One area of content marketing that many industries neglect is the creation of press releases. In the real estate industry, this is actually good news. Many of your competitors aren’t using or even thinking about press releases unless they consider the subject to be one of major importance or significance.
The way I see it, anything that leads to selling a property and making money for your business holds “major importance” status. This is why there is virtually no reason to opt out of sending a press release whenever you can.
Don’t worry about whether the news is significant. As long as it’s something newsworthy, it’s worth a press release. I’ll go into more detail about what counts as newsworthy in a few minutes. For right now, I want to give you some good advice on the types of information that make up a successful press release. Let’s get right into it …
1. Use Your Name and Agency Name Liberally
The more you build up your own reputation, the more organic business you will generate. As an agent, there is no detail in a press release that is more important than who you are. At a close second is who you represent. Use your full name at least twice: once toward the beginning and once toward the end. Mention the agency in conjunction with your name at least once, and hyperlink to your personal blog or webpage for online press releases.
Be careful not to repeat the information ad nauseum or with any kind of marketing agenda. Keep the language organic and remember that you’re reporting news, not directly advertising. The caliber of the information in the press release is what is going to do the selling.
2. Use Real Quotes
Never manufacture quotes for press releases. When you do, the so-called quotes almost always take on too much of a marketing slant and that can cause some of the more prominent news wires to reject the release. Remember that press releases are about facts, just like a news story.
If you’re writing your own press release, come up with a few relevant quotes and watch the sales language. If you’re working with a professional press release copywriter, supply two or three quotes to be inserted at relevant points in the press release. Never ask a copywriter to fudge quotes for a press release. You know your business better than anybody. Let your clients and potential new clients hear from you. I cannot stress how important this is.
3. Format for Maximum Visibility
Are you writing a press release just for online distribution or also for local newspapers and news outlets? Formatting requirements vary, so always know what you need to include or exclude for maximum reach.
There are a number of online press release writing guides, but keep in mind that individual sites and news outlets have their own rules. For example, know how to format a press release that the local paper will publish. That requires a little extra digging, but a quick phone call or visit to its website should be able to provide the information you need.
4. Include All Relevant Details
Remember that press releases are all about the who, what, where, and when. The “how” in a press release should be implied. This is “how” you’re going to get into that great new property. This is “how” we’re going to get you financed.” You get the idea. However, do cover all the other bases directly and succinctly.
Before sitting down to write, brainstorm all the details you know need to be included, then organize them into a sensible order. The most important details should appear in the first couple of paragraphs with supporting details logically connected. If you’re unsure how to do this, hand over your notes to a professional real estate copywriter and watch the magic happen.
5. Link Back to Your Blog or Website — No Landing Pages
This goes right back to the importance of letting the press release do the marketing. Links to relevant content are fine. Links to sales pages and landing pages are not. The page you link to should be identified in the body of the press release and when people get there, the content should reflect what they’ve been told to expect.
This is important in all marketing efforts, but it’s crucial when writing press releases. Nothing gets a press release flagged faster than trying to slip in a sales pitch, especially in a link.
When to Send a Press Release
Like I said in the beginning, there are very few instances when you wouldn’t want to send a press release. Anytime something new happens, it’s worth sending one. Here are a few examples:
• You have a new mortgage product.
• You have a prominent new listing.
• You’ve started working on a new product line (commercial properties, rentals, etc.).
• You enter a new market.
• You reach a sales milestone.
• You make a noteworthy commercial sale.
• You are listing a historic property.
In short, if it’s noteworthy and interesting enough to get people to stop and read, it’s worth a press release.
Get Your Press Release Seen
I highly recommend checking out the link above and making sure you’re covering all the bases in your press releases. If you’re still unsure or just don’t have the time to keep up with this or other areas of real estate content creation, BeezContent is here to help. Our professional real estate copywriters know how to format a press release that propagates well and gets seen by the right people. Contact us today to learn how partnering with Beez can help you meet your content creation and publishing objectives.
