The Long Tail Of Real Estate Blogging And Marketing
February 18, 2008
Much has been written on this subject and much more will be written as the application of the Long Tail theory is put into practice.
The real estate industry has been somewhat slow to embrace the Long Tail theory. Blogs that are out there supporting the Long Tail are seeing great traffic numbers. Our own blog at Real Estate Radio USA has certainly enjoyed a Long Tail boost.
What is the Long Tail? Back in October 2004, Chris Anderson of Wired Magazine authored what may arguably be the most influential magazine articles of recent times, “The Long Tail.” In the cover story, Anderson explored the impact that better online searching and filtering was having on the sale of various products and services. He found that the Internet was now making it viable to earn a profit from items that were not the mainstays. That is to say that a product need not be a Top 100 item in inventory for a profit to be made.
Anderson concluded that niche products and niche markets that by themselves sell relatively few units, combined with comprise the majority of sales for many businesses.
A review of his book that soon followed the Wired article by Business Week magazine( Who Needs Blockbusters?) cites several examples in support of Anderson’s claims…”Television’s top-rated show, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, commands only 15% of TV households, compared with the 74% who were glued to I Love Lucy in the 1950s. The number of CDs reaching at least gold sales status has fallen by half since 2001 — double the decline of overall music sales. And on the online DVD rental site Netflix, only 30% of movie rentals are new releases.”
The LongTail theory most assuredly applies to real estate. Way back in 2002, the National Association of Realtors in their “Web Wizard Report” said that blogs can be ideal tools for real estate agents as the astute blogger can attract readers interested in niche markets who may be interested in niche or narrow, focused subjects. With laser precision, an articulate blog can zero in on your target market better than any other medium that has been previously utilized by a real estate agent.
As we are now in an era wherein 80%+ of those interested in buying or selling real estate begin their journey on the Internet, the need for specific niche blog marketing is greater than ever.
Mr. Internet, Michael Russer spoke to us at Real Estate Radio USA last week and underscored the virtue of narrow focus blogging by taking us to a couple of websites. One a site for armed forces personnel and the other a site for nudists. Talk about filling a niche! Your blog can be created to focus on the housing needs of pet lovers, retirees, single women, first time homebuyers, fly-in communities, island estates…just about any market you want to focus on.
Once set up correctly your blog costs pennies per day and your reach is the world. Global marketing for cents per day. This form of long tail marketing beats postcards, magazine ads, newspaper ads, radio ads ..it even beats open houses!
Think Long Tail is going away…hardly. It’s just beginning. Seth Godin, the marketing genius says that we will be talking about the Long Tail for the next ten years. It’s simply that groundbreaking and innovative of a principle.
The traditional IDX is already dead. The MLS is comatose and barely breathing. It’s time to unplug. Its eventual end is certain. We might as well have the funeral now. Those of you trying to keep it on life support might as well come to grips with it and be prepared to move on.
The consumer in this day and age wants to see ALL that is available. They don’t want to be spoon fed some kind of archaic pay per view listing. This is an on-demand world. We can see 500 channels of cable. We can basically buy any book printed on Amazon. I can download just about ANY song EVER recorded, when I want to. From the most obscure Tahitian chant, to Sinatra, to the White Stripes. If I want it, I can have it. These are all Long Tail examples.
I could go on as to how Long Tail will affect listings but that’s another article as their is so much written about it. This article is about marketing to the niche.
Utilizing a niche and narrowed blog subject matter, directed at a specific target audience, supported with the correct keywords and SEO, you will be soon harnessing the power of the Long Tail.
With over 1.3 million agents to choose from, give or take a few hundred thousand departees, how would a potential buyer or seller know that you are the one they need to call? Better yet, how would they know that you are the one they WANT to call? You are the “expert” in your market. You believe real estate is local, would it not make sense to make sure any potential customer, from anywhere in the world, knew that about you?
If you are going to stay in this business, then realize the changes needed and what exactly those changes can mean for your bottom line.
After all, we are in this business to make money aren’t we?
I love the long tail. I operate in a focused niche, and blogging just naturally attracts those consumers. The best part is that I don’t have to resort to crazy SEO tactics… I get to write about the stuff that matters to me and to my clients. I write about what we like, and what challenges us. More and more, they find it.
I have also optimized my website for long tail searches. I would say that the future of web marketing is tied to the long tail, without a doubt.
Hey Lane…Thank you for the comment. I have read some of your stuff..and it is dead on!!
Keep it going!
[...] closed the show today with one of Barry C’s posts, “The Long Tail Of Real Estate Blogging And Marketing”. Marketing Guru Seth Godin says that we will be talking about Long Tail for the next ten years. [...]
Thanks Barry… feel free to stop in any time. I hope that it takes off more. I have been looking at the market, and there is a demand… but is it enough? We’ll find out.
[...] searched a number of keywords, normal and longtail, and Laurie has it covered. Want to see for your self, Google the term “collaborative divorce [...]
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