Advertising your self and your corporation begins along with your bio. Half 2 of this 5-part collection shares what to write down and the way to make sure you look your greatest.
In March’s Advertising and Branding Month, we’ll go deep on agent branding and greatest practices for spending with Zillow, Realtor.com and extra. Prime CMOs of main corporations drop by to share their latest techniques, too. And to high off this theme month, Inman is debuting a model new set of awards for branding and advertising leaders within the business known as Advertising All-Stars.
Creating a content material plan in your actual property enterprise means optimizing a bunch of on-line and real-world platforms. In our Content material Advertising Gameplan, we carry you the foundations to make use of to generate 5 several types of foundational content material: your web site, bio, weblog, PR and self-published guide.
One of many foundational items of content material that each actual property skilled wants is a well-written, up-to-date bio. You should utilize it in a wide range of methods on a wide range of advertising platforms to construct credibility for your corporation.
As somebody who writes lots of actual property bios, I do know that that is the one piece of writing folks fear about (and complain about) most. It’s additionally the one piece of writing that, achieved nicely, could make an enormous distinction in the way in which you see your self — and the way in which others see you as nicely. Right here’s the best way to create a bio you’ll love.
The place are you in your profession?
The scope and scale of your bio relies upon, partly, on the place you’re in your profession.
New agent
Should you’re a brand new agent, you’re in all probability involved about what you’ll write because you don’t have a lot expertise. On this case, you’ll be able to lean in your brokerage’s fame so as to add to your credibility and spotlight your prior skilled or educational accomplishments till you additional develop your profession.
Established agent
At this level, you’ll have some transactions beneath your belt and will have some certifications and designations as nicely. Should you’ve began to ascertain a distinct segment in your actual property enterprise, you’ll wish to dedicate a part of your bio to describing your {qualifications} and the way you serve that market phase.
All-star agent
Should you’re a high producer, you’ll want a bio that helps you stand out. Honors and awards will go right here, together with superior coaching. You’ll in all probability have some pretty spectacular numbers to share, so embody your efficiency stats.
The place will you utilize your bio?
You’ll all the time discover locations to make use of your bio, particularly when you have a number of variations to select from. Listed below are a number of the potentialities.
In your web site
One of many locations you’ll undoubtedly wish to use your bio is on the About Me web page of your web site. Should you’re a longtime or all-star agent who has been featured within the media, chances are you’ll wish to use a Q&A or interview both rather than your bio or prominently linked.
When you’ve got a video bio or have been featured in a podcast or TV present, you would possibly wish to embed any of those in your web site as nicely, both rather than or along with a written model.
In your social media platforms
Most of your social media platforms embody a spot for a brief bio and lots of enable you the aptitude to pin a video model on the high of your feed. As well as, you’ll be able to hyperlink out to the About Me web page at your web site for many who are linking for much more complete info.
In your advertising collateral
A brief bio is a good thought on flyers, postcards and different advertising supplies. Embody it on the backside of your e mail blasts or direct mailers so that you simply remind folks about your {qualifications}.
Should you conduct coaching occasions, serve on committees on the native affiliation or communicate from time to time, you’ll need a model of your bio that’s helpful for transient intros, assembly agendas or different supplies.
What must you embody in your bio?
Whenever you’re gathering info for writing your bio, listed below are a number of the components to consider:
Your title
Your group and/or brokerage title
Licensure info
Certifications and designations
Awards and honors
Markets served
Excellent statistics
Niches and areas of specialization
Schooling and related prior skilled expertise
Quotes from opinions and testimonials
Household and private info like hobbies and pursuits (for those who resolve to incorporate them)
Some folks discover it troublesome to write down about themselves and don’t understand how a lot they’ve achieved. Contemplate sitting down with a trusted pal or colleague to speak about your profession to this point and see what takeaways they discover most fascinating and compelling, then spotlight these in your bio.
Typically, we fail to contemplate how far we’ve are available in an expert sense. Should you’re a longtime or all-star agent, just be sure you pay attention to the place you at the moment are and that your bio displays your present-day standing.
EXTRA: Searching for real-world examples of nice agent bios? Try these:
What else must you take into account when writing a bio?
Writing a bio might really feel intimidating, however there are a selection of issues you are able to do to make sure that the arduous work is worth it:
When you’ve written your bio, flip it into a number of variations just by creating each lengthy and brief variations in first and third individual. First-person is extra informal and works nicely for social media or an About Me web page. Third-person is extra formal and works nicely for advertising collateral or introductions.
Get previous the concern of sounding “smug” or overly salesy along with your bio. Outlining your accomplishments will not be the identical as bragging — it’s merely giving folks the knowledge they’re in search of to make sure that you’re certified to assist them.
Revisit your bio steadily, particularly when there are adjustments in your corporation or if you’ve achieved one thing noteworthy. Should you’re a longtime or all-star agent, maintain it up to date with awards and new certifications and designations as you earn them. Your bio ought to be a residing doc that precisely displays your skilled progress.
Longer doesn’t all the time imply higher in relation to your bio. Among the most achieved brokers within the business don’t have overly lengthy bios. They’ve brief bios that present a snapshot of their most spectacular accomplishments.
Keep away from pat phrases and generic platitudes. Everybody listens. Everybody cares. Everybody helps. Make your bio extra fascinating and significant by focusing in your differentiators and on what you do, not simply what you are feeling.
Don’t consider your bio as a gross sales piece. Consider it as a device to bolster and nurture leads — a option to persuade people who find themselves already conscious of you that you simply’re the fitting individual for his or her actual property wants.
In case your bio isn’t good but, maintain working at it. The extra you rewrite and collect enter, the nearer every iteration will get to your superb model.
