There's a widespread notion that once your content marketing plan starts (or hits its stride), traffic to your property management website will just keep soaring indefinitely. Hitting the "start" button on the machine will keep generating fresh traffic and quality leads in perpetuity for evermore.
So, when that doesn't happen, obviously, the strategy is flawed and broken.
However, let's debunk this misconception today. Welcome to the world of the traffic drought. Here's why you shouldn't panic or cancel your content plan.
What Is a Traffic Drought?
At its core, a traffic drought is a noticeable and sometimes prolonged dip in website traffic. Whether it's for days, weeks, or even a month, such periods can be disconcerting, especially when they follow a successful content marketing drive.
Imagine this scenario: A few months back, you integrated a novel blog series into your property management website. It yielded a significant boost in visitors, creating a buzz.
Now, fast forward to today, and the bustle seems to have dimmed. Amid your daily management tasks and handling leads, you've realized that the visitor influx has dwindled.
Such scenarios can stir a slew of emotions, from doubts about your strategy's effectiveness to concerns about a shrinking bottom line. The drought can feel intense, leaving you parched for leads and solutions. You may even feel misled about a strategy you were told would deliver more leads and better traffic.
Why Property Managers Shouldn't Panic
A dip in traffic means it's time to cancel your content marketing strategy and go back to outbound strategies you could count on, even though it's costly and hard to find quality leads that way, right?
Wrong. Here are a few reasons why property managers shouldn't panic when traffic isn't at its peak performance year-round.
1. It's a Common Occurrence
Every seasoned digital marketer or content creator will affirm that traffic droughts are par for the course. They're akin to natural cycles — there are seasons of bounty and seasons of scarcity. The key is to remain steadfast and know that, like every phase, this too shall pass.
A weather drought can be intense and painful, but they don't last forever.
2. Being Vigilant Pays Off
The silver lining in observing a website traffic drought is that you're attentive. Monitoring your property management website's metrics is an indication that you're actively engaged and ready to adapt.
When you notice a change in your traffic metrics, take a moment to acknowledge that you understand the correlation between content and organic traffic and that you recognize a difference in the numbers! You're likely catching something early enough to dig into what could be wrong (and fix it), or you're seeing a pattern of ebbs and flows that can help you plan your business throughout the year.
3. It's a Chance to Refine Your Strategy
While no one fancies a drought, it presents an opportunity. Instead of fretting, it can be a signal to revisit and refine your content marketing strategy, ensuring it aligns with your current goals and audience preferences.
Website Traffic Droughts Won't Last Forever (With a Plan)
Unlike the weather (which we don't have much control over), a website traffic drought can be impacted by a plan. You don't have to wait it out like waiting for rain after too many dry days.
However, to overcome a drought, one must first understand its origins. Here are a few strategies to diagnose and tackle the reasons behind a traffic drought:
1. Re-evaluate Your CTAs
A seemingly minor change, like relocating a Call-to-Action (CTA) button from its prime spot on your homepage, can impact your click-through rates. If you've recently made such tweaks, reconsider the decision.
You might also dive deeper into how well your website converts leads by conducting an SEO audit. This can help you find broken links that could be keeping leads from completing contact forms or downloading gated content. An audit will also help you identify other on-page problems that could be making it hard for leads to connect with your property management company.
2. Revisit Your Content
Content is the backbone of your marketing strategy. However, even the best blog you've ever written won't generate traffic at the same level it once did forever.
Analyze your recent and older posts to determine if they resonate with your target audience. Delve deep into keyword relevancy, assess the content's quality and engagement quotient, and ensure it's search engine optimized.
If you recently launched a new content campaign that isn't performing as you'd hoped, you could have a keyword issue or local SEO problem.
3. Acknowledge External Variables
Occasionally, factors beyond your control play a part in declining website traffic. As much as you may want to believe that "if we write it, they will come" as part of your content marketing strategies, sometimes people not showing up to a blog isn't about the blog at all.
Whether it's market dynamics, economic shifts, or search engine algorithm changes, these can temporarily hamper your website traffic. Recognizing these factors allows you to strategize accordingly and stay patient during such phases.
The Power of Consistency in Property Management Marketing
One trap many marketers fall into is halting strategies that were showing promise. However, the world of content marketing thrives on consistency. When you interrupt the flow, traffic wavers.
For some property management marketers, even the initial phase post-launch can be eerily quiet. As much as we might hope that publishing a blog today means it's at the top of a potential client's search engine results pages by tomorrow morning, it takes time for Google and other search engines to crawl websites, evaluate content, then rank it so people can find it.
However, it's vital to perceive the time it takes for content marketing to take off not as a failure but as the calm before the storm. It takes time for content marketing efforts to gain momentum. If you stay the course, the rewards, in terms of leads and traffic, can be substantial.
Always adhere to your publishing schedule, maintain top-tier on-page SEO, and foster engagement with your audience through timely responses and social media interactions.
Moreover, old content can often be a goldmine waiting to be rediscovered. Periodic updates, fresh insights, and republishing can rejuvenate these posts, attracting both old and new readers.
Don't Stop
Whether you're frustrated that your content marketing strategy hasn't taken off quickly enough or what started well seems to have tapered off, it's crucial not to stop your content creation, optimization, and publishing schedule.
Inbound marketing and content is never "one and done." Stopping something that worked well to deliver traffic because it's "already delivered" will lead to a significant drought. Likewise, stopping your content efforts when traffic seems to slow will prolong a drought and require more time to ramp up again.
When traffic levels aren't ideal:
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Be patient
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Review your strategy
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Make adjustments
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Plan ahead
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Manage expectations
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Talk to an expert
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It will be okay
Content marketing can be challenging to embrace and understand, but working with an experienced team of marketers can help you stay calm and understand what's happening with your strategy and traffic metrics. For property managers, our team here at Geekly Media also brings the added benefit of understanding the industry, having started as property managers ourselves.
We understand how different factors can impact website traffic and your business, and we can help you navigate traffic droughts (or even just minor dry spells) to ensure the lull is only temporary! We've seen the long-term benefits of sticking with a consistent content marketing plan, and we're here to help your business grow.
Weathering a Website Traffic Drought With the Right Strategies
The digital landscape is forever evolving, and property management marketing is no exception. While traffic droughts can be daunting, understanding their nature and being equipped with adaptive strategies can turn these challenges into growth opportunities.
For those keen on crafting an effective content marketing plan tailored to enhance website traffic and lead generation for property management, Geekly Media is at your service. Together, we can ensure your property management business not only weathers the droughts but thrives in the digital ecosystem.
Get your content marketing plan up and running by requesting our free resource for property managers, the "Property Management Content Marketing Planning Template."
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