Luxury real estate marketing: think like a journalist
Many luxury real estate marketers believe that the main purpose of blogging is to increase traffic to their website. It’s true that a great blog can actually drive more traffic to your website than the traffic generated when search engines, like Google, show your website/blog at the top of their search results pages (and users they click). However, more traffic is actually a byproduct of your blog, not the purpose. The real purpose of your blog is to build an ever-expanding local, national, and international sphere of influence, a stronger referral base, and an audience of enthusiastic fans who recognize you as an expert in your field.
When your blog is follow-worthy, attention-grabbing and comment-worthy, you actually emerge as a journalist on a par with those who write for major news publications and magazines. As a journalist, you become a reporter, columnist, commentator, entertainer and correspondent. Your opinion is sought after by traditional media. The more you aim to achieve this level of professionalism as a blogger, the more your sphere of influence will grow.
Just as eBook readers are changing the book industry, smartphones and tablets like the iPad are changing the magazine industry. With digitization, the cost of printing and delivery/distribution (via the Internet) is practically zero. That is now freeing up resources that can be deployed to make each issue of the magazine truly interactive. With videos, 3-D effects, links to archived issues and related stories, search, social interaction, polls, and more extensive photos, magazines can provide a much more satisfying user experience than a print edition.
The new magazines will be available everywhere, on any device that can expand their circulation. And readers will spend more time interacting with each issue, more time than an hour-long TV show that might cost the same price, for example. In addition to this rich user experience, readers can count on the fact that the magazine’s articles will be well researched and also well edited, which is an “add value” that most blogs cannot match. Think of the depth of sports coverage in Sports Illustrated when this magazine is published on the iPad.
If you’re currently blogging or contemplating becoming a luxury real estate blogger, keep in mind that the competition for attention will be even fiercer as print magazines go digital and become truly interactive. Now is the time to raise the level of professionalism on your blog. Start thinking like a journalist!