Press Releases Build Traffic and LEADS.

No matter how things change, some things just remain the same, like good old fashioned customer service.

Meeting someone in person and being greeted with a warm handshake and a sincere smile, instead of WebEx computer to computer.

Picking up the phone and calling a prospect or a client instead of email.

Mailing out a nice, hand written letter instead of the email or the phone call.

This BLOG is about Press Releases. The old fashioned PR was crafted on a computer by a PR agency. Then it was mailed out and faxed to a select group of TV stations, newspapers and magazines. Today, the way we send the Press Release out has changed, but the content is the same as it was twenty years ago.

For REALTORS and brokers who are looking at their $100,000 a year annual (or more) ad spend on marketing and advertising, here's the Bartman's top 6 rules of getting Press Releases to WORK for getting you Location, Location, Location for your real estate website.

Step 1.

Create a GOOD MS Word template PR template. You will need to use this at least (5) times a year.

Step 2.

Put your NAME, your TITLE and your Phone and Email at the top of the PR along with the Sub Title: For More Information, Contact --- then put your name, title, email and phone under that.

Step 3

Write two to three paragraphs about the topic you want to include in the PR. If you have a partner, mortgage company, custom home builder or any other ABA, leave one paragraph for them.

Step 4

Include at the END of the PR, a short paragraph About Your Company. Use this area to include information about who you are, what you do and if you can craft it... add a comment about your marketing statement. Something unique and memorable about what makes YOU stand out from the competition.

Step 5

Once you've written the PR draft, share it with a few of your colleagues. Get them to read it. Then ask them: If you saw that PR, would you read it? does it have a catchy headline? Would you visit the website after having read it?

If you get panned by your friends or colleagues on the content... then it's time to write another one.

Remember, nobody likes boring or ordinary. And here's the challenge for most REALTORS. We are not unique. We sell homes. Thanks to technology and the Internet, there's nothing really special about being a REALTOR anymore. Anyone can take the 8-week course, pass the REALTOR exam and hang a real estate license up. As sales people, some of us are better than others.

Some of us who want to BE better at our job will take time to do the self improvement courses and learn how to chirp on Twitter, how to create a presence on Facebook and how to get Press Releases written so we can enjoy more leads and more commissions.

Step 6.

Pick PRWeb and 1888PressRelease.com. PRWeb.com allows you to EDIT your PR and add links on certain key phrases to point to your website. You can also go BACK and RE-edit them. 1888PressRelease.com is a great site for adding your PR into all the big social networks online and the cost is $50 - $60 to get page one.

Click here for an ACTUAL PRWeb.com Example for a Keller Williams agent in Colorado Springs.

EXAMPLES CATCHY SUBJECTs IDEAS -- for your Press Release (below)

Amazing Realty Forms a Commercial Division. Now Paying $10,000 Bonuses to Million Dollar Producers.

The above subject would be used if your firm "Amazing Realty" formed a Commercial branch and wants to use the $10,000 bonus as a sign on bonus to recruit agents away from the other guys. This same head line can be used if you're just recruiting Million Dollar producing agents from Broker Bob across town, too.

Amazing Realty Lands Page One Visibility on Google. Home Sales Soar.

This above subject does two things. It announces to the competition that you have arrived, and top producing agents WANT to work for the broker with best visibility. 2.) If you home inventory is starting to run on empty, this lets home owners know that you have page one visibility on Google and that homes sell fast. So listing with your brokerage... seems like it might a good idea to them.

Amazing Realty Announces the Death of Agent Desk Fees.

It speaks for itself but the subject limits itself to brokers and agents. If you want to start grooming agents to come on board at your place, this is always a great subject to use. But be creative and take this idea and come up with some of your own.

Amazing Realty Announces New Website. Google Maps, FREE IDX Search.

This might seem too special, but if you dump your watered down Agent Disadvantage Website or Not Very Advanced Access Website and build a new one from scratch... adding a custom IDX with FREE MLS search means a big deal to next time home buyers and those thinking of listing with you.

Amazing Realty Announces One Stop Brokerage, Mortgage and Title Services

Ahhhhh. The ultimate dream of any brokerage is to put all things under one roof. This is a good story and one that has proven to have worked the charm over and over again.

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PR is a proven way to build the buzz about what you do. It generates incoming links, it helps with increasing Google PageRank and for go-getters like Jamie, he's averaging 15 solid leads a month. Every time I call him, he's either showing a house or getting ready to close on another.

The Reason's for Jamie's Success (below)

Jamie's effort to improve his business took 10 months and was an investment of over $20,000 but judge the results for yourself.

1.) New website built from scratch, new IDX and SEO program was created in March 2008.

2.) In December, Jamie reported an 800% ROI and sales commissions were $40,000 just for the month of December. This was done at a time when most REALTORS did nothing but complain how lousy the market was treating them.

3.) March 2009, Jamie was page one on Google for three search terms.

Maintaining his current visibility, leads and page rank runs about $400 a month. This includes on going SEO, Press Releases and occasional link building and adding more pages to his website.

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PR is just one part of the SUCCESS mix you need to follow.

In my next blog, I will cover what you should be doing with a $100,000 a year advertising budget or more for brokers, and a $15,000 a year marketing/advertising budget for REALTORS.

For more information, on PR, SEO or real estate marketing tips, I can be reached at our Santa Fe office.

Bart Wilson, Chief Marketing Officer | REALTOR Support Desk

The Real Estate Marketing Company

Tel: (505) 466-2483 | iPhone: (505) 204-8097