When it comes to your online presence, your ducks are in a row. đ¤đ¤đ¤ Your website is attractive, mobile-friendly and easy to navigate, and youâre regularly posting on social media. Excellent! But if content marketing isnât part of your overall marketing strategy, you could be missing out on a lot of opportunities.
Content marketing conversion rates are six times higher than other methods.
As defined by Marketo, content marketing is:
The process of creating valuable, relevant content to attract, acquire, and engage your audience.
So rather than JUST focusing on you and the services you offer, you also focus on the consumer and try to address their needs and ultimately build a relationship. Simply put, if you provide answers home buyers and sellers are looking for, content marketing can help you:
And itâs not as hard or time-consuming as you might think.
To help you implement a solid content marketing strategy, we asked a successful real estate agent how he does it. Ben Kono and his team produce valuable content using smart strategies, but before we dive into what they do, letâs look at a real-life example of content marketing in action.
Indeed, it is and hereâs a quick story to prove it.
Once upon a time, a woman landed on a real estate agentâs website (spoiler: the agent is Ben, the woman is me). This woman was a homeowner that was new to outside chores like gutters, fall lawn care, etc. But after watching Ben and Jakeâs funny and informative video, she now knows the ship has sailed on seeding her lawn and she downloaded the fall checklist for future reference.
The overall impression left on the website visitor: âWow, these guys know their stuff. Their marketing is pretty great too.â And will she perhaps return to their site for future homeowner tips, or reference the fall checklist next year? Likely.
I first sat down with Ben in September of 2021 where he shared how he plans to grow his team using Top Producer. And one of the things that stood out to me was that their approach to real estate content marketing is some of the best Iâve seen in this space.
Here are 5 tips courtesy of Benâs team.
Itâs no secret that todayâs consumers want transparency and authenticity, and Ben and team strike a great balance with their content.
They arm buyers and sellers with tips and market knowledge that only real estate pros have. But they also take a funny approach thatâs pretty refreshing. Case in point: this Thanksgiving video where Mikhailâa buyerâs agent dressed in camoâchases a turkey-suited Ben through the woods.
Is there a better way to say Happy Thanksgiving? I donât think so.
The team produces the following content on a regular basis:
And itâs no surprise that #4 holds the crown
87% of marketers prioritize the audienceâs informational needs over the organizationâs sales/promotional messages (CMI)
Remember that the goal is to make it valuableânot tell them what an amazing realtor you are (even though you so are). So donât be too promotional. Look to answer their questions and you wonât go wrong.
Ben and his team provide highly beneficial info and look to answer common questions, like whatâs going to happen with interest rates, and whatâs the average price range in their area. And while their target audience is anyone thinking of making a move in the next 3-6 months, this content appeals to any homeowner or those interested in real estate. They also look to educate with pieces like â3 mistakes to avoid when selling a house in Jacksonâ.
So, whether you provide market updates via videos like Ben and team, or send a branded market report that contains real-time updates like these, you canât lose with a consistent and valuable approach.
Thereâs a reason why agents have been blogging for yearsâit works.
Small businesses with blogs get 126% more lead growth than small businesses without.
But itâs a good idea to produce other types of content too.
Video is an obvious choice, with online videos making up more than 82% of all consumer internet traffic by 2022 (Cisco).
And think helpful checklistsâlike a First Time Homebuyers Guideâthat you can give away for free in exchange for an email address. Then you can wow them with your amazing content and stay top of mind until theyâre ready to buy or sell.
To Ben and his team, one video = multiple pieces of content. For example, theyâll turn a video into:
Theyâll structure the video in 3 parts so they can first post the full-length video to Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube. And then theyâll drip out the 3 snippets on Instagram and TikTok throughout the week.
While Ben has a team that allows him to use the tag-team approach to content marketing, you can be successful if you just devote some time to do it right. Benâs seen what can happen when you donât:
âSometimes agents end up doing things poorly because they squeak out a piece of content in the half hour they have slotted for it.â
Making the time likely involves time-blocking, which is a solid way to make sure the important things get done. And if you invest a little time to do content marketing right, youâll reap the benefits in the future.
To close, a special thanks to Ben and his team for sharing the secrets to their content marketing success. We wish you much success in the years to come.