Are you just getting started with blogging? Just getting started with WordPress? Have no idea where to start with regards to generating content? Well, this post is for you. Here’s an outline of a 1 month content creation strategy for a new real estate blogger looking to start their blog/website on the right track. Remember, you have to show up day in, day out to succeed with blogging as a client acquisition tool.

NOTE: This strategy assumes you have an Altos Research account with their WordPress plugins installed and Diverse Solutions dsIDXpress WP plugin. Both tools are valuable tools to generate fresh content quickly and easily.

Without further adieu, here’s an outline of content ideas you could use for your first month of blogging:

Week 1

Day 1 (Monday): Three Things I Enjoy About [your primary city]

This one is fairly self explanatory; describe three things you love about your community. They could be parks, restaurants, festivals, or anything else.

Day 2 (Tuesday): No writing. Compile a list of 10-20 blogs in your area

Do some Google searches for “[your city] blog” or “[your city] real estate blog” and follow links from the first blogs you find. Having a list of blogs that cover the same niche as you is always valuable no matter what niche that is. This list will come in valuable later when you’re looking for blog content ideas down the road.

Day 3 (Wednesday): 10 Most Expensive Listings in [your primary city].

Insert the 10 most expensive listings into the post via dsIDXpress, and then include 1-2 sentences as an introduction to the post in order to give it some unique content. Note that the actual listings displayed will change. If someone lands on that post in 5 months, it will show the most expensive listings in your city at that point in time — so you probably don’t include specifics on the properties currently shown in your short summary text.

Day 4 (Thursday): Don’t write. Spend one hour reading other local blogs

Read other blogs from the list you created on Tuesday, and comment on blog posts where you think you have something to add to the conversation.

Day 5 (Friday): [name of trip] — The Best Weekend Trip from [your city name]

Describe an awesome weekend trip within a few hours from your town or city. Preferably, it should be a trip that you’ve taken, but you can write about a trip you’ve researched and not actually experienced if needed. Include the best route to take, places to stay, and things to do over the course of a person’s stay. Don’t forget a few photos!!

Week 2

Day 1: An Amazing Listing Worth Seeing in [insert city name]

Write 2-3 sentences about an amazing listing you’ve seen in person, and what makes the property unique. Use the dsIDXpress plugin to include the MLS property information into your post. If needed, get the listing agent’s permission to put it on your site.

Day 2: Don’t write. Read and comment on local blogs.

Spend at least 30 minutes finding interesting blog posts from your local area.

Day 3: My thoughts on [some timely topic that interests you]

Scan the local newspaper and choose one article that you enjoyed reading. Write a summary of the issue, and include a short paragraph about your thoughts on the topic. Pick a side if you’re comfortable doing so. Remember, many people (such as me) read blogs because they include personality & opinion.

Day 4: 10 Useful Resources for [your city name] Residents

Create a list of links, phone numbers, and addresses that residents of your city may be looking for. Include information for establishments such as the power company, cable companies (anyone else HATE Comcast right now like me?). Include locations of grocery stores, dry cleaners, and any other businesses that people in your area are consistently seeking out.

Day 5: The Current State of the [insert city name] Real Estate Market

Use the Altos Research wordpress plugin to include a chart of the latest week’s market activity (median list price, inventory, etc). Write 3-5 sentences with your thoughts as to what’s leading to the trends seen in the chart(s) you choose.

Week 3

Day 1: Free WIFI Locations in [your primary city]

List at least 2 or 3 locations where individuals can use free WIFI. Here’s more on that topic for those interested.

Day 2: No writing. Browse industry blogs.

Spend at least an hour scouring industry blogs to get a feel for what sort of topics are currently being discussed on a national level. Sites such as 1000 Watt, Agent Genius, and the blog you are on right now are a good starting point. Follow the links included on those sites and you’ll likely find additional interesting perspectives on a wide variety of topics.

Day 3: Don’t write. Connect with a few past clients.

Call or email a past client or two (or three), and schedule a lunch with them sometime in the next week.

Day 4: 3 [insert city name] Restaurants (or Bars) You Might Not Have Heard Of

If you’ve lived in your city or town long enough, chances are good that you have a few favorite spots to go for a burger, thai, pho, or a beer. Write a short paragraph explaining what you like about each establishment and what type of crowd someone can expect to encounter.

Day 5: Friday Fun Fact: [insert fun fact here!]

Every now and then, I’m sure you come across random, interesting facts that could make interesting blog fodder. Something and simple and stupid as “100 years ago, everyone had chickens” is just the type of blog post that could attract a few comments. Have fun with this one!

Week 4

Day 1: Today’s Mortgage Rates and What They Mean to Home Buyers/Sellers in [city name]

Look at a mortgage provider like Zillow, grab the latest mortgage rates and write a short paragraph to home buyers and sellers explaining what they mean given the context of the local market trends in your area.

Day 2: Random

Write about WHATEVER is on your mind on that particular day. It could be your dog, a local event you recently attended, a life lesson you learned, or anything else. Have fun with the post, and include some humor if you can.

Day 3: Lunch at [restaurant name] in [city name]

Take a photo with your past clients at your lunch appointment. Write a review of the food you had, the service received, and make sure to mention what a great time you had catching up with past clients (assuming you did indeed have fun). Make sure to email them the link to the blog post when you’re done!!

Day 4: Comment on 5-10 local blog posts

The goal is to build more and stronger relationships with other local influencers in your community. But don’t comment just to comment. If you have nothing meaningful to add to a conversation, don’t comment. Shy away from the all-to-often-seen “Great post! Thanks for sharing!” comments.

Day 5: The Current State of the [insert city name] Real Estate Market

Use the Altos Research wordpress plugin to include a chart of the latest week’s market activity. Write 3-5 sentences with your thoughts as to what’s leading to the trends seen in the chart(s) you choose.

And that’s a wrap. A one month blog content strategy to get you going.

Have other ideas for posts that should be included in this strategy? Please include them in the comments below. And if you successfully follow this strategy for a full month, please leave a link to your blog with your beginning and end date; I’ll publish another post in a month or two with some examples of blogs that have implemented this strategy (if anyone does).

And, lastly, if you think this is a horrible strategy — tell me that too.

Happy blogging!

Note: There is a revised and updated 1 Month Blogging Strategy doc as part of Geek Estate Pro.