Blogs are the answer, what is the question?

I talk with A LOT of realtors and other business owners about whether they should have a blog at all or if they should focus on their website. If it is one or the other I ALWAYS recommend a blog for numerous reasons.

It MAKES you keep up with your site because it looks downright silly to have a blog with the last entry from a year and half ago (and shame on you if you have a website that has not been updated in a year and a half either). The days of being about to spend the big bucks to have a site built that will stand for the next 5 years as a symbol of your business is over! Today's internet is a dynamic one that addresses current issues and REQUIRES input from the author. Information is the new exchange currency and having an outdated marketing piece for a website just won't cut it.

It lets the world know how you sound and lets them get to know you better. I spoke with a friend who reads this blog and she said she can hear me talking as she reads. She can see me waving my hands around and emphasising points as I get excited about a topic. Do NOT get hung up on whether you are a good enough author to blog. Do NOT worry that the grammar police are going to come and get you if you say something wrong. If a commenter points something out, thank them and then ban them from reading – JUST kidding! Fix the error and go on with your day. Two of my favorite bloggers who I look forward to reading every day are Seth Godin and Kris Berg. They both have a VERY interesting and ironic style that is compelling to ME. But, no matter what your style is it will be interesting to SOMEONE. Not everyone will like it, BUT if you offer great content and genuine insite into what makes you tick you WILL get an audience.

I tell almost everyone that having a blog means instant access to search engines and clients. You can write an post about how “blogging and niche marketing go hand in hand” and find it on a search engine in DAYS not months or years. The law of large numbers then takes over for you. There are GAGILLIONS of people searching the internet for something interesting RIGHT NOW. No one can know what they are thinking of BUT if you have enough content through blog posts about a subject they are searching for your odds of being found go WAY up.

Blog OR website is YOUR issue, not thiers. Your blog can bring you clients and new clients will NOT be judging you on whether you have a blog or a website. A good portion of the population doesn't even know what those “new fangled blog thingys” are. If they find you through a search and they come apon your blog, and then they find the information that they are looking for, they WILL NOT care if it is a blog or a conventional site. I found a GREAT example of a web log today that looks like a site! Real Estate Entrophy. Now don't get me wrong, I am not throwing accolades out about design right and left (I am a graphic artist in a past life) but this a GREAT design! Bloggy enough not to turn off readers but pretty enough that if a real estate client comes along they will not be confused about what to do.

And last but certainly not least, it took about 8 hours to set up this blog. It took over 80 hours to set up my www.cometoclearwater.com website. You do the math!