You've heard it a hundred times at real estate conferences and in media reports: Start a blog. But it's actually great advice, and it's not so hard to do. Set it up in Wordpress, Blogger or another free program, add your credentials and start writing. But what do you write about? How often do you post? How do you get traffic to the blog, and where do you promote it? Basically, how do you turn the time, money and effort into something that stimulates your real estate business?

Why blogs?

In a nutshell, a blog is a cheap and easy way to update your site regularly with new keyword-based content. This activity pushes your site higher in search engine rankings, increases your authority online and brings new traffic from keyword searches. Not all Realtors are blogging, but the ones who do are reaping the rewards. Now that that's clear, what do you put on your blog?

Unique Content

While your main web site has your photo, contact info, listings and so on, your blog is a place for fresh updates and for interacting with your customers. What will bring them back to your blog week after week? Unique content. It can't just be any content, and it shouldn't be recycled. Your blog must provide a heartbeat for your web site, allowing you a place to reveal the real person behind the curtain. If you don't have time to do this every week, consider hiring a content feed or a freelance writer, but it's also good for the business owner to write as well.