Last week, I highlighted a book
called Content Rules, written by Ann Handley & C.C. Chapman.  Content
Rules shows how any small business, even a local real estate office, can
harness marketing power by becoming a micro-publisher.  You may want
to read Part 1 of this discussion before continuing, to avoid missing anything.

 There are great benefits to
becoming a content provider on the internet.  For example, Mike
Volpe, a VP of marketing at HubSpot, recently reported companies that blog
(i.e. produce content) generate 55% more website traffic when compared to
companies that don’t. In addition to more traffic, companies that produce
content recieve 97% more links coming into their sites.

 Despite the obvious benefits of
micro-publishing, most companies are hesitant to commit to regularly producing
content. The question we often get from owners and managers is, “How could I
possibly do this? It seems complex, a little overwhelming, and a lot of work!”

 Yes, it is going to take some
work—there is no way around that.  But, the complexity can be reduced
if you start the process with a plan and a set of principles.  Complex
Rules has published a simple framework that can help anyone get started down
the path of micro-publishing.   There are 11 of these best
practices in the book, here are the best six (in my opinion):  

1. “Embrace being a
publisher” – Put your quality content online: blogs, videos, podcasts, email newsletters,
ebooks, white papers, tweets, webinars, photos and images.

2. “Build momentum” –
Set a clear goal. Make sure your content includes triggers that compel users to take actions that
will eventually result in buying your products and services. Content itself does not
sell; it sets up the sale by giving useful information.

3. “Speak human” –
Adopt a natural voice online. Don’t put on airs. Avoid jargon, such as “impactful,” “synergy,”
“proactive,” “end-to-end,” “win-win” and “leverage” used as a verb. “Write the way you
talk.”

4. “Share or solve; don’t
shill” – Your content’s purpose is not to sell, but to educate and inform. This engages people and
causes a favorable reaction to your firm. To illustrate: The Pampers division of Procter
& Gamble produces online “Welcome to Parenthood” videos. The videos don’t sell
diapers; they inform new parents about babies, and cover topics such as “potty training,”
naps, etc…

5. “Do something
unexpected” – Customers love it when you or your firm does things differently. To gain attention,
surprise your online visitors. This works well for B2B firms that want to stand out from
their competition.

6. “Play to your strengths” –
You don’t have to produce the web’s most entertaining videos, podcasts, or blogs, but you
must publish some type of quality material online.

To wrap up this discussion, I want
to connect micro-publishing principles to recruiting. It is self-evident that
publishing great content will help your real estate office be more successful
at satisfying customers and selling more real estate. But can it also help you
recruit experienced agents more successfully?

 Yes it can—because attraction is
always more powerful than promotion.

Experienced agent recruiting is dominated by promotional activities.  Cold calls, direct emails, staged networking events, etc. are the tools that most real estate managers are using to recruit experienced agents.  Like the direct mail companies who soliciate new card customers, this strategy does produce some results when executed with a high level of persistence.  However, both candidates and managers often get weary in this process.

If you think you can outlast your competitors in the application of these promotional activities, go for it. But you better hope they don't find out how to attract agents to their cause.  If you think about it, Apple didn't become the most valuable company in the world by promoting their products.  They created something compelling and figured out how to attract people to it.  

By becoming a successful micro-publisher and
providing great content in your local community, you position yourself as an attractive thought-leader. Successful real estate agents want insightful information
and they want to be connected to intersting and  influential people.  If you
become a source for compelling information, you’ll have agents congregating around
you.  That is every hiring manager's dream.

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Editor's Note: This article was written by Ben Hess. Ben is the Founding Partner and Managing Director of Tidemark, Inc. and a regular contributor to WorkPuzzle.