Writing for an article directory differs somewhat from writing for your blog or website. While on your website or blog, you can talk about your history, explain why you are the best agent in the area and describe specific properties, these articles have to be informational but free of sales content. Read on for more details about writing for article directories.

Choose Effective Keywords

Good content for article marketing starts with keyword research. Choosing good keywords means your content will be more visible in the search engines, translating into more traffic to the article and then to your website or blog. An effective keyword or keyword phrase is one for which there are many monthly searchers and fewer web pages competing for the traffic. With fewer web pages competing for the same traffic, your article can rank higher in the search engines. The Google AdWords Keyword Tool is free and a good choice for keyword selection.

Write a Good Title and Subheadings

Start your article with a strong title. It should be relevant to your content, short and catchy. You want a title that will draw people in and make them want to read your content. Many people are drawn in by how-to titles, titles that ask a common question and those containing numbers, such as 5 Steps to Selling Your Home.

Include at least a few subheadings in your article. Subheadings help break up long blocks of text and give readers some idea of what to expect from the content below them. Include your keyword or keyword phrase in at least one of your subheadings.

Provide Informational Content

Think about the questions your audience wants answered and the problems it wants solved, and then write your content to provide solid answers and solutions. For article marketing, however, you’ll have to do this in a purely informational way. Provide general answers and solutions without discussing your business at all. For example, you could write about the qualities a person should seek in a real estate agent, but you can’t discuss your experience, skills, business, contact information or anything that could be considered selling your services. At the end of the article, often in a special resource section, you can mention your business and use a call to action to get readers to visit your website to learn more. This is where you’ll include links to your website or blog. Many article directories allow two or three links per article.

Length and Keyword Density

Each article marketing directory will have unique guidelines for article length and keyword density. It’s wise to familiarize yourself with them before you start writing. Generally, articles that contain between 400 and 700 words are good for article marketing. Most directories won’t accept very short articles, and you don’t want to give away too much by writing a very long article. Instead, stimulate readers’ appetites for the information you can provide, and then direct them to your website to learn more and get personal assistance.

Article marketing directories also differ in their preference for keyword density. If you use one keyword for every 100 words, however, you’ll meet most directories’ guidelines. In terms of percentages, many directories prefer a keyword density between one and four percent.

Let REVStaffing boost your productivity. Take the next step towards better organization and exposure for your business. Shoot us an email or give us a call for a free needs analysis.

Apply these tips to your next campaign:

Stand out From the Crowd

Focus your ad creation on being different. Writing headlines and crafting ads that are just like everybody else’s won’t help you stand out or generate leads. If you blend in, what reason do prospects have to call you over another agent? Instead, take your time with writing exciting, crafty ad headlines that make your prospects stop and click. Don’t be afraid to use humor or emotion to draw interest. As for the text of your ads, make them upbeat and descriptive to keep readers’ attention, and don’t forget to include a strong call to action.

Visually Appealing Ads

Though you can type your ad in plain text, click submit and finish up your posting in mere minutes, this isn’t the best route to take if you want to generate the most leads. Instead, use html to craft a post that is easy to read and understand. Use headings, subheadings, bulleted lists, bolding and italics to make the most important parts of your ad stand out. Insert images to ad to your post’s appeal.  

Stay With It

Posting just once might get you a few bites, but getting the most out of Craigslist lead generation means planning a campaign and posting consistently. If you plan a month-long campaign, don’t give up midway through, as many prospects have to see your ad at least a few times before they will take action and contact you. Take care, however, with following Craigslist’s posting rules throughout your campaign. You risk having your ad flagged for removal if you post the same ad in more than one location or do not allow at least 48 hours to pass between repeat postings.

Track Results

You want to know which ad a prospect is responding to, so make sure you track the origin of your leads. Here are a few ways to track your Craigslist results:

• Use tracking links in your posts

• Use a different referral code in each of your ads

• Use a different email address for each ad

• Use a tracking program to monitor activity

• Ask your prospects where they heard about you

Remember, tracking results helps you determine what you’re doing right.

The Right Timing

You can post your Craigslist ads at any time of the day, but you may draw more attention at certain times. If you post during a slow time of the day, your ad may get buried before your target audience even sees it. Instead, post right at the start of the business day, at lunch time and after the dinner hours.

Let REVStaffing boost your productivity. Take the next step towards better organization and exposure for your business. Shoot us an email or give us a call for a free needs analysis.

Use email marketing to support your real estate marketing efforts. Well-crafted emails generate more traffic to your website, interest prospects, engage current clients, and establish your reputation as an expert. Real estate email marketing is not only an effective way to keep your audience focused on you, but also a proven way to reach out without spending a lot of money.

Build a List

The most important tip for real estate email marketing is to build a list of clients and prospects who want to hear from you. If you send mass emails to people who never asked for them and aren’t really interested in your content, you risk being labeled a spammer, and you are far less likely to benefit from your marketing efforts. Instead, place a form on your website or blog that allows readers to sign up to receive email updates and newsletters from you. Then, send engaging emails to your subscribers.

You don’t want to waste your time sending a single email out over and over again, and you don’t want your recipient to see all the other names and email addresses on your list. Instead, make email marketing easy by using an online tool that allows you to send professional-looking emails to your list, create or customize templates, and even monitor which recipients read your emails. Here are a few options you might consider:

Aweber: This tool offers many features, your choice of pricing plans and a one-month trial for just a dollar.

Constant Contact: Choose this tool for one-click editing, an anti-spam checker, a range of features and a free 60-day trial. Pricing varies, depending on the size of your list.

MailChimp:  Get pre-designed templates or make your own, set up autoresponders and integrate social networking. This tool offers a forever-free plan as well as monthly plans based on the size of your list and the number of emails you plan to send.

Real Estate Newsletter

Once you’ve built your email list, which should continue to grow, and settled on a tool for creating and sending mass emails, you need some good ideas for content. A monthly newsletter allows you to stay in touch with customers on a regular basis. Make it count by including market updates, agency news, community and schools profiles, and information about interesting local events. You can also include handy tips for buyers and sellers in your newsletter. If you’ve written a particularly interesting or exciting blog post in the previous month, your newsletter is a good place to showcase that as well.

Invitations and Announcements

Sending an email blast is a perfect way to keep your list abreast of important announcements and invite your subscribers to events. For example, emailing invites to your open house ensures that fewer prospects miss out because they weren’t informed. Even if a prospect doesn’t visit your blog or website regularly, he’ll still have the chance to learn all about your open house.

Hints and Tips

Everyone loves learning something that makes life easier. Meet this need by sending tips for preparing a home for sale, planning a long-distance move, DIY home improvement, or hiring contractors. Brainstorm ideas that will interest home buyers and sellers, and include them in your emails. This will keep your subscribers reading even if they aren’t interested in a particular property or market report.

No matter what you include in your email marketing campaigns, there are a few critical points to keep in mind:

●    Less is more. Send emails sparingly to avoid annoying your list and to encourage subscribers to look forward to your next mailing.

●    Avoid cluttering your emails with too much information and too many graphics. Aesthetic appeal counts.

●    Monitor your email marketing statistics. You want to know who opened your email and who clicked your links. This can help you evaluate what works and what doesn’t and craft better emails in the future.

●    Include a call to action in each email. You want your readers to do something, so tell them what to do and make it easy for them to comply. If you want them to click a link, don’t hide it. Put it front and center. If you want them to call you, make sure your phone number is prominently placed.

Call on REVStaffing to help you reach more prospects and enjoy greater productivity. Take the next step towards better organization and exposure for your business. Shoot us an email or give us a call for a free needs analysis.  

Any successful real estate professional (including your REVStaffing virtual assistants!) needs an eclectic library of proven, strategies from which to draw inspiration. Augmenting your repertoire isn’t just good business – it’s necessary in order to remain competitive in the market. Let’s take a look at three leading-edge marketing ideas.

Before we dig into the ideas, we need to be on the same page. Even the most seasoned professionals often use the terms “marketing” and “sales” interchangeably. It’s important to note that they’re not synonymous terms. Marketing is anything you do to attract potential customers. The sales process is everything that you do to seal the purchase and obtain a finalized contract or agreement. Both are required to make your business a success. By using the following savvy ideas to merge the two efforts, you’ll definitely realize growth…and that means success!

First, let’s look at press releases and blogs. Internet blogs and press releases filled with the best buzz words and phrases (known as search engine-optimized, or SEO, key words) will cause your business web page or a particular property appear when individuals are performing Web searches. For that reason, online press releases are a required component of a successful real estate marketing strategy.

How about YouTube videos? The future is now when it comes to marketing with YouTube videos. Most people prefer an audio-visual presentation above any other media. Why? Is television a huge industry AND an unparalleled application? Yes, it is, and therein lies the answer to why YouTube is on fire “show and tell’ has always been popular with the masses.

Finally, everyone’s familiar with automated hotlines; they’re not a new technology. They have been around and available since the early ’90s. Toll free recorded message hotlines are definitely the easiest and quickest way to start out your marketing plan; it’s a scalable service. The really nice thing about the technology is that it’s available to prospects, customers and clients 24/7. That means it can help you make money even when you are asleep.

Selection of a marketing strategy is just one of many business decisions you make as a busy real estate professional. Another important decision is this: Do you continue to struggle with managing everything yourself, or do you grow your business with professional help? Remember, in the real estate business, if you don’t have an assistant, you are the assistant. Send REVStaffing an email, or give us a callfor a free needs analysis.We’ll be happy to discuss ALL of your unique 2012 business needs; ask how we can give your business a LIFT! Be sure to visit our website, and“like” us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/RevstaffingVAs.

REVStaffing 2012^©