Markdown Blog System

This directory contains all blog posts in markdown format. The Next.js application automatically reads and serves these files.

📁 How It Works

1. Markdown Files: Each blog post is a .md file in this directory
2. Frontmatter: Post metadata is defined at the top of each file
3. Content: The rest of the file is markdown content
4. Auto-Generation: Next.js reads these files at build time and generates pages

✍️ Adding a New Blog Post

Step 1: Create a New File

Create a new .md file in this directory. Use a URL-friendly filename (this becomes the slug):

# Example filenames
my-new-blog-post.md
property-market-update-2025.md
rental-investment-tips.md

Step 2: Add Frontmatter

At the top of your file, add frontmatter with metadata:

---
title: "Your Blog Post Title"
slug: "your-blog-post-slug"
excerpt: "A short description of your post (max 160 characters for SEO)"
publishedAt: "2025-01-20"
category: "Property Tips"
author: "Rack Team"
metaTitle: "SEO Title (optional, max 60 chars)"
metaDescription: "SEO description (optional, max 160 chars)"
---

Available Categories:

• Property Tips - General property tips and guides
• Rental Market - Rental market insights
• Market Analysis - Market analysis and data

Step 3: Write Your Content

After the frontmatter, write your content using markdown:

## Main Heading

Your introduction paragraph goes here.

### Subheading

More content with **bold text** and *italic text*.

- Bullet point 1
- Bullet point 2
- Bullet point 3

## Another Section

1. Numbered list item
2. Another item
3. Final item

> This is a quote or callout. It will be styled differently.

Regular paragraph text with [a link](https://example.com).

Step 4: Save and Deploy

1. Save your file
2. The Next.js app will automatically pick it up
3. Deploy to see your changes live

📝 Markdown Syntax Guide

Headings

## H2 Heading (Main Sections)
### H3 Heading (Subsections)

Text Formatting

**Bold text**
*Italic text*
~~Strikethrough~~
`inline code`

Lists

Bullet list:
- Item 1
- Item 2
- Item 3

Numbered list:
1. First
2. Second
3. Third

Quotes/Callouts

> This is a quote. Use it for important callouts or key takeaways.

Links

[Link text](https://example.com)

Images (if needed)

![Alt text](/path/to/image.jpg)

🎨 Styling Best Practices

1. Keep it simple: Focus on content, the styling is handled automatically
2. Use headings hierarchically: H2 for main sections, H3 for subsections
3. Break up content: Use lists, quotes, and short paragraphs
4. Be consistent: Follow the same structure as existing posts

🌐 URLs

Your blog posts will be available at:

• Blog listing: /blog-md
• Individual posts: /blog-md/your-slug

📊 Example Post Structure

---
title: "How to Choose the Right Investment Property"
slug: "choose-right-investment-property"
excerpt: "Learn the key factors to consider when selecting an investment property that delivers strong returns."
publishedAt: "2025-01-20"
category: "Property Tips"
author: "Rack Team"
---

Introduction paragraph that hooks the reader and explains what they'll learn.

## Key Factor 1: Location

Detailed explanation of location importance...

### Proximity to Amenities

More specific details...

## Key Factor 2: Property Type

Content about different property types...

### Apartments vs Houses

Comparison details...

## Key Factor 3: Financial Considerations

Budget and finance information...

- Cash flow projections
- Capital growth potential
- Tax implications

> Key takeaway: Always do your research before investing in property.

## Conclusion

Summary paragraph wrapping up the main points.

🔧 Technical Details

File Location

• Blog posts: /content/blogs/*.md
• Parser: /src/lib/markdown.ts
• Pages: /src/app/blog-md/

Build Process

1. Next.js reads all .md files from this directory
2. Parses frontmatter using gray-matter
3. Converts markdown to HTML using remark
4. Generates static pages at build time

Live Editing

During development (pnpm dev), changes to markdown files will be reflected after saving and refreshing the page.

📚 Existing Posts

The following posts are already available:

1. 10 Ways to Win More Property Listings in 2025
2. The Ultimate Guide to Rental Appraisals for Property Managers
3. How to Build Trust with Vendors: A Guide for Real Estate Agents
4. Understanding Property Reports: What Every Agent Should Know
5. 5 Marketing Strategies That Actually Work for Real Estate Agents

🚀 Deployment

When you commit and push changes:

1. New/updated posts are automatically included
2. Static pages are regenerated during build
3. SEO metadata is updated
4. Sitemap is refreshed

💡 Tips for Great Blog Posts

1. Target your audience: Write for real estate agents and property managers
2. Be actionable: Provide practical tips, not just theory
3. Use data: Back up claims with examples and statistics
4. Optimize for SEO: Use keywords naturally in title, excerpt, and content
5. Break it up: Use headings, lists, and quotes for readability
6. End with value: Always provide a clear takeaway or call-to-action

🆘 Troubleshooting

Post not appearing?

• Check the filename has .md extension
• Verify frontmatter is properly formatted (valid YAML)
• Ensure publishedAt date is not in the future
• Restart the dev server

Formatting issues?

• Verify markdown syntax is correct
• Check for unmatched quotes in frontmatter
• Ensure there's a blank line between frontmatter and content

SEO not working?

• Add metaTitle and metaDescription to frontmatter
• Keep titles under 60 characters
• Keep descriptions under 160 characters