“People buy stories, not stuff, and it’s stories that spread, not stuff.” ~ Seth Godin
You could easily replace the word, stuff, with “places.” Notice I said places and not homes. Location, location, location still remains the chant that drives savvy home buyers and sellers and to tap into that hot-button, you need to not only talk about a laundry list of a home’s features, but the lifestyle a person can enjoy if they make the big decision on their dream property.
Huge portals can’t aggregate and syndicate your voice
There is nothing new about the fact that real estate professionals need to be publishers of great content. You’re probably already an ace at telling a face-to-face story. It’s a solid requisite for success in the business. But not every networking opportunity happens in person these days and neither should it. Digital and social media allows you to reach audiences you could never have reached before and create spheres that would have taken you decades of mixers to grow.
Instead, think of all the places where your written word has an impact on the transaction. Listing descriptions, emails, blog posts, social media, and more; all are opportunities to implement your storytelling voice. The added benefits here are also an opportunity for folks to get to know you and connect with you emotionally. Stories are compelling and connective and it’s why we share them with friends and family so often. We can use that same strategy to warm up the people we haven’t met yet. What’s more, huge portals can’t aggregate and syndicate your voice.
Track And Adjust
How do you know if your content is engaging? Your calls-to-action will show results. Easily one of the most critical analytics in your IDX home search website is “time-on-page.” Having good traffic is essential, but the bounce rate and the amount of time someone spends with your content are quite possibly more important. It’s quality over quantity and your golden opportunity; so focus here and make the changes necessary to have an impact on your content.
Just One Great Example
Take a look at this blog post for a stellar example of storytelling from John Coley at Lake Martin Voice Realty. He does a fantastic job of painting a picture of a caring professional that goes above and beyond to help families find their dream lifestyle. His website combines saved IDX searches with great storytelling that automation from large portals can’t replicate. The investment of human capital in this website is no doubt showing a huge return on investment for John. Great job!
How Can You Implement Storytelling?
Do the homework. There are a million articles just like this one all over the web. Look at examples like John’s site and get inspiration where you can find it.
Need a New or Improved Place to Tell Your Stories?
If you’re just getting started with your IDX home search website efforts or you’re ready to get to the next level, you owe it to yourself to have one of our Product Consultants provide you with a free guided tour of FBS Products IDX solutions. Just click the button below to get started.