Lead generation seems to be an evasive subject for many Realtors.  You know that you need leads, but the old fashioned, traditional ways of getting leads really don’t work the way they use to.

You know you should be blogging and doing other things online, but knowing what to do is not always easy.   Here’s a list of ideas to help you get traffic to your site, and generate leads for your Real Estate business.

    • Post recommendation lists on your blog: “Top 10…” or “Best of…” or “10 Tips to…”  These types of lists attract inbound links from other sites as well.
    • Create a directory of experts, and service providers, in your area that relate to your industry.  With luck, they will link to your site’s complimentary references.
    • Offer to speak at events (Kiwanis, Rotary, Small Business clubs, etc).  This has a few benefits as far as generating potential leads.  Some of the event attendees may have blogs where they will write about you.  Also, you can post slides, notes, and podcasts from the event on your site and encourage event attendees to visit.
    • List your website on DMOZ, a directory used by Google to support page rankings.  Be aware that DMOZ is a human-edited directory that is tough to get into
    • Be sure you are listed on main internet directories (most of them are free).
    • Think of something you can advertise on Craigslist to give away for their email address, for example “For free buyer’s guide, go to www.yoursite.com” and send them to a lead capture page.
    • Ask and answer questions on Yahoo! Answers, Trulia’s Q&A’s, or ActiveRain.  In your answers, you can point people to online resources, including your own website.
    • Create a page on Squidoo or HubPages.  Make it about your local market, with links to different resources (including your own site, or blogs that you have about neighborhoods or properties).  This will help you build a reputation as an industry expert.
    • Participate in forums and be sure to include your domain name in your signature (where possible) like ActiveRain.com
    • Add comments to related blogs and reference your website, but be sure to make relevant contributions.
    • Ask your friends to Digg a particular article.  If you write a great article, ask your friends to vote for it on Digg.  If you get a front page listing, it can drive thousands of visitors to your site, some of whom may create direct links to the article
    • See if your local chamber of commerce or other business support group has a website where you can get listed.
    • Establish relationships with complimentary, non-competing businesses in your sector and come to an agreement about recommending each other’s services via links on your sites.  Examples could be a local Carpeting Store, Home Builder, Title Company.
    • Write reviews about neighborhoods, local vendors, etc.
    • Post comments on other blogs and link to your blog.  You want to attract the attention of the blogger and the readers, so make sure your posts are thought-provoking and relevant.
    • Make sure you have your domain name on all of your marketing materials.
    • When you go to conferences or events, take photos and notes and post them on your site.
    • Offer a free podcast about a topic that is interesting to your audience.
    • Have a competition on your site that requires no entry fee, and make the prize worthwhile to generate a good number of leads.  Be sure to direct all of that traffic (whether it is in a mail out or online) to a lead capture page so you can build a list of prospects and develop a relationship with them over time.

    Secret Agent Blueprint