One of the biggest challenges of marketing any business is that it’s inherently a one-sided process: you are reaching out to potential clients, typically unsolicited, asking them to trust that you’re a great person to work with. It’s not an impossible ask, but it is a difficult one. And as time goes on and people are exposed to more and more marketing messages each day, it only becomes more difficult.

That’s why a lot of successful real estate marketing these days is flipping that equation on its head. Instead of just sending out requests for listings and referrals and “Call me if you have any real estate needs!”, more and more professionals are using content marketing to get their message across while also giving their prospects something of value.

What is content marketing? It’s the idea of using information (content) that your prospects value in order to develop a relationship, and to establish yourself as a trusted expert in your field.

Real estate content marketing can take a lot of forms. It can be as simple as revamping your existing marketing strategies. Instead of using farming postcards to let prospects know that you’re looking for listings, you can send out a market update postcard or market analysis door hanger and offer people a free evaluation of what their home might be worth in the market today. Or you can go even farther afield with household tips, baseball schedules, and recipe postcards – all great ways to give your mailing list something of value with your name and brand attached.

Postcards and door hangers aren’t the only way to get into content marketing, of course. Many real estate professionals prefer to use online options like blogs, email newsletters, or their social media feeds to provide valuable content, and to use their postcard campaigns to drive traffic to their online presence.

No matter what option you choose, you can’t go wrong by offering your prospects something of value when you’re asking for their attention.