If there’s one thing you can receive in abundance whether you want it or not, it’s marketing advice. Some of it is good. You should take it and run with it.
But then there’s the rest of it.
Some marketing advice is bad advice
For example:
A few days ago I was reminded of one particularly bad bit of marketing advice while browsing through 
some of my old blog posts. I had written about some self-proclaimed guru who recommended that agents choose a new word from their dictionary every day and use it in a blog post.
This was to be a word whose definition they didn’t know, so it was likely that their blog readers wouldn’t know it either. If they wanted to comprehend what the agent said/meant, they’d have to look it up.
That was bad marketing advice.
The purpose of a blog post is communication.
You write it to help people get to know you and the service or product you offer, so they’ll decide that you’re the agent they want and need.
It’s NOT for trying to impress prospects with your huge vocabulary. And it is most definitely NOT for trying to show your readers that your education is superior to theirs.
Think “7th grade.” (But without the “like,” please)
The rule of thumb in copywriting is to gear your words toward a 7th grade reading level. Any time you have a choice between a big word and a small word, use the small word. Then everyone from those with a limited education to those with advanced degrees will understand.
Don’t say “commensurate” when you mean “equal” or “rapacious” when you mean “greedy.” Use words that everyone in your audience can comprehend – without going to the dictionary.
Is there a good time / reason to study the dictionary?
Of course. Head for the dictionary any time you want to learn more words or learn the definition of a word someone else used. I once had a copywriting client who would send me the word of the day from Merriam-Webster any time it was strange and unusual. We used to laugh about the improbability of either of us ever using those words.
Learning more and knowing more is good. Just don’t use the knowledge to make your clients and prospects feel inferior!
Do search for words that are the best fit…
If you’re writing blog posts, web pages, brochures, or letters and want them to sound more precise or interesting, get acquainted with using a thesaurus. Or just go on line and type “synonyms for _____” You’ll be shown a wealth of common words that mean the same thing or almost the same thing as the word you started with. In many cases, you’ll find words that are slightly more “right” for the meaning you want to convey.
I enjoy using the thesaurus, but if you don’t, or don’t happen to have one, Google works.
By the way, if you enjoy learning new words, you can sign up to get the word of the day by visiting this page. While there you can also play word games and take vocabulary quizzes. It’s a fun website for anyone who enjoys words.
Apply the same restraint to using industry jargon…
Just because you know the meaning of common industry jargon, your customers may not. And – they might not want to risk looking ignorant, so won’t ask. So do try to avoid using jargon.
What about being presumptuous?
My advice is “Don’t do it.” However, I have a disclaimer on this one: It must work for some people in some places because a well-know real estate guru says to do it.
He promotes beginning a letter to homeowners with a statement such as “I know you want to sell your 
house.”
What’s your reaction to that statement – or what would it be if you opened your mail and saw it?
My reaction would be something like “You don’t know anything about me, but I know you’re an idiot.” Then the letter would go to the trash. I might look at the name of the sender so I’d know who to avoid, but that’s all.
Think about how you would feel if you received that marketing piece. Would it attract you or repel you? How do you think your prospects would feel?
Do you think you should try using something like that? I sure don’t think so!
Two tools I believe you should use every day…
First is your common sense. Second is your gut instinct or “inner voice.”
If your common sense and your own instincts tell you “don’t,” then that is more than likely the marketing advice you should follow.
More bad marketing advice you can get for free:
Stick only to email and social media. No one reads postal letters anymore.
That just isn’t so, as numerous studies are revealing. It turns out that we humans do like to receive postal mail. We even keep some of it around and show it to other people. And surprise, millennials appear to lead the list of groups who love it most.
My best advice is to use a combination of postal mail and email. And if it is appropriate, mix that up with a phone call or an in-person visit. Never let those prospects (or past clients) forget that you are there for them.
Keep every message brief. No one reads long letters or web pages.
This statement would be mostly true if it said that no one reads long, boring letters.
People do read long letters as long as the message is clear and keeps moving right along. It’s when writers start repeating themselves in an effort to increase word count that others quit reading.
Many say the same about the length of letters. They insist that a letter should only be a paragraph or two. I disagree, because you really can’t say much in only a paragraph or two. And if you aren’t going to say much, why write at all?
On the other side of that issue, there’s:
If you want Google to notice your posts, they have to be at least 3,000 words.
That’s not true either. Your post can be only a hundred words if Google thinks your message is of value.
The real truth about the length of your posts is that they should be as long as they need to be to convey the message you want to share. No fluff and filler.
A bigger issue with the length of letters, pages, and posts…
I believe a bigger issue is remembering to keep the paragraphs short and to add white space between them. Then use sub-headings and bullet points where appropriate.
In other words, make them easy to read.
You may have a different opinion / reaction, but when I see a page that has no white space, I don’t want to read it. Sometimes I try to force myself if I think it contains information I want, but I’m not always successful.
My eyes want places to rest, and I think my mind does too. My brain wants to let one idea sink in before jumping right to a different one!
Take your own good marketing advice.
If you do things that feel right to you, you’ll probably do the right things. Always trust your own instincts.
And if you get stuck…
If you get stuck and want some help, get in touch. I’d love to help you with everything from your agent bio to community pages, property descriptions, custom prospecting letters, or anything else real-estate related.
Common Sense is not all that common. Folks do business with folks they know, like and trust. Turn up these three things and keep your self top of mind and you will have success. Success is an interesting metric because it also have lots of different meanings.
So true Peter. Success for one might mean money, money, money and for another it might mean “enough” money, but family first! Or – something else entirely.