How to Start a Real Estate Blog in 5 Easy Steps

Starting a dedicated blog for your real estate business is a great way to attract and keep clients. In fact, 85% of small businesses who use blogging as part of their marketing strategy report positive to very positive results from the practice of regularly creating and sharing content via this type of platform. When time and energy is limited, keeping up with a blogging practice drives more results than most other marketing efforts.

Another clear benefit of learning how to start a real estate blog is the opportunity to add value to the lives of your customers beyond your usual activities. For example, creating content that is specific to your target neighborhood shows that you are active in the community and can be their go-to resource for all things local. This also helps establish your business as a trusted thought leader.

Getting started can be intimidating but we’ve narrowed the process down to five easy-to-implement steps that will help you learn how to start a real estate blog today.

Step 1: Getting Set Up

If you already have a website for your business, go ahead and add a blog through your web host or designer. If not, follow the instructions below.

Choose a web host.

A web host is a platform that allows you to create, store, and view your website on the internet. Certain web hosts offer domain name services to help you purchase a unique website address to your page so people can find you through Google or a direct link.

Some specialty web hosts even offer the ability to make and design your website from their easy-to-use platforms. A couple of popular web hosts include Squarespace and WordPress. Choose one that feels right to you and you’ll be well on your way to learning how to start a real estate blog.

Purchase and connect a domain name.

There are web hosts that allow you to purchase a domain name through them. Other web hosts require you to connect a domain name you’ve purchased elsewhere. Regardless, each company should supply clear instructions for how to complete their unique process for connecting a domain name.

When purchasing a domain name, it’s important that you pick one that best represents your business since you’ll be stuck with it for a long time. Your best bet is to make it obvious and easy to remember.

Choose a blog platform.

If you choose a web host that doesn’t already offer website creation on their platform then you’ll need to pick one and connect it to your website. Consider features like advanced post scheduling and drag-and-drop tools when deciding on where and how to start a real estate blog. The easier it is for you to use, the more helpful the tool will be.

Choose a theme or design.

Make sure you stick to your brand colors and established logo. Keep your design clean and easy to navigate. You’ll either have the option to choose a premade theme or code your own from scratch. Either works as long as you pick one you and your audience will love using.

Step 2: Create a Content Calendar

Once you’ve got your web host, domain, and site all set up it’s time to decide what you’re going to write. When learning how to start a real estate blog, it’s important to consider how you’ll organize your content. There are many different ways to create a regular blog schedule but the most popular and effective method is with a calendar.

Popular content calendar tools include Google Docs, CoSchedule, and Airtable. These sites allow you to take notes, sort through ideas, set deadlines, draft posts and save all your work in one place.

You’ll also need to determine how much time you can realistically dedicate to writing for your blog. Having a consistent blog schedule is key. Whether you post once a day or once a month, make sure you choose a cycle that works for you.

If you have the time, Hubspot suggests writing 16 or more blog posts per month. Companies who keep up with this schedule see a 4.5x increase in leads compared to those who were limited to only 4 per month.

Step 3: Decide What to Write

Next, you’ll want to choose your topics. Refer back to your calendar for inspiration on how to start a real estate blog. What national holidays are coming up? Mark those down. Are there new properties coming to market soon that you know your audience will love? What about upcoming changes in the legislature that might affect how your clients shop or apply for bank loans? Note all of these and put them on your calendar. These dates will be sources of inspiration for content you create in the weeks or days leading up to an event.

Your calendar has already started to do the work for you as you continue learning how to start a real estate blog!

Once you have these holidays and events scheduled it’s time to fill in the rest of the blanks with content ideas. Here are several ways to brainstorm quality topics:

• Consider your most frequently asked questions. Write a blog post answering each one.
• Keep a notebook with you and jot ideas down when you’re on the go. Your best source of inspiration will come from the clients themselves. Be sure to capture these thoughts right when you have them. You’ll save time this way because your ideas waiting for you when you’re ready to sit down and write.
• Try a little self-reflection. Why did you feel motivated to start a blog in the first place? Find topics that reflect those goals.
• Find other real estate blogs that you like. Use them for inspiration. Can you write about the same topics but with your own special take on the subject?

Step 4: Write High-Quality Blog Content

Now that you know what to write about you’ll need to learn how to write a post that can capture attention and inspire action. If you’re just now learning how to start a real estate blog, here’s an easy method for writing killer blog posts. Include each of the following:

• A catchy title. Keep it to 10 words or less if possible.
• One clear main idea/takeaway for each post.
• Make it skimmable by using bolded headlines and bullet points when appropriate.
• Write the same way to you talk to clients. Your unique voice is what will help you stand out.
• Limit yourself to one clear call to action at the end of every post. Make sure it relates to the topic you’ve discussed and provides added value to the reader’s experience.
• Be consistent with your average word count. Anywhere from 500-1,000 words per post is a great place to start.

Step 5: Assess, Learn, Improve

When learning how to start a real estate blog, it’s important that you also take some time to reflect on your early experiences. After you’ve published roughly 50 blog posts, take a look at your social media share numbers and any information you may have from Google Analytics.

Try this simple two-part exercise:

Create a list of your most popular articles. See what they have in common. What topics or themes get the most likes or traffic? Can you replicate this success in the future?

Create another list of your least popular posts. What can you learn from these? Eliminate what doesn’t work and double down on what does.

Write with Confidence

Learning how to start a real estate blog is an incredibly important part of establishing your online presence. The actual practice of it, however, can be time-consuming and hard to keep up with when trying to stay ahead of all your other marketing efforts.

That’s where OutboundEngine comes in. We take care of your social media posts, email campaigns, referrals and more so you’ll have time to write engaging and share-worthy blog content. Schedule a free demo today to see how OutboundEngine can turn your real estate business into a lead generating powerhouse.

[“source=outboundengine”]