How to do a Database Cleanup

Last time we discussed how to write a blog. This week I want to talk about your database. Thinking about a database cleanup may be overwhelming. Your database is the heart of your business, and it can be so much more if it were organized. Imagine a day where you can schedule an email blast to go out to only buyers who are looking within the next month. Or maybe you want to send out Happy Homeowner Anniversary cards to past clients who purchased a home. It can be as easy as running a report or separating your contacts using tags. It is time to do a database cleanup to make this a reality!

First Step to a Database Cleanup

The first step in doing a database cleanup is to decide what information you want in your database about a client. Are you looking to send out birthday cards to your past clients? Do you want to start a great drip campaign for your prospective sellers? Figure out your goals, and you can figure out your tags and other categories you want in your contact files. 

You want to have tags that will identify your contacts. It is a good idea to use Buyer A, B, and C; Seller A, B, and C; past clients, dead lead, SOI, and Vendor. Tags are used to categorize your contacts for when you want to follow up with them. You may have a monthly newsletter that you send out, but you only want to send it to your past clients. This is done by selecting the specific tag and sending it only to them. 

After you decide on your tags, it is time to add the other items to your contact list. If you want their birthdays on there, add a column for that. Want to add a closing date to all of your past clients, create a column for that. Most databases you will be able to pull a report of these specific items and reach out to them as you see fit. 

Second Step to a Database Cleanup

Now it is time to run a report to include your entire database. Once you have this report run, look at the column names and add any that you want to add. It is the time to divide your list into chunks of 200. This will keep you focused and organized. Trying to tag and find information for a large amount of contacts at one time can seem overwhelming and impossible. Breaking it into smaller sections makes it completely doable. With smaller sections you can add your tags and information, upload it into your database, and take a break if you need to. 

A database cleanup isn’t something that you can accomplish overnight. It will take time, effort, determination, and organization. It will be worth all of the hard work to have an organized, tagged, and informational database. Imagine the possibilities with a working database! Do you only want to deal with tagging your database, we can do the rest! Call us at 202-469-6774. You can also schedule an appointment online to meet your schedule! 

How to Blog For Real Estate Agents

Last time we talked about Facebook Marketing, this week we are going to discuss blogging. Focusing on branding and marketing yourself includes starting, and maintaining, a blog. Getting your name out there and in front of people is a great way to get more business. Blogging isn’t something that will get you new business right away, but it will help in creating and maintaining your internet presence. Here are some tips on how to blog.

Blog Topics

The first thing you need to focus on when learning how to blog is topics. When considering what to write your blog posts on, consider your audience. Who are you trying to reach? As a real estate agent, your target audience is essentially anybody in your local area. It doesn’t matter if they are buying or selling a home right now. You want to be in front of anybody around you.

Your topics should be inviting for everybody, not just people looking buying or selling right now. The goal is to get in front of people and provide them with relevant information. To do this, you will need a variety of topics to post. Some ideas can include local area events, home improvement tips, home decorating ideas, mortgage information, and buying and selling tips. When somebody reads your blog, they should walk away feeling informed about what they were looking for. 

How to Blog with SEO

Have you heard of SEO? Do you know what it means if you have? It means Search Engine Optimization. In blogging, this means to use relevant keywords so that your blog can be found when people use those search words. You will need to use these keywords throughout your blog and in your images to have an impact. In learning how to blog, you will need to learn to find which keywords will work for you by using a keyword search. There are multiple sites that offer that capability. 

If you have a Wordpress website, you can also add a plugin to help with your SEO. This will verify your keyword density, your blog length, and also rate the readability of your post. It also gives you tips on what you can do to improve your SEO and readability.

How to Write a Good Blog Post

Writing a good blog post is important When you are learning how to blog, you need to be able to make an impact on your reader. Focus on what the reader needs, not what you need. Bragging about yourself can be a bad idea because it can come off wrong to the reader. The way to talk yourself up, without actually saying it, is to prove your expertise through your posts. Using relevant, helpful, and updated information in your blog posts is the best way to show that you know what you are talking about. 

Your title should be catchy and include your keyword. Your first paragraph should get right to the point about the topic of the post. Rambling on and on to reach a higher word count won’t help you. Consider when you are reading something. Do you continue to read if it is repetitive or rambling? Give fresh information, and keep it to the point as much as possible. 

When your blog post is coming to an end, make a conclusion. Ask for feedback, opinions, or suggestions. Engaging with your readers is something to strive for. Building relationships is your business, and learning how to blog can help do that. 

Still aren’t sure if you are up for the task of learning how to blog? We can help! Call us at 202-469-6774. You can also schedule an appointment online to meet your schedule!