Luxury Real Estate Marketing: Think Like a Journalist!

Many luxury real estate marketing professionals believe that the primary purpose of blogging is to increase their website traffic. It is true that a great blog can actually account for more traffic to your website than traffic generated when search engines, like Google, display your website/blogsite at the top of their search results pages (and users click through). However, more traffic is actually a by-product 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 raving fans who recognize you as an expert in your field.

When your blog is follow-worthy, buzz-worthy and comment-worthy you actually emerge as a journalist on par with those who write for major news publications and magazines. As a journalist you become a reporter, a columnist, a commentator, an entertainer, and a correspondent. Your opinion becomes 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 e-book readers are changing the book industry, smart phones and tablet computers, like the iPad, are changing the magazine industry. With digitization, the cost of printing and delivery/distribution (over the internet) is virtually zero. That is now freeing up resources that can be deployed to making each magazine edition truly interactive. With videos,, 3-D effects, links to archived editions and related stories, search, social interaction, polling, and more extensive photography, magazines can provide an vastly more satisfying user experience than a print issue.

The new magazines will be available everywhere, on any device which can expand its circulation. And, readers will spend more time interacting with each edition, more time than a one hour TV show that may cost the same price, for example. Besides this rich user experience, readers can count on the fact that the magazine articles will be well researched and well edited which is a “value add” 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 are currently blogging or are contemplating becoming a luxury real estate blogger, keep in mind that the competition for attention is going to get even fiercer as print magazines go digital and become truly interactive. Now is the time to step up the level of professionalism on your blog. Start thinking like a journalist!