"If people cannot write well, they cannot think well. And, if they cannot think well, others will do their thinking for them." -George Orwell, Author of 1984.
With the surge in Video posts on social media, it has become apparent that many people choose not to think.
The first thing that comes out of their head is shared for the world to see and hear.
Assuming, of course, that they're lucky enough to get visibility for their post among the 500 hours of video that uploaded to YouTube in the very minute they did the same. Thirty thousand minutes of competing video. Most of it well-meaning, but utterly banal.
Seen that, heard that - a thousand times!
" What the internet has done is increase the amount of rubbish directed at consumers & business people. It has given the illiterate and the idiotic equal billing with your carefully crafted marketing campaign. Why? Because it is cheap!" Andy Maslen.
The self-proclaimed 'experts' that make a living educating estate agents on the advantages of Facebook advertising, how to overcome objections, or how to make a video, to those in U.S.A that steal good ideas and make them their own, the web is awash with distinctly unoriginal content.
It's a race for attention. No prizes for coming in second.
None for winning the attention race, either - unless, thereafter, there is some engagement.
If the video content continues along this bumpy pot-holed path, don't be surprised when the wheels come off and you're left to walk the rest of the way.
There's a school of thought that imagines realtors/agents are "afraid of looking/sounding foolish." That they don't embrace video when the whole world is apparently on-board with this concept.
That's not it - not it at all!
There might be some afraid, but few.
Like any spectrum, there are vivid shades at one end and dimmer tints at the other.
Those perfectly comfortable and those perfectly paralyzed.
In between, we have those cautious souls that could flip one way, or the other.
It's the same with writing.
And with podcasting.
They're not "afraid of looking/sounding foolish." - they just don't see the value in competing for attention with the "idiotic and illiterate." They don't see the value in a few minutes of video whilst trying to convey what they deem a meaningful message. Or the value in learning the craft required to fully engage an audience. There are great actors, mediocre actors and there are poor actors that cannot command our attention, no matter their persistence.
If your goal is to become a video star, by all means go for it. I would argue, though, that it is far easier to become a gifted writer than an engaging video luminary.
Writing allows one time.
Time to correct mistakes. Time to consider whether other words might better fit. Time to re-arrange the sequence. Time to edit. Time to scrap it all and start afresh if necessary. Time to wonder whether the tone, cadence and rhythm is right for your prospective audience.
I'm not arguing against video marketing. I'm arguing for agents to consider whether it really portrays them in the best possible light. If not, don't persist - change.
Either way, there's a very misunderstood part of written work to which most agents are oblivious.
Whether you D-I-Y, or have it ghostwritten, much as you would like, you are not writing for the masses.
If you write something for everyone, you end up writing something for no one.
Broad is boring. Broad is confusing.
The local Property Blog makes this mistake - trying to appeal to every single resident.
The secret is to be specific. To write for a clearly defined persona.
Communicating with a dynamic, short-attention-span, dominant homeowner is the polar opposite of writing to the precise, detailed and forensic mindset of their neighbor.
You have to be specific. One to one.
Not one to many.
Who is your writing for? More specifically, who is it NOT for?
Unfortunately, a lot of agents don't like going down this path.
Because they don't have anything of interest to say to a small, clearly defined group of people.
They don't take the time or the effort to understand who they are writing for. They don't want a relationship. They want a transaction. And to move on when that transaction completes.
That's precisely where many copywriters and ghostwriters fall down.
They write for the masses. On the off-chance that someone, anyone, is paying attention.
There's no affinity. No "conversation between two minds."
Just a lot of "power words". Some specific keywords. Sprinklings of optimized meta tags. Interesting visuals and the ubiquitous call-to-action.
The solution?
First determine who your content is definitely NOT for.
Perhaps not for the homeowner that is looking for the cheapest agent. Perhaps not for those that have little interest in presenting their homes in the best possible light. Surely not for those that already have a figure in mind when the time comes to appraise.
Once you have that figured out, it becomes that much easier to work out who it is for.
Then write, or speak, directly to that audience.
An audience more likely on your wavelength and one that will engage in conversation.
Instead of being the realtor willing to work with anyone - be the agent that works with someone.
Someone specific.
Someone that definitely wants to work with you.
Then you don't have to 'sell' them anything.
Real estate is still floundering in the 20th Century when it comes to marketing.
Still obsessed with awareness, advertising, noise.
jon-tyson on Unsplash
Still oblivious that the world has moved on and that vendors don't need interruption.
That they need freedom to choose whether they engage, or not.
If realtors cannot write well, they cannot think well. And if they cannot think well, the Tom Ferry's and Grant Cardone's of this world will do their thinking for them.
Thanks, as always, for reading.
I'd love to hear your comments. Tell me why you prefer video or podcasting. Then, let me persuade you to change:)
If you would like to receive a notification when I next post content, there's a simple contact form on the blog home page. No spam, no cold-calls, nothing. That's not how I work.
Chris.
The post If People Cannot Write Well – appeared first on And so the story began.