Tiger Woods, regarded as one of the best golfers in history spends an incredible amount of time working on his game.  He takes the time to perfect his strokes with each and every one of his clubs in his arsenal.  Since he takes such care in mastering each club a reporter once asked him “Tiger, so what is your favorite club?”  Tiger did not take but a moment to respond as he said “All 14″.  His point was well taken since at any point during the game of golf he must always choose the right club for the right situation.  So his “favorite” club can only be whatever the right tool is for the job. For you to choose to start with a Blog or a website for your online real estate marketing efforts is much the same choice.  Don’t play “favorites” or what is the “in” thing to use.  You need to choose the right tool for the job.  So, what purpose does each of these tools serve?  Although we can’t cover ALL of the aspects of each of these powerful marketing mediums, we are going to break each one down so you can see how you can maximize them for your marketing efforts.

Blog

Real estate blogs are probably the most talked about tools in real estate in the past year.  Real estate websites are such old news that having a real estate blog must be the way to get in front of those buyers and sellers online….right?  Well if you are just as confused about the goal of a real estate blog as you are about a website let’s look at how you can use them.

• How often do you update? - A real estate blog should have fresh content, usually at least 2-3 times a week.  Although some say a blog should not be like a newspaper, many buyers and sellers do expect them to be updated with the latest information and sometimes that could be daily.  Some of the most successful real estate bloggers update their blogs more than once a day.
• Writing Style - Writing in a conversational tone is encouraged as you are opening dialogues with prospects online in each and every post (hopefully) so you want to write in an easy to read manner.  No need to be long as a “post” can consist of just a few hundred words.
• Conversion Points - Blogs should have the ability to convert buyer and seller prospects with easy to use tools like an MLS search feature and a CMA tool.  Calls to action can be in particular posts or as menu choices on your blog.
• Who are they best for? - If you enjoy writing and sticking with it, then a blog is your tool.  Be prepared to respond to comments on your blog to really build a following and a community of online members.  If you have a well running farm this is a great tool to increase your market share.

Real Estate Website

Although many would say the blog is what will kill the real estate website, websites will be around for many many years!  They provide a niche that is different than blogs can provide.  Let’s look at how they can be used:

• How often do you update? - Real estate websites need to be updated much less frequently than blogs.  Now, don’t think you can get away with building it once and saying “I am done!”, but you certainly aren’t held to the same cycle.  If you add a couple of new pages a month to your website you are doing great!  Neighborhood information (like floor plans, lot sizes, etc) don’t change often so they are great to write about.
• Writing Style - Although you can write in a conversational manner, you aren’t trying to get people to “comment” on your different pages.  You can be more descriptive when writing about your area.  Stay away from using “I” too much as you need the information to focus on your visitors needs.
• Conversion Points - Your conversion tools would also be an MLS tool and a CMA tool on your website.  On a real estate website though you can take the opportunity to have multiple calls to action on a page.
• Who are they best for? - If you want to carefully craft information about your area over an extended period of time then this is your tool.  Websites can also achieve excellent results when paired with pay per click advertising.

Whether you choose a real estate website or a blog, make sure that you use it.  Even if you spent $350 on a new driver for golf it won’t hit the ball down the fairway for you.  You would still have to practice with it and give it a swing on the course!  Blogs and websites are no different; you have to use them to see the results.  So, what is your favorite online marketing tool?