Vacation home sales and marketing professionals can find themselves so deep in the process of day to day business, that they can easily overlook the importance of conveying the best attributes of their homes and location.

Blogging with a Sales Purpose

Business blogging may seem like an overwhelming idea to many people at first thought.  It may feel unnecessary, or it may sound like just one more thing that they don't have time to do.  Blogging is the best way to attract new prospects and capture leads. To help get your blog off the ground we've come up with ideas and suggestions for articles. Changing these ideas so that they match your specific situation will help the rest of the content fall right into place.

People thinking about purchasing a vacation home aren't looking for an everyday experience; they're looking for an experience that will make them happy every day.  With that distinction, it's vital that those persons selling vacation homes create business blogging experiences that take the potential buyers on vacation as they read the article.  Where will they dine?  What will they do for fun?  Why should they choose this location over other available options.  Creating a sense of place within business blogging can be the reason that readers make a vacation home purchase.

Here are some ideas that can help make business blogging convey a sense of place and sell vacation homes:

#1 - Write about Your Firm Business

There is a way to boast about a company's accomplishments without conveying arrogance.  When a real estate firm finds this balance, it can be seen as an authority figure by the audience.  For example, if the company was honored by the Chamber of Commerce, this needs to be written about. By doing so, you increase the number of keywords about your town, your firm and convey professionalism.  Readers will be more likely to believe that subsequent blog posts are accurate when they know that the company has an established, positive reputation within the town.

#2 - Promote Local Events That Convey a Sense of Place

People that are purchasing a vacation home will more than likely be looking for relaxing and fun activities to fill their time while they're there.  Many cities and towns have local calendars that are filled with things to do. The key to writing a blog article on an event is to give it some personality and honestly write about past experiences and what to expect. Simply listing that a boat show is happening or a fair is nearby offers no value. Explain why people should attend and what they will expect to see and do.

#3 - Answer Your Prospects Questions About Place

Potential buyers' questions are often the perfect places to start blog topics.  They're asking questions for a reason, and they're likely not the only ones wondering about the answers. Start with the basic things people want to know such as traffic, population, grocery stores, trash pick up, hospitals, churches, etc... Each of these is a potential blog article and you could write an index blog that links to each of the aforementioned topics. 

#4 - Neighborhoods and the People Who Live In The Area

If the neighbors have somehow made their way into positive, noteworthy news, they're worth making their way into the subjects of business blogging, too.  A friendly, welcoming neighborhood is almost always welcome to potential buyers. ind an interesting couple, or people who have done something fantastic and tell their story. People gravitate towards places where they find folks with similar interests. Interviewing people once monthly gives you plenty of opportunities for prospects to connect with someone they would want to get to know.

#5 - Dining and Restaurant Guide

Chances are, vacationers will be looking for a few great meals out on the town.  Highlighting local places to eat creates a sense of place and helps potential buyers see how they would fit into the community. Learn from the very popular Zagat's Guide and craft restaurant blog articles as if they are a review. Being honest establishes trust.

#6 - Parks and Places To Take Your Dog

We've had vacation home clients find great success when writing about dog parks. Dog-friendly, kid-friendly, and sports-friendly parks all entice a certain part of the market.  Finding an assortment can help find a diverse population of potential buyers.

#7 - Write Glowingly about the Weather

Few things help create a sense of place more than describing the sparkly white snow of the mountains or the brilliant sunshine down at the beaches.  Having just spent Thanksgiving Day in New Orleans where the temp was a balmy 78 degrees, I can tell you that we started looking at real estate listings online at breakfast each day. Weather helps drive buyers home.

(Bonus) Discuss the Prominent Design Style of Buildings in the Area

We have a developer client building homes outside of Beaufort, SC. We were engaged to write the blogs for the company once we launched a new website for the project. 

It can get easy to get caught up in the daily business matters at hand, but it's vital that companies that sell vacation homes, create a sense of place and entice the readers to want to learn more. Although the facts of the homes are certainly important, topics such as floor plans and prices can become dry and lose a reader's interest quickly.  To hold attention (and make the sale), a focus on the beauty surrounding the home is just as important. If you would like to discuss just how successful blogging can be and topic ideas that work, schedule a call with us. We'd be happy to discuss how to make blogs part of your content marketing strategy. 

About Michael Conway

I'm the owner and strategist at Means-of-Production. My firm builds Squarespace websites, Houzz profiles, and content marketing and advertising solutions for architects, interior designers, design-build contractors and landscape design firms. Our all-in-one marketing tactics attract the right clients with exceptional architectural photography and brand messaging that sets you apart from the competition.