How to Be More Successful By Educating and Not Selling! “PODCASTING”

A lucrative career in real estate, Insurance, Financial planning and many other professions used to mean shaking a lot of hands and praying for favorable market conditions. While personal contacts and a booming market still have influence on the success in many businesses. Today’s business environment continues to undergo a powerful technological shift.

Everyday, smart businesspeople are doing innovative things on the Internet. They are using the Internet’s efficient online tools to brand their business, gather leads and create a long term client base. Podcasts are one of these new tools. A podcast is basically a short, online radio show that you produce yourself that listeners can download to their computer or MP3 player. Thousands of businesses now use podcasts to build their credibility and client base. Here are just some of the ways podcasts can help your real estate business:

1. Introduce yourself to new potential clients. Podcasts open an entirely new marketing channel for you – a direct channel straight to your target audience.

2. Build a regular audience and a sustained client base. Keep yourself top-of-mind with consistent communication with your listeners, and the next time they are thinking of buying a new home, insuring a new home, investing their savings, who will come to mind first?

3. Become a trusted expert resource. By giving them valuable information every week/month, you build trust with them. You behave like an expert, and people prefer to do business with experts.

4. Get to know your potential clients personally through discussion. By posting your podcast with a simple blog, your listeners can discuss real estate topics with you. These discussions lead to trust.

5. Show your services through descriptions and/or video podcast. It’s like giving a virtual home tour with your personal commentary. Essentially, you would be displaying your services to hundreds – or thousands – of prospects 24/7, when it is convenient and comfortable for them.

6. Reinforce your brand and build long-term business. Your brand is your relationship with clients. Reinforce a positive relationship by offering free advice and discussion and you will always have people seeking your services.

7. Build traffic to your website. Posting and promoting a podcast is just one more way to get visitors to your site, surfing your listings.

8. Make more contacts. Not all of your listeners will be homebuyers, sellers, or have money to invest. You can gain powerful industry authority by being a vocal expert with your podcast. Regardless on the industry you’re in.

9. Think about it! Stand out. How many other realtors, insurance professionals, financial planners, minister, politicians, are using podcasts? Be an early adopter and you will stand head-and-shoulders above the rest. This is especially important when the market is in a downward trend.

Podcasts are new technology, but don’t be intimidated. If you have ever used a tape recorder, you can easily learn how to produce a podcast. You have a lot of knowledge and expertise that your clients can benefit from. They want to hear you – so start podcasting!

Stay tuned, we are ready to enter the world of VIDEO. I will be touching on that next.