Lead generation is the single biggest challenge agents face online. Knowing how to get traffic to your website can actually increase word of mouth referrals in your geographic farm.
With a strong word of mouth in your local market, converting prospects who discover your website will be a lot easier. All you need is a few really great local content ideas.
Paying For Leads Is Not A Long-Term Strategy
Listing your properties on popular listing sites can generate clicks, but doesn’t build organic traffic. CPC lead generation can boost your traffic, but relying on it solely for leads isn’t a good long-term strategy.
Depending on the level of competition in your market and demand, the cost of your PPC lead generation will fluctuate month to month. Prospects who discover your listing on a listing portal are also less likely to select you as their agent without a strong referral.
Admittedly, it can be extremely frustrating to invest in lead generation that doesn’t convert. Even top performers with testimonials and glowing reviews experience low conversion rates from their listings. In fact, over 60% of real estate agents don’t meet their quota.
But there is another way to drive traffic right to your website, instead of a listing portal with all your competitors.
Organic Traffic Is Where It’s At
Organic traffic is traffic to your website that you DON’T pay for:
- Online prospects who discover you through a search engine like Google, Bing, Yahoo!, etc
- Visitors who discover you on a social media post someone shared (Facebook, Instagram)
You can get free, qualified, organic traffic to your website by creating local neighborhood content.
Become A Neighborhood Specialist
In addition to listings, prospects also research neighborhoods for the quality of life. According to a NAR report:
“78% of home buyers surveyed in NAR’s 2013 Community Preference Survey responded that neighborhood quality is more important than the size of the home. ”
While online listings offer prospects a lot of details about the home, they shed little insight into the neighborhood.
Agents with a specialized local focus are in a unique position to attract online prospects. Local content that reflects the interests and behavior of prospects in your farm will drive valuable qualified leads to your website. Combined with a comprehensive offline marketing approach, it will also fuel local word of mouth.
Remember these 3 key principles for creating local content:
- Focus on becoming an expert on the businesses, personalities, and culture in your farm.
- Engage with local residents and businesses owners offline, then document and share your experiences on social media.
- Experiment with different forms of media content to find one you enjoy.
Creating local content that will get more traffic to your website takes patience, practice, and some expertise. It should also be something you enjoy, or you won’t do it consistently.
Facebook Insights: Know Your Local Audience
One way to gain insight into the habits and interests of your local audience is a tool called Facebook Insights. If you have a Facebook page, you can use this free tool to discover key demographics about your farm.
Facebook Insights can help you create ads, landing pages, and posts that appeal to your prospects. You can define your audience by age, location, and interest to determine their level of engagement, proximity, size, occupations, household spending, and many other details.
With that in mind, follow these suggestions and you’ll see an increase in organic traffic.
6 Local Content Ideas For Agents To Get Traffic To Your Website
#1) Demographic/city data
Neighborhood quality is a critical buying factor for homebuyers. Publish comprehensive information about the demographics, crime rate, population growth, economy, and other city data. Cite your references clearly and update regularly. Implement keyword usage strategically on these pages as well to increase your visibility in local search results.
Posting well researched, neighborhood data can establish you as a community-minded neighborhood expert. These pages will also attract other professionals seeking information about your farm. In turn, the organic traffic generated can lead to new opportunities, partnerships, and associations that convert into referrals.
#2) Celebrate the local sports culture.
You can never go wrong appealing to sports enthusiasts in your geographic farm. Make space in your content calendar to celebrate wins by local teams. Reach out to team management on social media to congratulate them. Heck, interview their star player for your blog if you can swing it!
In addition to sports, there are health enthusiasts and groups dedicated to a niche audience. Boating, yoga, skateboarding, and even groups dedicated to pool or darts can be found on Facebook.
#3) Promote local celebrities/influencers.
Yummy mummy groups, local celebrities, trendsetters, and tastemakers tend to have a strong hyperlocal following. Successful influencers are also adept at social media. Follow local influencers on social media. Respond and share their posts to build rapport with them. Reach out and offer to do an interview in exchange for exposure on your website.
#4) Share events from popular local venues.
Millennials transitioning into homeownership can discover you online if you publish helpful information about popular local venues they frequent. Interview the owner or manager on your blog, or cover a unique event hosted by the venue.
Partner with venue owners in your farm to raise awareness online by offering exclusive deals, which leads to my next point.
#5) Post local deals, offers, and discounts.
Everyone loves a deal! Connect residents in your farm with local vendors by publishing deal coupons that can be redeemed on your site or by email. Encourage visitors to subscribe to your mail newsletter to receive updates on local deals monthly!
Avoid mailing out offers to prospects unless there is relevance. Homeowners who don’t own a pet won’t care about a deal on pet-walking services. Send the right deals to the right subscribers and they’ll remember you.
Additionally, it’s a good idea to segment your CRM and create groups with specific interests. Implement marketing automation tools to create drip campaigns that reach the right audience with the right offer.
#6) Publish special community events.
Create a community calendar of local events for residents in your farm. Take note of festivals, performances, and networking opportunities that would appeal to your audience. Holiday seasons are especially busy times for many neighborhoods. Stay ahead of the trends so you can initiate relevant conversations on social media.
Conclusion
Paying for leads that don’t convert isn’t the best long-term strategy for winning clients. Yet many agents post their listings on popular listing sites, expecting to win buyers and sellers. Without a strong word of mouth, however, leads discovered through online listings are difficult to convert.
