tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26487314Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:51:27 +0000The official blog of ArmingYourFarming.com. Real estate marketing ideas for agents and brokers.http://www.armingyourfarming.com/realestatemarketing/noreply@blogger.com (Brandon)Blogger291125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26487314.post-3213238591857389921Mon, 26 Oct 2009 22:45:00 +00002009-10-26T16:48:55.535-07:00Lead GenerationYou can have all of the real estate agent leads you want. Seriously. I'll even show you how to go about it. You see, lead generation is not a complex science or skill. It just takes a lot of hard work and persistence.This article is a compilation of the lessons I've learned over the years. As a marketing consultant, I've helped many real estate agents generate leads with their websites and blogs.http://www.armingyourfarming.com/realestatemarketing/2009/10/you-can-have-my-real-estate-agent-leads.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Brandon)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26487314.post-8817606498794193094Fri, 02 Oct 2009 17:13:00 +00002009-10-06T08:39:09.325-07:00Real Estate SEORealtor website design and search engine optimization (SEO) go hand in hand. So if you're planning a new website soon, you should learn how to optimize it as well. You don't have to become an SEO expert or anything, but you should know enough to build the site properly.Why is this important? Because if you ignore the fundamentals of SEO when creating your site, you could hamstring your future http://www.armingyourfarming.com/realestatemarketing/2009/10/realtor-website-design-with-search.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Brandon)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26487314.post-6030197046905807385Tue, 29 Sep 2009 19:02:00 +00002009-09-29T12:37:41.070-07:00Lead GenerationLanding pages are a great way to generate real estate leads through your website. But many agents don't know (A) what a landing page is to begin with, and (B) how to use them to produce leads. In today's lesson, I'll talk about each of these things. I'll also give you a sample landing page to reinforce the lesson, and to get your marketing wheels turning.What is a Landing Page Anyway?Within the http://www.armingyourfarming.com/realestatemarketing/2009/09/generating-leads-with-real-estate.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Brandon)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26487314.post-6380968154016191756Mon, 14 Sep 2009 14:26:00 +00002009-09-23T17:19:22.014-07:00Real Estate SEOIn this real estate SEO tutorial, I'll explain a proven strategy for link building success. Inbound links (from other websites to your website) will improve your search engine rankings, and thus your web traffic in general. Links from quality and relevant websites will get you the best results.Anyone can buy their way into a link-building scheme and pick up a bunch of links. But these links will http://www.armingyourfarming.com/realestatemarketing/2009/09/seo-strategy-how-to-get-hundreds-of.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Brandon)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26487314.post-1241280940490123875Thu, 03 Sep 2009 16:40:00 +00002009-09-03T14:00:28.358-07:00Lead GenerationIn the past, I've often written about lead generation techniques that you can apply to your real estate blog. Now it's time for a visual demonstration. Below, I've "flipped" a blog to demonstrate just how easy it is to add lead generators to it. First, we will start with the before-and-after images of the blog, and then I'll explain the changes I've made.Before — A Basic Real Estate BlogThis is ahttp://www.armingyourfarming.com/realestatemarketing/2009/09/flipping-real-estate-blog-lead.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Brandon)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26487314.post-6490065720989890655Mon, 17 Aug 2009 14:23:00 +00002009-08-17T07:48:10.745-07:00Free ArticlesI've just posted some new content to our free real estate articles service over at AdviceForAgents.com. Two are credit related, and one deals with home insurance. All three of the free articles are intended for first-time home buyers, so they will make a fine addition to your website or blog.As usual, the following guidelines apply: You may republish any of the free real estate articles from http://www.armingyourfarming.com/realestatemarketing/2009/08/free-real-estate-articles-3-new.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Brandon)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26487314.post-5697039537741197861Mon, 27 Jul 2009 16:06:00 +00002009-07-27T14:37:57.881-07:00Real Estate BlogsSummary: Real estate blogs and search engine optimization (SEO) go hand in hand. In this lesson, I'll explain how you can increase your blog traffic with a little-known keyword strategy. It's an easy way to bring more local visitors / potential clients to your site.I know a lot of real estate agents who spend countless hours trying to improve their Google rankings for leading search phrases. Theyhttp://www.armingyourfarming.com/realestatemarketing/2009/07/increase-your-blog-traffic-with-this.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Brandon)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26487314.post-3825371498282901376Tue, 21 Jul 2009 00:32:00 +00002009-07-20T17:46:12.895-07:00Internet MarketingI recently blogged about the rise of social media sites as a real estate marketing tool. YouTube was one of the websites I mentioned. It seems that Coldwell Banker has taken this concept to the next level. They have created their own highly customized channel on YouTube, and they've added some pretty smart features as well.They are allowing their agents to add videos to the channel, and the http://www.armingyourfarming.com/realestatemarketing/2009/07/coldwell-banker-creates-custom-youtube.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Brandon)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26487314.post-3208034163368357593Sat, 18 Jul 2009 00:23:00 +00002009-07-17T18:17:00.156-07:00Internet MarketingI've spent the last 30 minutes looking for articles about Twitter, and how real estate agents can use it for marketing / communications. Surprisingly, there wasn't much to be found. Most of the articles I came across explained how to to follow people on Twitter (as if that's rocket science) -- but they didn't offer much advice on using Twitter for real estate marketing purposes.So I'll have to http://www.armingyourfarming.com/realestatemarketing/2009/07/how-real-estate-agents-can-use-twitter.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Brandon)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26487314.post-820834711262583583Wed, 15 Jul 2009 15:06:00 +00002009-07-15T15:19:30.857-07:00Lead GenerationIn this article, I plan to share everything I've learned about generating home buyer leads through a real estate website. These lessons come from the work I've done on the Home Buying Institute website over the last five years or so. In that time, I've been fortunate enough to attract millions of visitors and produce thousands of leads from home buyers and mortgage shoppers.Please don't think I'mhttp://www.armingyourfarming.com/realestatemarketing/2009/07/15-lessons-about-generating-home-buyer.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Brandon)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26487314.post-5348673147411394918Fri, 10 Jul 2009 13:50:00 +00002009-07-10T07:43:05.478-07:00Real Estate SEOI know what you're thinking. You probably think the title of this blog post is a clever bait-and-switch designed to lure you in. You probably think: "Sure, it sounds great. But there's really no way to use old emails to improve Google rankings ... is there?" I assure you there is. And I'm going to show you exactly how to do it in this blog post.Two Things You Need to Know...There are two conceptshttp://www.armingyourfarming.com/realestatemarketing/2009/07/how-to-use-your-old-emails-for-better.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Brandon)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26487314.post-9044846566024033853Thu, 09 Jul 2009 21:49:00 +00002009-07-09T19:53:58.745-07:00Real Estate SEOWant some "insider" advice from a former search engine optimization provider? Here it is. You should avoid real estate SEO firms like the swine flu. Here are nine good reasons for doing that.For several years, I offered search engine optimization (SEO) services to real estate agents and folks in other industries. These days I just manage the Home Buying Institute, because it's more fulfilling http://www.armingyourfarming.com/realestatemarketing/2009/07/7-reasons-to-avoid-real-estate-seo.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Brandon)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26487314.post-2815138284534416660Thu, 09 Jul 2009 00:21:00 +00002009-07-17T18:20:08.048-07:00Internet MarketingWhat is social media marketing, and how can it help you grow your real estate business? Those are the questions I'd like to focus on with this blog post. By the time you're done reading this quick primer, you'll be ready to plunge into the world of social media marketing.Social Media DefinedA social media website is one that allows visitors to contribute content in some way, and to interact with http://www.armingyourfarming.com/realestatemarketing/2009/07/social-media-marketing-for-real-estate.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Brandon)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26487314.post-4313215420810136540Tue, 09 Jun 2009 16:35:00 +00002009-06-09T09:46:27.296-07:00Free ArticlesWhat credit score do I need to get a mortgage loan? How much can I afford to pay each month? Do I qualify for an FHA loan? How do I get pre-approved, and which type of mortgage is right for me?These are five of the most common mortgage questions we have received through the Home Buying Institute website, over the last six months. I know this for a fact, because I spent the last three days siftinghttp://www.armingyourfarming.com/realestatemarketing/2009/06/top-5-mortgage-questions-among-home.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Brandon)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26487314.post-768695381035620636Tue, 31 Mar 2009 15:54:00 +00002009-03-31T10:26:27.954-07:00Lead GenerationViable leads are the lifeblood of any real estate business. They are the seeds from which new business relationships grow. They are, in essence, the key to client acquisition.But many agents are at loss when it comes to generating real estate leads on a regular basis. Sure, they realize the importance of it. And they know they have to be proactive in order to generate new leads and grow their http://www.armingyourfarming.com/realestatemarketing/2009/03/generate-more-real-estate-leads-online.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Brandon)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26487314.post-4716238896804734881Mon, 16 Feb 2009 21:55:00 +00002009-03-31T10:30:32.812-07:00Internet MarketingAnyone with a business website can benefit from an increase in web traffic, and that obviously includes real estate websites. Increasing your traffic makes all the other aspects of Internet marketing a lot easier.With more traffic, you'll be able to...Increase your visibility within your market areaGenerate more leads from your websiteEnjoy more feedback from your web visitorsMake your website http://www.armingyourfarming.com/realestatemarketing/2009/02/ways-to-increase-web-traffic.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Brandon)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26487314.post-4037094875760135148Tue, 10 Feb 2009 16:26:00 +00002009-03-31T10:34:12.732-07:00General Marketing AdviceTimes are tough for most real estate agents these days. Slow markets and a general lack of clients have driven some agents out of the industry completely.But then there's always that one guy or gal in every market who seems to whether the storm with ease, attracting more real estate clients while other agents come up empty. How do these agents do it? Well, they probably cast a wider marketing nethttp://www.armingyourfarming.com/realestatemarketing/2009/02/how-to-find-more-real-estate-clients.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Brandon)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26487314.post-7420917136345570114Mon, 26 Jan 2009 18:38:00 +00002009-01-26T11:20:05.507-08:00Real Estate WebsitesSummary: In this article, I'll explain how you could generate extra revenue from your real estate website by using commission programs.I think we can all agree that times are tough for real estate agents right now. Despite record-low interest rates, home sales are still down. So a lot of real estate folks are looking for ways to make extra money during these tough times. And that's exactly what http://www.armingyourfarming.com/realestatemarketing/2009/01/extra-money-from-your-real-estate.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Brandon)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26487314.post-1337752641119456054Mon, 19 Jan 2009 16:36:00 +00002009-01-19T13:58:48.876-08:00Real Estate SEOToday, I received what must have been the 50th spam email from some company claiming to be a real estate SEO firm. Evidently, they rely heavily on link exchanges for their SEO clients, because all of the spam emails I've received from them have been the garden-variety link swap messages -- the kind of email that begins with the always awful phrase "Dear Webmaster."Let me make offer some advice, http://www.armingyourfarming.com/realestatemarketing/2009/01/spam-link-exchanges-and-other-real.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Brandon)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26487314.post-754301787298103398Mon, 29 Dec 2008 16:58:00 +00002008-12-29T09:12:46.670-08:00Industry NewsDo you frequently get credit-related questions from your real estate clients? Want to offer free credit help through your website or blog? If you answered yes to either of these questions, you'll be interested in the Consumer Credit Help blog we have launched over at the Home Buying Institute.This blog is our way of responding to the housing and credit crisis that has wrecked our economy. It http://www.armingyourfarming.com/realestatemarketing/2008/12/free-credit-help-for-your-real-estate.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Brandon)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26487314.post-2961473390716530646Thu, 11 Dec 2008 17:16:00 +00002008-12-11T11:14:32.845-08:00Real Estate WebsitesMany website owners are stuck between a rock and a hard place right now, in terms of promoting their sites. They know they have to promote their websites constantly in order to drive qualified traffic. But times are tough right now, and many people are cutting their marketing budgets in response to economic changes.It's a classic catch 22. How do you promote your website on the cheap? What kind http://www.armingyourfarming.com/realestatemarketing/2008/12/how-to-promote-your-website-on-budget.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Brandon)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26487314.post-3054162686014386844Wed, 10 Dec 2008 14:22:00 +00002008-12-10T08:01:46.919-08:00Real Estate BlogsOnce in a while, I'll receive email questions in response to a blog post or tutorial I've written. When it comes to the topic of blogs, the most common question is this: "How do I create a blog using the WordPress blogging program?" So in this tutorial, I'm going to explain how you would start a blog using WordPress.Why Use WordPress in the First Place?I'm not going to tell you which blogging http://www.armingyourfarming.com/realestatemarketing/2008/12/how-to-start-blog-using-wordpress.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Brandon)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26487314.post-2129075967867150781Wed, 26 Nov 2008 18:24:00 +00002008-11-26T10:41:15.722-08:00Real Estate WebsitesDid you know you can publish Google Maps onto your real estate website and use it to display property listings, office location, open houses and more? It's true, and it's a lot easier than most agents realize.This kind of technique is commonly referred to as a "mashup" -- a web program that combines multiple data sources within one application. In the case of a real estate mashup, you are http://www.armingyourfarming.com/realestatemarketing/2008/11/google-maps-on-real-estate-website.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Brandon)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26487314.post-1349047092788899328Tue, 25 Nov 2008 00:14:00 +00002008-11-24T17:11:51.885-08:00Lead GenerationWhat could you do with a handful of free real estate leads each and every day? How much would that be worth to your business? It would be priceless, wouldn't it?Well, in this blog post, I'm going to tell you how you can generate a steady stream of free leads through your real estate website or blog. And I'm going to use a pair of blogs on my home buying website as a real-world example.A little http://www.armingyourfarming.com/realestatemarketing/2008/11/half-dozen-free-real-estate-leads-per.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Brandon)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26487314.post-2141814748112204091Mon, 17 Nov 2008 21:08:00 +00002008-11-17T13:28:57.697-08:00Real Estate SEOWebsite content is the building block of any search engine optimization campaign. A successful real estate SEO program starts with keyword-rich content built around certain key phrases. And in this new SEO video, I'll explain what that means and how to incorporate the concept into your real estate website content.Adding new content to your website is one of the easier ways to increase your web http://www.armingyourfarming.com/realestatemarketing/2008/11/website-content-development.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Brandon)