Articles Tagged "Content"

If you're looking for a way to build your online visibility, you've probably heard about content marketing. But what is it exactly and why should you use it?

Content is any useful, informative material you publish online to help your audience answer a question or solve a problem. Content is crucial to your digital marketing for two main reasons:

• It serves as a preview of the value you have to offer those who ultimately choose you
• It enables you to appear in higher result positions for searches related to your business

To create a flourishing practice with a full pipeline and the right measure of work-life balance, you'll need to make the most of both these advantages.

Previewing your value is critical because most people who encounter you for the first time aren't ready to buy or sell just yet. It may be weeks or even months before they decide to make their move. Thanks to content, you have a way to strengthen your relationship throughout all that intervening time.

On the other hand, more prominent search positioning means more people will be exposed to your message. The more prospects you have, the more leads you may acquire in a given period of time.

Content doesn't solve every major quandary you'll encounter during your marketing. Your real estate website still needs to be optimized to convert first-time visitors into appointments. Without that piece of the puzzle, greater attention from search traffic won't translate into bottom-line value.

But content does establish the foundation you can build on for many years to come.

The Four Most Important Things to Know About Content Marketing

If you're new to content marketing, it's not unusual to be intimidated by all the different methods and tools. It seems like everyone has their own approach to the subject. Instead of trying to decide which is the best, it's most valuable to pick a place and dive in.

To make that easier, here are the things about content marketing you absolutely must know:

There Are Many Different Types of Content

In the broadest sense, everything is content: Blogs, videos, social media posts, photos, infographics, and the rest. But when you're just getting started, it doesn't mean you need to do "a little bit of everything." On the contrary, it is often best to choose one or two methods that you can stick with reliably.

To begin, you might decide to publish one new blog post a week. These can focus on topics relevant to your audience, such as home financing or local neighborhoods. From there, you might decide to add one video a month based on the previous month's most popular blog and so on.

It's essential not to go overboard in the early stages, as you might burn out before you see real results. One way to keep that from happening is to use only the social media network where you know your ideal customers are found. Instagram is a good start, with LinkedIn for high-end luxury properties.

All Content Should Have a Call to Action (CTA)

Content helps deepen trust and raise online visibility as a matter of course. But that's not all content can or should do for you. Every piece of content has the potential to move people through your sales funnel. Doing so depends on having the right call to action at the end of every content piece.

For example, your blogs might end with a CTA to join your email marketing list for a weekly round-up of the most valuable content. Your email messages, on the other hand, could have their own CTA aimed at getting your subscribers to set up an appointment and give you a call.

One strange piece of selling psychology has been proven over and over again: People won't "take the next step" unless you specifically spell out what it is! So, be certain you know where each content piece fits in your overall strategy and craft your CTAs accordingly.

Your First Six Months of Content Should Be "Evergreen"

Evergreen content is any content that's relevant to the vast majority of first-time website visitors and rarely needs to be updated. For instance, if you develop a series of blogs about getting your finances ready to buy a home, this will be very valuable to first-time homebuyers, and the fundamentals rarely change. Remember: Every piece of content can have an impact for years to come!

Visual Content Empowers Promotion

Content works best when you have means of promoting it, which is where social media marketing and email come in. But getting people to slow down and pay attention is no easy task. Ideally, all content should feature photos. All in all, videos get more attention than plain text content.

Contact us to learn more about content marketing today.

Digital marketing has the potential to open doors, create connections, and take your real estate brand to the next level. Is your digital marketing in need of a refresh? Just like with real estate markets, digital marketing trends evolve over time, so it's wise to re-examine your marketing tactics periodically to ensure that you're maximizing ROI and generating as many new, high-quality leads as possible. Start with a closer look at these reliable digital marketing tactics to build trust, grow your brand, and streamline your lead generation.

Start with a Great Real Estate Website

Your real estate website is the essential element for a successful digital marketing strategy, and there's more to consider than just how nice your website looks. Ideally, you want to provide a seamless experience, allowing your audience to research listings, neighborhoods, communities, and your real estate brand, all in one convenient package. Of course, you'll also want to integrate search engine optimization (SEO), which will improve your visibility in search results and help leads find you. Many digital marketing tactics drive traffic to your website, so you want people to be impressed and informed from the moment they arrive.

Explore New Opportunities for Content Creation

Are you creating informative, entertaining real estate content that generates leads and demonstrates your expertise? Real estate content is a key element of a successful real estate website and should be a pillar of your digital marketing plan. Blog posts are a great place to start, but don't be afraid to try out other types of content, as well. Video content is more popular than ever, so why not grab your phone, pick up a few peripherals to make filming easier, and become the next real estate video star? Even if you don't take a starring role, creating property videos like you can make with our Properties in Motion platform is a great way to market your listings.

Optimize Your Social Media Marketing

Effective social media marketing is one of the best ways to grow your brand online and take your digital marketing to the next level. Focus on the most popular social platforms for real estate, like Facebook and Instagram, as you grow your social presence. The real estate content that you create is ideal for social sharing, and you can use your social presence to drive more traffic to your website. Remember that engagement is crucial for social success. The time that you spend interacting with your audience and building connections is just as important as all your other social marketing activities.

Save Time and Generate Leads with Smart Email Campaigns

One of the most appealing things about digital marketing is that you don't always have to invest a ton of your own time in order to find success. Smart drip email campaigns are an excellent example of that concept in action, allowing you to stay in touch, inform your audience, and nurture leads with pre-planned, automated email marketing. Take advantage of email marketing campaigns designed specifically for different segments of your audience, from buyers to sellers, and remind them why you're the right choice when they're ready to take the next steps on their real estate journey.

Quickly Expand Your Audience with Paid Advertising

While the payoff is worth the wait, some digital marketing tools and tactics take time to yield the desired results. But what about when you want to generate more leads right now? With AdWizard Paid Advertising and Pay Per Click Advertising, you can easily create, launch, and track paid advertising campaigns on the biggest social platforms. Start planning your next Instagram or Facebook advertising campaign with easy-to-use tools that allow you to customize every key aspect of your ad. These tools are a great place to start if you're new to digital marketing and searching for ways to quickly expand your audience.

Show Your Value with Social Proof

As you use your digital marketing to turn more leads into clients, remember that those existing clients can be a big help in attracting new business. In addition to good, old-fashioned referrals, your clients can give your marketing a boost by leaving reviews and providing testimonials online. That type of social proof is worth its weight in gold, so be sure to share it on your website and social pages.

How Will You Level Up Your Marketing for 2023?

The most successful real estate agents and brands always have one eye on the future, so now is the perfect time to start planning for a successful 2023. If your marketing is in need of a refresh, we're here to help you level up your lead generation with dependable and innovative tools designed specifically for real estate. Start planning ahead now, and make 2023 your best year yet.

A great real estate website is a must in today's industry. Millennials and Generation Z are the majority of homebuyers, and virtually all real estate transactions start online. A website creates an opportunity to build trust with potential customers you haven't even met yet.

Website design is a big topic, and it might be a long way from your interests. But a website is your digital first impression, so every detail should be thought out with care. Luckily, everything gets easier once the planning and setup are complete. Then, your website can start building momentum.

It's no secret some of the most successful real estate agencies find most of their business through their website. By attracting the right prospective customers at the moment they are most interested in what you have to say, a website supercharges your relationships.

Since a website is working for you 24 hours a day, seven days a week, it extends your ability to win leads and move them through your sales funnel. Combined with a repeatable strategy to get regular referrals, a good website means less time chasing down leads and more time really connecting.

Features a Modern Real Estate Website Can't Do Without

It may seem like lots of work to launch a website or improve one that isn't performing. With a plan in hand and the right technology on your side, however, it's easier than ever. Your website is much more than an ordinary brochure: It should make your life, and those of your clients, easier.

Include these features in your website, and you'll be off to a powerful start:

• A Video Introduction
  Video is the next best thing to being there. It helps you form a humane relationship before you even get a chance to talk to someone in person. Independent agents need to work even harder to establish their brand and identity, and a video intro is the right way to do it. In three minutes or less, you set the tone and explain who you are, what you do, and who you do it for — zeroing in on your ideal customers.
  
  
• Helpful, Informative Blogs
  Your website is your very own publishing platform. By writing and sharing helpful, informative content, you can preview the expertise you'll provide to customers who choose you. What's more, each blog is a fresh way to get attention from search engines. You're more likely to appear in online searches relevant to your business if you are answering questions and solving problems with your blog.
  
  
• Easy Ways to Contact You
  When it comes to first contact, speed makes a difference. You maximize your odds of getting a customer if you respond to them within five minutes. With that in mind, it's wise to set your website up so it can text you the moment someone uses it to send you an email or schedule an appointment.
  
  
• Your Hot New Listings
  Naturally, your website is also a place where you should highlight all the terrific new listings you have to offer. You can use your MLS access to show active listings directly within your own website. Plus, putting listings on your own site enables you to capture more details about how people reach those listings and interact with them. This can help you optimize listings and appeal to your unique customers.
  
  
• Complete CRM Integration
  Today's real estate agents are turning away from time-consuming, old-fashioned approaches to keeping track of their network. A Customer Relationship Management suite for real estate is the key to growth, giving you complete visibility into your customers, leads, and contacts. Your site should communicate with your CRM, so the details people enter as they browse your website are automatically imported to the CRM.
  
  
• Your Social Media Presence
  If you're blogging and posting new listings on your website, then you have all the fuel you need for a bustling social media presence. Whether you find your customers on Instagram, LinkedIn, or even Twitter, be sure your social media credentials are on full display on your website. A live social feed showcasing your recent posts makes it unmistakable that your brand is active and on-trend.
  
  
• Your Email Marketing List
  If you're not using email marketing yet, the time to start is now. The average business can yield more than $30 in ROI for every dollar spent on email, and the potential returns are far higher in real estate. Trade useful, informative content like a neighborhood report in exchange for visitors' emails, and then contact them weekly with helpful content so they'll choose you when it's time to buy or sell!

Delta Media Group combines all the features and technologies you need for your breakout real estate website under one roof. Contact us to learn how a better website can empower you and your practice.

With so much to manage every day as a real estate agent, juggling everything you need to get done while managing client expectations can feel like a tall task. Time management is a valuable skill for any agent, and it's not something that you have to handle all on your own. There's so much technology available that can make your life easier, add value, allow you to meet client expectations, and save plenty of time in the process.

Educate Clients on the Topics That Matter Most to Them

Savvy, modern real estate clients crave data and strive to make informed decisions. While there aren't enough hours in the day for you to directly inform every client about every detail of every real estate market, technology can help you bridge the gap. Educating clients is easier when you're able to provide them with AI-generated newsletters targeted to their needs, along with key market data from tools like our automated My HomeFinder, Market Watch, and Seller Reports. These types of tools allow you to educate clients with dependable data and minimal effort on your end, which is key to managing time as an agent.

Build a Great Website That Serves Client Needs

Your real estate website is often your first point of contact with clients, but it can be so much more than that. When you integrate the right features, your website can be a resource that clients return to again and again throughout the process. It's a place where you can create content that informs, educates, and builds trust with your audience. It also provides an easy way for clients to browse listings, get to know neighborhoods, and discover all of the services that you offer. The best real estate websites have the dual benefits of educating clients and saving tons of time for agents.

Make Staying in Touch Easy and Convenient

Above all, clients want their real estate agent to be available. So much of their time is consumed by the process of buying or selling a home, so they want you to be available when they need you. But not every conversation requires a phone call or in-person meeting. Tools like SMS text messaging, bulk email blasts with templates, and instant messaging apps can help you provide the reliable access that your clients want while minimizing the time required for you to stay in touch.

Automate and Outsource Key Marketing Tasks to Leave More Time for Clients

Do you find yourself investing so much time in attracting new clients that there's not enough left over to serve your existing clients? Marketing is vital, but it can also feel like a chore when you have so much else on your plate. Leave more time for meeting expectations by automating some key marketing tasks and putting others in the capable hands of an experienced marketing team.

• Email Marketing
  Email marketing is one of the best ways to stay in touch, nurture leads, and keep your pipeline stocked well into the future. Of course, that doesn't mean you have to sit down and spend hours sending emails to potential clients. With smart email drip campaigns, you can automate your email marketing while still providing leads with valuable, informative content that speaks directly to their needs.
  
  
• Automated Lead Segmentation
  Automated lead segmentation may seem like a small thing in the grand scheme of meeting client expectations, but it can really save you time while also making your lead generation efforts more successful. Every bit of time saved adds up when it comes to providing the best possible service to your clients.
  
  
• Building Your Social Presence
  Social media is such a powerful tool for communicating with your clients and generating leads. But building a strong social presence requires a real investment of time. That's why social media marketing is a prime option to be handled by a marketing team that you trust. Rather than worrying about blocking out time for social each day, you can devote that time to your clients instead.

Listen, Learn, and Remember

Ultimately, meeting expectations comes down to understanding the needs of each client and helping them achieve their goals. Using an all-in-one real estate solution like DeltaNET®6 makes it easy to keep all of the client information that you need in one place and be ready to serve clients when they need you.

Choose the Right Tech to Make Life Easier for You and Your Clients

In the end, real estate technology is the key that unlocks more opportunities to meet and exceed client expectations. The right tech can make your life much easier, simplify time management, and help you provide the best possible service to clients. Why choose between meeting expectations and saving time, when you can have both?

You want people to find your business when they start their search for real estate services online, and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is one of your most potent tools for accomplishing that goal. SEO is tied to nearly everything that your business does online, from the design of your website to the content that you create and share with the world. When done right, SEO increases visibility, makes it easier for prospects to find your business, and brings a reliable source of leads to your digital doorstep.

SEO is also constantly evolving as search engines update their algorithms and SEO experts find the best ways to adapt to new changes. Keeping up with the latest best practices is critical to achieving your SEO goals and growing your real estate business online.

Google Business Profile

Let's start with an easy one and something that every business should prioritize. Filling out your Google Business Profile (formerly known as Google My Business) can give your search engine ranking a boost and allows you to provide key information to your audience as soon as they find your business through an online search. All of the key details, like location, hours, and contact information, are part of your Google Business Profile. Your profile also has the key benefit of an integrated review and feedback system, which makes it easy for search users to find out what others have to say about your real estate services.

Keyword Research

The keywords that you use in your real estate content are critical to overall SEO success and especially important for local SEO. Keywords are the words or phrases that search users type into their search window when seeking information. By naturally integrating the right keywords into your content, you can help people who are looking for the real estate services that you provide find your business online. The Google Keyword Planner is a free tool that helps you research keywords, which you can then use to increase the SEO benefits of your content.

Mobile-Friendly Content and Design

With so many search users accessing search engines from their phones or tablets, it's no surprise that Google prioritizes mobile-friendly content in search results. Responsive website design is one key element of ensuring that your content is mobile-friendly and can be viewed on any device. Since mobile users also tend to prefer images and video content, adding those types of content to your mix can also help with the mobile-friendly aspect of SEO.

Online Reviews

We've already touched on reviews in the Google Business Profile section, but reviews are so important that it's worth diving a little deeper. In addition to helping people learn more about the quality of your real estate services, reviews on major online sources like Google, Yelp, and Facebook play an important role in SEO. So it's well worth giving a friendly reminder to clients that reviews are appreciated after you've helped them with their real estate needs.

Local SEO

Local SEO is one of the most important aspects of successful SEO in real estate. When people search for real estate brokerages, agents, or homes in one of your markets, you want them to find your brand first. Many of the topics we've covered already, like keyword research and your Google Business Profile, can help give your local SEO a boost.

Localized Content

One of the most dependable ways to improve your local SEO is to create localized content about the places where you help clients buy and sell homes. From neighborhood guides to blog posts on specific attractions, local events, and businesses, creating localized content helps you inform your audience while also providing major benefits for local SEO. 

Website Design

We'll spare you the nitty-gritty technical details of how SEO should be integrated into your website design because there are so many behind-the-scenes design details that can help improve your SEO. Even something as simple as website loading speed can make a difference. So if your website wasn't designed with SEO in mind, now is the perfect time to consider a new, SEO-friendly website that boosts your brand's visibility online.

There's an Easier Way to Have Great SEO

If all of this sounds like a lot of work, well... it is. The good news is that the benefits are more than worth the effort, and the even better news is that you don't have to invest all of the effort yourself. With our Delta Media Group SEO services, we handle all of the heavy lifting for you. We make it easy for both agents and brokerages to integrate the latest SEO best practices and take care of all the details so you can focus on converting the fresh leads that your SEO brings to your business.

It's a sure thing that the majority of your future clients will first encounter your brand online.

Even with the personnel and resources of a large brokerage, in-person events can only achieve so much coverage within your community. Experts estimate only about 1% to 10% of people you encounter on a daily basis will be ready to enter the market when they make contact with you for the first time.

Knowing all that, your brokerage website has a number of big jobs to do:

• It must attract the right targeted traffic to your digital doorstep
• It must explain precisely what you do and who you do it for
• It must help maintain a relationship over weeks and months

Your website is the centerpiece of your digital marketing strategy. While it doesn't "do it all," nothing else will get done without a website to serve as the hub of your online brand. Its role goes far beyond being a "digital brochure." Done right, it has the potential to deliver immense strategic value.

Here's how to make it happen:

Post Helpful, Informative Content

Content marketing is the name given to building a relationship of trust by providing a foretaste of the value you can offer clients before they even sign up with you. This content should be both helpful and informative, helping visitors solve problems or overcome challenges in their real estate journey.

• Promote Your Content with SEO
  Search engine optimization (SEO) is a collection of design and technology techniques that signal search engines about your high-quality content. In order for your content to raise your search engine visibility by appearing in relevant searches, you must have an SEO strategy you follow consistently.
  
  
• Make Your Website Mobile-Friendly
  A responsive website is one that automatically adjusts in both navigation and appearance to suit the way a smartphone or tablet browses the Web. Without this adjustment, mobile users can get frustrated and click away — and an increasing number of younger buyers use mobile as their main source of connectivity.
  
  
• Capture Lead Details Throughout Your Website
  As someone interacts with your website, you should be learning more and more about that person's needs. One way to capture leads is to develop a "lead magnet," a rich, detailed piece of content website visitors can receive in exchange for agreeing to join your mailing list.
  
  
• Build Your Opt-in Email Marketing List
  Email marketing is one of the most powerful opportunities in real estate, especially for large brokerages with the staff power to handle the increased volume. By segmenting your list for buyers, sellers, new leads, and other use cases, you can ensure each subscriber receives only content that matters to them.
  
  
• Turn Subscribers into Customers
  Email subscribers are somewhere in the middle of your digital marketing funnel. While you can't "make" them take action, you can inspire them with the right opportunities. Be certain they are receiving event invitations such as virtual tours, open houses, and featured listings in their area.
  
  
• Make Your Text Content Stick with Video
  On the internet, people don't read — they scan. They are looking for the information that's most relevant to them and will simply tune out anything else. Video content is much more likely to inspire action than plain text, and it is usually more memorable for your visitors, too.
  
  
• Showcase Your Featured Listings Prominently
  A good real estate website makes it easy for visitors to browse listings of value to them. Your MLS access gives you the tools you need to highlight new listings, enriched content like video and virtual tours, and relevant updates in real-time. Give your most crucial listings prominent billing on your website!
  
  
• Be Smart About Social Media
  Instagram is the overall winner when it comes to social media marketing for real estate, but Facebook and LinkedIn both hold opportunities for the right brokerages. Expand the reach of your best content and listings with social media, staying focused on platforms where your audience is highly active.

It's Not Too Late to Turn Your Website into a Lead Generation Powerhouse

Ready to put your website to work?

Even if your website hasn't reached its full potential just yet, it is not too late to make a positive change. With the right guidance from digital marketing experts, you can revitalize your real estate website so it produces a bottom-line value that moves the needle on your goals.

There are many different aspects to getting the most value from your website. For the best results, they all need to come together effectively. But once the initial work is done, your team can benefit from the power of digital marketing automation, reach more people, and save thousands of hours a year.

Contact us today to find out how your brand can benefit from the best real estate websites.

Think about the most important factors for online marketing success in real estate. You want plenty of traffic for your real estate website, powerful search engine optimization (SEO) to help your audience find you, informative content that builds trust, shareable, clickable content to boost your social media marketing, and easy, natural ways to integrate calls-to-action in order to turn prospects into qualified leads.

It's no exaggeration to state that your real estate blog can be a dependable tool for helping you accomplish all of those goals and more. Here's why you shouldn't underestimate the power of the real estate blog and how to create a blog that will benefit your business for years to come.

The Power of the Real Estate Blog

Ultimately, your real estate blog is a tool for informing your audience, and all of the other benefits stem from accomplishing that key goal. You have plenty of real estate and market expertise to offer. Your blog is the perfect place to share that expertise with your audience and give your digital marketing a major boost.

• Website Traffic and SEO
  Your real estate website is the hub of your online marketing efforts. You want website traffic, and an informative blog can help deliver it. In addition to attracting traffic through your informative, relevant content, blogging is a reliable way to integrate SEO and local SEO which will improve your position in search engine rankings.
  
  Most people seeking real estate services of any kind start the process with an online search, so your search ranking is critical. In addition to naturally including keywords that your audience may be searching for, your blog allows you to consistently update your website with content that's relevant to your audience, and relevant content causes visitors to spend more time on your website. All of these factors make your website more appealing to search engine algorithms, which ultimately means more leads for your business.
  
  
• Demonstrating Your Expertise
  Attracting traffic to your website is just the start. The content that you create can also play a key role in convincing prospects that you're the right choice for their real estate needs. Blog content is the perfect platform to demonstrate your real estate expertise by creating content that educates your target audience, answers their key questions, and helps them make informed decisions.
  
  Of course, you can also tailor your blog content to the audience you aim to attract. The flexibility of a real estate blog allows you to reach experienced, luxury clients, first-time home buyers, and anyone in between.
  
  
• Showcasing Your Markets
  Prospects aren't just searching for the perfect home. They're also looking for the right neighborhood for them and their family to live in. Your real estate blog presents endless opportunities to showcase the markets where you do business, from neighborhood guides to posts on specific local attractions, businesses, events, and real estate trends. All of this information can help your audience make decisions on where to shop for homes with confidence while positioning you as a neighborhood expert.
  
  
• Shareable Content for Social Media Engagement
  There's no doubt that social media marketing works best when you generate engagement, and your blog content can serve as an excellent conversation starter. Sharing your blog content on social media can get your audience talking, drive traffic to your website, and make it easy for your target audience to share your content with your friends.
  
  It also works in the other direction. You can ask your social connections about the types of content they want to see and the questions they want answered. This is a great way to get content ideas and improve social engagement by providing content that's highly relevant to your audience.
  
  
• Inspiring Action from Prospects
  Of course, online marketing is all about generating high-quality leads, and blogging can help with that, too. The end of an informative, relevant blog post is the ideal place to integrate a call-to-action (CTA) and inspire prospects to take the next step with your real estate brand. Whether that means signing up for your email list so that you can take advantage of email drip campaigns or contacting you directly, a well-placed CTA can be a key step in turning prospects into clients.

New to Real Estate Blogging? Getting Started Is Easier than You Think

Hopefully, we've convinced you of the value of a real estate blog, but that still leaves one key question. How do you get started? While you can build a blog yourself from the ground up, there's an easier, more efficient way. Our custom content creation services make it easy to get all of the benefits of blogging without the time investment. We'll create content that's relevant to your audience, market, and preferences, leaving you with more time to pursue the leads that your blog creates.

What sets your real estate website apart from the competition? While features like MLS search are essential and reliable for getting your foot in the door, you'll need more than the basics to truly set your real estate brand apart online. Adding a personal touch through customization and the content you create is the best way to make your real estate website stand out for all of the right reasons.

Let's start with content. Even if you don't normally fancy yourself a blogger, your knowledge base on real estate topics, neighborhoods, and market trends put you in a unique position to inform your target audience on the topics that matter to them. In addition to being informative, the content that you — or your custom content creator — develop is the perfect platform to give your website that all-important personal touch.

Inform and Engage

Expertise inspires confidence in your audience, and you're an expert on so many of the topics that are important to real estate clients. Content that informs also tends to convert. In that way, think of the informative content that you create as a preview of the expertise that clients can expect when they choose your brand.

Informative content can be customized to suit your target audience and the places where you do business. If you cater to first-time buyers in budget-friendly markets, then your content can help walk them through the early steps of the purchasing process. If you aim to reach experienced, luxury clientele, then you might choose to focus on more advanced topics. Catering your content to your audience adds a personal touch and keeps them coming back to learn more.

Become a Trusted Source on the Markets That Matter to Your Brand

Your expertise also extends to the communities where you do business, and the neighborhood knowledge that you share through your content is a vital asset for your audience. It's also one of the ways that you can set your brand apart online.

Whether you're discussing local attractions, services, community spaces, small businesses, or events, all of these things matter to people who are considering buying a home in that market. Buyers will be able to visit your website to learn all about the neighborhoods where they're shopping for homes, and sellers will appreciate the way that you showcase the communities where they're selling a home.

Of course, market knowledge also applies when you're discussing the latest real estate trends in your local communities and providing key data that can help your audience make informed decisions. Integration of market data into your content provides another valuable resource while also reinforcing your real estate expertise.

Showcase Your Core Values and Culture

Remember, too, that content doesn't always have to be about providing advice or market data. It's also a great tool for showcasing the personality of your team, and the values of your brand. Share stories about how your team has participated in community events, discuss local non-profits that you support, or simply have some fun with a more personality-driven blog post that peels back the curtain on life in the real estate industry. These may seem like small things, but they ultimately add up to provide a more vibrant impression of your brand.

Customize Your Website to Create a Unique Identity

Customization is one of the core elements of our website design philosophy, and you don't want to post all of that great content on a cookie-cutter website that looks the same as the websites of your competitors. You want a seamless website that is uniquely yours and one that shows off all of the best aspects of your real estate brand.

Our customization options make it easy for you to personalize your website with custom, full-screen background images/video, an editable homepage welcome message, editable page content, and customizable site navigation. You can also easily integrate your latest blog posts, market activity stats, featured listings, and so much more.

When you combine that customization with key features like IDX listing integration, mobile-friendly design, live chat, strong SEO, and robust listings search options, you have a website that offers everything your audience needs in one convenient package.

Give Your Brand a Boost with a Fresh Real Estate Website

Your website is an essential element of all your digital marketing and lead-generation efforts, so getting the design just right is well worth the effort. As we've hopefully shown today, designing your website also presents extensive opportunities for customization, and adding a personal touch. So if your current website isn't quite distinctive enough or lacks some of the features that modern real estate clients want, now is the perfect time to develop a website that truly reflects all of the best things about your real estate brand.

Every year, billions of dollars are invested around the world in developing new tech that improves the real estate experience for agents, clients, and real estate firms. Millennials are quickly growing into the largest real estate demographic, and catering to a young, tech-savvy clientele will only accelerate the desire for new technology. And it's not as if people under 40 are the only ones glued to their favorite devices.

When new technology emerges, everyone involved in the real estate industry can benefit. Here are some potential tech breakthroughs that could emerge in real estate in the coming years, along with a few recent breakthroughs that are likely to stand the test of time.

The Continued Development of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

AI has already helped the real estate industry accomplish some great things, whether you want to send timely, personalized reports to clients or develop a more accurate analysis of real estate market trends. But in many ways, we're only scratching the surface. The global investment in AI is immense, just like the future potential of the technology.

Consider the benefits of robust virtual assistants that can help guide clients through the process of buying or selling a home, taking some of the workload off of agents while providing a valuable service to clients. Already, some of the biggest real estate websites are also using AI to help match clients with the perfect loan, or the perfect home. Some of the biggest tech breakthroughs in the near future are very likely to involve AI and machine learning.

Streamlined Technology

With so much new tech emerging in recent years, one big breakthrough that we're already beginning to experience is the streamlining of real estate technology. With a real estate all-in-one solution like DeltaNET®6, you have the technology for managing leads, marketing properties, connecting with clients, and analyzing data in one convenient package. Expect the streamlining of real estate tech to continue as new tools are introduced, allowing agents to save time, increase productivity, and focus on what matters most.

Digital Documentation

Clients and agents alike dread the pile of paperwork that comes with closing on a home. Wouldn't it be nice if documents could be securely, reliably read and signed anywhere, from any device? The technology to do so is already emerging and should play a major role in real estate transactions in the coming years.

Taking Advantage of the Latest Tech

Focusing on the future is fun, but not at the expense of the present. Some of the tech that has risen in popularity during the pandemic is likely to remain important and be improved upon for years to come.

• Virtual Tours, Open Houses, and Showings
  Partly driven by the pandemic and partly driven by the young, tech-savvy generation of new homebuyers, touring homes from afar has become more popular than ever. With virtual open houses and showings, you can help connect clients with homes no matter where they're located.
  
  
• Marketing Automation
  Some of the latest advances in marketing automation make it easier to keep your pipeline stocked and save a ton of time in the process. From smart drip email campaigns to AI-driven, automatically generated newsletters, you have more tools than ever for automating key marketing tasks.
  
  
• New Forms of Real Estate Content
  Advances in technology outside the real estate industry can also have a major impact. With smartphones able to capture higher quality video than ever and tons of great apps available for editing your content, now is the perfect time to see if you can become the next real estate video star.
  
  
• Data Tracking and Analytics
  Whether you're tracking IDX search activity to learn more about the needs of your clients or tracking your marketing analytics to discover what works best for your brand, the easy availability of big data is key to thriving in the modern real estate industry. New technology can also make it easier to parse, analyze, and put that data to work.
  
  
• Integration and Streamlining of Tech
  The best real estate CRM platforms already include integrations that make it easier to use all of your favorite tech in one convenient package. With so much focus on streamlining tech, this is one area to expect continued growth.

Where Will Real Estate Tech Take Us Next?

Just 5 or 10 years ago, it would have been hard to predict all of the game-changing tech that has shaped the real estate industry today. And that's part of the fun! While we can make educated guesses about AI and other new tech, there's always the possibility of a breakthrough that almost nobody saw coming. With such a substantial investment of brainpower and funds in creating breakthroughs, it will be exciting to see where real estate tech takes us next.

How much value does your real estate website add to your practice?

Everyone knows "you have to have a website." And for real estate agents and brokerages, that's even more true. Some of the most successful real estate professionals, in the United States and throughout the world, generate a substantial portion of their leads through their own site — as much as 50%.

These days, future customers are far more likely to hear of you online than through an in-person event or non-digital advertising. That's because Millennials and the fast-emerging Gen Z homebuyers almost universally start their search for a new home online.

Understandably, most real estate experts aren't masters of real estate website design.

They tend to launch a basic website and then hope for the best. There are lots of DIY website builders out there and cut-rate services that promise something "good enough." Unfortunately, this can undermine your efforts to develop a branded, high-impact website that makes a difference.

How Your Website Can Serve as a Resource for Current and Future Customers

Your website acts as your digital "first impression."

When someone is thinking about entering the housing market, they will usually spend a lot of time looking at properties before they ever consider reaching out to a real estate agent. They might start seeking inspiration on sites like Pinterest or Instagram before they begin looking at live listings.

Once their interest is piqued, only then do they look for a local real estate professional to help them. But in the process, they usually check out a half-dozen local agents and brokerages — or even more. So, your website needs to achieve two things right off the bat:

• It must be visually compelling, inviting, and easy to navigate
• It must provide meaningful value before they schedule a call

That value comes in the form of custom content. "Content" is anything helpful and informative you post on your site to help visitors make an informed decision. In other words, it answers a question or solves a problem they have. Blogs are the backbone of most content, but video is increasingly popular.

Content is especially helpful because it can inspire your guests to join your email marketing list and get future updates they may find useful. It raises your visibility in online search and improves results you get from search engine optimization. However, it's not the only way to make your website work harder.

When you focus on turning your website into a resource, you are putting what you have to offer on the table from the very beginning. People will see the difference between you and other real estate agents, and begin to regard you as a trusted expert — so you're far more likely to be chosen in the end.

Let's look at some of the other ways you can build your website into a resource for customers:

• Integrate Your Listings within Your Website
  The MLS does an incredible job keeping listings organized and searchable. However, you can also use this marvel of modern technology right within your own website, helping visitors zero in on the best local properties that might meet their needs while maintaining your own branding throughout.
  
  
• Provide Neighborhood-Level Local Insight
  Your local savvy is one of the most important things setting you apart from your peers. Make it count by showing people not only the homes they might buy, but the community they'll be joining. Highlight the best amenities and small businesses – other business owners may even send you referrals.
  
  
• Answer Common Questions Clearly
  Many first-time buyers and sellers will have very little existing knowledge about the process. Look for the best ways to answer their common questions simply. That may mean a library of blogs or videos, a centralized Frequently Asked Questions page or a chatbot that they can pose questions to.
  
  
• Make It Easy to Contact You
  After you start working with a client, it's crucial to set appropriate boundaries — no answering the phone at two in the morning. On a first call, however, seconds count. Be sure your website is set up to send you a text alert if someone sends you an email or message so you can respond right away.
  
  
• Introduce Yourself
  One of the most vital things you can do on your website is start building a relationship. The best way to begin is with a video introduction to yourself. What do you do and for whom? What attracted you to real estate and what makes you different? Video is the next best thing to being there.

The best real estate websites operate as a "one-stop-shop" for everything potential customers might need — before they even reach out for the first time. Contact Delta Media Group to learn more or get started with your own.

Prior to the last year, video content was a powerful but (somewhat) optional tool for promoting your real estate business. These days, video content has become a necessity for reaching your target audience no matter the demographic. Real estate clients of all ages are shopping from the comfort and safety of home, whether they're searching for the right real estate agent, the ideal neighborhood, or the home of their dreams. No matter your experience level with creating video content, now is the time to think about making your videos more engaging, with a few key tips from our team.

1. The Right Equipment Makes a Big Difference
   While you don't need the latest, greatest tech to get started with learning the basics of video content creation, it won't be long before you want to boost your production quality and give your finished product a professional shine. If you already have a smartphone with a high-quality camera, you're off to a good start. You'll also want a tripod for camera stability, some portable lighting, and a reliable microphone that makes your voice come through clearly on video.

2. Planning a Virtual Tour? Start with a Great Script
   Virtual tours have quickly become a must for marketing homes, and an engaging virtual tour starts with great preparation. Even if you've done tons of in-person home tours and have a good idea of the key points you'll highlight during a virtual tour, a script will help you make the video more engaging for your audience. Start by walking through the home, noting all of the features that you'll want to touch on, and writing down some key talking points. You don't need to script every word, but a little planning goes a long way.

3. When Possible, Keep It Short and Sweet
   The ideal length for your content depends on the type of video you're creating, but less is often more when it comes to driving engagement – especially for social media sharing. Clients are more likely to stay until the end with a shorter video and will be more likely to click in the first place. Scripting will help you focus on the talking points that matter most, and you can also trim out unnecessary footage during the editing process.

4. Create Video Content That Answers Audience Questions
   If you really want your audience to engage with your videos, start by creating content that answers the questions that matter most to them. You can even put out the call for questions on your social pages, then share videos with answers! Even if you don't ask for questions directly, use your experience as a real estate agent to anticipate the questions that matter to your audience.

5. Tell Your Story and Show Some Personality
   For clients, sometimes looking for a real estate agent online can feel like flipping through pages in a catalog. Video content is a great way to show the human side of the business, tell your story, build trust, and show clients why you're the right choice for their needs. Don't be afraid to show some personality, whether that means using humor, telling stories, or subtly integrating your own hobbies into your videos.

6. Testimonials to Involve Your Audience and Create Social Proof
   What could be more engaging than involving your clients directly in your videos? Testimonials from satisfied clients can make for great content and will show potential clients why you're the right choice for their needs. When you reach out to past clients to ask them to review your business online, be sure to include a note to see if they would be interested in filming a quick testimonial.

7. Cater Your Videos to the Platform Where They'll Be Posted
   The right length, format, and subject matter for your video will depend on where you plan to post it. A quick-hitting how-to or Q&A video can be a great fit for social, while a longer video might be necessary for a full home tour. Make sure that you understand the needs of your audience and the nature of the platform where you'll be posting videos.

It can feel a little bit intimidating to get involved with video content, especially if you're brand new to the process. That's why our final tip is a tried and true classic — practice makes perfect! It won't always go flawlessly at first, but that's okay. It won't take long before you feel comfortable behind the camera and can start putting our engagement tips into action. At Delta Media Group, our real estate CRM makes it easy for you to post videos on your websites, listing pages, and within your email marketing. Contact us to learn more.

No matter where you live in the United States, most people will find your real estate business online. One of the best ways to take control of your real estate brand is by blogging.

A blog is a gold standard for generating traffic, leads, and building relationships. Blogging keeps you top-of-mind with your readers while positions you as an expert through helpful, informative content. Also, when you blog regularly, you benefit from an SEO standpoint. Google favors websites with relevant, unique, and engaging content added.

These sites are often indexed more frequently, and visibility in the search engines tends to improve.

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Are you tired of getting the same old results from the same old real estate marketing tactics? It's said that Einstein once declared, "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting different results." We could spend all day trying to find out if Einstein really said that, but that would be... a little insane. The point is that whoever said it was 100 percent correct, and the lesson applies directly to the real estate industry.

Real Estate Marketing That Gets You Results

No matter how great your service and team are, it's hard to achieve your goals if your marketing isn't reaching the right people. If you want to attain the results that you dream of achieving, then now is the perfect time to take a fresh, honest look at marketing your real estate business differently.

• Develop a User-Friendly Website That Fits Every Screen
  Think of your website as a storefront. If your store is looking a little dated, located in a hard-to-find place, and lacking in information on what you have to offer, then you can't expect many people to come to visit. Develop a user-friendly website that makes it easy for visitors to find the information they want when they want it.
  
  Your website should be a place where they can learn about local communities, search listings, and pick up valuable real estate advice through relevant content. Since so many real estate shoppers browse on their phones whenever they get a free moment, responsive mobile design is also crucial to ensure that your website scales to fit any screen that they are using.
  
  
  
  

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There's no doubt about it: you don't just want Google to like your real estate website, you want Google to LOVE it. Why? When Google loves your website, you get a higher ranking in search results for real estate businesses and topics in your area. Most prospects don't look beyond the first few links on the first page of results, so a higher search ranking ultimately means more leads and more business. Fortunately, this love story doesn't have to be complicated.

Delta Media Group is known for having the #1 search engine optimization (SEO) platform in the real estate industry by a significant margin. Our team helps real estate businesses with search engine optimization (SEO) every day. Let's take a look at ten ways to make Google fall in love with your website.

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Just like Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds, Lois Lane and Clark Kent, or spaghetti and meatballs, some couples are a natural fit. 

The same holds true for search engine optimization (SEO) and content. 

For people who are new to online marketing strategies, they might assume SEO and content exclude one another. That could not be farther from the truth.

Great content is a key pillar of SEO success, and SEO helps prospects find all of the content that you work hard to create. When you harness the power of their complementary personalities, the perfect match is created, and unbelievable results occur.

Let's take a closer look at why SEO and content are the "IT" couple when it comes to online success for your real estate business.

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