You can thank Russel Ray for this one. He actually visited EVERY one of the 5,737 (which grew to 6,035 before he finished) groups on Active Rain, and created a short list of 100 groups that would be good for anyone to join... especially our new members.
This is a fantastic, selfless idea! I personally love it, even though it's going to take me quite a bit of time to check out these 100 groups... which make is even more amazing that Russel went through all 6,035 of them! Now enjoy Russel's post below =)
A couple of months ago I set out to browse all 5,737 Groups on ActiveRain.
My purpose was to create a list of 100 Groups that would be good for anyone and everyone to join, specifically new ActiveRain members to help them get started Playing in the Rain.
I wanted to get this list done soon enough so that I could make it my one thousandth blog post here at ActiveRain.
Well, actually I finished going through 5,737 groups a week ago, but while I was going through those groups, the number had grown from 5,737 to 6,035 -- ☺☺☺
Late last night I finished, and as I was putting this blog together, I thought how much ActiveRain Groups are like television channels. Each channel has its special programming, and if you don't like the programming, switch channels!
Following are my Top 101 channels for anyone's ActiveRain TV.
Lisa Hill's Daytona Beach Area Real Estate Blog. Make A Smart Choice for all your real estate needs
It's Wednesday, so it's time to enjoy some of the beauty in the world around us. But this is a real estate blog. So instead of the usual odd, or beautiful, or unique, or silly type of photo I feature each week; this week we're going to stick to this subject. And it is still beautiful. But it's also part of a house I have listed for sale in Daytona Beach, FL *wink, wink* So enjoy this photo.... then if you care to, you can follow the links to view ALL the photos of this house on my real estate web site. Now doesn't this sparkling, screened pool look inviting? And you can walk to the beach too! (Only $184,900)
More than half of the the U.S. coastline is in Alaska.
The Amazon Rain Forest produces more than 20% of the world's oxygen supply. (Good reason to protect it!)
The Amazon River pushes so much water into the Atlantic Ocean, that more than 100 miles away from the mouth of the river, fresh water can be dipped out of the ocean.
One more Amazon fact... The volume of water in the Amazon River is greater than the next 8 (yes, that's EIGHT) largest rivers in the world combined, AND more than 3 times (yep, THREE times) the flow of all rivers in the U.S.
Of all the world's ice, 90% of it covers Antarctica. This same ice also represents 70% of all the world's fresh water.
As if the Antarctica ice and water stats aren't significant enough... Antarctica is by it's nature, actually a desert! Even with all that ice and water, the average annual precipitation is about 2 inches! It's the driest place on Earth, with an absolute humidity that is lower than the Gobi desert.
The country of Brazil got it's name from the nut; not the other way around.
Canada has more lakes than all the lakes in the rest of the world, combined. AND the name Canada is an Indian word which means "Big Village". =)
Except for Warsaw, Poland... Chicago has the world's largest Polish population.
Woodward Avenue in Detroit Michigan, was the first paved road, anywhere! Thus, it has the designation of M-1.
Ohio has no natural lakes. Every one is man-made.
The first business was setup in St. Paul Minnesota. But it was not originally called St. Paul Minnesota. It was originally called "Pig's Eye"! (lol) Why? Because the man who setup that first business there was named Pierre 'Pig's Eye' Parrant. =)
And that's enough for today's lesson in fascinating geography facts. Some even cooler facts are soon to come! =D
Now back to the real nature of my blog... that being real estate, if you're interested in buying or selling real estate in the area of Daytona Beach, FL, I'd love to help.
Daytona Beach Real Estate, by Lisa Hill "The Smart Choice" for all your real estate needs
This is another photo, courtesy of my friend Nick. The incoming storm clouds remind me of our real estate market... the last few years, and the current climate; with lenders underpricing the foreclosures, thus driving our values down even more. But then, every cloud has a silver lining. And if you look beyond the storm clouds, there's a clear sky yet to come. I'm sure we all look forward to that time!
Blogging for Real Estate Consumers. By Lisa Hill, "The Smart Choice" for all your real estate needs
In today's technology-filled, online world, so many real estate buyers and sellers begin their real estate searches on the web. And those of us who blog, are more than happy to help provide the necessary information to those who seek it, so those seekers can make educated decisions.
But have you ever stopped to consider that although you may be spending countless hours gathering and providing this information for the real estate consumers who need it; it may still not be enough? Does that line of thinking leave you perplexed? Well let's think about this...
We share our experiences
We provide information
We meet new people
We learn from each other
We do more research when we need to fill in the blanks...
But if our goals, as real estate professionals in our fields, are to be the best we can be, (after all, WE are the ones in the daily market, in our specific areas... NOT the media!) we must go beyond just posting bits of information on the internet. For if we do not go above and beyond this point, all we're providing is cold, impersonal data... tossed into the abyss of online real estate data that frequently only causes confusion, instead of providing answers.
So what do you do to be more than just average?
How do you use the information in your blog to do more than just wait for someone to stumble across it?
How do you take it to the next level... to provide more than what even a specific, key word search by the real estate consumer will find?
Well, here's how I use my blog to reach out to my real estate customers in new and different ways. (And I can't wait to see what other real estate professionals are doing as well!)
This is pretty basic, but my signature for every e-mail I send contains not only my name, slogan, phone number, e-mail and web site; it also contains my blog address. And to continue with this line of thinking, when responding to customer's questions, I frequently reference particular posts in my blog that may help answer my customer's questions.
In every day conversations, it amazes me how often someone will ask me a question, and I immediately remember that I've blogged about that very subject. I then refer whomever is asking the questions to a specific post, or I call them, or e-mail them with the link.
Because I've created my own personal brochure (which I've blogged about before, and will be doing again soon), I'm able to customize it for a particular customer, with links to posts I've written, that pertain to their particular needs. This method has enabled me to show my customers that I'm both professional AND personal, by means of a tri-fold glossy brochure.
When mailing postcards to a neighborhood, I've frequently already written blog posts about that neighborhood. So I quickly and easily purchase a simple domain name and point it to that particular post, then add it to the postcards I'm mailing to that neighborhood =)
I'm constantly adding and changing pages to my web site that contain links to applicable blog posts.
To be specific...
I have web pages that contain links to statistical posts
And of course there are always my wonderful real estate sellers and their listings. Each of my listings has a dedicated web page on my web site. But I also have multiple locations on the internet that contain the information for my listings. Each of my listings gets featured multiple times on my Active Rain blog, and those links are used in many ways... via e-mail, embedded web links, links in other blogs, and cross-referencing with the dedicated web page for that listing, on my primary web site.
There are many more ways that I use my overall blog, and each individual post to educate my customers, and enhance my relationship with them. But I'm sure you don't want to sit here and read this post all night. So at this point, I think you get the idea of the many ways I utilize my blog(s). Since I began blogging several years ago, I've met so many real estate consumers, and professionals, who have all enriched my own life, and helped me to remain successful in my career, even when it meant making changes in my business model, and including rental properties in addition to properties for sale.
*All content is owned and copyrighted by Lisa Hill.
Lisa Hill's Port Orange Area Real Estate Blog. Make A Smart Choice for all your real estate needs
Today's photo is once again a photo by my friend Nick (used with his permission of course). This photo reminds me of the many beautiful birds that migrate to Florida at this time of year... right along with our seasonal residents =) We may not have leaves that change colors, but we have entire species that arrive every winter! And we welcome the many real estate buyers who come to beautiful Central Florida who are looking to find a warmer climate, out of the snow.
If you're a "snowbird" I'd like to extend a warm welcome to beautiful Central Florida! And if you're not already one of our seasonal residents, feel free to call or e-mail me for a list of houses, townhouses or condos that may meet your real estate needs. You'll be in good company with the thousands of other residents in the Daytona Beach area, who choose to spend their winter months with us. =)
If you're interested in buying real estate in the Daytona Beach area; including Port Orange, Ponce Inlet, Ormond Beach, New Smyrna and all of East Volusia County, I'm a Daytona Beach Native and would love to be your personal REALTOR®! Feel free to search my web site for houses/condos/townhouses that my meet your needs. My site is there for you! My goal is to take the stress out of buying real estate, and my web site is there for the convenience of all my real estate clients. Feel free to browse the site, and if you still have questions, feel free to call or e-mail me. I can setup our automated Multiple Listing System (MLS) to send you listings within your criteria, as soon as they come on the market. You won't have to worry about ever missing out on the home that's right for you.
Lisa Hill's Daytona Beach Area Real Estate Blog. Make A Smart Choice for all your real estate needs
Some of you may remember this photo from a townhouse I had listed for sale. The community pool was closed with no explanation why. I was trying to get pool photos for my listing. Well, I think I discovered why the pool area was closed. ROFL!
It's Silly Saturday on Lisa Hill's Real Estate Blog
It's Silly Saturday again! I stumbled across this old video a few days ago, and set it aside for today =D Yes I sped the video up a bit... have to keep things interesting ;-) Anyway, I bought some new decor for the walls in my office, and had some trouble getting everything to look balanced =/ Then I got this totally unrelated phone call... LOL. It seems that while I was trying to get my office just right, my husband was at home, rearranging MY shelves in the garage O.o NOT cool! LOL
(And yes, I have just a tiny bit of OCD... just enough to keep things interesting =P) Do not try this at home! LOL
Daytona Beach Real Estate Blog by Lisa Hill, "The Smart Choice" for all your real estate needs
Biketoberfest for 2009 has ended. But this coming this coming weekend, we now have... BARKtoberfest! (^o^)
October is "Adopt-A-Shelter-Dog Month". And Humane Societies everywhere, but more importantly, the "residents" who are waiting for a new home, are hoping for plenty of support this month! And considering the month is almost over, some of them who are waiting for a new home, may be running out of time!
So on Saturday, October 24 (2009), from 10:00 a.m. til 2:00 p.m., the Daytona Beach, Halifax Humane Society is asking for your support. All they're asking is for you to stop by and drop off a can of pet food =) And I know I'll want to visit all the pets while I'm there too!
Even if you can't afford an addition to your family right now, I know these animals who are in desparate need of a home, will appreciate some extra attention and affection. It can actually be a fun, and FREE way for you to spend some time on a day when you don't have any plans. When my daughter was younger, we used to enjoy the occasional visit to the Humane Society, just to talk to, and pet all the animals who were waiting for homes. And of course, we adopted one of our cats from our Humane Society as well. =^.^= (The other one had been abandoned, so I took him home with me after finding him at a house whose owners had moved out and left him there! And he's so sweet!)
But back to the doggy month (^o^)... During "Adopt-A-Shelter-Dog Month", when you adopt a dog, it will only cost you $50 instead of the usual $70. Adopting from the Humane Society is such a great way to help these poor animals. If you think about it, the amount it would cost to buy a store-bought pet, then take it to the vet for it's shots, spaying or neutering, and general checkup, the $50 or even $70 Humane Society fee is just a drop in the bucket in comparison! And even better, the Humane Society has been watching these animals, and they already know the personality and temperament of each animal! I know this because they post specific info on each cage, or pen.
So please support your local Humane Society and other Animal Shelters. This Saturday, drop off a can of pet food to the Daytona Beach Halifax Humane Society between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. It costs so little for us, and saves so much money for the organizations who care for these unwanted pets, who did nothing to deserve what has happened to them.
I don't know if you're aware of this, but in this economy, and with so many people going through foreclosures, loss of wages, hardships, etc., many people have had to give up their family pets! Some just couldn't afford to care for them, while others, after losing their homes, have had to rent in places that did not allow pets! So our Humane Societies and other Animal Shelters are bursting at the seams with discarded animals! And this recession is making it difficult for the care-givers to provide for them as well! By adopting a pet, you could be saving it's life.
If you don't live in the Daytona Beach area, I'm sure your local Animal Shelters of all kinds, would appreciate your help as well. Although the Daytona Beach Humane Society is having a special day and time for "Bark-toberfest", I'm sure they would never turn away some donated food. And the animals wouldn't mind that someone cared enough to just spend some time with them.
I hope to see you Saturday at the Daytona Beach, Halifax Humane Society! You might even make a new friend, with whom you can share your love and affection (^o^)
If you're a pet lover who is buying or selling real estate in the Daytona Beach area, Lisa Hill is a Daytona Beach native with experience selling all types of real estate in every city in East Volusia County and beyond. Feel free to visit my web site, and enjoy clicking through the many pages of information. Whatever your real estate needs, you'll find the information on my web site. And if you need more information, just give me a call, or send me an e-mail, and I'll be more than happy to help.
*All content, including images and video, is owned and copyrighted by Lisa Hill. Do not copy, under penalty of law! (You may use the round copyright logo.)
Lisa Hill's Real Estate Blog, "The Smart Choice" for all your real estate needs
When I first read the topic for the latest blog contest, I was pleased with the idea, since this was something I felt I could write about. But the days ticked by, and I found myself floundering for the creativity to write this post. I contemplated the avenues I've used in my real estate marketing; the many, many hours I've spent blogging, brainstorming, networking and... follow-upping? (lol. Sorry. I couldn't resist adding another "ing" word there), and the many topics I've covered throughout the years. I even scrolled back through the last few years of blog posts and found myself surprised at just how many topics I'd covered. It felt like I was viewing a small snapshot of my life. But piecing all that together was proving to be a less easy task than I'd originally thought it would be! So finally, on the last day of this contest, with my mind still in a jumble of thoughts, I'm forcing myself to write this, and hoping it doesn't sound like utter chaos.
Now with that intro, you probably think I've traveled every marketing avenue on the planet! But that's really not the case. I've actually stuck to a pretty basic system for many years, even when not so long ago, Web 2.0 left us all scrambling to keep up with the massive online changes. And therein lies my problem. What's interesting or creative about using the same system all the time? After all, I was already blogging, even before I joined Active Rain. Well, before I proceed into Active Rain territory, I'm going to dial back the clock a few years, just for fun. We're going to take a quick technology trip through the last decade or so....
You see, around the turn of the century (I've always wanted to use that line in a blog post), I was first introduced to the notion of real estate agents having personal web sites, by a salesman who came to our brokerage to present template web sites for agents. There wasn't much to those personal sites, but at that time it was very rare to find any agent with their own web site. So just having one was a big deal! And I used it in every listing presentation, and gave my web address to every buyer who crossed my path!
But even before getting my web site, I was already using a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) when most people didn't even know what it was. (I admit it. I'm a total technology geek!) I remember constantly explaining it to people, and their amazement at the concept. LOL! But I loved having all my client's info with me at all times! Anyway, while using my PDA, I wondered how long it would take them to combine those PDA's with our phones. For those of you who had a PDA before Smart Phone technology, can you remember the hassle of pulling up your client info on your PDA, then dialing their phone number into your cell phone? Constantly carrying those two separate items that were both still in their bulky stages, was about the only downside to those PDAs. But as you know, it wasn't long before the wonderful geniuses who design all our geeky toys gave us exactly what we wanted. YES!Now, I don't even want to think about having to work without a Smart Phone! I absolutely LOVE being able to synchronize my Smart Phone with my contact manager, and access everything, at any given time! (Can you hear the fanfare, as you remember that wonderful period of time when we first discovered Smart Phones? I'll give you a moment to enjoy the memory... <=D .... OK. Moment's over. Moving on!) As I've already stated, I was already blogging before I began my Active Rain journey. But at the time, my primary blog was a Blogger/Blogspot blog with absolutely ZERO Search Engine Optimization. No matter how hard I tried, I could not get that blog to rise in the search engines. The best I could do was use it to bump up the SEO on my personal web site just a tiny bit. And a few years later, I finally upgraded to a better site. I admit, I did wait too long on that one =/ But it was around this time that I also began to blog.
Then one day my web site produced a listing referral from an agent in the area of Tampa, FL. She had found my web site on the internet because she had specifically searched for an agent in the Daytona Beach area, with the specific real estate brokerage with which I worked at the time. As we talked, she told me her real estate brokerage was getting a lot of leads from blogging on a network called Active Rain ;-) She had searched Active Rain for a Daytona Beach agent, but there were no agents in our area who were currently blogging here at that time. She was specifically looking for an agent with a professional internet presence. I guess I got lucky since she specifically wanted an agent with that particular brokerage because I still didn't have very good SEO. But lucky me, most agents still didn't have their own web sites, and that was a necessity for this referring agent! And the even bigger bonus was not only did I get a great listing, I found out about Active Rain! Oddly enough, the agent didn't send me an invitation, and now I can't even remember her name. But my curiosity got the best of me, and I had to check out this network that was bringing so much business to one real estate brokerage!
Well I've read a lot of posts from agents who say they joined Active Rain, but were afraid to start blogging right away. This was NOT the case for me. I immediately jumped in with both feet. Not a day went by that I didn't leave far more than 10 comments, and I was posting almost every day as well. And Localism was still in beta, so I took great pride in taking pictures all over the county, and uploading only my best ones, so our out-of-state visitors could see the beauty of our area. I also didn't hesitate to invite everyone I knew, and constantly talk about this fantastic network and all I was learning! It wasn't long before I completely stopped attending sales meetings, when I knew I could learn MUCH more if I spent even 30 minutes right here! I was like a sponge as I absorbed information from REALTORS, Mortgage Brokers, Home Stagers, Home Inspectors, Title Companies and more. It was so fascinating to not have to listen to the mainstream media drivle. I could gain first-hand information from industry professionals all over the country who were willing to share their personal experiences.
And then the leads starting coming to me. I'll never forget the excitement of that first lead. I even blogged about it! LOL! It was so much fun then, when there were only about 20,000 to 30,000 members here. When your post was about a lead from the network, everyone left comments of congratulations, and wanting to know which post had brought the lead!
Well, as time went on, I eventually found the posts by those wonderful bloggers who were willing to share their knowledge on SEO. And that was my turning point. Unfortunately, (for us; not them!) many of those bloggers are no longer blogging here, since those posts took them on to bigger and better arenas, and opened doors of opportunity that eventually consumed so much of their time that they were no longer able to blog. But their legacy is carried on by others who are still willing to share their knowledge. And for that, I'm eternally grateful. It's specifically because of the knowledge I gained about SEO, and the enormous increase in consumers who found our blogs, that I was able to...
Leave my previous real estate brokerage, where they themselves had no clue and no desire to learn about SEO.
Move to a brokerage that gave me much more freedom... and not only understood, but embraced the knowledge of SEO! (which they use for the benefit of the agents, without taking fees off the top of those internet leads!)
Enabled me to completely stop doing floor time within 2 months of joining that brokerage so I can now work completely from home. (That was over about 2.5 years ago)
Meet many wonderful clients who have shared my love of technology, and allow me to put food on the table for my family!
And saving the best for last... Because of blogging, and letting my personality show through what I write, when I get a call or an e-mail, or a text message from a potential listing or buyer; the vast majority of the time, they've already decided to work with only me. They're not going to call another REALTOR®, because they feel like they already know me. They've chosen me because they like me. They feel like we're already friends, even before they make contact. And let me tell you, those are some awesome relationships! Wouldn't you rather work with a friend than a stranger? And I'm sure you'd rather work with a LOYAL client, than one who is contacting every REALTOR® in town!
So in closing, before Active Rain, I had a web site and a smart phone and a blog. But after joining Active Rain, I now have a web site that can be found by the customers I'm trying to reach; I have more knowledge than I could ever gain from the media or even hundreds of sales meetings; I can get my own blogs and web site to a good position in the search engines with the key words I've chosen; I've met many real estate professionals who have my utmost respect; and I have a steady stream of listings (yes, for some reason I usually get listings from my posts) and wonderful sellers who already know how I'm going to market and sell their properties... because they've been reading my blog!
And that's my real estate story of my business Before Active Rain, and Now! ...And a little technological journey through time.
Areas Served: Daytona Beach, Daytona Beach Shores, Ponce Inlet, Wilbur by the Sea, Port Orange, Ormond Beach, South Daytona, Holly Hill, New Smyrna, Edgewater, Florida Shores.
DISCLAIMER: Lisa Hill disclaims liability for any damages or losses, direct or indirect that may result from use of or reliance on, information contained in her blogs or for accuracy of comments or opinions of visitors to her blogs.
Disclaimer: ActiveRain Corp. does not necessarily endorse the real estate agents, loan officers and brokers listed on this site. These real estate profiles, blogs and blog entries are provided here as a courtesy to our visitors to help them make an informed decision when buying or selling a house. ActiveRain Corp. takes no responsibility for the content in these profiles, that are written by the members of this community.
Late last night I finished, and as I was putting this blog together, I thought how much ActiveRain Groups are like television channels. Each channel has its special programming, and if you don't like the programming, switch channels!
ActiveRain Fit Club
AR Blog Party
Clouds at ActiveRain (clouds attached)
Fraiche Aire
Inspired By Song!
Out Of The Box! 
Recipes
Things to Do/Places to Visit
In today's technology-filled, online world, so many real estate buyers and sellers begin their real estate searches on the web. And those of us who blog, are more than happy to help provide the necessary information to those who seek it, so those seekers can make educated decisions.
Biketoberfest for 2009 has ended. But this coming this coming weekend, we now have... 
When I first read the topic for the latest blog contest, I was pleased with the idea, since this was something I felt I could write about. But the days ticked by, and I found myself 
to every buyer who crossed my path!
;)
;)
