich 818-667-1789, dsimkovich@gmail.com.

Log on to www.donsimkovich.com and see who I visited this month.

How Real Estate Agents can Market Services Writing Fresh Blog Posts

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Marketing for real estate agents should include regular blog posts to stand out in an industry where the same service is provided to clients.

Benefits of Blogging

Agents differ on their knowledge and experience but the greatest difference is their personalities and blogging can help an agent convey commitment to the industry, knowledge of local and state laws, and the agent's areas of passion in home decorating, landscaping, or buying a home to create memories or an income stream.

Challenges of Blogging

Who has time for writing consistent blog posts?

My new ebook is now available and it shows agents how to write blog posts by observing the details of homes, speaking to personal financial issues buyers and sellers need to know, and writing up community activities.

In the coming days on this marketing blog, there will be specific content that will show how to never run out of ideas for posts and how to write efficiently so getting stuck for ideas won't be a problem.

Reality of Blogging

Writing effective blog posts doesn't require someone to be a great writer but it does entail key observations, developing a format, and committing to a do-able number of posts like one per week.

If you would like to be a Beta reader and give your opinion on the book before the final editing then send an email to: Don Simkovich at dsimkovich@gmail.com and write "Beta Reader" in the subject line.

Blogging is an excellent way to reveal one's personality and area of specialty. Knowing how to generate on-going posts quickly is the key to maintaining an online presence that leads to client referrals.